Abagtha

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Abagtha, whose Hebrew name is אבגתא and is written as ’Ǎḇaḡṯā, was a court official of King Ahasuerus in the Persian Empire. He is mentioned once in the Book of Esther (Esther 1:10).

In Esther, the king orders Abagtha and six other officials to parade Queen Vashti before him and his ministers in her crown jewels. Vashti refuses, which leads to her removal as queen and Esther eventually becoming queen.

Scholars discuss the name. Some think Abagtha is the same name as Bigtha (Old Persian Bagadāta), meaning things like ‘god-given,’ ‘whose law is divine,’ or ‘gift of god.’ Another idea is that the name comes from the Avestan word gabata, meaning ‘fortunate one.’

In Esther 1:10, Abagtha is called a sarīs, a Hebrew word often translated as eunuch. But sarīs can also mean a general court official, not necessarily someone who is castrated. Since Abagtha and the other officials serve the king rather than royal women, it’s possible he was not a eunuch in the strict sense.