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Book of Susanna

Book of Susanna

1 9.9
An added story in the Book of Daniel about Susanna falsely accused by two elders of having sex
  • proper noun
  • Literature
: Libro de Susana
  • In the Book of Susanna, two elders falsely accuse Susanna after she rejects their advances.

Examples

  • Scholars debate the canonical status of the Book of Susanna in different Christian traditions.

  • The Book of Susanna is often discussed in studies of biblical apocrypha.

  • The Book of Susanna is often studied in religious contexts.

  • Have you read the Book of Susanna?

  • In the Book of Susanna, two elders falsely accuse Susanna after she rejects their advances.

  • Scholars debate the canonical status of the Book of Susanna in different Christian traditions.

  • The Book of Susanna explores themes of justice and virtue through the story of its protagonist.

Synonyms

Susanna
vsBook of Susanna
  • Literature
1 9.9

A story added to the Bible about a woman falsely accused of adultery by two elders

is the title that specifies the work as a book rather than a name

Surface Forms

Morphology

book + of + Susanna

The meaning — a book about Susanna or the narrative concerning Susanna — is directly and compositionally derived from 'book' + 'of' + the proper name 'Susanna', i.e. a title indicating subject matter. This genitive/title construction is common cross-linguistically and follows basic English noun phrase patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Book of Susanna is named for a short story about Susanna, a woman who was spied on while bathing and then falsely accused by two elders, until the young judge Daniel proved she was innocent. Because this story was 'added' to some versions of the Book of Daniel, the name now refers to that extra Bible text in some Christian Bibles.