Résumé
Résumé de Susanna, Bel and the Dragon
À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
For readers of the Bible who want to explore beyond the Hebrew text of Daniel, and for lovers of ancient detective tales, clever satire and faith under pressure.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
Three tiny courtrooms, one young prophet, and a question that cracks every lie. Susanna, Bel and the Dragon are three short tales about Daniel in Babylon. They survive in Greek and sit within the Book of Daniel in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Nobody knows who wrote them, though scholars place them in the second or first century BC. You meet a virtuous wife trapped by two respected judges, a king who thinks his idol eats, and a dragon worshipped as a god. Crime, cunning, comedy and prayer all fit in a few pages.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A good wife and two wicked judgesFree
- 2Alone in the garden, she must choose
- 3The trial, the prayer and a young voice
- 4Daniel laughs at the god Bel
- 5A dragon, a king and an angry crowd
Point clé 1 sur 5
A good wife and two wicked judges
In Babylon, a respected man named Joakim has a beautiful wife named Susanna. She fears the Lord, because her righteous parents taught her the law of Moses.
Two elders serve as judges in Joakim's house. Each day they watch Susanna walk in the garden, and each begins to desire her. They forget their duty to judge justly.
The story lets you see the danger before she does. Powerful men are supposed to guard the law, and she is alone.
That’s 1 of 5 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Susanna, Bel and the Dragon
What is the story of Susanna and the Elders about?
It tells of a virtuous wife in Babylon who is falsely accused by two judges after she refuses them. The tale deals with false witness, abuse of power and the young Daniel's part in her defense.
Why are Susanna and Bel and the Dragon not in the Protestant Bible?
They are not found in the Hebrew and Aramaic text of Daniel, which Jewish tradition and most Protestants follow. They survive in Greek, and the Protestant Reformers classed them as Apocrypha, while Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include them.
When was Susanna, Bel and the Dragon written?
Scholars generally date the tales to about the second or first century BC. The author is unknown, and they survive in Greek, though some scholars think a Hebrew or Aramaic original may lie behind them.
Who is Bel in the Book of Daniel additions?
Bel is a Babylonian idol, a figure of clay covered in bronze, to which the people bring food and wine daily. The tale mocks the belief that such an image can eat or drink.
Is Susanna, Bel and the Dragon hard to read?
No. The three tales are short, with plain plots and few characters.