In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim, who was married to Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah. Susanna was a beautiful woman and deeply religious. Her parents were devout Jews who had brought up their daughter to live according to the Law of Moses. Her husband Joakim was very wealthy. Lovely gardens surrounded his house, and the other Jews often gathered there for meetings, because they all thought so highly of him. Everyone who had a legal case to present would also go to Joakim`s house, where two judges held court. these two leaders of the Jewish community had recently been appointed to office. They were the ones the Lord was speaking about when he said, "There is wickedness in Babylon; judges are failing to give guidance to the people." Every day at midday, when all the people left for church, Susanna used to go for a walk in the garden. The two judges were so attracted to her that they would hand around and watch for her. They became so obsessed with their desire for her that they lost interest both in prayer and in their responsibility as judges. They each wanted Susanna, but neither told the other how he felt, because they were both ashamed to admit their lust. So day after day they watched eagerly to catch sight of her. One day at midday they said to each other, "It`s time for lunch; let`s go home." So they both left and went their separate ways, but soon each one came back for a look at Susanna, and by accident they met each other. At first each tried to explain what he was doing there, but finally they both confessed their desire for Susanna. They decided to be on the lookout for a time whent they might find her alone. So they kept waiting for the right opportunity. One day Susanna went into the garden as usual with her two servant girls. No one else was there, except the two judges, who had hidden and were watching Susanna. It was very hot and she decided to have a bath. So she said to her servants, "Bring me some bath oil and some perfume, and lock the gates, so that I won`t be disturbed." The servants locked the main gates and went out by the side door to get what Susanna had asked for. They did not notice the two men. As soon as the servants had left, the two judges jumped out from their hiding place, ran to Susanna, and said to her, "The gates are locked and no one will see us. we are burning to have sex with you, so give us what we want. If you don`t, we will go to court and swear that we saw you send your servants away, so that you could be alone with a young man." ... ///The Book of Susanna 1 BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH