BARUCH ( ' ruk ( Ileb. hazy-rook', blessed ).
1. The faithful friend and amanuensis of the prophet Jeremiah i Jer. xxxii:t2-16; xliii:3. (4; li:6t); was of a noble family of the tribe of Judah, and generally considered to he the brother of the prophet Seraiah, both being represented as soils of Neriali; and to Baruch the prophet Jeremiah dictated all his oracles (13.C. about Oolk.
During the siege of Jerusalem, Baruch was selected as the depositary of the deed of purchase which Jeremiah had made of the territory of Hanameel, to which deed lie had been a witness. In the fourth year of the reign of Jehmachim king of Judah (B. C. (05), Baruch was directed to write all the prophecies delivered by Jeremiah up to that period, and to read them to the people, which he did front a WilldoW in the Temple neon two solemn occasions. Ile afterwards read them before the counselors of the king at a private interview, when Itaruch being asked to give an account of the manner in which the prophecy had been composed, gave an exact description of the mode in which lie had taken it down from the prophet's dictation. Upon this they ordered him to leave the roll, advising that he and Jeremiah should conceal themselves. They then informed the king of what had taken place, upon which he had the roll read to him, but, after hearing a part of it, he cut it with a penknife, and, notwithstand ing the remonstrances of his counselors, threw it into the fire of his winter parlor, where he was sitting. He then ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be seized, but they could not be found. The Jews to this day commemorate the burning of this roll by an annual fast.
Another roll was now written by Baruch from the prophet's dictation, containing all that was in the former, with sonic additions, the most remark able of which is the prophecy respecting the ruin of Jebotachim and his house, as the punishment of his impious act. This roll is the prophecy of
Jeremiah which we now possess. Baruch, being himself terrified at the threats contained in the prophetic roll, received the comforting assurance that he would himself be delivered from the calamities which should befall Judah and Jeru salem. In the fourth year of Zedekiah (13. C. 595), Baruch is supposed by some to have accom panied Seraiah to Babylon, when the latter at tended Zcdekiah with the prophecies contained in Jeremiah, chaps. I. and li., which he was corn !Banded by Jeremiah to read on the banks of the Euphrates, and then to cast the prophetic roll into the river, with a stone attached to it, to signify the everlasting ruin of Babylon (Jer. 6t). At least Baruch, in the book which bears his name (see BARUCH, BOOK OF), is said to have read these prophecies at Babylon in the hearing of king Jehoiachim and the captive Jews, in the fifth year of the taking of Jerusalem by the Chald:eans (see next article), which must have been the same taking of it in which Je hoiachim was made prisoner. There is no ac count in Scripture of Baruch's return. The Rab bins, however, allege that he died in Babylon, in the twelfth year of the exile. Joseplins asserts that he was well skilled in the Hebrew language, and that, after the taking of Jerusalem. Nebuzar adan treated Baruch with consideration, from re spect to Jeremiah, whose misfortunes he had shared, and whom he had accompanied to prison and exile (Antiq. x 2. The son of Zabhai. lie repaired (B. C. 445) that part of the walls of Jerusalem between the northeast angle of Zion and the house of Eli ashib the high-priest (Neh. iii :20), and united in Nehemiah's covenant (x :6).
3. Son of a descendant of Perez, a son of Judah. Ills son Maaoiiali dwelt in Jeru salem after the captivity 3Nelt. xi :5).