Is the Book of Esther the Word of God?

I havn't checked out these facts really...and havn't even read the book of Esther but some interesting claims:

1) The book never mentions God. Or offers any prayers or thanks to Him.
2) The book glorifies mass genocide.
3) Mordecai and Esther are based on Babylonian gods Marduk and Ishtar.
4) The dead sea scrolls contain the oldest copy of the Old Testament. The only book missing? Esther.

Is Esther legitamate Canon?

More info here:

http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/PseudoBibicalEsther.html

heya doc.
yes, i've read esther (years back) and been back to it a few times.
it doesn't seem to fit God's Word...one glaring thing is that God ALWAYS punishes the shedding of innocent blood.

From 'Judaism Discovered' by Mochael Hoffman. pp 552

...Haman, one ofthe most despised of all villains in Judaism,659

659 We say "in Judaism" rather than in Old Testament Israel due to disputes over the canonicity of the Book of Esther. According to Charles D. Provan: "The Book of Esther is not quoted or referred to in the New Testament. There are not even any provable allusions ... and no mention of Esther or Mordecai. ..The Book of Esther is the only book of the Old Testament not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This in spite of the fact that several copies of the Book of Tobit have been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls collection, and even more copies of the Book of Enoch (quoted by the author of Jude in the New Testament). One of the other books found in the Dead Sea Scrolls is a calendar listing Israel's Holy Days, but this calendar does not list Purim, the Holy Day proclaimed by Mordecai and Esther. Cf. The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls by James C. Vanderkam and Peter W. Flint, pages 119-120."

Ok I'm stepping out here from my comfort zone. Whether it canonical or not I don't know, when I read I do so with a open heart believing that there is something there He wants me to relate to in Him, stuff everyone else type thing but with respect.

So in Esther what struck me is how mordicai is always at the gate/door encouraging Esther in her trial.
Why it's not in dead sea scrolls or not I don't know, tell you all the truth I'm not versed in what's in there exactly or anything much other than there is always a controversy that surrounds it.

So I'm hoping here to learn more than just Esther all up.
Ok I'll go hide now lol

The book of esther is there to be a report of tactics and atrocities.
Its an education for us how to read the OT.
Reporting disobedience of those who prefers to stay when
God instructed them to leave,because there the jews learned
how to became crypto jews because its is so comfortable to be part
of the high society .Yes esther also called hadassah and mordecai were cryto jews.

Its a testify how esther was a medium of early jewish political control because "libido dominandi" overcome the persian king ahasuerus to divorce from his wife queen vashti and took a jewish wife instead to full fill jewish further plans for domination.

Its there to testify how they reverse and misuse their alleged victimhood role as a weapon to justify the killing of innocent people.

Its there to testify preemptive strikes against the alleged enemies of the jews to kill them.

Its there to testify blood sacrifices and the celebration of death as we can see it till today when each year at purim time bloodshed happen at different places committed by them.

Its there as an allegory how they try to reverse Gods salvation plan for all mankind on their own sanctified holocaust religion as an instrument to protect their unique characteristic to make them untouchable.

good insight.

God is not named once in that book.