Esther 1:1-4

This is what happened during the time of King Xerxes, the king who ruled the one hundred twenty-seven states from India to Cush. In those days King Xerxes ruled from his capital city of Susa. In the third year of his rule, he gave a banquet for all his important men and royal officers. The army leaders from the countries of Persia and Media and the important men from all Xerxes’ empire were there. The banquet lasted one hundred eighty days. All during that time King Xerxes was showing off the great wealth of his kingdom and his own great riches and glory.