The Temple Vessels Are Buried
4 Baruch 3:8–11, 17–20; 4:4
1st or 2nd Century
Chapter 3
8And Jeremiah said, “Behold, Lord, we know now that you are delivering the city into the hands of its enemies, and they will carry the people off into Babylon. 9What do you want me to do with the holy vessels of the [Temple] service?” 10And the Lord said to him, “Take them and deliver them to the earth, saying, ‘Hear, earth, the voice of…
Fourth Baruch is a pseudepigraphic work that survives in several versions, including an Ethiopic version that attributes the text to Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, and a Greek version that attributes it to the prophet Jeremiah himself. The work was composed in several stages, likely beginning with a Hebrew composition dating to the late first century CE. The final stage was a Christian redaction that incorporated Christian elements. The narrative is set during and after the destruction of the First Temple but likely reflects a response to the destruction to the Second Temple, including a hope for future redemption.
Related Guide
In the Wake of the Destruction
Related Guide
Temple and Priesthood in Ancient Judaism
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