Reply To: Purim question

But what of the Nicanor celebration on the 13th of Adar? I have no doubt that Purim was celebrated in Josephus’ time. I’m also not surprised that as late as the time of the Hasemonean revolt there were variant versions of Esther out there. Such variations do not mean that the holiday was observed at the time. Quite the contrary, that there were variant editions of the text so late into the cannoziation of the TaNaCh, tells me that this was a text not carefully preserved.