The Babylonian Captivity
The Babylonian Captivity
Around 605 BC. Nineveh and Assyria had fallen. It was just Egypt and Babylon
who were seeking world supremacy. The young brilliant new king of Babylon,
Nebuchadnezzar, went out and defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish. He marched on to
Judah, during Jehoiakim's reign, and took thousands of Hebrews back to Babylon
(including Daniel , who became one of the greatest prophets). Nebuchadnezzar made two more
attacks when he heard of rebellion in Judah. Each time he took captives (including Ezekiel the prophet). Only a remnant of the weakest, poorest, and least threatening
Jews remained. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a puppet king (Zedekiah) of David's
line to sit on the throne of Judah and made him swear an oath of allegiance (2
Chr 36:10-12).
Zedekiah was as faithless as the rest of the evil kings of Judah. He then
rebelled and allied with other enemies. When Nebuchadnezzar heard he came back for
the last time (586 BC) to reduce Jerusalem to rubble and send the Temple up in
flames. Zedekiah was forced to witness the slaughter of his sons, then his eyes
were put out, and he himself was carried off to Babylon. The Kingdom was over
and the "times of the gentiles" had begun.
2 Kin 24:13-14 13 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. 14 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.
The Story of the Bible