Biztha

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BIZTHA

BIZTHA (Heb. בִּזְּתָא; Gr. Βαζάν, Μαζάν, Βαζεά), one of the seven eunuchs of *Ahasuerus (Esth. 1:10). On the seventh and last day of his feast for the peoples of Susa, when King Ahasuerus was in high spirits from drinking, he sent his seven attendant eunuchs to summon Queen Vashti so that he might display her beauty before the assembled company. The name Biztha is apparently Persian but no agreement has been reached on its meaning (suggestions include: besteh, "bound"; biz-da, "double gift"; Mazdā [dā]na, "gift of Mazda").

bibliography:

L.B. Paton, The Book of Esther (icc, 1908), 67; Gehman, in: jbl, 43 (1924), 323; Duchesne-Guillemin, in: Le Muséon, 66 (1953), 107.

[Bezalel Porten]

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