Delft Biblical Tile Design of Old Testament

Book of Esther

The story about Esther, who was an Israelitie and became the queen of Persian King
Esther, an Israelitie, became the queen of Persian King, Xerxes, requested by her farther in law, Mordecai. King Xerxes appointed Haman, an Agagite (A nomadic tribe in ancient Palestina; an old enemy against the Israelities to which Mordecai belong), an important office. Mordecai did not follow the orders from Haman so Haman planned to kill all Israelities. However, King Xerxes came to know that Mordecai prevented the assasination of King Xerxes. Eventually Haman was hung to death on the gallows which Haman build to have Mordecai hung to death on.

"Esther-5":Esther being courted by Persian King, Xerxes

"Esther-6":Rehabilitation of Mordecai: King Xerxes investigated the past records and found out Mordecai blocked the assasination for King Xerxes.

"Esther-8"：Hanging of Haman

Book of Job

The story about Job, who suffered from lots of miserable experience. Despite of that, he did not abandon the faith to the God and finally he acquired the happy life.

" Job1-5"：Job was rich and held dinner parties inviting his children and sisters. Job adored the God and offered sacrifices equivalent to numbers of children.

"Job1-14"：A messenger reported Job of the Sabean's attack.

"Job2-9":Satan afflicted Job with severe tumour in order to test Job's faith to the God. Job's wife told to abandon the loyalty and commit suicide with cursing the God. Job told his wife that he is obligated to accept the calamity as he is given with the fortunes.

"Job2-11":Three friends of Job came, and cared and comforted Job who suffered from every calamities.

"Job40-6":Job argued with the God insisting he was right but he was beaten with the God's objection and bowed down at the feet of God.

Book of Daniel

The story about Daniel, who served Babilonian Kings. He was good at the oneiromancy. He was trusted by interpritting King's dream about the collosus. As he did not believe in the Persian Gods, he was antagonized and prisoned in the lion's den but he tamed lions. Also he made hallucination of Babilonia and foresaw its extinction.

"Daniel 3"：Trial in the fire:As three Daniel's friends did not worship a golden statue, they were thrown into the firing furnace, however the God saved them.

"Daniel 5":The writing on the wall:In the banquet of Babilonian King, Belshazzar, A finger appeared and wrote something on a wall. The King asked people what was written but nobody could not understand. Daniel was invited and he interpretted that King Belshazzar's reign will be finished and Babilonia will be splitted.

"Daniel 6":Lion's Den:Daniel served King Darrius,too but did not go well with other servants. They made rules Daniel could not follow so he was thrown into the Lion's Den. Daniel tamed Lions and was not harmed. Then the King threw other servants who blamed Daiel into Lion's Den together with their wives and children and they were bited to death.

"Addition to the Book of Daniel":Intelligence of Daniel
In Babilon there was a charming woman called Susanna. Two Elders,also they were judges,were lying in love with Sussana. When Sussana bathed in a hot summer day, two elders asked her to have sexual relation with them. Sussana refused and asked for help to people in the town. Two Elders excused themself saying that they watched Sussana was going to fall in love with a young man. In the court her defense was not accepted and was sentensed to the death. The God listened to the crying of Sussana and despatched Daniel. Daniel listened to the explanations of two Elders separately and figured out the contradictions of each testimonies. Susanna was assured of no guilty and two Elders were sentensed with death.

People in Babilon warshipped the idol called "Bell" but Daniel did not warshipped it. A king blamed Daniel as he did not agree that Bell consumed a lot of food then Daniel figured out that priests in the temple consumed food and eventually they were punished and the temple was destroyed.

Book of Jonah

A Prophet Jonah was commanded to perform a missionary activity at Ninebeh, a capital of Assyria by the God, however he sailed toward a western area ,which was the opposite to Ninebeh, and he was attacked by the storm. To calm down the storm, Jonah jumped into the sea sacrificing himself so that other passengers could be saved, and he was swallowed by the big fish. After he spent 3 days and nights in the belly of big fish, he was vomitted on to the land.

"Jonah 1" "Jinah 2"

Then he directed to Nenebeh following the God's command and told the God's words saying that Ninebeh will be destroyed after 40 days. People of Ninebeh believed it and they confessed and reflected what they have done so far. Eventually the God forgave them, however Jonah protested against the God who forgave Ninebeh people and he built a cottage in a suburb and tried to observe that Ninebeh people would commence the bad behabiors again. The God gave a tree of castor-oil plant for Jonah to avoid the heat from hot weather. Jonah was very pleased with it, however on next day as the God made a worm eat the tree, Jonah was suffered from the heat again. He desired for the death. This story indicates as follows: Namely the God wanted to save Ninebeh people from their bad behaviors as the God pitied them, which is entirely same as Jonah placed the value on a tree of castor-oil plant.

"Jonah 4"

Book of Tobit

1) Tobit was brought to Ninebeh, a capital of Assyria and gained good deed. One day he went blind as droppings of sparrow fell into his eyes.
"Tobit2"

2)The devil killed Sarah's husbands continuously and she wanted to die. Knowing that, the God dispatched Archangel Raphael to her.
"Tobit5"

3)Tobias, Tobit's son went on a journey together with Archangel Raphael and landed a big fish. Taking Raphael's advise, Tobias cured Tobit's eyes with having fish bile drunk and also expeled the obsessing devil in Sarah by smoking with liver and heart of the fish. Tobias married with Sarah.

"Tobit6" "Tobit9"

Book of Judith

General Horofernes of New Babylonia invaded into Canaan and surrounded Petoria where the Israelities lived. Judith, a widow developed the plan to save Petoria. She visited the tent of Horofernes together with her maidservant and had Horofernes drunk then cut a neck of Horofernes down in the midnight. She gathered the head of Horofernes in a bag and brought it back. Thus she saved Petiria.