Is the Book of Susanna in the King James Bible?
Yes — it was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 KJV, among the additions to Daniel. Most modern KJV editions omit the Apocrypha.
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Susanna and the Elders — Free PDF Study Guide
A clear, scholarly introduction to the History of Susanna — a sixty-four-verse courtroom drama attached to the Book of Daniel in the Greek Bible. Two respected elders spy on a beautiful, God-fearing wife as she bathes, demand she submit to them, and when she refuses, condemn her to death with perjured testimony. A young man named Daniel stops the execution and cross-examines the witnesses separately. It is the oldest detective story in Western literature and a searing lesson in justice.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. The full 1611 KJV text of the History of Susanna is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
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- The full plot — the garden, the accusation, the trial, the verdict
- Daniel's cross-examination and the mastic-tree / holm-tree pun
- Why Susanna appears as Daniel chapter 13 in Catholic Bibles
- The book's teaching on false witness and Exodus 20:16
- Five passages every reader should know
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The full plot — the garden, the accusation, the trial, the verdict
Daniel's cross-examination and the mastic-tree / holm-tree pun
Why Susanna appears as Daniel chapter 13 in Catholic Bibles
The book's teaching on false witness and Exodus 20:16
Five passages every reader should know
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What is the History of Susanna?
Susanna is a short narrative of sixty-four verses, preserved in Greek as one of the additions to Daniel. Susanna, the devout wife of a wealthy Babylonian Jew named Joakim, is watched in her garden by two elders newly appointed as judges. They corner her, threaten to testify that they caught her with a young man unless she yields, and she answers that it is better to fall into their hands than to sin against God. They carry out the threat; the assembly believes them and condemns her. As she is led out to die, God stirs up 'the spirit of a young youth, whose name was Daniel,' who demands the witnesses be separated and questioned apart. Asked under which tree the adultery took place, one says a mastic tree, the other a holm tree. The lie collapses, and the penalty they intended for Susanna falls on them.
Is Susanna in the King James Bible?
The History of Susanna was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 King James Bible, printed with the other Daniel additions between Baruch and Bel and the Dragon. In Catholic and Orthodox Bibles it is not a separate book at all — it appears as Daniel chapter 13, because those canons follow the Greek Daniel. Protestant Bibles follow the shorter Hebrew and Aramaic Daniel of twelve chapters, which is why Susanna is absent from most modern KJV printings.
Why this book matters for Bible readers today
Susanna is the clearest ancient illustration of the biblical law of witnesses. Deuteronomy 19 commands that a false witness receive the punishment he intended for his brother, and Deuteronomy 17 requires the agreement of two or three witnesses — Daniel's method of separating them turns those laws into a practical test, and the story ends with the law executed exactly as written. It also shows a woman choosing death over sin, praying aloud when no one on earth believes her: 'O everlasting God, that knowest the secrets, and knowest all things before they be.' Jesus's own trial, where witnesses were sought whose testimony did not agree (Mark 14:56), reads differently once you know this story.
Frequently asked questions
Is Susanna in the Book of Daniel?
In Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, yes — it is Daniel chapter 13. Protestant Bibles use the shorter Hebrew and Aramaic Daniel of twelve chapters, so Susanna is printed separately in the Apocrypha or omitted.
What is the story of Susanna and the elders?
Two elders serving as judges spy on Susanna bathing in her garden and threaten to accuse her of adultery unless she submits. She refuses, they perjure themselves, and she is condemned. Young Daniel interrupts the execution, questions the elders separately about which tree they saw the act under, and their contradictory answers expose the lie.
How did Daniel prove Susanna was innocent?
By separating the witnesses. He asked each elder under which tree the alleged adultery happened. One answered a mastic tree, the other a holm tree. Under Deuteronomy 19 their disagreement convicted them of false witness.
When was the History of Susanna written?
Most scholars date the Greek text to the second or first century BC, though it may rest on an older Semitic tale. There is no surviving Hebrew or Aramaic original.
Why isn't Susanna in the Protestant Bible?
The Reformers followed Jerome, who noted that the Daniel additions exist only in Greek and are absent from the Hebrew Bible, and classed them as Apocrypha rather than inspired Scripture.
Where can I read the full text of Susanna?
The complete 1611 KJV text of the History of Susanna is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
Can I share this study guide?
Yes. This Bible Sundays study guide is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
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Biblical names and their meanings
Every name below appears in the King James Bible. Each page gives the meaning, the verse it appears in, and who carried it in Scripture.
- PeterRock
- PhilipLover of horses
- PhoebeBright; Radiant; Pure
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- RebeccaTo bind or captivate
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