shushan Summary and Overview

a lily, the Susa of Greek and Roman writers, once the capital of Elam. It lay in the uplands of Susiana, on the east of the Tigris, about 150 miles to the north of the head of the Persian Gulf. It is the modern Shush, on the northwest of Shuster. Once a magnificent city, it is now an immense mass of ruins. Here Daniel saw one of his visions (Dan. 8); and here also Nehemiah (Neh. 1) began his public life. Most of the events recorded in the Book of Esther took place here. Modern explorers have brought to light numerous relics, and the ground-plan of the splendid palace of Shushan, one of the residences of the great king, together with numerous specimens of ancient art, which illustrate the statements of Scripture regarding it (Dan. 8:2). The great hall of this palace (Esther 1) "consisted of several magnificent groups of columns, together with a frontage of 343 feet 9 inches, and a depth of 244 feet. These groups were arranged into a central phalanx of thirty-six columns (six rows of six each), flanked on the west, north, and east by an equal number, disposed in double rows of six each, and distant from them 64 feet 2 inches." The inscriptions on the ruins represent that the palace was founded by Darius and completed by Artaxerxes.

SHU'SHAN (a lily), a celebrated city, known to the Greeks as "Susa," in the province of Elam, a part of ancient Susiana. History. - "Shushan the palace," as it is named in the prophecy of Daniel and by Nehemiah, is mentioned over twenty times in the Bible, nineteen of the references being in the book of Esther. In Dan 8:2 it is placed in the province of Elam. Elam is mentioned as a son of Shem, and then in connection with Chedorlaomer's invasion of Canaan and in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The province was probably independent of Babylon, and perhaps superior to it, but in later times came under the power of Persia. Gen 10:22; Eze 14:1; Isa 21:2; Jer 49:34; Eze 32:24. See Elam. The city of Susa was a place of great antiquity. Its name appears in the Assyrian inscriptions of Assur-bani-pal, the Sardanapalus of the Greeks, b.c. 650, who took it, and the record gives a ground-plan of the city. From the tablets, as deciphered by George Smith, we take the following: "I overwhelmed Elam through its extent. . . . Their bodies like bows and arrows filled the vicinity of Shushan. . . . Shushan, his royal city, I captured." Susa was possessed by the Babylonians after the division of the Assyrian empire by Cyaxares and Nabopolassar. In Belshazzar's last year Daniel was at Shushan in the palace when he saw the vision. Dan 8:2. By the conquest of Babylon the Persians under Cyrus came into possession of Susa, and Darius Hystaspes and the Achaemenian princes made it the capital city. He founded the grand palace described in Esth 1:4, 1 Chr 24:6. It was cooler than Babylon, and having excellent water, Susa was a suitable metropolis of the Persian empire. The kings made it their residence the chief part of the year, leaving it only during the summer for Ecbatana, among the mountains. After the battle of Arbela, Alexander the Great found in the city, treasures worth over twelve millions sterling, and all the regalia of the great king. His preference for Babylon caused Susa to decline, and it was not again made the capital city. It was conquered by Antigonus, b.c. 315, who obtained treasures worth about three millions and a half sterling. It was again attacked by Molo, b.c. 221, who took the town, but did not capture the citadel. In the conquest of Persia by the Mohammedans, in a.d. 640, Susa was captured, fell into decay, and its site was for a long period unknown. The region was famed for its fertility, and the Kerkhah water was so excellent that it was carried about with the great king on his journeys. For an illustration of a palace see Assyria, p. 80. Present Appearance. - The site of Shushan has been identified with the modern Shush or Sus, between the river Choaspes (Kherkhah) and the Ulai (Eulaeus). These are really two branches of the same river, which divides about 20 miles above Susa. Hence, Daniel might be standing on the "banks of the Ulai" and also "between Ulai." Dan 8:2, Ex 17:16. The site is nearly due east of Babylon and north of the Persian Gulf. The ruins cover an area some 3 miles in circumference, being 6000 feet long from east to west and 4500 feet wide from north to south. There are four distinct and spacious platforms or mounds; the western one, of earth, gravel, and sun-dried bricks, is smallest, but loftiest, being 119 feet above the river, with steep sides, having a round space at the top, and is supposed to have been the site of the citadel of Susa. South-east of this is a great platform of 60 acres, the eastern face of it being 3000 feet long. A third platform, north of the other two, is a square of 1000 feet each way. These three mounds together form a space pointing almost due north, 4500 feet long by 3000 feet wide. Remains have been found belonging to the great palace built by Darius, the father of Xerxes, as appears from inscriptions on the pedestals, written in three languages. The central hall was 343 feet long and 244 feet wide, and this was probably used for the great state ceremonies. The bases of four of the immense columns and the position of all the seventy-two pillars of the original palace have been discovered. It was in the great palace and the surrounding buildings that the principal scenes of the book of Esther took place. The "King's Gate." where Mordecai sat, Esth 2:21, was probably a hall 100 feet square, supported by pillars in the centre, standing 150 feet from the northern portico. Between these two was probably the inner court, where Esther appeared before the king. The royal house and the house of the women were behind the great hall, toward the south, or between the great hall and the citadel, communicating with it by a bridge over the ravine. The "court of the garden of the king's palace" was in front of the eastern or western porch, and in it Ahasuerus made a feast "unto all the people seven days, , . . where were white, green, and blue hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble." Esth 1:5-6. The feast was evidently out of doors, in tents put up in one of the palace courts. The effect of such a group of buildings, including a stately central palace standing high above the plain upon an elevated plateau interspersed with trees and shrubs, must have been very magnificent. The tracing out of these ruins in detail has furnished the most interesting corroboration of the Scripture history. On the low ground near the river is a building believed by the natives to be the tomb of Daniel.

Named from its abundant lilies. Capital of Elam, Cissia, or Susiana. Asshur-bani-pal, Esarhaddon's successor, in inscriptions says he took Shur and gives its ground plan sculptured (Layard Nin. 452), 600 B.C. In Belshazzar's last year Daniel was at Shushan in the palace (not actually, but transported in spirit) when he saw the vision (Daniel 8:2). Cyrus' conquest transferred Shushan to Persia. Darius Hystaspes and the Achaemenian princes made it the capital. He founded the grand palace described in Esther 1:5-6. Near Persia, cooler than Babylon, and having excellent water, Shushan was a suitable metropolis of the Persian empire. The kings left it for Ecbatana or Persepolis only in the height of summer, and for Babylon in the depth of winter; here Alexander found twelve million and the regalia of the great king. After this it declined. Shushan lay between the two streams of the Eulaeus and the Shapur. Canals joined the two and so surrounded the citadel of Shushan. The Coprates or "river of Dizful" and the right branch of the Choaspes ("Kerkhah") flowed a few miles E. and W. of the city. Hence arose its famed fertility. The Kerkhah water was so excellent that it was carried about with the great king on his journeys. The ruins cover a space 6,000 ft. E. to W. by 4,500 from N. to S.; the circumference is about three miles. Spacious artificial mounds or platforms stand separated from one another. The western one, of earth, gravel, and sundried bricks, is smallest but loftiest, 119 ft. above the Shapur, an obtuse angled triangle, with corners rounded off and base facing E. The sides are so steep as to be unapproachable to horsemen except at three points; round the top is a space of 2,850 ft. This is probably the famous citadel (Herodot. 3:68; Polyb. 5:48, 14; Strabo 15:3, section 2; Arrian Exp. Al. 3:16). S.E. of this western platform is the great platform of 60 acres, the eastern face 3,000 ft. long. The third platform is N. of the other two, a square of 1,000 ft. each way. The three together form a lozenge pointing almost due N., 4,500 ft. long by 3,000 broad. E. of these is an irregular extensive but lower platform, as large as all the rest put together. Low mounds extend beyond to the Dizful river. Sir F. Williams of Kars discovered the bases of three columns of the palace in the E. of the lozenge, 27 ft. 6 in. from center to center, similar to the "great hall" (Chel Minar) at Persepolis. "Loftus" (Chaldaea Susiana) ascertained next the position of all the 72 pillars of the original palace. On the bases of four columns were found trilingual inscriptions in the three languages used by the Achaemenian kings at Behistun. E. Norris deciphered the first part: "says Artaxerxes, the great king, king of kings, king of the country, king of the earth, son of king Darius ... Darius was the son of king Artaxerxes ... Artaxerxes was son of Xerxes ... Xerxes was son of king Darius ... Darius was the son of Hystaspes the Achaemenian ... Darius my ancestor anciently built the temple; afterward it was repaired by Artaxerxes my grandfather. By Ormuzd's aid I placed the effigies of Tanaites and Mithra in this temple. May Ormuzd, Tanaites, and Mithra protect me, with the other gods, and all that I have done ..." The dimensions correspond almost to the hall at Persepolis, Susa's palace, 345 by 244 ft. N. and S. As Darius Hystaspes commenced the Susa palace, so Xerxes built that at Persepolis. Both consisted of a central hall 200 ft. square, i.e. 40,000 square ft. in area, only inferior to the Karnak hall, 58,300 square ft.; with 36 columns more than 60 ft. high; the walls at Persepolis are 18 ft. thick; three great porches stood outside, 200 ft. wide by 65 deep, supported by 12 columns. These were the palace audience halls; the western porch for morning audience, the eastern for the afternoon. The principal porch, the throne room, was to the N. The central hall, called "temple" in the inscription as the king partook of the divine character, was used for such religious ceremonials as the king's coronation or enthroning, thanksgivings, and offerings to the gods for victories. It was unsuited for convivial festivities. "The king's gate" where Mordecai sat (Esther 2:21) was a square hall, 100 ft. each way, resting on four central pillars, 150 or 200 ft. in front of the northern portico. The inner court where Esther begged Ahasuerus' favor (Esther 5:1) was the space between the northern portico and "the king's gate"; the outer court was the space between the king's gate and the northern terrace wall. "The royal house" (Esther 1:9) and "the house of the women" (Esther 2:9; Esther 2:11) were behind the great hall toward the S. or between the great hall and the citadel, communicating with it by a bridge over the ravine. "In the court of the garden of the king's palace" in front of the eastern or western porch Ahasuerus "made a feast unto all the people ... seven days ... where were white, green, and blue hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble" (Esther 1:5-6). The feast, was evidently out of doors, in tents put up in one of the palace courts. A tular or raised platform was above the palace roof, as at Persepolis, making the height above the artificial platform 120 ft., and above the plain, which was 60 ft. lower, 180 ft. The effect of such a stately central palace, elevated on a plateau, and rising above the outer subordinate buildings, interspersed with trees and shrubs, must have been magnificent.