Susa
An ancient city of Elam and one of the capitals of the Persian kings. The book of Esther is set in its citadel, and Nehemiah served there as the king’s cupbearer.
Susa lay in Elam, east of the Tigris, at modern Shush in south-western Iran. The Persian kings kept a residence there: Herodotus has Xerxes return to Susa after his campaign in Greece (Herodotus, Histories 9.108). The Bible calls it Shushan. Daniel sees a vision “in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam” (Daniel 8:2), the story of Esther takes place in its palace (Esther 1:2), and Nehemiah was serving the king there when news reached him of the state of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1–3).
What happened here
- 483 BC to 473 BC, traditional dateEsther and the Origin of Purim
The book of Esther tells how a Jewish queen of Persia and her cousin Mordecai turned back a decree to destroy the Jews of the empire. The feast of Purim keeps the memory of that deliverance.
- 445 BC, estimated dateNehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king, is sent to Judah as governor and rebuilds the ruined walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days against the opposition of Sanballat of Samaria. He then reforms the city’s debts, Sabbath and temple.
Primary sources
Scripture
Histories
- Herodotus, Histories 9.108penelope.uchicago.edu