Community Magazine March 2019

Rabbi Zamir Cohen Shushan the Capital City The seat of King Xerxes (Ahashverosh, or Ahasuerus) was in a city referred to by the Megillah as Shushan, a city in Western Iran that is known today in Farsi by the name Shush, and in English, by the name Susa. The Megillah ’s references to this city can be more clearly understood in light of archeological findings. The Megillah sometimes speaks of the city simply as “Shushan,” and in other instances, as “ Shushan habirah – Shushan the capital.” In the Bible and rabbinic writings, “birah” means a high place, a fortress or a palace. (Over the years, this word came to mean the capital city where the government resides.) In the Megillah , the expression “Shushan habirah” indicates the area where the king’s palace was located, as noted by the Ibn Ezra (Esther 1:2): “in Shushan habirah – where the palace was.” Today, we would call this area the “Shushan palace,” or the “Shushan fortress.” Hebrew language expert Abba Ben-David explains: “Shushan had two parts: the city and the fortress. The king’s palace and the surrounding compound was called ‘Shushan the fortress,’ and the rest of the city was called ‘Shushan the city.’ Mordechai would come and go from the city to the royal compound, and from the royal compound to the city. The city was separate from the royal compound.” Shushan the fortress contained the royal palaces, the primary and secondary harems, government buildings, and more. The expression “Shushan habirah” also teaches us that the king’s palace was situated on a high plateau. Indeed, Ahasuerus’ palace in ancient Shushan was built on a high and wide plateau which is still in existence today. The sages in the Talmud ( Megillah 15a) say that around Shushan the fortress was an arkuma d’maya (river, or canal). This detail, too, was discovered in contemporary archeological excavations, as Professor Elia Samuele Artom (1887- 1965) explains: “Based on excavations made in the area of ancient Shushan, a river separated between the city and the fortress, and the king’s palace was in a high place in the royal compound.” According to an accepted tradition described by Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela in his book, the grave of the prophet Daniel is in Shushan, in a special edifice that is known even today. The Splendor of the King’s Palace The Megillah also presents a detailed description of the king’s palace. These details have been uncovered in archaeological excavations and described by scholars in the field: “The author of the Megillah was thoroughly acquainted with the Shushan fortress and all the sections of the royal compound, such as the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard, the royal palace, and the pavilion that stood on columns and was open to the inner courtyard, as excavations conducted here by the French rediscovered” ( Encyclopedia Hebraica , vol. 5, p. 101). The Megillah (Esther 1:6) devotes special attention to the king’s orchard garden, describing the grandeur of the garden grounds: “There were spreads of white, fine cotton, and blue, embroidered with cords of linen and purple on silver rods and marble columns; couches of gold and silver on a pavement of green, white, shell, and onyx marble.” The Persian king surrounded himself with fancy furniture, fine fabrics, and expensive utensils. This description corresponds to the Greek historian Herodotus’ description of the luxuries with which Ahasuerus surrounded himself. As scholars have noted ( Peneh Olam HaMikra , p. 184): “The description in Megillat Esther of silver rods, gold and silver couches, and a large variety of utensils displayed at Ahasuerus’ banquet fits the description by Herodotus of the numerous silver and gold vessels left behind by the Persians when they fled from the Greeks during the time of Xerxes: ‘They spread throughout the camp and found tents decorated with gold and silver, beds coated with gold and silver, gold cups and goblets and other drinking vessels.’ Herodotus goes on to say that Xerxes’ own home utensils fell into the hands the Greek commander, and they included utensils, beds and tables of gold and silver, just as is described in the Megillah .” Archeology and Purim Fascinating facts about the story of Purim in light of recent archeological findings, including the capital city of Shushan, the splendor of the royal palace, and the wine banquet. 36 Community Magazine