In the reign of Joram, the son of Achab, the capital of Israel once
more beheld a formidable Syrian army at its gates. This siege was long
and celebrated. Adad surrounded the city on all sides; no supplies
could be brought in; the public magazines were exhausted, and the
famine became so excessive that an ass’s head was sold for ninety
pieces of silver; and twelve bushels of pigeons’ dung, which was
used instead of salt, was worth five. Such distress made Joram fear
that in their despair the people would open the gates to the enemy.
To encourage the soldiers and watch the people, he every day visited
the walls and the fortifications. Whilst thus employed, a woman cast
herself at his feet. “My lord and my king,” said she, uttering fearful
cries, “in the name of God, save an unfortunate!” “What would you
with me?” replied the monarch; “if the Lord does not save you, think
you that I, who am but a simple mortal, can? What have you to say to
me?” “Lord, the woman you see with me said: ‘Give me your son, and let
us eat him to-day; to-morrow we will eat mine.’ I killed my son, and
we ate him, but this wicked woman, notwithstanding her promise, has
concealed her child, and robbed me of the food that is my due.” On
hearing this horrid recital, the King of Israel tore his vestments, and
exposed to the eyes of everybody the hair shirt he wore next his skin.
This prince, reduced to despair, threw the cause of so many evils upon
Elijah, and wished to put him to death. But the man of God promised him
that the next day the abundance should be so great that a measure of
pure meal should be sold for less than one sicle, or thirty sols; but
the prophet gained no believers. An officer upon whose arm the king
was leaning, turned him into ridicule: “If the All-powerful,” said he,
“were to open the heavens, and shower down provisions, this would not
be possible.” “You will see,” replied Elijah, “but you will enjoy no
part of it.” Four lepers, who dwelt near the gates of the city, urged
on by despair, went to the camp of the Syrians in hopes of meeting with
death, but what was their astonishment to find no one there? The enemy,
struck by a sudden panic, and thinking they heard the noise of a great
army advancing, had taken to flight, and left everything behind them.
The lepers, after having satisfied their hunger, and put aside a great
quantity of gold and silver, hastened to announce this happy news to
the king. Joram feared it was a trick. At length, after being assured
of the flight of the infidels, the people rushed in crowds to the camp,
and the word of the prophet was fulfilled in all its circumstances. The
king set the officer who had mocked the prophet, at the gate of the
city, and the unfortunate man was smothered by the crowd of people,
without being able to take a part in the unlooked-for abundance.