Quamba Christelle Sodji
Professor Corin English 2111
April 11, 2016
Susanna (Daniel and Susanna)
The Apocrypha is composed of writing and reports that are considered not genuine enough to be mentioned in the Bible. One of the stories in the Apocrypha is the story of Susanna (Daniel and Susanna). The story of Susanna is a “detective story” from the first or second pre-Christian centuries; it took place in Babylon during the time when Jews were scattered abroad. The story of Susanna is an introduction to Daniel and an addition to his book; it’s the story of Daniel’s rescue of a young and beautiful woman, condemned to death for adultery as a consequence of a plot by two magistrates to blackmail her into having intercourse with them. The story opens up with description of Susanna’s relation to two men, as wife of Joakim, a wealthy man in whose house the local court sits, and as daughter of Hilkiah, and it tells how beautiful and righteous she is, and how she was trained according to the law of Moses (vv.1-6). Joakim’s house functions as a courthouse for the Jewish community. It is not clear who wrote this story.
Two elders who serve there as…show more content… Some interpreters see the story as a criticism of the judicial system at that time, especially the need to examine witnesses more carefully (vv. 48-49) and to ensure against perjury by inflicting adequate punishment (v.62). The story is a masterpiece of the art of Jewish narrative. It illustrates how God defends the righteous who call upon him. The difference in the case of Susanna is that the threat comes from within the Jewish community rather than from outside it. Susanna reflects the isolation of upper-class Jewish women in postbiblical times through virtual confinement to the home and the use of the veil in
