Historical background: the kingdom and events unfolding in the book of Esther pick up roughly where the contemporary events of the book of Daniel had left off. The timeline of Kings and consequences coinciding with Israel's exile and return are relevant to the context of Esther. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem in 605 BC leading Daniel and others captive to the city of Babylon. The next king, Belshazzar, lost his throne immediately upon the prophecy of Daniel to the Persians who expanded the empire. Kings to follow included Cyrus, who allowed the Jews to return & rebuild Jerusalem after 70 years of exile, Darius another king under whom Daniel served, and the son of Darius, Xerxes or Ahasuerus as he is identified in the book of Esther. The Persian empire would continue for several kings following Ahasuerus until it fell to Alexander the Great around 330 BC.