The Book of Esther does not name its author, and most scholars today say the author is unknown , though Jewish and Christian traditions offer several candidates.

Traditional Jewish Views

Many traditional Jewish sources connect the book closely to Mordecai and Esther themselves.

  • Some passages state that Mordecai “recorded these events” and that Esther and Mordecai wrote with full authority about Purim, which led many to credit them as primary authors or sources.
  • Later rabbinic tradition often says that the Men of the Great Assembly (a body of sages at the start of the Second Temple period) finalized or rewrote the book for inclusion in Scripture.

Christian and Academic Proposals

Modern Christian and academic writers generally agree the exact author cannot be identified.

  • Common suggestions include Mordecai, Nehemiah, Ezra, or another well‑educated Jew who knew Persian court life in detail.
  • The detailed knowledge of Susa’s palace and Persian customs makes many scholars think the author was a Jew in or near the Persian court, possibly an eyewitness or close to eyewitnesses.

Scholarly Consensus Today

Across mainstream scholarship, the safest answer is that Esther’s human author is anonymous.

  • The book’s style, irony, and structure suggest a single highly skilled storyteller drawing on court records and community memory rather than a clearly named individual.
  • So, when people ask “who wrote the Book of Esther,” the historically careful reply is: the author is unknown, though many traditions point to Mordecai, Esther, and later Jewish sages as key contributors.

TL;DR: The Bible never states who wrote Esther, and modern scholars say the author is unknown, but Jewish and Christian traditions often credit Mordecai (sometimes with Esther and later sages) as central to its composition.