Midrasch zu Jeschijahu 8:12

To what does a council of wicked men refer? To the following: Shebna, would expound [in his college] with thirteen great men, and Hezekiah would expound with only eleven. When Sancherib came to attack Jerusalem, Shebna wrote a note and shot it with an arrow [into Sancherib's camp]. The note read: "Shebna and his party are willing to make peace, but Hezekiah and his party are not willing to make peace, as it is said (Ps. 11, 2) For lo, the wicked bend their bow, they arrange their arrow upon the string." And Hezekiah feared, since, perhaps the inclination of the Holy One, praised be He! would be towards the majority, whose desire was to deliver themselves to the enemy, that he would also have to deliver himself to them. The prophet then came to him saying (Is. 8, 12) Say ye not a conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people do say: A conspiracy; i.e., they are only a council of wicked men, and [a measure passed in] a council of wicked men does not hold. He (Shebna) went and hewed out a cave for a grave for himself amongst the graves of King David's house, and this is why the prophet said to him(Ib. 22, 16, 17) What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn out for thyself here a sepulchre? … Behold, the Lord will hurl thee up and down with a man's throw. Rab said: "From this is to be inferred that the sufferings of homelessness are harder for a man to bear than for a woman." R. Jose b. Chanina said: "From this we infer that Shebna was punished with leprosy, for it is written here: He will roll you up (A'ate) as a bundle, and it is written [concerning a leper] (Lev. 13, 45) And he shall cover (Ya'ate) himself up to the upper lip. (Ib) He will roll thee up as a bundle, and [toss thee] like a ball unto a country of ample space." It was taught in a Baraitha: His (Shebna's) desire was to disgrace the house of his master, and therefore he himself was put to shame; for when he came out to Sancherib with his party, Gabriel shut the gate in the face of his party. And when Sancherib questioned him: "Where is thy party?" he answered: "They have rebelled and retracted." "Are you making sport of me!" Sancherib exclaimed, and they bored holes in his heels, tied them to the tails of their horses, and dragged his body over thorns.