Ishodad of Merv
Medieval
d. A.D. 850
“In the book of Chronicles [it is written]: Uzziah "did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father David, and God made him prosper." "He built" fortresses "and palaces and high towers which were reinforced with iron bolts." "But when he had become strong, he grew proud; he became an infidel to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to make the censer-bearers of perfumes smoke. But the priest Azariah went in after him and said to him, 'It is not for you, king, [to make offerings].' And the king was angered with the priests and ordered them to be driven out of the sanctuary. But at the same time a leprous disease broke out of the holy place on his forehead." And when he died, "they did not bury him in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, 'He is leprous.' "He was struck with leprosy because, besides kingship, he dared arrogate priesthood, without remembering what had happened to the people of Dathan and Korah and what had happened to Jeroboam. That is why he received a punishment on a part of his body that was conspicuous. And since no prophet had reproached him, except for the priest Azariah, the gift of prophecy was withheld from [all prophets] until the death of Uzziah. And the bronze bull which they worshiped bellowed and produced a tremendous noise, while blood, ravaging and plagues reigned among the people. And the prophet Zechariah referred to these events when he said, "And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah."”