Susa

Susa (also Shushan; Hebrew Shushan) was the ancient capital of Elam and later a principal royal residence of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, located on the Shaur River in modern southwestern Iran. It served as one of the three capitals of the empire (alongside Persepolis and Ecbatana). The Persian kings Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes all held court there during winter months.

Susa is the primary setting for the books of Esther (Esth. 1:2) and Nehemiah (Neh. 1:1), and the place where Daniel received the vision of Daniel 8:2. Excavations at the site (ancient Achaemenid royal precinct, now Shush, Iran) have confirmed the biblical palace description and yielded the famous stele of Hammurabi's law code, now in the Louvre. The decree of Artaxerxes authorizing Nehemiah's mission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls was issued from Susa.