Midrasch zu Zechariah 3:3

(Jer. 29, 21, 23) Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Achab, the son of Kolayah, and of Zedekiah, the son of Maasseyah, who prophesy unto you in my name of false-hood… . And of them there shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying: May the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Achab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire. "It does not read (Sarfam), whom he burned, but it says (Kalan) whom he roasted," said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: Infer from this that they were roasted as people roast grain. (Ib. ib, 23) Because they have done scandalous deeds in Israel, and have committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors. What had they done? They went to the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. Achab said to her: "The Lord has commanded me to tell thee that thou shalt listen to Zedekiah." And the latter said the same — that she should hearken to Achab. And she straightway went and told this to her father. To which he answered: "It is known to me that their God abhors incest. When they shall come to you again, send them to me. When they did come, she sent them to her father; Nebuchadnezzar asked them: "Who told you to do so?" The Holy One, praised be He!" they said. "But Chananyah and his colleagues told me that such a thing is prohibited," said he. And they answered: "We are also prophets as they are, and this command, although not given to them, was, nevertheless, given to us." Then said the king: "I would try you as I did Chananyah and his colleagues." And to their claim, "They were three, and we are only two," he said: "You may choose a third one, whomever you like." And they selected Joshua, the high-priest, thinking that his merit was so great that it would save them also. Joshua was then brought, and all three were thrown into the kiln. They were burned, but Joshua was saved; only his garments were singed. And this is what is meant by the passage (Zech. 3, 1-3) And he showed me Joshua the high-priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And the Lord said unto the accuser, the Lord rebuke thee, O accuser, etc. Satan said to him: "I know that you are an upright man, but why did the fire affect your garments, which was not the case with Chananyah, Mishael and Azaryah?" And he answered: "They were three, and I one." "But was not Abraham the patriarch also only one when he was thrown into the kiln," Satan asked. "With Abraham," said he, "there were no wicked whom the fire was granted permission to affect, but with me were two wicked, and such permission was given to the fire." And this is what people say: "If there are two dried pieces of wood, and a green one between, the green piece will burn with the dry ones." But why was he punished? R. Papa said: "Because his sons married such wives as were not fit for the priesthood, and he did not protest against it; and this is what is meant by the passage (Ib. 3, 3) And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments. Was it then the habit of Joshua to wear filthy garments? But infer from this that his sons married such wives as were not fit for the priesthood and he did not protest agninst it."