Seven Wonders Never Seen Since Heaven and Earth Were Made

Seven wonders were done in the world, the like of which were not created since the day heaven and earth were made. The first wonder: that Abraham was saved from the fiery furnace, as it is said, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees" (Genesis 15:7). The second wonder: that Sarah gave birth at ninety years old, and they did not believe it until Sarah nursed children. The third wonder: that old age was cast upon Abraham, as it is said, "And Abraham was old" (Genesis 24:1). The fourth wonder: no person used to sneeze and live; rather, in every place his soul would go out, whether in the marketplace or on the road, until our father Jacob came and prayed for mercy concerning this matter and said, "Master of the universe, do not take my soul from me until I have given charge to my sons," and he was answered, as it is said, "And one told Joseph, behold, your father is sick" (Genesis 48:1). Therefore a person is obligated, upon sneezing, to give thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He, that he was turned from death to life, as it is said, "His sneezings flash forth light" (Job 41:10). The fifth wonder: "And the children of Israel walked on dry land" (Exodus 14:29). The sixth wonder: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon" (Joshua 10:12), for Joshua came and waged Israel's war, and the eve of Sabbath arrived, and he saw Israel's distress lest they profane the Sabbath, until he saw the sages of the nations stirring the constellations to come against Israel. What did he do? He stretched his hand toward the light of the sun and the moon and pronounced the Name over them, and each one stood in its place thirty-six hours until the going-out of the Sabbath. The seventh wonder: no person used to rise from his sickness, until Hezekiah king of Judah came and rose and lived, as it is said, "A writing of Hezekiah when he had been sick and recovered from his sickness" (Isaiah 38:9). And Hezekiah said, "What is the sign?" He said to him, "Ahaz your father stirred the constellations and bowed to the sun, and the sun went down and fled westward ten degrees. If you wish, it will go down ten degrees backward." Hezekiah said, "No, but rather let those same ten degrees that it would descend stand in their place," and he was answered, as it is said, "Behold, I will bring back the shadow... which has gone down on the dial of Ahaz" (Isaiah 38:8). When Hezekiah saw the messengers of the king of Babylon, his heart grew proud, and he showed them all the treasures, and moreover he opened the ark and showed them the tablets, saying, "With this we make war and conquer." The Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him and said, "Is it not enough for you that you showed them the treasures of the kings of Judah and all the treasures of the Holy of Holies, but you also opened for them the ark and showed them the tablets, the work of My hands? By your life, they shall come up and take all the treasures, and in place of the tablets your sons shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon," these being Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.