Susanna

The Righteous Susanna was a God-⁠fearing woman of Babylon, innocent, falsely accused by two wicked elders and delivered through the prophet Daniel. Her story survives in the 64 verses which form, in the Greek Septuagint, a preamble to the Book of Daniel (the Latin Vulgate places it at the end, as the thirteenth chapter).

Susanna was the wife of Joakim, a rich and honoured man of Babylon. Two elders, judges of the people, who came to her garden, desired her and demanded her in secret. She refused, saying that she would rather fall into their hands than sin before the Lord. To take revenge, the elders testified against her that she had been seen with a young man, and the people believed them and condemned her to death. As she was being led to death, God stirred the holy spirit of the young Daniel, who demanded that they be tried again. Examining the elders separately, Daniel asked each under which tree he had seen her: one said under a mastic tree, the other under an oak. Their lie was exposed, they were condemned to death, and Susanna was delivered. The story teaches that God protects the innocent and that the righteous are heard.

She is commemorated on 13 December.