The Pig Lowered Over the Walls of Jerusalem
During the Hasmonean civil war, the besiegers send a pig up the wall in place of the daily offering's sheep; the land quakes and the Sages curse pig-raising.
The members of the house of the Hasmonean monarchy were at war with each other. Hyrcanus, one of the parties to this war, was inside the besieged Jerusalem, while his brother Aristobulus, the other contender to the throne, was on the outside. Every day the people inside would lower money in a box to purchase sheep to sacrifice. Those on the other side would take the money and send up sheep to them over the wall for the daily offerings. There was a certain elder who said to those besieging Jerusalem: As long as they occupy themselves with the Temple service, they will not be delivered into your hands. The next day they lowered down money in a box as usual, but this time they sent up a pig. When the pig reached the midpoint of the wall, it stuck its hooves in. Thereupon, Eretz Yisrael quaked over an area of 400 parsaos by 400 parsaos. At that time the Sages said: Cursed be the man who raises pigs.