II. SHUSHAN, Susan, or Suses, the Capital City of Susiana, or of the Country of Elam, that is of Persia. Daniel always gives it the Name of the Palace: I was at Shushan in the Palace; because the Kings of Chaldea had there a Royal Palace. From the Time of Cyrus, the Kings of Persia took up the Custom of passing the Winter here, and the Summer at Ecbatana1. The Winter was very moderate at Shushan, but the Heat of the Summer was so great, that the very Lizards and Serpents that were surpriz’d by it in the Strab. l. 15.Streets, were even burnt up by the Heat of the Sun. The Hebrew Word Shushan2 signifies a Lilly. This City stands upon the River Ulai. ‘Twas in this City, and upon this River, that Daniel had the Vision of the Ram with two Horns, and the Goat with one Horn, &c. in the third Year of the Reign of Belshazzar3 .
‘Twas also in this City of Shushan, or Suses, that the History of Esther happen’d. ‘Twas here that Ahasuerus, or Darius the Son of Hystaspes, generally resided and reign’d.4 Pliny says, he rebuilt Shushan, that is, that he enlarg’d and adorn’d it, l. 6. c. 27. Nehemiah was also at Shushan, when he obtain’d from King Artaxerxes Permission to return into Judea, and to repair the Walls of Jerusalem.5 Benjamin of Tudela, and Abulfarage, place the Tomb of Daniel at Chuzestan, which is the antient City of Shushan, the Capital of the Province of Elam.
This City at this Day among the Persians goes by the Name of Tousther or Schousther, and is the Capital of Kusistan. King Sapor caus’d a Digue of a prodigious Height to be rais’d there, to make the River Choaspes to ascend.6 The Tarikmonteked says, that the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel was still to be seen there in his Time. Some Persian Historians ascribe the Foundation of this City to Huschenk, Son of Siamech, the second Prince of the first Lightfoot, de Templo, c. 3.Dynasty of Persia. Lightfoot says, that the outward Gate of the Eastern Wall of the Temple, was call’d the Gate of Shushan; and that upon this Gate was carved the Figure of the City of Shushan, in Acknowledgment of the Decree granted at Shushan by Darius Son of Hystaspes, which permitted the Rebuilding of the Temple.
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Footnotes
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Vide Strab. l. 15. Xenophon, Cyropæd. l. 8. Athen. l. 12, &c. Chanaan. l. 2. c. 14. ↩
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שושןShushan, Lilium. Vid. Bochart. ↩
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Dan. viii. 1, 2, 3, &c. In the Year of the World 3447, before Christ 553, before the vulgar Era 557. ↩
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Esth. i. 2, 5, &c. In the Year of the World 3490, before Christ 510, before the vulgar Era 514. ↩
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Nehem. i. 1. In the Year of the World 3550, before Christ 450, before the vulgar Era 454. ↩
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D’Herbelot Bibl. Orient. p. 464, 329, 896. ↩