Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was born in Austria of Jewish parents. He was a prolific writer of biography, essays, and short stories. His wrote the anti-war play Jeremiah while in the army himself; it was staged in Switzerland in 1918. Scripture relates how the prophet Jeremiah warned that insurrection against Babylon under the auspices of Egypt would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, and the enslavement of the Jews. He was declared an outlaw during Zedekiah's reign. The false prophet Hananiah ridiculed him and died soon after, as Jeremiah had predicted.