Then said the officers of the captors, “These men are men of death; they refuse to obey the order of the king; let them die.”

But forth stepped Pelatya, the son of Yehoyadah, and thus he addressed Nebuchadnezzar:—­

“Behold, if a flock is delivered into the hands of a shepherd, and a wolf steals a lamb from the flock, tell me, who is responsible to the owner of the lost animal?”

“Surely the shepherd,” replied Nebuchadnezzar.

“Then listen to thine own words,” replied Pelatya.  “God has given Israel into thy hands; to Him art thou responsible for those who are slain.”

The king ordered the chains to be removed from the captives, and they were not put to death.

* * * * *

Through Kamtzah and Bar Kamtzah was Jerusalem destroyed; and thus it happened.

A certain man made a feast; he was a friend of Kamtzah, but Bar Kamtzah he hated.  He sent a messenger to Kamtzah with an invitation to his banquet, but this messenger making a mistake, delivered the invitation to his master’s enemy, Bar Kamtzah.

Bar Kamtzah accepted the invitation, and was on hand at the appointed time, but when the host saw his enemy enter his house, he ordered him to leave at once.

“Nay,” said Bar Kamtzah, “now that I am here, do not so insult me as to send me forth.  I will pay thee for all that I may eat and drink.”

“I want not thy money,” returned the other, “neither do I desire thy presence; get thee gone at once.”

But Bar Kamtzah persisted.

“I will pay the entire expense of thy feast,” he said; “do not let me be degraded in the eyes of thy guests.”

The host was determined, and Bar Kamtzah withdrew from the banquet-room in anger.

“Many Rabbis were present,” said he in his heart, “and not one of them interfered in my behalf, therefore this insult which they saw put upon me must have pleased them.”

So Bar Kamtzah spoke treacherously of the Jews unto the king, saying, “The Jews have rebelled against thee.”

“How can I know this?” inquired the king.

“Send a sacrifice to their Temple and it will be rejected,” replied Bar Kamtzah.

The ruler then sent a well-conditioned calf to be sacrificed for him in the Temple, but through the machinations of Bar Kamtzah the messenger inflicted a blemish upon it, and, of course, not being fit for the sacrifice it was not accepted.

Through this cause was Caesar sent to capture Jerusalem, and for two years he besieged the city.  Four wealthy citizens of Jerusalem had stored up enough food to last the inhabitants a much longer time than this, but the people being anxious to fight with the Romans, destroyed the storehouses and brought dire famine upon the city.