The Lantern

III Baruch3

3-baruch

And the angel of the Lord took me and led me to a second heaven.

And he showed me there also a door like the first and said, Let us enter through it.

And we entered, being borne on wings a distance of about sixty days' journey.

And he showed me there also a plain, and it was full of men, whose appearance was like that of dogs, and whose feet were like those of stags.

And I asked the angel: I pray thee, Lord, say to me who are these.

And he said, These are they who gave counsel to build the tower, for they whom thou seest drove forth multitudes of both men and women, to make bricks; among whom, a woman making bricks was not allowed to be released in the hour of child-birth, but brought forth while she was making bricks, and carried her child in her apron, and continued to make bricks. And the Lord appeared to them and confused their speech, when they had built the tower to the height of four hundred and sixty-three cubits.

And they took a gimlet, and sought to pierce the heaven, saying,

Let us see (whether) the heaven is made of clay, or of brass, or of iron. When God saw this He did not permit them, but smote them with blindness and confusion of speech, and rendered them as thou seest.