Mordecai

Mordecai is a male given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew name Mordechai (מָרְדְּכַי), which is of Babylonian origin and means "servant of Marduk" or "devoted to Marduk." Marduk was the national god of Babylon. In the Bible, Mordecai is a prominent figure in the Book of Esther, a Jewish man who was taken into captivity in Babylon and later became a leader of the Jewish community in Persia. He is known for his role in the story of Purim, where he helps his cousin Esther, the queen of Persia, to save the Jewish people from extermination. The name Mordecai is also found in various other languages, such as Spanish (Mardoqueo), French (Mardochée), and Italian (Mardocheo). In Arabic, the name is often transliterated as Mardukhay (مردخاي). Throughout history, the name has been borne by several notable figures, including Mordecai Kaplan, a Jewish rabbi and theologian who founded the Reconstructionist movement in Judaism.