Esther 1:2

In those days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa ¹  the citadel, ² 

2Sa 7:1; 1Ki 1:46; Ne 1:1; Es 2:3; Es 3:15; Es 4:16; Es 9:12-15; Da 4:4; Da 8:2

¹ tn Heb “Shushan” (so KJV, ASV). Most recent English versions render this as “Susa.”

sn The city of Susa served as one of several capitals of Persia during this time; the other locations were Ecbatana, Babylon, and Persepolis. Partly due to the extreme heat of its summers, Susa was a place where Persian kings stayed mainly in the winter months. Strabo indicates that reptiles attempting to cross roads at midday died from the extreme heat (Geography 15.3.10-11).

² tn The Hebrew word בִּירָה (birah) can refer to a castle or palace or temple. Here it seems to have in mind that fortified part of the city that might be called an acropolis or citadel. Cf. KJV “palace”; NAB “stronghold”; NASB “capital”; NLT “fortress.”