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Ancient Babylonia - The Babylonian Chronicles
This clay tablet is a Babylonian chronicle recording events from 605-594BC. It
was first translated in 1956 and is now in the British Museum. The cuneiform
text on this clay tablet tells, among other things, 3 main events:
- The Battle of Carchemish (famous battle for world supremacy where
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated Pharoah Necho of Egypt, 605 BC.),
- The accession to the throne of Nebuchadnezzar II, the Chaldean, and
- The capture of Jerusalem on the 16th of March, 598 BC.
We are going to compare the record of this Babylonian clay tablet, as
translated into English by scholars, with the account recorded in the Bible. About the
capture of Jerusalem the clay tablet reads:
"In the seventh month (of Nebuchadnezzar-599 BC.) in the month Chislev
(Nov/Dec) the king of Babylon assembled his army, and after he had invaded the land of
Hatti (Syria/Palestine) he laid seige to the city of Judah. On the second day
of the month of Adara ( 16th of March) he conquered the city and took the king
(Jehoiachin) prisoner. He installed in his place a king (Zedekiah) of his own
choice, and after he had received rich tribute, he sent (them) forth to
Babylon."
And now we will look at the record of the Babylonian invasion in the Bible’s Book of II Kings and compare the two:
II Kings 24:7-17 "And the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore,
for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from
the Brook ofEgypt to the River Euphrates. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when
he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name
was Nehushtathe daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight
of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the
servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was
besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his
servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his
officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the
eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner. And he carried out from there all the
treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and he
cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made
in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. Also he carried into captivity
all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand
captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest
people of the land.
And he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's
wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from
Jerusalem to Babylon. All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and
smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these the king of
Babylon brought captive to Babylon. Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah,
Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah."
Ancient Babylonia
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