pened upon
one occasion when the daughter of the emperor was riding through the
city, that her chariot broke down, and her attendants pulled up a young
cedar tree to use in repairing it. The man who had planted the tree,
seeing this, attacked the servants and beat them severely. This action
incensed the emperor, who immediately dispatched an army of eighty
thousand men against the city. These captured it and killed the
inhabitants, men, women, and children. The rivers ran red with blood,
and 'tis said that the ground was rich and prolific to the farmers for
seven years, from the bodies of those who perished, said to be four
hundred thousand Israelites.

* * * * *

When the guilt of the Israelites grew too great for the forbearance of
the Most High, and they refused to listen to the words and warnings of
Jeremiah, the prophet left Jerusalem and traveled to the land of
Benjamin. While he was in the holy city, and prayed for mercy on it, it
was spared; but while he sojourned in the land of Benjamin,
Nebuchadnezzar laid waste the land of Israel, plundered the holy Temple,
robbed it of its ornaments, and gave it a prey to the devouring flames.
By the hands of Nebuzaradan did Nebuchadnezzar send (while he himself
remained in Riblah) to destroy Jerusalem.

Before he ordered the expedition he endeavored by means of signs, in
accordance with the superstition of his age, to ascertain the result of
the attempt. He shot an arrow from his bow, pointing to the west, and
the arrow turned toward Jerusalem. Then he shot again, pointing toward
the east, and the arrow sped toward Jerusalem. Then he shot once more,
desiring to know in which direction lay the guilty city which should be
blotted from the world, and for the third time his arrow pointed toward
Jerusalem.

When the city had been captured, he marched with his princes and
officers into the Temple, and called out mockingly to the God of Israel,
"And art thou the great God before whom the world trembles, and we here
in thy city and thy Temple!"

On one of the walls he found the mark of an arrow's head, as though
somebody had been killed or hit near by, and he asked, "Who was killed
here?"

"Zachariah, the son of Yehoyadah, the high priest," answered the people;
"he rebuked us incessantly on account of our transgressions, and we
tired of his words, and put him to death."

The followers of Nebuchadnezzar massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem,