Adar

The mysterious Jewish holiday in rabbinic times that begins and ends with the execution of two brothers.

The historical events surrounding the holiday, Yom Nicanor, and why we should consider marking the day in our generation.

King Jehoiachin surrenders to Nebuchadrezzar in 597 B.C.E., on the 2nd of Adar. Decades later, he is released in the twelfth month (i.e., Adar), providing a historical precedent for the Purim story, where Adar is a month of changing fortunes. The fate of Jehoiachin is given dramatically different depictions by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.