Midras Mikha 5:2: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Midrash Tehillim & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

Rabba b. b. Chana, in the name of R. Jochanan, quoting R. Juda b. Ilai, said: "A time will come when the Romans will fall into the hands of Persia. We can infer this through the rule of a fortiori; if the Chaldeans fell into the hands of the Persians, because they destroyed the first Temple, which was built only by the children of Shem, how much more should it apply to the second Temple, built by the Persians themselves, that the destroyers should fall into the hands of the Persians!" Rab, however, said: "On the contrary, a time will come when Persia will fall into the hands of the Romans." Whereupon R. Cahana and R. Assi said (in surprise) to Rab: "The builders [of the Temple] should fall under the dominion of those who have destroyed it?" "Yea," answered he, "such is the decree of the king." Others say that he replied: "The Persians are also guilty of having destroyed a place of worship." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: A time will come when Persia will fall into the hands of the Romans, first because the former destroyed a place of worship, and secondly, because such is the decree of the king: that the builders [of the Temple] should fall under the dominion of those who have destroyed it, for R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "Messiah, the son of David, will not arrive until Rome shall have had dominion over the entire world nine months, as it is said( Micah 5, 2) Therefore He will give them up until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth; then shall the remnant of his brethren return with the children of Israel."

Whence do we know that this applies to the Torah? Because it is said, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old" (Prov. 8:22). "Of old" means before the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Garden of Eden? Because it is said, "And the Lord God planted a garden of old" (Gen. 2:8). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know this with reference to the Throne of Glory? Because it is said, "Thy throne is established of old" (Ps. 93:2). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know that Repentance (was premundane)? Because it is said, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world" (Ps. 90:2); and then in close proximity (we read), "Thou turnest man to contrition" (Ps. 90:3). "Before," i.e. before || the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Temple? Because it is said, "A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer. 17:12). "From the beginning," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence we do know that the name of the Messiah (was premundane)? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever; before the sun Yinnôn was his name" (Ps. 72:17). "Yinnôn," before the world had been created. Another verse says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art to be least among the thousands of Judah, from thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be ruler over Israel; whose ancestry belongs to the past, even to the days of old" (Mic. 5:2). "The past," whilst as yet the world had not been created.

To the conductor over the Gittith. This refers to what is said in the scripture (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe." Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Chelkia, "To whom was it said, 'Send forth the sickle?' The angels said to God, and Rabbi said to Israel. We do not sing about the harvest or the vintage, but about the Gittith (as it is written) [Psalms 8:1], 'For the Gittith.' The harvest refers to Babylon (Jeremiah 51:33) 'The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden.' The vintage refers to Media, as it is said (Zechariah 9:13) 'For I have bent Judah as my bow, I have filled the bow with Ephraim.' Redemption was found in the four languages during the harvest, in the vintage, and in childbirth. If a person passes over them at the wrong time, he loses them, and even their owners do not benefit from them at all. This is what is written (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe." In the harvest (Jeremiah 49:9) "If grape-gatherers came to you." In childbirth (Micah 5:2) "Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth." In the balsam (Song of Solomon 8:14) "On the mountains of spices." Similarly, it is said (Joel 4:13) "Come down; for the press is full, the fats overflow." Everyone sees the Gittith. Joel speaks about it as it is said (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle." Isaiah speaks about it as it is said (Isaiah 27:2) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that a vineyard of wine, red and good, shall be planted." Asaph speaks about it as it is said (Psalms 81:1) "For the Gittith." David speaks about it as it is said, "To the conductor over the Gittith."