Page 9 - Expotime10_11_2017

Top stories

Haft Tappeh, general view east of the main road which leads to Ahvaz.

for the ruler were made by burnt bricks and inscriptions Susa lost its importance, when Alexander the Great
what charges the common people had to pay for the occupied the Persian empire. He did not destroy it like
priests. In 2012, hundreds of skeletons were found behind his soldiers sacked Persepolis, but he chose Babylon as
the wall of a large complex; archaeologists assume that a capital of the subdued realms. When the people of Susa
th
massacre had happened here at the end of the 14 cent., revolted against the new rulers, the conquerors wrecked
th
when Haft Tappeh lost its souvereignity. A small museum the city. Sapor II re-built the city in the 4 cent. and
5
at the excavation site shows clay tablets, an huge winged named it Iranshar Shapur.
bull, clay figurines and provides lots of information about
the site of Chongda Zanbil, too. Biblical history
The Persians in the time of Abraham, the bible tells us that
Kardolaomer ruled in Elam and waged war around the
While there are only a few relics of ancient Elam in the Dead Sea. The bible uses often Elam and Persia as
ruins of Susa today, Persian buildings characterize the synonyms because Persian kings like Xerxes ruling in
remains of the city. In 625 BC, Susa was re-built. The Susa play a role in the bible too. Several prophecies in
Persians occupied the former Elam and Darius I, who the bible are against Elam (Jes 11,11; 21,2; 22,6; Jer
ruled 522-486 BC, used the city as a provincial residence. 25,25; 49,34-39 Hes 32,24; Dan 8,2), i.e. the Persians.
Buildings, parts of the city wall and the Apadana (palace
hill) from this period still exist and give an idea of the The occidental Christians knew Susa from the biblical
expansion of ancient Susa. story of Esther. More historic authenticity has the biblical
narration about the prophet Daniel who lived in Susa in
Susa had to be important for the Persian king because he the 6th cent. BC. In immediate proximity to the
used only the best material: Darius wrote about the archeological site is a tomb called “Shush-Daniel” because
valuable material for his palace at Susa: “The cedar most people believe that Daniel was buried here.
timber was brought by the Assyrians to Babylon from a Historians are not sure about this. The biblical Daniel
Lebanese mountain. From Babylon, the Carians and received his vision between the rivers Karkheh and Dez
Ionians brought it to Susa. The yaka timber was brought (Book of Daniel 8:2) in today’s Shush. The tomb of Daniel
from Kandahar (Gandhara) and Kerman (Carmania)...The is in a good condition because the Islam glorifies him as a
gold brought from Sardis and from Bakhtrish (Bactria) prophet and pilgrims come to the site to worship him. 7
was wrought here. The precious stones lapis lazuli and
carnelian which were cut here were brought from Suguda The excavations
(Sogdiana). The precious stone turquoise that was brought
from Uvarazmish (Chorasmia) was cut here. The silver The work of the archeologists in Susa goes back 200
and ebony were brought from Egypt. The ornamentation years in history. A certain Captain Monteith wrote 1809
with which the wall was adorned was brought from Ionia. about a black stone at the tomb of Daniel and researchers
The ivory which was carved here, was brought from thought it could be a kudurru, a boundary stone from
Ethiopia, Sind and Harauvatish (Arachosia).“ All facades Babylon. Bani Lam people from the region destroyed the
6
were decorated with glazed bricks in Elamite tradition. stone hoping to find treasures inside.
9

EXPOTIME!, issue October / November 2017