Kinah 17 was compopsed by R' Elazar haKalir. The repeating line אַלְלַי לִי is based on the first line of Iyov 10:15: אִם־רָשַׁעְתִּי אַלְלַי לִי.
(דוד) אָמַר, שְׁלֹשָׁה סִימָנִים יֵשׁ בְּאוּמָּה זוֹ: הָרַחְמָנִים, וְהַבַּיְישָׁנִין, וְגוֹמְלֵי חֲסָדִים...
David said: There are three distinguishing marks of this nation, the Jewish people. They are merciful, they are shamefaced, and they perform acts of kindness...
The Jewish People are essentially merciful, bashful, and kind. The horrors of the persecution around the Churban, however, ripped even those essential midos from them, as we shall see.
Introduction to Josephus and the Jewish War
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In terms of this history, we rely very heavily on Joseph ben Matisyahu - Josephus. He took on the name Titus Flavius after his sponsor. That in itself points to a great challenge in using Josephus as a source.
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Josephus tells us a lot about himself, he wrote at least three autobiographical accounts, but his most important work is called The Jewish War.
By his own description, he was part of the Jewish aristocracy, close to the rabbis (he considered himself very learned) who, as a young man, was sent to be commander of the rebel troops in the Northern Galil. There, he mightily defended the Galil, which we know because he tells us so. But in a bizarre turn of events, he arranged a suicide pact with his own soldiers but didn't kill himself. He surrendered to the Romans, and ended up being taken a personal prisoner of Emperor Vespasian, and became the chief Jewish expert of the Roman army. He chronicled the Jewish War for a Roman audience up until the destruction of the Temple.
He clearly betrayed the Jewish people but within his constraints, as a Roman slave, he wrote at great length about Jewish heroism during this war.
Unfortunately, he is the only primary source of these events, but it is very well-written and we have to rely on him because we don't have any other chroniclers writing about this at the time. - The Jewish War happened from 66 CE until 74 CE
- There were several distinct political groups at the time, including:
- Sadducees - the urban elite, the upper class. They didn't want to fight against the Roman’s because they wanted to keep living their good life.
- Zealots - Jewish ISIS/Hamas. They didn't only want to wage war against the Romans, they wanted to execute Jews as well.
- Essenes - detached, disinterested apoliticals. They established their own communities, developed strange ritualistic requirements (such as not using the bathroom on Shabbos), and wanted nothing to do with the conflict. They were non-violent pacifists.
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There were also the Pharisees, who we might think of as Chazal, who were critical of the Romans but recognized the need for peace.
They were the ones who thrived after the war and their spiritual descendants (us) are still going strong.
Notice, critically, that the group that adopted the middle view and wasn't too extreme on either side survived and was historically chosen to continue the Jewish story.
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Gessius Florus - a Roman procurator. He was very demeaning to the Jewish population, demanding very high taxes, and highly dismissive of Jewish concerns.
There was a real estate dispute in Caesarea. A synagogue was situated near a Greek-owned workshop that operated (at full volume) on Shabbos. The Jews tried to buy the shop, but the shop’s owner wasn’t interested. One Shabbos he slaughtered some birds and put them on the shul’s doorstep.
The Jews complained to Gessius Florus, who decided to remain uninvolved. Tempers flared on both sides, which led to a riot, so much so that it spread to Jerusalem (a 2-hour drive or a 24-hour walk away). Gessius Florus put the riot down brutally, which only escalated the violence. A massive attack on Gessius’s troops raised alarm bells in Rome. The emperor then sent Roman troops to Israel to maintain law and order.
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Cestius Gallus was a battle-hardened Roman general who came to Jerusalem with a massive army. He spent some time there but mysteriously left. He didn’t make any major arrests. Perhaps he thought his presence was enough; perhaps he felt that Jerusalem’s fortifications were too strong to breach.
On his way back to Syria, he went through the very narrow Beit Choron pass. There, Jewish rebels attacked them and dealt him a humiliating defeat.
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He escaped alive but lost the Eagle battle standard, which was very insulting. Emperor Nero decided he needed to crack down and sent Vespasian.
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During this time, the rebel groups developed a false sense of elation. They thought they had thrown off the Roman yoke and had gained independence.
In reality, they just poked a sleeping dragon in the eye. Now was the time to band together and increase their fortifications, but they couldn’t stop fighting with each other. Several groups were jockeying for power and control of Jerusalem, even to the point of burning rival grain houses. Hindsight is 20-20, but this wasn't a smart move immediately before a siege.
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Rome was in a financial crisis, they desperately needed Jewish tax dollars. They also couldn’t allow these uprisings to send a message to other outposts of the empire; that would set a dangerous precedent.
Nero sent a much more competent general: Vespasian.
(Nero may have also had a grudge against Vespasian. Nero considered himself a performer and would sing for Roman nobility. On one such occasion, Vespasian fell asleep during his performance.)
Vespasian was a brutal and very talented general who would eventually become emperor. He began in the North and took his time, sending his troops to small pockets one by one, wiping out the outlying resistance and cornering the Jews in Jerusalem.
On one of these excursions, he met Josephus, who would become an invaluable Roman ally/Jewish traitor.
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Before Vespasian could reach Jerusalem, Rome needed a new emperor. Vespasian left Israel to go to Rome and left the task of conquering Jerusalem to his son, Titus (who would eventually become emperor as well).
He encountered very fierce resistance from the rebels, who were severely outnumbered but fought with extreme ferocity and reckless abandon, even attacking uphill and, on one occasion, wounding Titus personally.
Ultimately, however, the rebels could not withstand the might of the Roman army and were walled into the city of Jerusalem itself.
א. ...בני העיר התעוררו לנפֹּל...אלה מכרו את רכושם בלא־כסף ואלה מכרו את תכשיטיהם היקרים ובלעו את מטבעות־הזהב, לבל תשיגם יד השודדים, ואחרי־כן ברחו אל הרומאים, וכאשר הוציאו את הזהב מקרבם, נמצא להם כסף די־מחסורם...אולם חברי יוחנן ושמעון שמרו על מוצאי העיר בפני האנשים האלה יותר מאשר שקדו לסגור על מבואיה בפני הרומאים. וכל איש, אשר דבק בו צל חשד, נשחט בידיהם מיד.
ב. עשירי ירושלים תמו לגוע גם בהשארם בתוך העיר. המורדים שׂמו על רבים עלילות דברים, כי הם אומרים בלבם לנפֹּל אל הרומאים, והמיתום ולקחו את רכושם. וככֹל אשר כבד הרעב בעיר, כן חזק זדון המורדים ומיום ליום גדלו שתי הרעות גם יחד. וכאשר נעלם הלחם מעיני הרואים, פרצו המורדים בבתים ובדקו שם, ובמצאם לחם הִכּו את יושבי הבתים על אשר כִּחשו בדבר, וכאשר לא מצאו לחם בבית, עִנו את בעליו על אשר השכיל לטמון את המזונות. והכרת פני האנשים ענתה בהם, אם נשאר להם לחם אם לא: אלה אשר היה להם עוד כח נחשדו, כי נמצאה להם צידה למכביר, ואלה אשר שֻׁפּוּ עצמותיהם שֻׁלחו לחפשי, כי לא לחכמה נחשב להמית את האנשים, אשר יגועו עוד מעט במחסור כֹּל. העשירים נתנו בסתר את כל רכושם באיפת־חטים והעניים הסתפקו במדת־שׂעורים, ואחרי־כן נסגרו בחביון פנות בתיהם ובגֹדל רעבונם בלעו את הגרעינים כמו־שהם או אפו את לחמם בחפזון, לעת אשר רָוַח להם מעט מהרעב ומהפחד...
ג. מה עלובים היו מזונות יושבי ירושלים, ודָמֹעַ דָמעה כל עין לַמראה הנורא, כאשר תפשו להם התקיפים את המאכלים והחלשים מררו בבכי. כי דרך הרעב לדַכּא את כל רגשות האדם, ויתר על כֹּל הוא משבית את רגש־הבֹּשת. הנשים טרפו את הצידה מידי בעליהן, והבנים מידי אבותיהם, ועוד גדול מזה היה הכאב למראה האִמות, אשר הוציאו מפי עולליהן את לחמם, וכאשר התעטפו מחמדי־נפשן ברעב בעודם מֻנָחים בזרועותיהן, לא חמלו עליהם ולקחו מהם את רסיסי־חייהם [האחרונים]. ובאכלם ככה את לחמם לא נסתרו מעיני המורדים, אשר שוטטו בכל עבר, ולא נחלצו ממעשי חמסם. כי בראות המורדים בית סגור על מסגר, היה להם הדבר לאות, כי יושבי הבית מוציאים את לחמם לאכלו, ומהרו ושברו את הדלתות ופרצו אל הבית, וכמעט חנקו את האנשים להוציא את המאכל מגרונם. הם היו מכים את הזקנים המחזיקים את מזונם בידם, וסוחבים את הנשים בשערותיהן על הסתירן את הצידה בכפיהן, לא נשאו פני איש־שיבה ולא חמלו על נפש עוללים, כי היו מרימים את הילדים עם טרפם בין שִׁניהם ומשליכים אותם ארצה. וכאשר מהרו האנשים להקדים את פני החומסים ולבלוע את טרפם, הרבו השודדים ליסרם באכזריות חמה, כאלו נעשה להם דבַר־עָוֶל. הם מצאו דרכי ענויים נוראים לחקור את האנשים, אם נמצא מזון בידם, כי סתמו את נקביהם בעדשים (באפונים) ודקרו את אחוריהם בשבטים חדים. תסַמר שערת איש לשֵׁמע דברי היסורים, אשׁר סבל כל אחד מיושבי ירושלים, למען יודה על פת־לחם אחת ויגלה קֹמץ־קמח אחד, אשר הניח במסתרים. ואת הדברים האלה עשו מעַניהם לא מתוך דחקם — הן לוּ היה כדבר הזה, לא היתה סאת אכזריותם גדולה כה, כי כִפּר עליה האֹנס — כי־אם למען הראות את זדון נפשם וגם לצבור להם מזון לימים הבאים. וכאשר יצאו אנשים בלילה והתגנבו בלאט אל מקום השומרים הרומאים ללקט אורות־שדה וירקות, וכבר חשבו, כי נמלטו מכף שונאיהם, פגעו בהם המורדים וגזלו מידם את כל אשר הביאו אתם, ואף כי הפצירו בהם האנשים וגם השביעום בשם אלקים הנורא להשאיר להם חלק המזונות, אשר אספו בנפשם, לא שמעו להם ולא השיבו להם דבר. ועל העשוקים היה לשמוח בחלקם, אשר רק טרפם נלקח מהם ונפשם היתה להם לשלל.
ד. ובעוד העניים סובלים את כל הנוראות האלה מידי נושאי כלֵי העריצים, הובלו נשואי־הפנים והעשירים למשפט העריצים עצמם. על אלה מצאו עלילת־שקר, כי יעצו בנפשם עצת־בליעל, והמיתום בעלילה הזאת, ועל אלה התגוללו, כי אמרי למסור את העיר בידי השונאים. ועל־הרֹב נמצאו עֵדי־שקר להעיד באנשים, כי אמרו לנפֹּל אל הרומאים. האיש אשר הֻצג ככלי־ריק בידי שמעון נשלח אל יוחנן, והנמלט בעור־שִׁניו מידי יוחנן נפל בידי שמעון. שניהם שתו חליפות את דם יושבי ירושלים והפילו גורלות ביניהם על נחלת האֻמללים. אמנם רָבו איש באחיו על־דבר השלטון, אולם דעה אחת היתה לשניהם בכל מעשי־רשע...
ה. אכן נבצר מכֹּח אדם לפרט את כל חטאות האנשים האלה לאחת אחת! סוף דבר: אף אחת מערי הארץ לא סבלה כסֵבל ירושלים, ואף אחד מדורות עולם לא הרבה לעשות רשע כאנשי־הבליעל האלה, אשר חרפו לאחרונה גם את גזע העברים, למען תקטן מדת חטאתם בעיני הנכריםב)לשון המקור סתומה. אפשר גם להבין: ״למען אשר תקטן מדת חטאתם, (כי חטאו] לנכרים״. לאמר: הם כחשו במוצאם היהודי ובזה הצדיקו את עלילותיהם, שעשו ליהודים הזרים להם. ולא פרש המחבר, למה הוא רומז בזה, לא פה ולא להלן.. ובזה הודו במו־פיהם, כי הם עבדים ואספסוף והמון ממזרים וחלאת־העם, וכן היה הדבר באמת. ידי האנשים האלה החריבו את העיר, הם אשר אלצו את הרומאים לתת את שמם על הנצחון הזה בעל־כרחם, וכמעט בעצמם סחבו את האש, אשר בידי הרומאים המתמהמהים, אל המקדש. במנוחת־נפש הביטו מן העיר העליונה אל המקדש הבוער ולא התעצבו אל לבם ולא שפכו דמעה, ורק נפש הרומאים דאבה לשרפה הזאת. אך על זאת נדבר עוד אחרי־כן במקום הראוי, כאשר נספר על המעשים ההם.
(1) The Jews who deserted to Titus
...The people...stimulated to desert; some sold all their possessions for a trifle, some their whole property, others their most valuable treasures. To prevent discovery by the brigands, they would swallow the gold coins, and, deserting to the Romans, had only to empty their bowels to have ample provisions for their needs...The partisans of John and Simon, however, kept a sharp lookout, more to keep these men from leaving than to keep the Romans out, and anyone who afforded even a shadow of a doubt as to loyalty was instantly put to death.
(2) The house-to-house search
For the wealthy...it was just as fatal to remain in the city; for on the pretext that he was a deserter many a man was killed for the sake of his property. As the famine grew worse, the frenzy of the insurgents kept pace with it, and every day both these horrors burned more fiercely. For, since nowhere was grain to be seen, men would break into houses, and if they found some they mistreated the occupants for having denied their possession of it; if they found none, they tortured them as if they had concealed it more carefully. Proof whether they had food or not was provided by the physical appearance of the wretches; those still in good condition were deemed to be well provided with food, while those who were already wasting away were passed over, for it seemed pointless to kill persons who would die of starvation. Many secretly bartered their possessions for a single measure of wheat, if they happened to be rich, barley if they were poor. Then they shut themselves up in the darkest corners of their houses; in the extremity of hunger some even ate their grain inground, while others baked it, guided by necessity and fear...
(3) The horrors of famine and atrocities of the rebels
Pitiful was the fare and worthy of tears the spectacle, for while the strong had more than enough, the weak could only whimper. All human emotions yield to hunger, but of nothing is it so destructive as of shame; what at other times would claim respect is, in the time of famine, treated with contempt. Thus it was that wives snatched food from their husbands, children from fathers, and - most pitiful of all - mothers out of the very mouths of their infants; while their dearest ones were dying in their arms, they did not hesitate to deprive them of the life-giving morsels. But this way of satisfying their hunger did not go unnoticed. Everywhere the rebels hovered, ready to snatch away even these pickings. Wherever they saw a house with locked doors, they concluded that those within were taking food, and instantly bursting the doors open, they rushed in and, forcing the bits of food out of their very jaws, brought them up again! They beat old men who were clutching their victuals, they dragged women by their hair as they concealed what was in their hands; they had no pity for gray hairs or infants, but picked them up as they clung to their scraps and dashed them to the ground. If anyone anticipated their entry by gulping down what they hoped to seize, they were even more savage as if they were defrauded. One would shudder hearing of the methods of torture they devised in their search for food; they blocked with vetch the orifices of their poor victims' bodies and drove sharp stakes into their posteriors; they inflicted on people torments untold to make them admit possession of a loaf or reveal the hiding-place of a handful of barley-meal. It was not that the tormentors were hungry - their actions would have been less barbarous had they sprung from necessity, but they were keeping their reckless passions exercised and providing supplies for themselves to use in the coming days. Again, when men had crawled out at night as far as the Roman outposts to gather wild herbs and grasses, they would go to meet them and, just at the moment these thought they were safely away from the enemy lines, they would snatch from them what they had procured; and often though their victims implored them, appealing even in the sacred name of God to let them have even a fraction of what they had collected at their own risk, not a morsel was given back; if they were lucky they were merely robbed and not killed as well.
(4) The persecution of the wealthier Jews by Simon and John
While the lower classes suffered thus at the hands of the soldiers, the men of rank and wealth on the other hand were brought up before the party chiefs. Some were executed while falsely accused of conspiracy, others on the accusation of betraying the city to the Romans; but the readiest device was to pay an informer to allege that they had decided to desert. When a man had been fleeced by Simon he was passed on to John; and he who had been plundered by John handed over to Simon. They drank each other's health in citizens' blood and divided the carcasses of their unfortunate victims. In their desire for power, they were divided, but in their crimes they were unanimous...
(5) Utter degradation of the Jewish race
It is impossible to give a detailed account of their enormities, but we may sum it up by saying that no other city ever endured such miseries, and no generation in history has ever fathered so much crime...It was they who overthrew the city and compelled the unwillingly (sic) Romans to be credited with so melancholy a triumph...In truth, when they watched the Temple burning from the Upper City, they were not sorry nor did they shed a tear out of grief...
(כט) וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם וּבְשַׂ֥ר בְּנֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
(29) You shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.
(מז) תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־עָבַ֙דְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל׃ (מח) וְעָבַדְתָּ֣ אֶת־אֹיְבֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְשַׁלְּחֶ֤נּוּ ה׳ בָּ֔ךְ בְּרָעָ֧ב וּבְצָמָ֛א וּבְעֵירֹ֖ם וּבְחֹ֣סֶר כֹּ֑ל וְנָתַ֞ן עֹ֤ל בַּרְזֶל֙ עַל־צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ עַ֥ד הִשְׁמִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ׃ (מט) יִשָּׂ֣א ה׳ עָלֶ֨יךָ גּ֤וֹי מֵרָחֹק֙ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִדְאֶ֖ה הַנָּ֑שֶׁר גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃ (נ) גּ֖וֹי עַ֣ז פָּנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־יִשָּׂ֤א פָנִים֙ לְזָקֵ֔ן וְנַ֖עַר לֹ֥א יָחֹֽן׃ (נא) וְ֠אָכַ֠ל פְּרִ֨י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֥ וּפְרִֽי־אַדְמָתְךָ֮ עַ֣ד הִשָּׁמְדָךְ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־יַשְׁאִ֜יר לְךָ֗ דָּגָן֙ תִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְיִצְהָ֔ר שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת צֹאנֶ֑ךָ עַ֥ד הַאֲבִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ׃ (נב) וְהֵצַ֨ר לְךָ֜ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֗יךָ עַ֣ד רֶ֤דֶת חֹמֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ הַגְּבֹהֹ֣ת וְהַבְּצֻר֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה בֹּטֵ֥חַ בָּהֵ֖ן בְּכׇל־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְהֵצַ֤ר לְךָ֙ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇ֨ל־אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ׃ (נג) וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ פְרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֗ בְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַן־לְךָ֖ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁר־יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֖ אֹיְבֶֽךָ׃ (נד) הָאִישׁ֙ הָרַ֣ךְ בְּךָ֔ וְהֶעָנֹ֖ג מְאֹ֑ד תֵּרַ֨ע עֵינ֤וֹ בְאָחִיו֙ וּבְאֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיק֔וֹ וּבְיֶ֥תֶר בָּנָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹתִֽיר׃ (נה) מִתֵּ֣ת ׀ לְאַחַ֣ד מֵהֶ֗ם מִבְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנָיו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹאכֵ֔ל מִבְּלִ֥י הִשְׁאִֽיר־ל֖וֹ כֹּ֑ל בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹיִבְךָ֖ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ (נו) הָרַכָּ֨ה בְךָ֜ וְהָעֲנֻגָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־נִסְּתָ֤ה כַף־רַגְלָהּ֙ הַצֵּ֣ג עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ מֵהִתְעַנֵּ֖ג וּמֵרֹ֑ךְ תֵּרַ֤ע עֵינָהּ֙ בְּאִ֣ישׁ חֵיקָ֔הּ וּבִבְנָ֖הּ וּבְבִתָּֽהּ׃ (נז) וּֽבְשִׁלְיָתָ֞הּ הַיּוֹצֵ֣ת ׀ מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלֶ֗יהָ וּבְבָנֶ֙יהָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּלֵ֔ד כִּֽי־תֹאכְלֵ֥ם בְּחֹסֶר־כֹּ֖ל בַּסָּ֑תֶר בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹיִבְךָ֖ בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ (נח) אִם־לֹ֨א תִשְׁמֹ֜ר לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים בַּסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת־הַשֵּׁ֞ם הַנִּכְבָּ֤ד וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֖ת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃
(47) Because you would not serve your God ה׳ in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything, (48) you shall have to serve—in hunger and thirst, naked and lacking everything—the enemies whom ה׳ will let loose against you. [God] will put an iron yoke upon your neck until you are wiped out. (49) ה׳ will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, which will swoop down like the eagle—a nation whose language you do not understand, (50) a ruthless nation, that will show the influential no regard and the vulnerable no mercy. (51) It shall devour the offspring of your cattle and the produce of your soil, until you have been wiped out, leaving you nothing of new grain, wine, or oil, of the calving of your herds and the lambing of your flocks, until it has brought you to ruin. (52) It shall shut you up in all your towns throughout your land until every mighty, towering wall in which you trust has come down. And when you are shut up in all your towns throughout your land that your God ה׳ has assigned to you, (53) you shall eat your own issue, the flesh of your sons and daughters that your God ה׳ has assigned to you, because of the desperate straits to which your enemy shall reduce you. (54) The householder who is most tender and fastidious among you shall be too mean to his brother and the wife of his bosom and the children he has spared (55) to share with any of them the flesh of the children that he eats, because he has nothing else left as a result of the desperate straits to which your enemy shall reduce you in all your towns. (56) And she who is most tender and dainty among you, so tender and dainty that she would never venture to set a foot on the ground, shall begrudge the husband of her bosom, and her son and her daughter, (57) the afterbirth that issues from between her legs and the babies she bears; she shall eat them secretly, because of utter want, in the desperate straits to which your enemy shall reduce you in your towns. (58) If you fail to observe faithfully all the terms of this Teaching that are written in this book, to reverence this honored and awesome Name, your God ה׳,
(כד) וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיִּקְבֹּ֛ץ בֶּן־הֲדַ֥ד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם אֶת־כׇּל־מַחֲנֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֕עַל וַיָּ֖צַר עַל־שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ (כה) וַיְהִ֨י רָעָ֤ב גָּדוֹל֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וְהִנֵּ֖ה צָרִ֣ים עָלֶ֑יהָ עַ֣ד הֱי֤וֹת רֹאשׁ־חֲמוֹר֙ בִּשְׁמֹנִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף וְרֹ֛בַע הַקַּ֥ב (חרי) [דִּב־]יוֹנִ֖ים בַּחֲמִשָּׁה־כָֽסֶף׃ (כו) וַֽיְהִי֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עֹבֵ֖ר עַל־הַחֹמָ֑ה וְאִשָּׁ֗ה צָעֲקָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (כז) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַל־יוֹשִׁעֵ֣ךְ ה׳ מֵאַ֖יִן אוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ךְ הֲמִן־הַגֹּ֖רֶן א֥וֹ מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב׃ (כח) וַיֹּאמֶר־לָ֥הּ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־לָּ֑ךְ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר הָאִשָּׁ֨ה הַזֹּ֜את אָמְרָ֣ה אֵלַ֗י תְּנִ֤י אֶת־בְּנֵךְ֙ וְנֹאכְלֶ֣נּוּ הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־בְּנִ֖י נֹאכַ֥ל מָחָֽר׃ (כט) וַנְּבַשֵּׁ֥ל אֶת־בְּנִ֖י וַנֹּאכְלֵ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֨ר אֵלֶ֜יהָ בַּיּ֣וֹם הָאַחֵ֗ר תְּנִ֤י אֶת־בְּנֵךְ֙ וְנֹ֣אכְלֶ֔נּוּ וַתַּחְבִּ֖א אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ׃ (ל) וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֤י הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וְה֖וּא עֹבֵ֣ר עַל־הַחֹמָ֑ה וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַשַּׂ֛ק עַל־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ מִבָּֽיִת׃
(24) Sometime later, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and marched upon Samaria and besieged it. (25) There was a great famine in Samaria, and the siege continued until a donkey’s head sold for eighty [shekels] of silver and a quarter of a kab of doves’ dung for five shekels. (26) Once, when the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him: “Help me, Your Majesty!” (27) “Don’t [ask me],” he replied. “Let GOD help you! Where could I get help for you, from the threshing floor or from the winepress? (28) But what troubles you?” the king asked her. The woman answered, “That woman said to me, ‘Give up your son and we will eat him today; and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ (29) So we cooked my son and we ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son and let’s eat him’; but she hid her son.” (30) When the king heard what the woman said, he rent his clothes; and as he walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath.
(ט) וְהַֽאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם וְאֵת֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־רֵעֵ֖הוּ יֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃
(9) And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall devour one another’s flesh—because of the desperate straits to which they will be reduced by their enemies, who seek their life.”
(יא) כׇּל־עַמָּ֤הּ נֶאֱנָחִים֙ מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים לֶ֔חֶם נָתְנ֧וּ (מחמודיהם) [מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶ֛ם] בְּאֹ֖כֶל לְהָשִׁ֣יב נָ֑פֶשׁ רְאֵ֤ה ה׳ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה כִּ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי זוֹלֵלָֽה׃ {ס}
(11) All her inhabitants sigh As they search for bread; They have bartered their treasures for food, To keep themselves alive.—See, O LORD, and behold, How abject I have become!
(כ) רְאֵ֤ה ה׳ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה לְמִ֖י עוֹלַ֣לְתָּ כֹּ֑ה אִם־תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה נָשִׁ֤ים פִּרְיָם֙ עֹלְלֵ֣י טִפֻּחִ֔ים אִם־יֵהָרֵ֛ג בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ אדושם כֹּהֵ֥ן וְנָבִֽיא׃ {ס}
(20) See, O LORD, and behold, To whom You have done this! Alas, women eat their own fruit, Their new-born” babes! Alas, priest and prophet are slain In the Sanctuary of the Lord!
(י) יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן הָי֤וּ לְבָרוֹת֙ לָ֔מוֹ בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס}
(10) With their own hands, tenderhearted women Have cooked their children; Such became their fare, In the disaster of my poor people.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּדוֹאֵג בֶּן יוֹסֵף שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ [אָבִיו] בֵּן קָטָן לְאִמּוֹ. בְּכׇל יוֹם הָיְתָה אִמּוֹ מוֹדַדְתּוֹ בִּטְפָחִים וְנוֹתֶנֶת מִשְׁקָלוֹ שֶׁל זָהָב לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּכְשֶׁגָּבַר אוֹיֵב טְבָחַתּוּ וַאֲכָלַתּוּ, וְעָלֶיהָ קוֹנֵן יִרְמְיָה; ״אִם תֹּאכַלְנָה נָשִׁים פִּרְיָם עוֹלְלֵי טִפּוּחִים״ (איכה ב:כ)...
There was an incident involving Doeg ben Yosef, whose father died and left him as a young child to his mother, who loved him. Each day his mother measured his height in handbreadths and donated a measure of gold equivalent to the weight that he gained to the Temple. Later, when the enemy prevailed and there was a terrible famine in the city, she slaughtered and ate him. And with regard to her and others like her Jeremiah lamented: “Shall the women eat their fruit, their children in their care [tipuḥim]?” (Lamentations 2:20)...
(י) לָכֵ֗ן אָב֞וֹת יֹאכְל֤וּ בָנִים֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔ךְ וּבָנִ֖ים יֹאכְל֣וּ אֲבוֹתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֤יתִי בָךְ֙ שְׁפָטִ֔ים וְזֵרִיתִ֥י אֶת־כׇּל־שְׁאֵרִיתֵ֖ךְ לְכׇל־רֽוּחַ׃ {ס}
(10) Assuredly, parents shall eat their children in your midst, and children shall eat their parents. I will execute judgments against you, and I will scatter all your survivors in every direction.
...אִילֵין דַּהֲוֵי חֲבוּשִׁין, מִנְהוֹן אָכְלִין בְּשַׂר קַטִּילְהוֹן, בְּכָל יוֹם הֲוָה מַנְפֵּיק חַד מִינַיְיהוּ וּמַיְיתֵי לְהוֹן וְאִינוּן אָכְלִין, יוֹמָא חַד אֲמַר יֵיזֵיל בַּר נָשׁ מִינָּן אִי מַשְׁכַּח כְּלוּם מַיְתֵי וַאֲנַן אָכְלִין, מִן דִּנְפַק אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לַאֲבוּהָ דִּקְטֵיל, נְסַבֵּיהּ וְטַמְרֵיהּ וִיהַב סִימַן עֲלוֹי, עָאל וַאֲתָא אֲמַר לְהוֹ לָא אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ כְּלוּם, אֲמָרֵי יֵיזֵיל בַּר נָשׁ חוֹרָן אִי מַשְׁכַּח כְּלוּם מַיְיתֵי וַאֲנַן אָכְלִין, מִן דִּנְפַק הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ הָלַךְ לְרֵיחֵיהּ חִפֵּשׂ וְאַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דִּקְטִיל, אַיְיתֵיהּ וַאֲכָלוּנֵיהּ, מִן דַּאֲכָלוּן אֲמַר לוֹ מְנָן אַיְיתֵית דֵּין קַטְלָא, אֲמַר לְהוֹ מִן זָוִית פְּלָנִית, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמַה סִּימָן יְהֵיב עֲלוֹי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ סִימָן פְּלַן, עָנֵי הוּא בְּרֵיהּ וַאֲמַר וַוי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַבְרָא דְּמִן בִּשְׂרָא דַּאֲבוּי אָכֵיל, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל ה, י): לָכֵן אָבוֹת יֹאכְלוּ בָנִים בְּתוֹכֵךְ וגו'...
...Those who remained in hiding, some of them would eat the flesh of those who had been slain. Each day, one of them would go out and bring [a corpse] to them and they would eat. One day, one said: ‘Let one of the people from among us go. If he finds something, he will bring it and we will eat.’ When he went out he found his father, who had been slain. He took him, concealed him, and placed a marker over him. He came back and said to them: ‘I did not find anything.’ They said: ‘Let another person go, if he finds something, he will bring it and we will eat.’ When that person went out, he followed the odor and found the one who was slain. He brought him and they ate him. Once they ate, [the first man] said to him: ‘From where did you bring this slain person?’ He said to him: ‘From such and such corner.’ He said to him: ‘And what marker was placed upon it?’ He said to him: ‘Such and such marker.’ His son responded and said: ‘Woe is it for this man, who ate of the flesh of his father,’ to realize what is stated: “Therefore, fathers will eat sons in your midst, [and sons will eat their fathers]” (Ezekiel 5:10)...
שַׁדְּרֵיהּ עִילָּוַיְיהוּ לְאַסְפַּסְיָינוּס קֵיסָר. אֲתָא, צָר עֲלַהּ תְּלָת שְׁנֵי. הֲווֹ בַּהּ הָנְהוּ תְּלָתָא עַתִּירֵי: נַקְדִּימוֹן בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן, וּבֶן כַּלְבָּא שָׂבוּעַ, וּבֶן צִיצִית הַכֶּסֶת. נַקְדִּימוֹן בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן – שֶׁנָּקְדָה לוֹ חַמָּה בַּעֲבוּרוֹ. בֶּן כַּלְבָּא שָׂבוּעַ, שֶׁכׇּל הַנִּכְנָס לְבֵיתוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא רָעֵב כְּכֶלֶב, יוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁהוּא שָׂבֵעַ. בֶּן צִיצִית הַכֶּסֶת – שֶׁהָיְתָה צִיצָתוֹ נִגְרֶרֶת עַל גַּבֵּי כְּסָתוֹת. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: שֶׁהָיְתָה כִּסְתּוֹ מוּטֶּלֶת בֵּין גְּדוֹלֵי רוֹמִי. חַד אֲמַר לְהוּ: אֲנָא זָיֵינָּא לְהוּ בְּחִיטֵּי וּשְׂעָרֵי, וְחַד אֲמַר לְהוּ: בִּדְחַמְרָא וּבִדְמִלְחָא וּמִשְׁחָא, וְחַד אֲמַר לְהוּ: בִּדְצִיבֵי. וְשַׁבַּחוּ רַבָּנַן לִדְצִיבֵי, דְּרַב חִסְדָּא כֹּל אַקְלִידֵי הֲוָה מָסַר לְשַׁמָּעֵיהּ, בַּר מִדְּצִיבֵי. דְּאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: אֲכַלְבָּא דְחִיטֵּי בָּעֵי שִׁיתִּין אֲכַלְבֵּי דְצִיבֵי. הֲוָה לְהוּ לְמֵיזַן עֶשְׂרִים וְחַד שַׁתָּא. הֲווֹ בְּהוּ הָנְהוּ בִּרְיוֹנֵי, אֲמַרוּ לְהוּ רַבָּנַן: נִיפּוֹק וְנַעֲבֵיד שְׁלָמָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. לָא שַׁבְקִינְהוּ. אֲמַרוּ לְהוּ: נִיפּוֹק וְנַעֲבֵיד קְרָבָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, אֲמַרוּ לְהוּ רַבָּנַן: לָא מִסְתַּיְּיעָא מִילְּתָא. קָמוּ קְלֹנְהוּ לְהָנְהוּ אַמְבָּרֵי דְּחִיטֵּי וּשְׂעָרֵי, וַהֲוָה כַּפְנָא. מָרְתָּא בַּת בַּיְיתּוֹס עַתִּירְתָּא דִּירוּשָׁלַיִם הַוְיָא. שַׁדַּרְתֵּהּ לִשְׁלוּחַה,ּ וַאֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי לִי סְמִידָא. אַדַּאֲזַל אִיזְדַּבַּן. אֲתָא אֲמַר לַהּ: סְמִידָא לֵיכָּא, חִיוָּרְתָּא אִיכָּא. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי לִי. אַדַּאֲזַל אִיזְדַּבַּן. אֲתָא וַאֲמַר לַהּ: חִיוָּרְתָּא לֵיכָּא, גּוּשְׁקְרָא אִיכָּא. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי לִי. אַדַּאֲזַל אִזְדַּבַּן. אֲתָא וַאֲמַר לַהּ: גּוּשְׁקְרָא לֵיכָּא, קִימְחָא דִשְׂעָרֵי אִיכָּא. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי לִי. אַדַּאֲזַל אִיזְדַּבַּן. הֲוָה שְׁלִיפָא מְסָאנָא, אֲמַרָה: אִיפּוֹק וְאֶחְזֵי אִי מַשְׁכַּחְנָא מִידֵּי לְמֵיכַל. אִיתִיב לַהּ פַּרְתָּא בְּכַרְעַאּ, וּמִתָה.
The Roman authorities then sent Vespasian Caesar against the Jews. He came and laid siege to Jerusalem for three years. There were at that time in Jerusalem these three wealthy people: Nakdimon ben Guryon, ben Kalba Savua, and ben Tzitzit HaKesat. The Gemara explains their names: Nakdimon ben Guryon was called by that name because the sun shined [nakad] on his behalf, as it is related elsewhere (see Ta’anit 19b) that the sun once continued to shine in order to prevent him from suffering a substantial loss. Ben Kalba Savua was called this because anyone who entered his house when he was hungry as a dog [kelev] would leave satiated [save’a]. Ben Tzitzit HaKesat was referred to by that name because his ritual fringes [tzitzit] dragged along on blankets [keset], meaning that he would not walk in the street with his feet on the ground, but rather they would place blankets beneath him. There are those who say that his seat [kiseh] was found among the nobles of Rome, meaning that he would sit among them. These three wealthy people offered their assistance. One of them said to the leaders of the city: I will feed the residents with wheat and barley. And one of them said to leaders of the city: I will provide the residents with wine, salt, and oil. And one of them said to the leaders of the city: I will supply the residents with wood. The Gemara comments: And the Sages gave special praise to he who gave the wood, since this was an especially expensive gift. As Rav Ḥisda would give all of the keys [aklidei] to his servant, except for the key to his shed for storing wood, which he deemed the most important of them all. As Rav Ḥisda said: One storehouse [akhleva] of wheat requires sixty storehouses of wood for cooking and baking fuel. These three wealthy men had between them enough commodities to sustain the besieged for twenty-one years. There were certain zealots among the people of Jerusalem. The Sages said to them: Let us go out and make peace with the Romans. But the zealots did not allow them to do this. The zealots said to the Sages: Let us go out and engage in battle against the Romans. But the Sages said to them: You will not be successful. It would be better for you to wait until the siege is broken. In order to force the residents of the city to engage in battle, the zealots arose and burned down these storehouses [ambarei] of wheat and barley, and there was a general famine. With regard to this famine it is related that Marta bat Baitos was one of the wealthy women of Jerusalem. She sent out her agent and said to him: Go bring me fine flour [semida]. By the time he went, the fine flour was already sold. He came and said to her: There is no fine flour, but there is ordinary flour. She said to him: Go then and bring me ordinary flour. By the time he went, the ordinary flour was also sold. He came and said to her: There is no ordinary flour, but there is coarse flour [gushkera]. She said to him: Go then and bring me coarse flour. By the time he went, the coarse flour was already sold. He came and said to her: There is no coarse flour, but there is barley flour. She said to him: Go then and bring me barley flour. But once again, by the time he went, the barley flour was also sold. She had just removed her shoes, but she said: I will go out myself and see if I can find something to eat. She stepped on some dung, which stuck to her foot, and, overcome by disgust, she died.
כִּי הֲוָה קָא נִיחָא נַפְשַׁהּ, אַפִּיקְתֵּהּ לְכֹל דַּהֲבַהּ וְכַסְפַּהּ שְׁדֵיתֵיהּ בְּשׁוּקָא, אֲמַרָה: הַאי לְמַאי מִיבְּעֵי לִי! וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״כַּסְפָּם בְּחוּצוֹת יַשְׁלִיכוּ״.
It is further related that as she was dying, she took out all of her gold and silver and threw it in the marketplace. She said: Why do I need this? And this is as it is written: “They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be as an impure thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels” (Ezekiel 7:19).
ג. ומהאנשים הגוְֹעים מרעב בקרב העיר מת המון רב לאין־מספר אחרי מצוקות וצרות, אשר עָצמוּ מִסַּפֵּר. כי בכל בית קמה מלחמה לעת נראה שם צֵל דבר אשר יֵאָכל. והאוהבים נִצּוּ יחדו בזרוע וטרפו איש מידי אחיו את הפרורים הדלים, למען החיות את נפשם. גם בגוְֹעים לא האמין איש, אשר אין להם כֹּל, והשודדים התנפלו על הגוססים ובדקו בהם, פן טמן איש בכנף־בגדו דבר־מאכל...מגֹדל הרעב פערו האנשים את פיהם ככלבים שוטים, וכשכּורים מתהוללים בסבאם נפצו את הדלתות, ובאבוד מהם כל עצה פרצו בבית אחד שתים או שלש פעמים. המחסור אִלצם לשׂום כל דבר בין שִׁניהם, והם אספו את הדברים, אשר בחלו בהם גם החיות הטמאות, ולא נמנעו ללעסם ולבלעם. לאחרונה לא משכו את ידיהם גם מהחגורות ונעלי־העור הישנות, אף קרעו את העורות מעל המגִנים ולעסו אותם. מאכל אלה היה שארית חציר יבש, ואלה אספו גידים ומכרו את המדה הקטנה בארבעה אתיקים (דרכמונים). ולמה לי עוד לפרט את כל הדברים שאין בהם רוח־חיים, אשר לא בושו היהודים לאכלם בתגרת הרעב? רק אגַלה מעשה אחד, אשר לא נשמע כמוהו בדברי ימי היונים והנכרים, דבר, אשר יסמר שערות ראש המסַפּר, והשומע לא ירצה להאמין לו, ואני לא באתי להתהדר בסַפְּרי מעשים זרים לדורות הבאים, ומה נעים היה לי לפסוח על המעשה הנורא הזה, לולא נמצאו עֵדים אין־מספר על אמתּת הדבר, וגם לא רציתי להיות כפוי־טובה לעיר־אבותי בהסתירי דבר מכל הנוראות אשר מצאוה.
ד. אשה אחת מארץ עבר־הירדן היתה [בירושלים] ושמה מַריָה בת־אלעזר מכפר בֵּית־אֵזוֹבא...בת משפחה נדיבה ועשירה. עם יתר המון הפליטים באה גם היא אל ירושלים ושם נסגרה במצור. העריצים גזלו ממנה את כל רכושה, אשר הביאה אִתּהּ מעבר־הירדן אל העיר, ואת שארית אוצרותיה ואת הצֵדה, אשר השׂכּילה להכין לה, היו חומסים ממנה חברי העריצים, אשר פרצו אל ביתה מדי יום ביומו. והאשה מלאה חֵמה עזה וכפעם בפעם חֵרפה וקִללה את השודדים. כי אמרה להרגיזם, למען יקחו את נפשה. אולם אף כי הרבתה להרעימם תמיד, לא חמל עליה איש לשום קץ לחייה, וכבר נלאתה להכין טרף לזרים, כי לא נמצא עוד לחם בכל פנות העיר, ומפני זלעפות הרעב חמרמרו מעיה ויבש לשַׁדָּה, ומצוקות הרעב הוסיפו עוד להצית אש באפה, ובעת הצרה הזאת שמעה לקול זעמה לשַׁכּח רחמי אם ולקחה את ילדהּ — והוא היה יונק־שדים — וקראה אליו: ״הוי עולל אֻמלל! למי ולמה אשמור עליך הפעם? הנה השונא עומד מחוץ, והרעב וריב־האחים משַׁכְּלים מבית. הן בית־עבדים הוא נחלתנו בידי הרומאים, אם גם תהיה לנו נפשנו לשלל, והרעב ישית לנו קציר בטרם נעבֹד את אלה, והמורדים קשים לנו משני השפטים האלה יחד. מוּת! היֵה לבָרות לאמך ולרוח רעה לעריצים, וגם למשל ולשנינה בפי החיים, כי רק הדבר הזה נשאר למַלא את סאת יסורי היהודים.״ לדברים האלה המיתה את בנה ואחרי זאת צלתה אותו ואכלה את מחציתו, ואת הנשאר הניחה למשמרת. המורדים מהרו לבוא אל ביתה, כאשר עלה באפם ריח זבח הרצח הזה, ואִיְמו עליה, כי ישחטו אותה מיד, אם לא תראה להם את הטבח אשר הכינהּ. היא קראה אליהם: ״עוד השארתי לכם מנה יפה!״ וגִלתה לפניהם את שארית בשׂר עוללה. פלצות אחזה את בשר האנשים, עד אשר לא יכלו למוש ממקומם ועיניהם חשכו מראות, והאשה הוסיפה לדבּר: ״הן לי הילד הזה, בשר מבשרי הוא, פרי בטני! אכלו — הלא אכלתי גם אני, אל יֵרך לבבכם מלב אשה ואל תוסיפו רחמים מרחמי אם, ואם את האלקים אתם יראים ובעוט תבעטו בזבחי, — ראו, כי כבר אכלתי מבשרו וגם הנשאר יהיה לי לאכלה״. לדברים האלה יצאו האנשים מן הבית אחוזי חלחלה, כי מֹרך־לבם לא נתן אותם לעשות את הדבר הזה לבדו, ועל־כן השאירו את המזון לאם השכולה. ושֵׁמע המעשה הזה פשט בכל העיר, וחזון־הבלהות לא מש מעיני איש ואיש, כאלו ידיו עשו את הדבר. ומני אז התחזקו הרעבים בכל תֹּקף לשים קץ לחייהם ושִׁבּחו את המאֻשרים, אשר נאספו אל עמם בטרם שמעו או ראו נוראות כאלה.
ה. המאורע הזה נודע במהרה במחנה הרומאים. אלה לא רצו להאמין לדברי השמועה, ואלה נדו לאמללים, אך רבים הוסיפו עוד לשנֹא את היהודים לדבר הזה. והקיסר הצטדק על המעשה לפני אלקים באמרו: ״הנה דברתי שלום אל היהודים והבטחתי אותם לשמור את חֵרותם ולסלוח לכל מעשי זדונם, אולם הם בחרו במריבה תחת ברית־אחים ובמלחמה תחת שלום [עם השונא] ובכּרו את הרעב על השׂבע והשלוה, וידיהם החלו לשלח אש בבית־מקדשם, אשר שמרנו על כבודו אנחנו. על־כן נאים להם מאכלים באלה. אולם אני אכסה עתה על תועבות רצח הבן הזה בחרבות העיר ולא אתן לשמש הסובב את כל העולם להשקיף על עיר, אשר האִמות אוכלות בה את בשר בניהן. ואמנם הלחם הזה נאה יותר לאָבות, הממאנים להתפרק את נשקם אחרי צרות רבות כאלה״. בדבּרו זאת חשב טיטוס על היאוש הנורא של אנשי ירושלים, וכי אנשים, אשר מצאו אותם כל המצוקות האלה, לא יוסיפו לקחת מוסר, אחרי אשר לא שׂמו את הדבר אל לבם בעוד מועד, בטרם באה עליהם הרעה הגדולה.
(3) The final horrors of the famine
Meanwhile, countless numbers fell victim to the famine in the city. The sufferings they endured were unspeakable. In every home, the very shadow of food led to conflict, and the closest relatives came to blows, snatching from each other any pitiful means of sustenance. Not even the dying were believed to be in want of food, and even those expiring were searched by the brigands in case any of them had food hidden in their clothing...Those desperate ruffians stumbled and staggered along like mad dogs, open-mouthed with hunger, battering at the doors like drunken men, and in their helpless confusion bursting into the same house two or three times in a single hour. Necessity drove them to gnaw at everything, and objects that not even the filthiest dumb animals would look at they picked up and ate. In the end they did not stop at eating belts and shoes; they stripped off the leather from their shields and gnawed at it. Some tried to live on scraps of old hay...But why should I go on to describe the inanimate things that hunger made them unashamed enough to eat, as I now describe an act of which there is no parallel in the annals of Greece or any other country, a horrible and unspeakable deed and one that is incredible to hear. I hope that I shall not be suspected by posterity of grotesque inventions and would have gladly passed over this calamity in silence, had there not been countless contemporary witnesses to bear me out. Moreover, my country would have little reason to thank me if I suppressed the narrative of the horrible miseries that it had to endure.
(4) A mother who devoured her own child
There was a woman, Mary, the daughter of Eleazar, who lived east of the Jordan in the village of Bethezuba...distinguished in family and fortune, who had fled with the rest of the people to Jerusalem where she became engulfed in the siege. Most of her property, which she had packed up and brought with her from Peraea to the city, had been plundered by the tyrants; the remnants of her treasures and any food she had managed to procure were being stolen day after day by their henchmen. Full of indignation, the wretched woman kept on abusing and cursing the extortioners and thus aroused their anger. But no one, either out of resentment or pity, put her to death as she wished; weary of providing food for others - which it was impossible to find anywhere - and while hunger ravaged her internal organs, and marrow and rage consumed her still further, she finally yielded to the promptings of fury and necessity and defied nature itself. Seizing her child, a babe at the breast, she cried, "Poor baby, why should I keep you alive amidst war, famine, and civil strife? We will only face slavery with the Romans, even if we survive until they arrive, but famine will forestall slavery, and the rebels are more cruel than either. Come, be my food and an avenging omen for the partisans, and to the world the only tale as yet untold of Jewish misery." So saying, she killed her son, roasted him, and ate one half, concealing and saving the rest. The partisans appeared at once, attracted by the unholy odor, and threatened that unless she produced what she had prepared, she would be killed on the spot. She retorted that she had saved as fine a helping for them and disclosed the remnants of her child. Overcome with instant horror and stupefaction, they stood immobile at the sight. She said, "This child is my own, and so is this deed. Come eat, I too have done so. Don't be softer than a woman, or more tender-hearted than a mother. But if you are pious and do not approve of my sacrifice, then I have eaten in your behalf and let me keep the rest." At that they left trembling, cowards for once, though with some reluctance they left even this food to the mother. The whole city immediately talked of this abomination; everybody saw this tragedy before his eyes and shuddered as if the crime were his own. The starving people desired to die; they envied those who had gone before and had neither seen nor heard of these horrors.
(5) Titus' protestation
The dreadful news soon spread to the Romans. Some refused to believe, others were greatly distressed, but to most the effect was to increase their detestation of the Jewish people. Caesar disclaimed all responsibility for this matter in the sight of God, and protested that he had offered the Jews peace and self-rule and an amnesty for all past offenses; but they preferred sedition to agreement, war to peace, hunger instead of plenty and abundance; and, having begun with their own hands to set fire to their Temple, which was being preserved by Rome, were indeed deserving of such food. However, he would now cover the full abomination of the murder of that child with the ruins of their fatherland and would not leave standing on the earth for the sun to look upon a city where mothers ate such food. And yet, he added, such food was less suited to the mothers than the fathers, who remained in arms after so many miseries. As he said this, he bethought himself of these men's desperation, convinced that they were past being brought to reason after having endured all the agonies that they might so easily have avoided had they but repented!
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף פִּירְחֵי כְהוּנָּה (בָֽקֵעוּ) [בָּֽרְחוּ] לְתוֹךְ חַייָלוֹתָיו שֶׁלְנְבוּכַד נֶצַר. וְהָֽלְכוּ לָהֶן אֶצֶל יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים. אָֽמְרוּן לוֹן. הָבוּ לָן נִישְׁתֵּי דַּאֲנָן צָהֵיי. הֵבִיאוּ לִפְנֵיהֶן מִינֵי מְלוחִים וְנוֹדוֹת נְפוּחוֹת. אָֽמְרוּן לוֹן. אָֽכְלוּן וְאַתּוֹן שָׁתֵיי. וְכֵיוָן דַּהֲוָה חַד מִינְּהוֹן שָׁרֵי זִיקָא וִיהַיב לֵיהּ גַּו פּוּמֵיהּ. הֲוָה רוּחָא נְפַק וַהֲוָה חֲנַק לֵיהּ...
Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80,000 young priests (broke through) [fled to] Nebuchadnezzar’s armies and went to the Ismaelites. They said to them, give us to drink for we are thirsty. They brought before them salted fish and inflated waterskins. They said to them, eat and then you can drink. When one of them opened the waterskin and put it into his mouth, the wind came out and suffocated him...
...אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּשֶׁהִגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָרָשָׁע אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבָבֶל, הָיוּ כְּפוּתִים יְדֵיהֶן מֵאֲחוֹרֵיהֶן נְתוּנִים בְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל, וְהוֹלִיכוּם עֲרֻמִּים כַּבְּהֵמוֹת. כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָבְרוּ עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, אָמְרוּ לַהֶגְמוֹנוֹת שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם, עֲשׂוּ עִמָּנוּ חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים וְהַעֲבִירוּנוּ עַל אַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל. וְכֵן עָשׂוּ. יָצְאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל לִקְרָאתָן, הוֹצִיאוּ לָהֶן פַּת מָלִיחַ וְצִיר עִמָּהּ. הֵבִיאוּ נוֹדוֹת רֵקִים וּצְבָעוּם בַּמַּיִם וּתְלָאוּם בְּשַׁעֲרֵי אָהֳלֵיהֶם. כְּשֶׁרָאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּךְ, נִתְיַשְּׁבָה דַּעְתָּן, הָיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁהֵן מְלֵאִין מַיִם. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן: אִכְלוּ פַּת תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נָבִיא לָכֶם מַיִם. אָכְלוּ אֶת הַפַּת, בָּאוּ וְאָמְרוּ: לֹא מָצָאנוּ מַיִם. וְהֵן נוֹשְׁכִין בְּשִׁנֵּיהֶם בְּאוֹתָן נוֹדוֹת, וְנִכְנְסוּ רוּחַ חַמָּה לְתוֹךְ מְעֵיהֶם וּמֵתִים...
...R. Joshua the son of Levi said: When the wicked Nebuchadnezzar exiled the Israelites to Babylon, they bound their hands behind them; and coupled them together with iron chains and led them naked, like beasts. As they were passing the territory of the Ishmaelites, they said to the officers in charge: Be kind and merciful to us and take us to our brethren, the sons of Ishmael, our uncle. They did so. The Ishmaelites went out to meet them, bearing salty bread and briny meat. They brought along empty water bags which they had dipped into water and hung at the doors of their tents. When the Israelites beheld the bags, they felt reassured, for they believed the bags were filled with water. The Ishmaelites said: “Eat the bread first and we will bring you the water.” After they had eaten the bread, the Ishmaelites came and said to them: “We are unable to find any water.” The Israelites thereupon bit into the bags, causing warm air to rush into their stomachs, and they perished...