Although there were several men named Elam, the region of Elam near the Persian Gulf (modern-day Iran) probably got its name from the first-born son of Shem. In Genesis 14, Abram (later known as Abraham) had to rescue Lot when Kedorlaomer king of Elam and others went to war against the Amalekites and Amorites near the Dead Sea (once known as the Valley of Siddim).

Links open with New International Version (NIV) verses. Unless otherwise stated, links applicable in both King James & NIV.

People who lived in Elam were called Elamites and were mentioned in Ezra 4:9 (during the reign of the Persian, Xerxes) and Acts 2:9 (at Pentecost).

Elam later had prophesies against it in Jeremiah (25:25 and 49:34-39), in Isaiah and also in Ezekiel 32:24-25.
Jeremiah 49:34-39:
34. This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:
35. This is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.
36. I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go.
37. I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives; I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger," declares the LORD. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.
38. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the LORD.
39. "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the LORD.

Isaiah 11:11:
11. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

In Isaiah 21:2, a call to action against the Perso-Mede rise to power was requested and Jeremiah 25:25 also appeared to have foresaw that threat to the region.

Isaiah 22:6 showed that they adapted to warfare like several other cultures did in Biblical days:
6. Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield.

The next occurrence of Elam came after the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity when we begin to see numerous times when the "citadel of Susa" is mentioned. King James called the town/city Shushan. Daniel 8:1-2 (after Nehemiah 1:1 also mentioned it):
1. In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.
2. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.

Other instances of Susa in NIV appeared in the book of Esther when the Jews survived a threat from Haman and his 10 sons:
Esther 1:1-5:
1. This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush:
2. At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,
3. and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
4. For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.
5. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa.

Esther 2:3-8:
3. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.
4. Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
5. Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,
6. who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.
7. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8. When the king's order and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.

Esther 3:15:
15. Spurred on by the king's command, the couriers went out, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

Esther 4:8,16:
8. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
16. "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

Esther 8:14-15:
14. The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king's command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
15. Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.

Esther 9:6-18:
6. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8. Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9. Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,
10. the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11. The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.
12. The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted."
13. "If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on gallows."
14. So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
15. The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.
17. This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
18. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

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