Witness Interrogation and the Book of Susanna

This article reconsiders the legal significance of the story of Susanna, challenging the prevailing scholarly consensus that has downplayed its juridical content in favor of theological or moral interpretations. It argues that this trend has obscured the extent to which the narrative is embedded in legal discourse. Through comparison with biblical, Second Temple, and rabbinic sources, as well as ancient Near Eastern and Greek legal traditions, the article situates the Susanna narrative within a broader legal and cultural conversation concerning the administration of testimony. It maintains that the tale functions as an etiological narrative legitimizing the novel procedure of witness cross-examination in a post-biblical context. In this sense, the Susanna narrative reflects a transitional moment between two paradigms of testimony: one grounded in ritual authority and social status, and another based on judicial scrutiny and evidentiary doubt.