In Babylon there lived a man named Jehoiachin whose wife Susanna was known for her beauty and her devotion to God. Her parents had raised her according to the Torah of Moses, and she feared the Lord above all things. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, Jehoiachin's house had a beautiful garden where Susanna would bathe, and two newly appointed judges came daily to the house to render judgment for the people.
Both judges saw Susanna and burned with desire. At first each hid his obsession from the other. But when the crowds departed, the two men lingered, confessed their lust to each other, and conspired to trap her. One day, when Susanna entered the garden with her maidservants, the judges hid among the trees. After the maids left, the two men confronted her: submit, or they would publicly testify that they had caught her with a young man. Susanna chose her honor. "I would rather fall into your trap than sin against God," she said.
The judges brought their false accusation before the assembly. The people believed them, because they were elders of the community. Susanna was condemned to death. As she was led away, she cried out to God, and God heard her prayer. He sent a young man named Daniel, who stopped the procession and declared the verdict unjust.
Daniel separated the two elders and interrogated them individually. "Under what tree did you find her?" he asked the first. "Under a terebinth," the man answered. Daniel dismissed him. The second elder said, "Under a trellis of the vine." Their stories did not match, and Daniel pointed out that neither tree existed in the garden. The assembly realized the judges had invented the entire accusation. The two corrupt elders were executed with the same punishment they had plotted against Susanna. From that day, Daniel's wisdom was recognized by all the people of Judah.
LXV. (1) There dwelt a man in Babylon named Jehoiachin,
and he took a wife whose name was Susanna, one that
feared the Lord. She was the daughter of righteous and
good parents, who brought her up in the ways of the Lord,
according to the precepts of the law of Moses. Now, this
man Jehoiachin was greater and more respected than any
of his generation. To him all the Jews resorted daily, for
no one like him w^as found among God's people. He had
a beautiful garden adjoining his house, where his wife
Susanna used to retire for bathing. (2) At this time two
judges were appointed over the people, who came in the
early morning and evening to Jehoiachin's house to deliver
judgment to the people. But when they heheld the beautiful
Susanna their lust was inflamed towards her. They re-
nounced their hope in heavenly reward, and, whilst sepa-
rating themselves from the righteous, yet neither one
revealed to the other the evil thought of his heart. But
when the crowd had dispersed to their homes, they spoke
to each other, and then, confessing their lust to each other,
they took counsel together in which way they might lead
her astray, and, watching diligently every day to defile
her, they neither stopped nor rested from their sin.
(3) One day when all the people had departed to their
homes they remained behind according to custom, nor did
they remove the evil of their heart, but lay in wait to
commit the evil. When Susanna entered the garden
accompanied by her maids to wash herself on account of
the heat, she sent them to bring her some oil wherewith to
anoint herself, at the same time telling them to close the
door behind them. When they went out they accordingly
bolted the doors after them, but the old men were concealed
in the beautiful garden, and when she stripped to wash
they ran out of their hiding-place, and, taking hold of her,
said, ' Lie with us, for if thou wilt not consent we shall
bear witness against thee that a young man has lain with
thee.' In fear and trembling she then said, 'What am I
to do ? I cannot escape these men. It is better for me
to resign myself to the Lord, the righteous, the good, the
great, the mighty, and the awe-inspiring God, the Deliverer,
Saviour, and mighty Kedeemer, whose name is the Lord of
Hosts.' (4) Then, raising her voice on high, she cried,
* Save me, 0 Lord my God, from the hands of the wicked
who rebel against Thee.' But they also cried aloud, and
bore false witness against her. At their cry the men of her
house came forth, and, entering the garden, beheld the
elders bearing this testimony against her, and they and all
their kindred were astonished, since they knew that the like
of this was not seen or heard of her.
(5) On the morrow all the people gathered together to
the house of Jehoiachin according to their custom, and
204 [LXV. 6
with them the elders who rose up and testified that they
had seen this woman enter the garden with her two maids,
and that a young man came and lay with her. ' We then
took hold of the young man, but he slipped from our
hands.' The people believed their words, for the elders
were held to be good and God-fearing men.
(6) Then, sending for the woman, they brought her, and
there came wdth her her relatives, friends, and acquaint-
ances; but she was very feeble, and came there with her
face covered. But the elders cried angrily from their evil
desires, ' Kemove the veil from her face !' that they might
satisfy the wickedness of their eyes, and, condemning her to
death, they led her forth. Then, raising her eyes on high,
she said, ' 0 truthful and righteous Judge, 0 faithful
Witness, behold me and save me from a death through false
witnesses; let me not be found a sinner in the sight of all
these people; and let not the words of these wicked men be
fulfilled against me.'
(7) And the Lord heard her cry and sent a helper, for
the Lord aroused the spirit of Daniel, who raised his
voice, and said, ' Lord God, clear us of the death of this
righteous woman.' Hearing this, the people asked, 'Who
art thou that speaketh ?' And they replied, ' The voice is
that of Daniel;' he was then a young man in the king's
household and a chamberlain in his palace. * But why
dost thou speak in this manner ?' And he said, ' Will ye
condemn to death one in Israel without investigation?
Will ye slay the innocent and the righteous in a manner
contrary to the law ? Eeturn to me, that I may investigate
the matter.'
(8) The woman and all the people then returned, and
the elders who bore witness against her said to him, ' Why
does my Lord say, she is not to die, since she has done such
and such a thing ?' And Daniel said to the people, ' Be ye
seated;' and they sat down. ' Now separate these elders
one from the other.' Then, interrogating one of them, he
said, ' 0 sinful old man, thou art surely condemned to
death, and the angel stands over thee to cut thee in two.
Lxvi. 1] 205
Under what tree didst thou find her ?' ' Under the
terebinth ' (p'pN). And Daniel said to the people, ' Behold,
this man shall die, for there is no such tree in the
garden.'
(9) He was accordingly taken away, and the second one
brought. And he said to him, ' 0 thou of the seed of
Kainan, who art not of Judah. Thus did ye act in our
land. Ye enticed beautiful maidens by your false testimony,
so that we became a curse and a reproach, we were led
captive and became a spoil; behold, thou art destined to be
slain, and no soul is to be left within thee. Tell me, before
the people, under what tree didst thou find her ?' ' Under
a trellis of the vine' (n^'pn). Then said Daniel, 'Behold,
the angel stands over thee with a drawn sword in his hand
to saw thy loins asunder, for there is no such tree in the
garden.'
(10) They went and found that it was the truth. Then
Daniel appeared to the people in all his wisdom, and it
was done to those judges just as they devised against their
sister. From that day Daniel was exalted in the sight of
the people of Judah, and they gave thanks and praises to
the Lord God of their fathers, as did Shealtiel, the father
of Susanna, and her mother, as well as all her relatives
and acquaintances, and her husband Jehoiachin.
