The Book of Ruth is another short story written in the interests of internationalism. The main purpose of the story is to protest the enforcement of the law forbidding intermarriages between Hebrews and foreigners. This law was being used under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah to help restore loyalty on the part of those who had grown careless with reference to the observance of Hebrew rites and ceremonies. Ezra and Nehemiah went so far as to demand that a person who had married a foreigner must either get a divorce or leave the community. In many instances, such actions involved real hardships on account of the breaking up of family relationships. The story of Ruth attempted to show that in ancient times, Yahweh did not disapprove of foreign marriages. Although the setting of the story is placed during the period of the judges, the story itself is of post-exilic origin, clearly indicated by the fact that one of the customs referred to was observed in ancient times. Throughout the story, no indication is given of any divine displeasure over foreign marriages. The two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah, are described as persons of excellent character. They are loyal and devoted to their husbands and in every respect are the equal of wives chosen from among the Hebrews. The marriage of Ruth and Boaz is blessed with children, one of whom will be the grandfather of King David. Because it was from the line of David that the Messiah was to be born, that Yahweh would forbid foreign marriages is inconceivable.
The story of Esther, unlike the stories of Jonah and Ruth, illustrates the spirit of Jewish nationalism. Because it is a patriotic rather than a religious story, some people question its inclusion with the other books in the Old Testament. Its admission to the canon of the sacred Scriptures is due primarily to the fact that it contains an account of the origin of the Feast of Purim, which celebrates Esther's saving the Persian Jews. The story is set during the days of the Persian king Xerxes, and the author evidently drew upon his imagination for the details of the story since no evidence exists among Persian records of a Jewish maiden becoming a queen in a Persian court. However, historical accuracy was not the purpose of the story, which illustrates the antagonism between foreign nations and the Jews. This antagonism is exemplified in the stories concerning Mordecai and Haman, and especially in the plot that Haman forms in order to have the Jews massacred. Esther's decision to risk her own life to save her people is the noblest point of the story.
