Jeremiah 19 (click)

The Valley of Ben-Hinnom, or Topeth, is the subject of a prophetic act in this chapter. After going to the potter's house, Jeremiah is commanded to take an earthen vessel and shatter it, at the Valley of ben-hinnom, near the entrance to the "Potsherd Gate".

You can bet that this was a place where old pottery was taken for disposal. I'll bet it was a place of piles of old broken stuff...

This Valley: Ben-Hinnom, Topeth, is later referred to as "Gehenna" and finally as Har-Megiddon. This is the "Valley of Slaughter" where the Judaites will bury their dead in despair, until there's no more room.

Buried dead create an unclean place. Remember that in the Law of Moses you are made unclean for worship or fellowship if you walk over the burial of a dead body, even if youdidn't know.

What do you think of that when you consider the site of a mass grave, with bodies buried three and four deep for lack of room and time, under the conditions of plague and seige?

This place was a trash heap, perpetually burning, inthe days of the Roman occupation. That's what Jesus kept pointing at when he talked about the fiery condemnation of the wicked.

So this chapter is a key to understanding some of that teaching of Jesus...

Why is God going to shatter them like that?
Because they have burned incense to other gods, and poured out drink offerings...