Story from the Tanakh of how David the
king of Judah, killed all the people of
Kingdom of Ammon,
by putting them under saws, axes,
and harrows of iron (ploughs), and then
burnt them in a brick kiln.
This story is reminiscent of Vasily
Grossman's tale of the
room at Treblinka with
its moving knives, used to cut the
bodies into pieces, which were then
burnt.
2 Samuel, Chapter 12:
29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln; and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
A harrow, 14th century image
