The Book of Esther takes place in the eastern Jewish Diaspora in the Persian Empire and commemorates the institution of the Feast of Purim. Some scholars have noted the lack of direct references to God throughout the book, although apocryphal additions do add substantial references to the Lord and his hand in the story of Esther. The text could also be interpreted to show the Lord’s involvement in human affairs by using humans to achieve his divine purposes. In this case, Esther is placed in a providential position as the queen so that she can stop Haman’s plot to slaughter her people.