accusations.7 I think this reads too much into a story having a rather transparent purpose. Nickelsburg is more likely correct when he says that the purpose was to encourage “obedience to God in the midst of the temptations and pressures that arise in the Jewish community.”8 Let us examine this a bit further. Susanna must bear calumny and disgrace with not a word in defense from even her husband or family. Her name means “lily” and symbolizes her purity and innocence, highlighting this outrageous