Episode Overview

In this episode of the New Books Network, host Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Dr. Adam Silverstein about his book "Haman: A Biography" (Princeton University Press, 2025). The conversation delves into the enigmatic figure of Haman—who straddles the line between myth and potential historical reality—examining his presence across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The discussion explores how Haman’s portrayal has evolved through translations, religious practices, and cultural contexts, as well as what it means to write a biography of someone whose existence is so contested and whose symbol has been repeatedly reinterpreted.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Haman? Real or Not?

[03:15–04:42]

• Dr. Silverstein describes Haman as a figure whose reality depends on whom you ask and how you define “real.”
  • “Even if there was a living and breathing Haman who walked around, his character has been so overlain with extra traditions… there’s almost certainly a large gap between the Haman who existed and the Haman who is remembered…” (Dr. Silverstein, 03:33)
• Suggests that Haman is “based on historical characters and events,” but has been mythologized over time.

2. Origin Story: Haman in the Book of Esther

[05:00–07:18]

• Dr. Silverstein recounts the Book of Esther: Esther and Mordecai (Jewish heroes), Haman as the villain, and the ensuing Jewish survival celebrated as Purim.
  • “Esther is a story about the Jews of the Ancient Persian Empire under the Persian king Xerxes I. And it's sort of a combination between a Cinderella story and an Arabian Nights court intrigue.” (Dr. Silverstein, 05:07)
• Each community’s retelling added details, often drifting far from the original.

3. How Haman Transforms Across Traditions and Translations

[07:41–09:41]

• Different translations and retellings (Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, Christian and Samaritan versions) gave Haman new ethnicities and roles.
  • “In the Hebrew Bible he's known as an Amalekite… in the Septuagint, he’s a Macedonian… in slightly later versions… he’s an Edomite… he might be a Christian or a Roman. Samaritan versions have him as a Jew.” (Dr. Silverstein, 09:11)
• His character is the most mutable in these narratives.

4. Haman Beyond Judaism – Christian and Islamic Adaptations

[10:06–13:19]

• Christianity mapped new meanings onto Esther and Haman, reading allegorically or typologically.
• In Islam, Haman appears in the Quran, though his identity and context are transformed:
  • “A man by the name of Haman does show up in the Quran six times. But not everybody agrees that it’s the same Haman…” (Dr. Silverstein, 11:30)
• This cross-cultural migration is contentious and has provoked both polemics and apologetics regarding historical accuracy and theological significance.

5. Literary Influences: Persian, Hellenistic, and Mythological Parallels

[15:01–17:58]

• Story elements of Esther and Haman are influenced by broader Persian, Hellenistic, Babylonian, and mythological traditions.
  • “The Cinderella aspect… court intrigues appear before and after in the same region… so if someone has a literary eye, they will read this instinctively as a bedtime story. But… it [became] canonized as part of scripture.” (Dr. Silverstein, 17:03)
• Canonization transformed the story’s significance for religious communities.

6. What Does It Mean to Write a "Biography" of Haman?

[21:04–24:23]

• Dr. Silverstein sought to write two interwoven biographies:
  • One tracing the traditional details attributed to Haman (family, career, death) as found in religious sources.
  • The other: a literary biography showing how his character transformed over centuries in different contexts.
  • “The book is about Haman, but it’s also an excuse to tell the story of the Near East… through the case study of a character whose story was passed around…” (Dr. Silverstein, 22:18)

7. Death and Legacy: Purim, Customs, and Community Insights

[24:46–26:53]

• Haman’s death, a focal point in the book and in Jewish tradition (Purim), yields rich anthropological insights.
  • “Actually, Haman’s death is probably the most significant aspect of his life because it’s celebrated every year in Jewish Purim festivities…” (Dr. Silverstein, 24:50)
• Burning Haman in effigy, eating “Haman’s ears” (Hamantaschen), and other rituals vary by locale, revealing much about communal needs and values.

8. Contestation and Canonization of Esther (and Haman’s Role)

[27:41–30:15]

• The inclusion of Esther in the biblical canon was historically debated.
  • “Even originally when the book was canonized… he kind of rolled under the closing garage door, sort of like in a Hollywood film. This was not something that was taken as a given.” (Dr. Silverstein, 27:41)
• Objections ranged from concerns over violence to incompatibility with theological ideals, and rituals sometimes stirred tensions with surrounding societies.

9. Haman as a Label: Internal and External Villainy

[31:04–35:40]

• Haman’s name became a byword for enemies or rivals, both within Judaism and across Christian traditions.
  • “There are many villains in the Hebrew Bible… But Haman was chosen… because he wasn’t the king… So when somebody had an extortionate tax collector, they could call him Haman…” (Dr. Silverstein, 31:15)
• Used within Jewish communities against internal "others" (like Hellenized Jews or religious dissenters), and in Christian polemics (Protestants labeling the Pope as Haman), reflecting shared mythic vocabulary and context-specific interpretations.

10. Haman's Lasting Mischief and Relevance

[36:08–37:09]

• Even with limited biblical material (just three pages!), centuries of commentary and re-imagining have created an incredibly rich afterlife for Haman.
  • “Even though there’s only three pages worth of Haman material in Scripture… the book is something like 300 pages.” (Dr. Silverstein, 36:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On myth and reality:
  “I weaseled my way out of a yes or no answer.” (Dr. Silverstein, 04:38)

• Literary transformation:
  “Rather than just being a two-dimensional figure, we ended up with this 3D villain who has so many crimes associated with him that I realized that there’s a book’s worth of material here.” (Dr. Silverstein, 06:59)

• On translation and identity:
  “The Haman character is the one that changes the most between the different versions.” (Dr. Silverstein, 09:35)

• Complexity of Haman in the Quran:
  “Until now things were complicated, but I recommend that you and your listeners buckle up because it’s going to get a little bit bumpier.” (Dr. Silverstein, 11:19)

• Significance of ritual and death:
  “How someone chooses to punish that villain tells us a lot about the community who’s doing the punishing.” (Dr. Silverstein, 26:47)

• On the contested place of Esther:
  “He kind of rolled under the closing garage door, sort of like in a Hollywood film. This was not something that was taken as a given.” (Dr. Silverstein, 27:46)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Introduction & Book Overview: [01:31–02:35]
• Is Haman Real? [03:15–04:42]
• Book of Esther Retold: [05:00–07:18]
• Evolution in Translations: [07:41–09:41]
• Christian & Islamic Transformations: [10:06–13:19]
• Literary & Mythological Influences: [15:01–17:58]
• Constructing a Biography: [21:04–24:23]
• The Rituals of Haman's Death: [24:46–26:53]
• Contestation of Esther: [27:41–30:15]
• Haman as Insult Within & Beyond Judaism: [31:04–35:40]
• Closing Reflections & What’s Next: [36:08–37:50]

Concluding Thoughts

Dr. Adam Silverstein’s research illuminates how Haman—part literary villain, part historical cipher—became a canvas onto which generations projected anxieties, identities, and ritual practices. His "biography" is as much about the communities retelling the Haman story as it is about the figure himself. Through text, tradition, and translation, Haman’s journey speaks to the malleability of tales and the enduring power of stories, rituals, and villainy.