The Chronicles of Jerahmeel: Or, the Hebrew Bible Historiale. Being a Collection of Apocryphal and Pseudo-Epigraphical Books Dealing With the History of the World from the

LXIV. THE MIDRASH OF A

ḤAB

BEN QOLAYA AND ZEDEKIAH

BEN MA‘ASEYAH

(1) 'Thus saith the Lord of Ahab ben Qolaya and of Zedekiah ben

Ma'aseyah, which prophesy falsely in My name, behold I will deliver them into

the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and he shall slay them before

your very eyes. From them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah

and Israel in Babylon, saying, "May the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and Ahab,

whom the King of Babylon 'roasted' in the fire."' It is not said, 'They were burnt,'

but 'roasted.' R. Johanan, in the name of R. Simeon ben Johai, said, 'We learn

from the above that He made them like parched ears of corn.' Because they

committed abomination in Israel, they committed adultery with the wives of

their neighbours, and spoke falsely in My name that which I had not commanded

them, even I who know and testify against them, saith the Lord.' (2) Ahab went

to the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, and said to her, 'The Lord said, "Hearken to

Zedekiah, and there shall come forth from thee kings and prophets who will

prophesy against Israel."' Hearing this, Zedekiah also went to her, and said, 'In

the same manner as Ahab has said about me, so also listen to him, and there shall

come forth from thee kings and prophets who will prophesy against Israel.'

When she heard this, she immediately went to her father and told him all that

had happened, saying, 'Thus and thus did Ahab and Zedekiah say unto me.' And

her father replied, 'The God of these men hateth lewdness. As soon as they come

to thee a second time again send them to me.' When they came, she accordingly

said to them, 'I cannot do anything without my father's knowledge; therefore, go

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ye to my father, and, placing your request before him, listen to his reply.'

(3) Going to Nebuchadnezzar, they repeated what they had told his

daughter. And he replied, 'What is the cause of it that your God did not tell this

prophecy to Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah? Are they not prophets?' And they

said, 'He did not command Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah to do anything, but it

was us He commanded to do this thing.' At this Nebuchadnezzar retorted, 'I

asked Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah, saying, "Is this thing which you ask my

daughter prohibited or permitted?" "It is prohibited," said they.' 'But we are

prophets,' answered Zedekiah and Ahab, 'as they. He did not command them but

us to do this thing.'

(4) 'I desire, then, to test you as I tested Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah,

viz., in the fiery furnace.' 'But they were three, and we are only two,' added they.

'Then choose ye one whomsoever ye wish to be tried with you.' And they said,

'We desire Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.' They knew that his

merit was so great that he would protect them also. Accordingly the three of

them were brought and cast into the fiery furnace. Ahab and Zedekiah were

consumed by the fire, but Joshua, the high priest, was not touched by it; his

garments merely smelt of fire, as it is said, 'He showed me Joshua, the high

priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand

to tempt him.' It is further written, 'And the Lord said unto Satan, “The Lord

rebuke thee, O Satan; the Lord who chose Jerusalem shall rebuke thee. Is this not

a brand plucked out of the fire?'

(5) 'I know now,' said Nebuchadnezzar, 'that thou art very righteous, but

how is it that thy garments were touched a little by the fire, while in the case of

Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah the fire did not touch them at all?' 'Because,' said

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Joshua, 'they were three and I was alone.' 'But,' said he, 'Abraham was also

alone.' 'True, but there were no wicked people in his company, and the Lord

therefore did not allow the fire to touch him; but with me there were two wicked

men, and on this account the Lord allowed the fire to touch me a little.' This is

the parable of the two dry torches and the one moist, where the two dry ones

burn the moist.

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