Segment · Episode 92
Biblical-ish — Susanna
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- Susanna
- Daniel
- Curse of Ham
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Susanna
Susanna is a Jewish heroine preserved in the Greek additions to Daniel whose story centers on false accusation, sexual coercion, and courtroom vindication. The tale uses her ordeal to expose how male authority can be weaponized against women and how that abuse can be challenged through public scrutiny and cross-examination.
Why this topic matters
Susanna sits at the overlap of reception history and gendered abuse of power. The story is memorable because two respected elders exploit their status, attempt to coerce her sexually, and then convert that same authority into a capital accusation when she refuses. That makes the episode less about a generic morality tale than about how institutions can protect predatory men unless their claims are tested.
The text also matters because it belongs to the Greek Daniel tradition rather than the Hebrew form that later became standard in many Protestant Bibles. Conversations about Susanna therefore open onto larger questions about canon formation, the Apocrypha, and the uneven afterlife of texts that remained scriptural in some communities while disappearing from others.
Where to start
Start here for the best in-depth listening on Susanna: featured segments, featured episodes, and the episode with the most mentions.
Quotes from the Data
“This book comes from—it's one of the additions to Daniel. So Daniel, as we have talked about multiple times before, composed early 160s BCE. This is one of the stories that was probably just in circulation as part of the broader Daniel traditions' lore, if you will.”
“It's a fun illustration of the fact that awful men have been scapegoating women for their own awfulness for thousands of years.”
“The scoundrels ordered her to be unveiled so that they might feast their eyes on her beauty.”
“The Story of Susanna, Song of the Three Children. These are all expansions on Daniel. These are texts that were considered authoritative within early Judaism and are adopted into the Christian concept of Scripture. But then the Jewish canon omits them when it becomes solidified.”
Top episodes
Ranked by mentions of Susanna across the transcript. Start with the top mention above, then keep going here.
All episodes
Every episode currently tagged with Susanna.