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Zeresh was the wife of Haman, the prime minister under King Xerxes, during the time of Esther.
Zeresh, along with friends of Haman, advised Haman to have Mordecai, an influential Jew within the kingdom, impaled. Haman hated the Jews within the kingdom, especially Mordecai who had found favor with the king. Haman was delighted by the idea of having Mordecai being put to death by being impaled.
But when Zeresh learned that Mordecai was a Jew, she predicted that Haman would come to ruin.
By this time, Xerxes already had selected Esther, a Jew, to be his queen. She knew of Haman's hatred for her people. So when the king asked her to request whatever she wanted, she requested that Haman be put to death.
True to Zeresh's prediction of ruin, Haman was put to death. He was impaled on the pole that he had set up for Mordecai.
Zeresh is mentioned by name three times in the Bible, in Esther 5:10, Esther 5:14, Esther 6:13.
The name Zeresh means "star of adoration" or "gold."
Next person in the Bible: Zeruah
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