Ancient Babylonia - The Destruction of Jerusalem
Revival came during the reign of Hezekiah but it was immediately swept aside
by Manasseh, who was Judah's most wicked and longest ruling king. The nation never fully
recovered from the effects of this evil king. Manasseh's son Amon continued in
his father's depravity, but he soon was murdered. His successor Josiah (about
640-609 B.C.) restored traditional covenant religion, which was based on the
Book of the Law newly discovered in a Temple storeroom (2 Chr. 34:14). Many did
not follow Josiah's example, however, and the prophet Zephaniah foretold disaster
for the nation. By 610 BC the Assyrian Empire had collapsed under Babylonian attacks, and Babylon prepared to march against Egypt, which
had been helping the Assyrians. Against Jeremiah's advice, Josiah intervened and
was killed at Megiddo.
After Josiah there was no hope for Judah, the last 3 kings were all evil. The Babylonians swept down upon Jerusalem in 597 BC and captured it. A second attack led to Jerusalem's second defeat in 586 BC.
Captives from both campaigns were taken to Babylonia to mark the captivity of
the Southern Kingdom.
Also See: Predictions Concerning Jerusalem and Babylon
Ancient Babylonia
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