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In the ancient world, cisterns were often a source of life for the community. However, in the book of Jeremiah, they are associated with death. In Jeremiah 38, the prophet is cast into a pit, where he is left to die of starvation. Three chapters later, Ishmael uses a cistern as a graveyard. Moreover, in both accounts, food plays an important role. Jeremiah 38 is situated within the context of a famine, where "there is no longer any bread in the city." Jeremiah is saved from the cistern so that he will "not starve to death." Conversely, the story of Jeremiah 41 unfolds in the seventh month, a time associated with harvest, when returning Jews bring "an abundance of wine and summer fruits" to Mizpah. Also not to be missed is the travesty of murdering Gedaliah and his cohorts at Gedaliah's banqueting table. This article explores how the motif of the cistern functions as a symbol of death in Jeremiah 38 and 41. It argues that despite the fulfillment of God's promise of restoration (as evidenced in the provision of food), the people still choose to embrace their own "cisterns." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]