There is NOTHING in the text to indicate that the people fasted for 72 hours.
Yeah... There is. And you know it.
They were requested to fast for 3 days and 3 nights. E
See? You did know it.
Esther went to see the King BEFORE the fast had reached the full 3 days and 3 nights.
Well, there is nothing to indicate they stopped the fast when she went to see the king. Now you said they stopped WHEN she went to see the King, but also quoted a version of the verse that says after they were finished ("When this is done", and you put it in bold and blue print), then she would go see the king.
Which is it?
As I have repeatedly educated you
Please... You cut and paste, make statements without reading your own references, retract references (the one you did was a good retractions, seeing it was from a Nazi, by the way), contradict yourself and constantly have to update your stance based off the information I dig out for you.
Who's educating who? Your arguments are causing me to research and in doing so, yes I am learning new things, but you have taught me nothing.
Esther called for a fast of 3 days and 3 nights. Jewish fasts (and fasts of other religions) all follow patterns and are not subject to partial days, nights and idioms. You fail to acknowledge this.
Esther on the 3rd day went to see the king. That does not mean the fast stopped even though it appears that she did so before the fast ended. There is nothing to indicate it did stop. How could it? How could everyone know what was happening inside the palace to the minute? Carrier pigeons? CNN? Texting? Word of mouth? I seriously doubt it.
The fast was 72 hours.thats how long a Jewish 3 day and 3 night fast lasts. She went to see the king while the fast was still happening.
But yes, there are also other possibilities. At least two others. But... Those are my cards to play and yours to figure out. "Educate" me on why they aren't correct!
How can you do that when I haven't given them to you? Well... You already told me my gospel references are out of context when I haven't given them yet. So... There ya go. Work that wisdom again!
I am not like that... I am not afraid of exposing the truth. I don't play those games. So here they are:
1. When did the "on the third day" count start? Did it start when she said it, or when Mordeaci fully completed his task in verse 17?
My highly educated opinion is that it began at sunset or sunrise after Mordeaci completed his Task. Depending on timing, Esther may have started 12-24 hours earlier than everyone else.
2. "The third day" is an idiom. So, the way this particular idiom works (according to some of the very references YOU, BOL, gave me) it could also mean, "after 3 days".
So, Esther 5:1 could read:"Now it came to pass after three days [she went to see the king].. "
Even your "Markan" time line testifies of that! But that's not the reference that you gave that I am talking about. One of your references mentioned Jocephas (whom I have read, have you?) Who used "on the third day" and "after three days" interchangeably. Not 3 days and 3 nights though.
So, if you are done trying to prove that a Jewish fast of 3 days and 3 nights can mean a mere 12 hours and one minute to 18 hours (and again, try telling that to any Hebrew) then I can give you a timeline.
But, if you want to keep feeding me garbage... By all means go ahead.
Don't respond until I comment on the Markan timeline! (Snicker!)