Jeremiah is a major prophet whose activity spans the period 626-580 B.C. His book is the second in the canonical order of the prophets.

His live spans a most turbulent time in the life of Israel. A reform of worship practices took place under King Josiah who died tragically in battle in 609 B. C. In 605 another important battle took place over the control of the Ancient Near East between the Egyptians and Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzer won a decisive victory which meant that Judah came under the control of Babylonia.

The first deportation of Israelites to Babylon took place in 598 followed by the fall of Jerusalem in 587. The prophecies of Jeremiah span the above mentioned periods.

After the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, were deported to Egypt. Little is known what happened to the prophet there. Baruch probably compiled his master’s prophecies in Egypt while also adding his own memories known as the Baruch scroll.

The panel on the bottom of the window illustrates one of Jeremiah’s prophecies. In the first chapter of the book, verse 13 we read and the Lord is speaking, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.” The saying implies that the pot was spilling its hot contents toward the south, symbolizing the trouble which would come from the north.