Story · 26 · Prophet and Priest
A king burned Jeremiah's scroll
Warming himself by a fire, King Jehoiakim had Jeremiah's prophecies read aloud. As each column was read, he sliced it off and threw it in the flames.
Censorship can't destroy a word that's copied.
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Jeremiah and Baruch went into hiding and produced a new scroll, with many words added. It's a vivid picture of state censorship on the eve of destruction. The biblical scribes valued transparency and open access to check the power of rulers.
Bible reference: Jeremiah 36
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 406–407
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