King Jehoiakim Cuts the Scroll of Jeremiah's Pronouncement

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Jehioakim, Josiah's son, was a violent, corrupt and greedy king who robbed the common people of their money. Jeremiah's words against this corruption are documented by his scribe Baruch Ben Neriyah and read before the people. The document reaches Jehioakim and he furiously tears it up and throws it into the fire.

Jeremiah 36:23

And every time Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut it up with a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed by the fire in the brazier.

In this picture is a rare papyrus document that was discovered in 2016, dating to the 7th Century BCE.  It contains the earliest known extra-biblical reference to Jerusalem written in Hebrew.  

The papyrus is much like the one that King Jehioakim would have cut and thrown into the fire.Written in ancient Hebrew script it reads as follows:

“From the female servant of the king, from Naharata, two wineskins to Jerusalem.”

The town Naarah is referred to in Joshua 16:7 as being located on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin.

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Overview

In 2016, a rare papyrus document was discovered, dating to the 7th Century BCE.  This document contained earliest known extra-biblical reference to Jerusalem written in Hebrew writing.  The papyrus is much like the one that King Jehoiakim would have cut and thrown into the fire.

In the Bible

Jeremiah 36:21, 23

The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll and he fetched it from the chamber of the scribe Elishama. Jehudi read it to the king and to all the officials who were in attendance on the king...

And every time Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut it up with a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed by the fire in the brazier.

יִרְמְיָהוּ ל"ו, כ"א, כ"ג:

"וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־יְהוּדִ֗י לָקַ֨חַת֙ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה וַיִּ֨קָּחֶ֔הָ מִלִּשְׁכַּ֖ת אֱלִֽישָׁמָ֣ע הַסֹּפֵ֑ר וַיִּקְרָאֶ֤הָ יְהוּדִי֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּבְאָזְנֵי֙ כָּל־הַשָּׂרִ֔ים הָעֹֽמְדִ֖ים מֵעַ֥ל הַמֶּֽלֶךְ... וַיְהִ֣י כִּקְר֣וֹא יְהוּדִ֗י שָׁלֹ֣שׁ דְּלָתוֹת֮ וְאַרְבָּעָה֒ יִֽקְרָעֶ֨הָ֙ (הַמֶּלֶךְ) בְּתַ֣עַר הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְ אֶל־הָאֵ֖שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶל־הָאָ֑ח עַד־תֹּם֙ כָּל־הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽח."

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