Throughout the Hebrew Bible, YHWH's chosen people, more commonly known as the Jews, find themselves continually driven from their homeland by a foreign power to to come back. Furthermore, these chosen people struggle to find the means to maintain their identity in a foreign country. As the cycle of expulsion and return repeats itself, YHWH's people come to identify themselves as living in diaspora, thus preserving their identity and, more importantly, their religious identity in foreign lands, among foreign powers. Joseph, Esther, and Daniel are characters whose books in the Hebrew Bible are considered Jewish novels – short works of fiction that have a historical setting, but contain inaccurate details – characters. These three chosen people are part of the aforementioned cycle, however, each has a different story to tell. Although these three characters share basic similarities in plot twists and instructions on loyalty in the diaspora, there are more essential differences in the role God plays and how each individual identifies. Joseph, Esther, and Daniel all find themselves in an extremely influential royal group. positions that will later save YHWH's chosen people. Joseph acts as the Pharaoh's highest official or vizier, Esther undoubtedly saves her Jewish people through her courage in approaching her husband King Ahasuerus, and Daniel is crucial to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, for whom he interprets dreams . Therefore, not only do these three find themselves having extremely powerful royal connections, but they are also doing so in a foreign country. Both Daniel and Joseph are models of how to follow God faithfully in a foreign land and are also "examples of how God will protect his faithful... middle of paper ...... key to the diaspora." and faithfulness in a foreign land work together to show God's omnipotence and love for his people. Although he plays a different role in each Jewish novel, the reader eventually sees his loyalty to those who love and follow him among strangers. These differences are imperative to interpreting the underlying meaning of the story: it is possible to remain faithful in the diaspora in a way that preserves a person's Jewish identity, and more importantly, their religious identity. Works Cited Coogan, Michael David., and Michael David. Coogan. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in Context. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. Print. Meeks, Wayne A. and Jouette M. Bassler. The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1993. Print.