FROM MOUNT HOREB TO THE SKIES OF TEHRAN -- A CONTINUUM OF CONFLICTS

"The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation:"
Exodus 17:16)

Throughout their 5,000 year history, the Jews have faced and survived major adversaries - the Egyptian pharaohs, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Seleucid Greeks, Romans, the Ottomans, and Nazi Germany. These people have been dealt with decisively and are all in the dustbin of history. Exodus 17:16 suggests the conflict with Amalek is a generational curse. Might this still be going on, an enemy that seeks the destruction of the Jews, a mystery that lurks behind the ceaseless conflicts in the Middle East in our own lifetime?

The people whom the Bible describes as God's covenant people have been known by different names at different periods of history. They were Hebrews (for Abraham and his descendants), Israelites, or Children of Israel (for descendants of Jacob), House of Israel (the Northern Kingdom), House of Judah (Southern Kingdom), Jews or Yehudi (during Babylonian exile) and Israelis (present days).

Other Biblical descriptions include - Seed of Abraham, Seed of Isaac, House of Jacob, Congregation of Israel, The Chosen People, God's People, The Holy Nation, Treasured Possession.

For simplicity I will refer to them as Jews, or the Jewish People.

One tormentor of the Jews whose name is mentioned in the Bible in about 40 verses is the AMALEKITES. The Jews had about 10 major military conflicts with the Amalekites - Amalek attacks the Jews after the Exodus, Amalekites join others to attack the Jews during the wilderness period, Amalekites oppresses Israel during the Judges Period, Amalek joins Midian to attack Israel, Saul was commanded by God to destroy Amalek, David raids Amalekite territory, Amalekites raid Ziklag, An Amalekite claims he killed Saul, Simeonite campaign destroys remaining Amalekites.

The Amalekites are portrayed as the Jew's archetypal enemy. They were seen as sneaky, cunning, treacherous and ruthless. What distinguished them was not how they fought, but how they did so. They attacked after the Exodus when the Jews were exhausted. They struck from the rear. They targeted those who were weak, weary, elderly, or straggling, rather than engaging the main force. They collaborate with other forces. The Bible presents their attacks as particularly dishonourable. "Remember what Amalek did" became a lasting theme in Jewish tradition. I want you to hold on to this thought; it is interesting, and we will get back to it.

God passed judgement and commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites. Saul defeated the Amalekites but he spared King Agag. Prophet Samuel override Saul and executed King Agag. For the disobedience, God's spirit left Saul who then spiraled downward spiritually and personally, finally dying in a battle against the Philistines. The throne of Israel fell to King David.

The Amalekites were the tribe under Amalek who descended from Essau, a brother of Jacob who birthed the Israelite (Jewish) tribe. The descendants of Simeon eventually destroyed the remnants of Amalekites and they disappeared from biblical history.

Then in the Book of Esther, the Amalekite association appeared again. The story of Esther goes like this, very briefly:

The story takes place in the city of Susa in south-western Persia. The Persian king at the time was Ahasuerus (historians think this is Xerxes). At a banquet, the King Ahasuerus requested his beautiful Queen Vasthi to dress up and appear at the function so he can show off her beauty. The Queen refused. For that slight, the King was advised to removed her. A decree went out for marriageable girls to take part in a contest for a new queen to be selected. 

It was after the Babylonian Exile - King Cyrus had allowed the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. Many Jews chose to remain in Persia. Amongst the diaspora was Mordecai and his niece Esther whom he raised.  Mordecai worked as a junior official in the courts. Once he heard of a plot to assassinate the king. He reported this and the plot was frustrated, earning him in the good books of the king. Esther was chosen as the new queen and Mordecai advised her not to reveal that she was Jewish. 

The Chief minister was a man named Haman. The Bible referred to him as Agagite, descendant of King Agag, which makes Haman an Amalekite. Being the second most powerful man in the empire next to the king, pride got to him. He demanded all to bow to him in his presence. Mordecai refused. From this rejection, the seed of hatred grew in Hamman that soon it translated to pathological detestation of all Jews. He hatched a plot to get rid of all Jews in Persia. Haman was able to sell to the king a national security problem of insurgency by a group of people (he cunningly did not specifically mention Jews). The king decreed that these plotters be rounded up and executed. That was sometime in the month of Nissan. To choose a date for rounding up the Jews, Haman picked a lot, which fell on the 13th day of Adar. Hamman proceeded to construct gallows for the executions.

Mordecai came to know of this and asked Esther to plead with the King. She is at risk of her own life as she would have to reveal her Jewish lineage to which Mordecai said the famous words:

"Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"
Esther 4:14

Esther managed to convince the king he had been tricked. Hamman was captured and executed immediately at the gallows he had constructed for the Jews. However, the king cannot retract a decree once issued. So he issued a second decree allowing Jews to arm and protect themselves. In the ensuing battle on 13th Adar, Haman's ten sons were killed in battle. Granting Esther's request, the King had Haman's 10 dead sons hanged at the gallows. 

Thereafter, Jews celebrated the 14th day of Adar called "Purim" (derived from the word for "lot"). Haman had actually called for the genocide of the Jews in Persia. The story of Esther and Purim is about the deliverance of the Jewish people from this attempt at genocide.

The next genocide came about 2,400 years later in the Holocaust. After the Nuremberg trial, 11 Germans were sentenced to death in 1946. Herman Goering committed suicide in his cell. The other 10 Germans were marched off to the gallows and hanged just like Haman's 10 sons. What was remarkable was one of the condemned German, Julius Streicher, publisher of the antisemitic newspaper Der Sturmer, as he was led to the gallows, shouted "Purimfest 1946". He was referring to the Jewish Purim Festival! He was obvious to the parallels of his fate and Haman's sons.

On 28 February 2026, Israel and the US launched a coordinated air strike on Iran. The IDF was responsible for the precision bombing of the Supreme Leader's office and residential compound in the Beit-e Rahbari complex where Ayatollah Khamenei and a substantial Iranian leadership were wiped out. Just like the Esther story, both events took place in Persia, in the house of the leaders. Esther's in the Kings' palace, 28th February bombing was at the Ayatollah's residential compounds.

28th February was Sabbath Zachor and Purim this year was 3rd March. Sabbath is the Jewish day of rest which falls on a Saturday (Jewish day starts on evening of Friday to evening of Saturday). On Sabbath, every Jew will read out a specific verse in the Torah. The particular verse is selected by some computational methodology. For 28th Feb 2026, the verse they had to read was:

"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt."
Deuteronomy 25:17

This is not to say Khamenei's lineage is traced to Amalek. The Shia believes the Ayatollah lineage is traced all the way back to Prophet Mohammud. Just an unverifiable claim. The significance of Amalek to Jewish tradition is it warns of a person who adamantly seeks to destroy their race. I asked you to hold on to the thought Amalekites seek to destroy the Jews, were sneaky, will not engage the Jews directly, use devious plans, collaborate with others. The Islamic Regime of Iran has consistently and openly declared their intention to wipe Israel off the map, pursues nuclear programme for this purpose, funded and built Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, directed the three "H" to attack Israel for years, and for decades have funded terrorist organisations to attack Israeli citizens and interests in many countries.

One of the most remarkable feature of the Book of Esther is that God's name is never mentioned. Yet the narrative is structured around a series of events that appear to be coincidences, but taken as a whole, suggests God's provincial guidance:
Queen Vashti refuses the King's command to appear at a banquetleading to her removal.
Esther chosen out of many others to be new queen.
Mordecai overhearing a plot to kill the king.
The king could not sleep one night and asked for and asked for chronicles be read. The attendants happen to turn to the page and read the part about the assassination plot. The king realised he did not reward Mordecai.
Haman arrives at the exact moment and King asked him "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?". Haman, thinking the king was referring to him, suggests an extravagant public honor. The humiliation of having to lead Mordecai in the public parade must have driven him to fasten his plot!
At Esther's second banquet invite to King and Haman, she disclosed the minister's plot. The King was furious and left the room. Haman was terrified and fell on the queen's couch, pleading for mercy. At the exact moment, the king returned and he though Haman was attacking the queen. He was arrested immediately.
Mordecai, the man condemned by Haman, was promoted to Chief Minister.
Haman was hanged at the gallows he had built for Mordecai.

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous" is a quote often mis-attributed to Einstein. There is no evidence of him ever saying this. But the quote does capture the literary theme of this post.

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