Said Rabbi Ishmael: What then did Zoharariel the Lord God of Israel? Because of the wrath with which He was filled against Sammael as having taken upon him all those conditions, [His patience] did not then suffice Him that He should say to the scribe: “Write decrees of punishment and great plagues, strong and harsh and fearful and terrible, heavy and disgraceful against the wicked city, Rome.” Nay, but at once He Himself took paper and wrote upon the paper.
And thus He wrote against the day of vengeance which is destined and laid up for the wicked city, Rome. “One cloud shall come up and stand above Rome six months and pour down a running sore upon man and upon beast and upon the silver and upon the gold and upon all the fruit and upon all kinds of metals. And thereafter shall another cloud come up and drive away its fellow and stand in its place six months and pour down a scall of leprosy and scab and pox and all manner of scalls whatsoever upon the wicked city Rome, until the time shall come when a man shall say to his fellow, ‘Behold, the wicked city Rome, she and all that which is in her, are thine for one farthing,’ and he shall say to him, ‘I want her not.’”