The Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) was the son of Darius. He reigned as king after the death of Darius in 486 BC until 465 BC. When his father Darius died in 486 BC, the Persian province of Egypt rebelled. Ahasuerus marched west with his armies to repress the revolt and regained control in 483 BC. This Persian king is also the king mentioned in the book of Esther. He is well known for his failed invasion of Greece where his armies were defeated at Salamis (480 BC) and Platea (479 BC).1 His invasion attempt cost the Persian empire a lot of money. Mordecai the Jew was responsible for saving this Persian king’s life. He heard about a plot to assassinate the king and reported it to Esther (Esther 2:19–23).
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.