Starring Louise Lombard, F. Murray Abraham,
Jürgen Prochnow, Ornella Muti

After the conquest of Babylon, Persia has become an immense empire. In order to demonstrate his wealth and glory, Ahasuerus, the present King of Persia, gives a banquet for his people at which he requests the presence of his wife, Vashti. As she refuses the King's demands, Ahasuerus disowns Vashti and goes in search of her replacement. In his harem, he meets the young Jewish girl Esther, who immediately captivates him with her charm and beauty. Unaware of her Jewish heritage, King Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and makes her Queen.

As the Persian Kingdom continues to develop, a new law is passed that legalizes the persecution and execution of the Jewish people. Esther must decide how to help save the lives of her people, and in an heroic move that could threaten her life reveals to Ahasuerus that she herself is Jewish and asks him to show her people mercy. The compassionate King agrees, and Esther saves the lives of many innocent people and paves the way for their return to Jerusalem.

ESTHER is one of twelve mini-series produced under "THE BIBLE" umbrella.