Place Old Testament
Susa
Also known as Susa =ESV, NIV; Shushan =KJV, NIV; Susanchite =KJV
Susa, the capital city of the Persian Empire, where Esther lived and the events of her book took place (Esth. 1:2; Dan. 8:2). Mentioned in 20 verses across 4 books, first at Ezra 4:9.
Why it matters. Capital city of the Persian Empire
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.189, 48.258 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Susa
Susa, also known as Shushan, was the capital city of the Persian Empire during the reigns of Darius I, Xerxes I (Ahasuerus), and Artaxerxes I. It is mentioned in the books of Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, and Ezra. Nehemiah served as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Susa (Neh. 1:1). The events of the Book of Esther took place primarily in Susa, where Esther became queen and saved her people from Haman's plot (Esth. 1-9). Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat took place while he was in Susa (Dan. 8:2). Susa is also mentioned in Ezra 4:9 among the places from which people were sent to hinder the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The city was located in modern-day southwestern Iran and served as a royal residence and administrative center for the Persian kings.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 20 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.