Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia’s Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Book of Esther. Haman was the royal vizier to Persian king Ahasuerus. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme.