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Haman's Plot · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: It is the Jews, my king. Their laws are different
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: from everyone else's, and they don't obey the king's laws.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: It is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: If the king approves, let an order be drawn up
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: authorizing their destruction.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: The city of Susa stirred with whispers, but at the
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: city gate, whispers had turned to wails.
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: Was it my defiance of Haman that condemned us all?
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: Did my boldness doom countless lives?
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  Speaker 2: After years of hiding.
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  Speaker 3: My heritage, did my stubbornness give a madman the excuse
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: he craved? Or would he have sought blood regardless?
• 0:47
  Speaker 4: Then what should I do? If I stay silent, I
• 0:52
  Speaker 4: may save my own life. But what of my cousin?
• 0:55
  Speaker 4: What of my people? Could I truly live with myself
• 0:59
  Speaker 4: if I don't try to go before my husband and
• 1:02
  Speaker 4: beg him to change his mind? You were placed here
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: for such a time as this.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Esther's breath trembled in her chest. She felt the weight
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: of nations on her shoulders. Haman's head buzzed with wine
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: and self-importance. The queen herself had invited him to dine twice.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: No man was closer to the throne than he. Every
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: noble and attendant in Persia bowed low in his presence,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: their admiration like incense rising before him. He burst through
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: the palace doors into the cool night air. The moon
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: climbed high over the city, and people still milled about,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: enjoying the relief from the day's heat. Every guard, scribe
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: and courtier he passed stooped low, as they should. He
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: drank in their reverence like fine wine, but as he
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: neared the city gate, his steps slowed. There sat Mordecai,
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: sackcloth still draped his shoulders, ash smeared across his brow,
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: both signs of mourning for his pitiful people. But his
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: posture was straight, his gaze calm and unyielding.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: And still you do not bow.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Mordecai met his gaze, steel forged in desperation and faith.
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: Why would I bow now?
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: My posture will not change our fate.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Haman's eyes darkened, his fury sparking, but instead of lashing out,
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: a slow, cruel smile curled across his face. His right
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: hand clenched around the heavy signet ring, the engraved gold
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: biting into his palm. With a single twist, pressed into
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: warm wax, he could end this man's life. He could
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: end thousands. He had done it before. He would do
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: it again.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, but there are a hundred different ways a condemned
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: man can die. Do not fret, Mordecai, the Jew. You
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: will not need to wait long to meet your fate.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Mordecai remained motionless, his haunted eyes steady. Any other man
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: might have shivered at the sight, but not Haman. Instead,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: it stoked the fire already smoldering in his veins. He
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: spun on his heel and stormed toward the stables, striking
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: the slow-moving stable boy across the ear as he brought
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: his horse around. Once mounted, He drove his heels into
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: the horse's sides. It shrieked and bolted beneath him, tearing
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: down the streets, scattering nighttime stragglers in his wake. As
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: he rode, Haman muttered darkly.
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: He must be made an example. His death must be
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: public and, most importantly, brutal. Let all Jews know my
• 4:20
  Speaker 5: word sealed with the king's ring is law. I will
• 4:24
  Speaker 5: not be mocked. I will not be undermined.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: At his estate, he barked orders for his friends to
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: be summoned despite the late hour. Within minutes, they gathered
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: in his grand dining room. Haman twisted the king's signet
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: ring on his finger, admiring the power it represented. Servants
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: poured wine. Laughter rang out. but it was forced and shallow.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Haman regaled them, clinging to the illusion of control and
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: his own self-importance.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: I alone dined with the king and queen today. I
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: alone am invited again tomorrow. Ah, no man is more honored. Hear, hear!
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  Speaker 6: Among the great!
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: A toast.
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: He is second only to the king, but his wine
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: is second to none.
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  Speaker 1: Laughter followed, but Haman's smile faltered, and the mood in
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  Speaker 1: the room shifted dangerously. The memory of Mordecai gnawed at him.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: He slammed his goblet down, wine sloshing over the rim.
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  Speaker 2: Yet none of it satisfies, as long as that Jew
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: sits at the gate.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: His wife, Zeresh, leaned forward and grasped his forearm, her
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: voice soothing and her eyes full of manic devotion.
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  Speaker 7: Then remove him. Do it tomorrow before the queen's banquet
• 5:57
  Speaker 7: so you can put the matter from your mind. You
• 6:01
  Speaker 7: are Lord Haman. You hold the king's signet ring and
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  Speaker 7: speak with his authority. Have a gallows built tomorrow, high
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  Speaker 7: enough for all of Susa to see. Hang him there
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  Speaker 7: in the morning and go to the banquet with peace
• 6:17
  Speaker 7: in your heart.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: The friends nodded in agreement. The suggestion pleased Haman. His
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: eyes glittered with malice. I will see that it is done.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Before dawn, the hammers rang out. Workers gathered heavy timbers,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: building a gallows that reached toward the sky, 75 feet high,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: casting long shadows over the sleeping city. The birds had
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: not yet begun to sing, but the sound of iron
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: striking wood echoed across Susa, a grim herald of what
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: was to come. That same night, the night of Queen
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Esther's banquet, the palace was quiet. but King Xerxes could
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: not sleep. He tossed and turned beneath fine linen sheets,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: but the weight of luxury offered no comfort. His mind churned.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Perhaps it was too much wine, too much excess, some
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: other reason, the hand of fate decreeing that sleep evade
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: him on this night of all nights. Outside his windows,
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: the faint clang of hammers echoed in the distance, her
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  Speaker 1: gallows rising in the darkness. though he knew nothing of
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: it yet. He sat up with a groan and shouted
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  Speaker 1: for attendance.
• 7:36
  Speaker 6: Bring the royal records. Read them to me.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: The scribe arrived, looking sleep-deprived, but dutifully unrolled a few
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: scrolls by candlelight. His voice droned on, listing victories, tributes, taxes,
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: until a line caught the king's ear.
• 7:56
  Speaker 7: On the seventh day of the month, Two royal guards
• 7:59
  Speaker 7: conspired against the king.
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  Speaker 4: The plot was uncovered and reported by Mordecai.
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  Speaker 1: Xerxes held up a hand to stop the scribe from
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: going further, as he recalled this event from five years ago.
• 8:10
  Speaker 7: Ah, yes.
• 8:14
  Speaker 6: The man Mordecai found a way to get a message
• 8:17
  Speaker 6: to me through Esther.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: Xerxes smiled at the thought of Esther.
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  Speaker 6: My young queen is full of surprises, isn't she? I
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: must remember to thank her for her role in uncovering
• 8:29
  Speaker 6: that plot when I see her this evening, when she
• 8:32
  Speaker 6: makes her request. What honor or reward was given to
• 8:37
  Speaker 6: the man?
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  Speaker 1: The scribe shuffled anxiously through the scrolls, his brow furrowing. None,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: my king.
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  Speaker 4: Nothing has been recorded about a reward.
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  Speaker 1: Xerxes scowled, perplexed, and ran a hand through his hair.
• 8:52
  Speaker 6: That will not stand. A man saves the king's life
• 8:56
  Speaker 6: and is forgotten. I cannot abide such an oversight. Inviting
• 9:02
  Speaker 6: the wrath of the gods, no less. It is most
• 9:04
  Speaker 6: fortuitous that I found such an error.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes then dismissed the scribe and summoned his attendants
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: to help him dress. He knew there would be no
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: finding sleep after such a discovery. And beyond the palace walls,
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: the sound of hammers continued.
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  Speaker 2: Steady.
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  Speaker 5: Ominous.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: At dawn, Haman swept into the palace courtyard, his mind
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: set and his heart straining at the thought of revenge
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: with cruel satisfaction. Today, Mordecai would hang, and he would
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: arrive at the queen's banquet with peace in his heart
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: and vengeance in his hand. But before he could summon
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: the royal guards to command them to carry out the execution,
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: A voice called from the palace steps. It was his
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: old friend, or pawn, Memucan. There was a curiously devious
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: smile across his face, which Haman mistook as admiration.
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  Speaker 2: Ah, Lord Haman, my old friend.' The king has been
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: notified of your arrival at court.
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  Speaker 3: He wishes you to attend to him right away.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: He has specifically sought out your advice over all others.
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  Speaker 1: Haman nodded graciously to Mamukon, more for show than earnest
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  Speaker 1: respect for the man. Haman had long considered the old
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: eunuch to have served his purpose on his rise to
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  Speaker 1: the top, but was needed no more. The king's eunuch
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  Speaker 1: was just one of many discarded by Haman on his
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  Speaker 1: ruthless ascent. Haman sighed. His plans of execution would have
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: to wait.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, I won't keep him waiting. Did he tire
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: of your advice, Lord Mimucan? It appears he requires the
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: advice of a real man, after all.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Haman watched with vindictive delight as Mimucan's smile tightened with
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  Speaker 1: restraint at the slight. Haman laughed as he brushed past.
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  Speaker 1: Moments later, Haman stood at the door of the king's
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  Speaker 1: audience chamber... and saw the king accepting a silver goblet
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  Speaker 1: and plucking grapes from the vine on a gilded tray.
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  Speaker 1: Zerxes fumbled for the golden scepter leaning against his throne
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  Speaker 1: and hastily extended it toward Haman. Haman straightened his robes
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  Speaker 1: and entered the king's chamber, bowing deeply, his smile fixed
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  Speaker 1: and smug. The king sat forward. his expression thoughtful, almost eager.
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  Speaker 6: Tell me, Aman, what should be done for the man
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  Speaker 6: the king delights to honor?
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  Speaker 1: Haman's heart surged. Today was really turning around from the
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: night before. His breath quickened as he drew closer to
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: the throne.
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  Speaker 2: How else would the king honor me? What other honor
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  Speaker 2: could he bestow upon me that I don't already have?
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  Speaker 2: For who else could it be? Who else would the
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: king wish to honor but me?
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: But aloud he chose his words with care, adopting what
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  Speaker 1: he assumed sounded like plausible humility, savoring each suggestion.
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  Speaker 2: Ah, well, for the man the king wants to honor,
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  Speaker 2: he should bring a royal garment that the king himself
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  Speaker 2: has worn, and a horse the king himself has ridden,
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  Speaker 2: adorned with a royal crown on his head, eh? put
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: the garment and the horse under the charge of one
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  Speaker 2: of the king's most noble officials. Have them clothe the
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: man the king wants to honor. Parade him on the
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: horse through the city square. Call out before him, this
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: is what is done for the man the king wants
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  Speaker 2: to honor.
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  Speaker 1: Xerxes smiled, pleased.
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  Speaker 6: Excellent, Harry, and do just as you proposed. For Mordecai
• 13:12
  Speaker 6: the Jew who sits at the city gate. Take my
• 13:14
  Speaker 6: own garment and a horse from my stables for him.
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  Speaker 3: And you.
• 13:20
  Speaker 6: You should be the man who leads the honorary parade.
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  Speaker 6: For who is more noble or respected than you? Do
• 13:28
  Speaker 6: not delay. And do not leave out anything you suggested.
• 13:31
  Speaker 4: I love it.
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  Speaker 3: Go.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: The words struck like a hammer blow. Haman's vision blurred.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: His stomach twisted. His mouth went dry. He struggled to breathe,
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  Speaker 1: to respond, but the weight of humiliation pinned him to
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: the floor. But then he remembered himself and where he was.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: He bowed before his king. He could do nothing else.
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, my king.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: A short while later, the streets of Susa buzzed with whispers.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: Crowds pressed in. leaning against market stalls and stone walls,
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: craning their necks to see the spectacle. And there it was, Haman,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: the king's highest official, walking ahead of the royal horse,
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  Speaker 1: leading it by gilded reins. The whispers turned to gasps.
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: The very man who had sought Mordecai's death was now
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: parading him through the city streets. Everyone knew by now
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: The towering gallows outside Haman's estate had been built for Mordecai,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: and now Haman walked ahead of the king's own horse
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: with his enemy seated high above in glory. Haman's robes
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  Speaker 1: dragged in the dust, while Mordecai's were pristinely spread across
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  Speaker 1: the horse's hindquarters. Haman's face burned hot with humiliation, and
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: though it felt like swallowing glass, he forced himself to
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: cry out the very words he had offered so confidently
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  Speaker 1: that morning.
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: This is what is done for the man the king
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: delights to honour.
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: Street after street, corner after corner, he repeated it until
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: the words lost meaning, until his voice was raw, until
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: he felt empty and exposed. Mordecai, on the other hand,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: sat tall atop the king's own horse, draped in royal robes,
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: his posture straight, his expression calm and composed. He did
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: not gloat. He did not glance down at Haman. He
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: did not have to. His gaze remained fixed ahead, dignified, resolute. Now,
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: confident at this reversal of fate, that the god of
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: his people was working out his people's rescue. Children whispered.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: Merchants stared. The mighty Haman was reduced to a herald
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: for the man he despised. Haman could feel the weight
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: of every gaze, every whisper scraped against his pride like
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: a blade. Afterward, Haman returned home in silence, his head
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: covered in shame, his expression hollow. The grand estate that
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: once echoed with laughter and celebration now felt cold and cavernous.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Servants hurried past with lowered eyes. The wine sat untouched.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: His wife, Zeresh, and his closest friends gathered, but the
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: confidence that once filled their voices had vanished after what
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: they had witnessed in the streets. They had seen him,
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: the king's highest official, reduced to a herald for the
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: man he despised. No one spoke. At last, Zeresh broke
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: the silence. Her voice was low, cold, and weighted with
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: something deeper than fear, superstition.
• 17:16
  Speaker 7: If Mordecai is of the Jewish people, and you have
• 17:20
  Speaker 7: already begun to fall before him, then this is not chance.
• 17:26
  Speaker 7: This is something greater. You will not overcome him. Your
• 17:31
  Speaker 7: downfall has already begun.
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: Her words hung in the air like a curse, like fate.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: In that moment, Haman knew. The winds had shifted, and
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: the rope he had ordered was tightening around his own neck. Outside,
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: the gallows loomed in the midday sun, a monument to pride,
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: an omen of doom. The trap was set. but not
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: for the man it was built for. This PrayDogCon production
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schelleberger and Ben Gammon are
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu.
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz,
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, You can hear more Prey.com productions
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People,
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: please rate and leave a review.