Index

Back

Next

While Jerusalem was under siege by Nebuchadrezzar's army in 588 BCE, King Zedekiah sent secretly for Jerermiah, hoping for words of hope from YHWH. Jeremiah's counsel was as always, to cooperate with Babylon, to surrender, and to save life, for there would be no repetition of the 'miracle' of 701. He even advised the citizens to desert if they wanted to save their lives.

Zedekiah hoped to win YHWH's favour by implementing another of the precepts written in the Law Book, (Deut 15.12-18), and gave orders that all slaves were to be given their freedom. Just then, however, the Egyptian army arrived, and the siege was temporarily lifted. The slaves were quickly taken back into slavery, and Jeremiah's disillusionment was complete.

While the siege was lifted, Jeremiah went back to Anathoth to purchase some family land, and realised that there would somehow be a joyful future one day, for Israel in YHWH's plan. He prophesied that YHWH would rebuild Israel because of His great love, (Jer 31-33), and would then make a New Covenant, one that would be sealed in people's hearts, not in a code of rules. When people learned to love YHWH wholeheartedly, then He truly would be their God, and their sins would be remembered no more!

While Jeremiah was outside the city he was arrested, by people who thought he was on his way to desert to Babylon. He was brought back into Jerusalem, and put into prison.

The Egyptian Pharaoh saw the might of Babylon's army, and melted away, to take a greater interest in ships and overseas adventures, - and abandoning Jerusalem to its fate! Nebuchadrezzar's army resumed the siege.

Again Zedekiah sent secretly for Jeremiah from his prison, and again Jeremiah urged him to cooperate with Babylon. Zedekiah almost agreed, and allowed Jeremiah to be placed in a better prison. His courtiers were furious, and demanded Jeremiah's death. Zedekiah couldn't stop them, and they threw him down into a water pit. It was nearly empty, but they left him to die in the thick mud. Secretly again, at night, Zedekiah arranged his rescue, and he was returned to the court of the guard. Jer 38 records one last meeting between king and prophet, but there was no change.

By 587, when the people's lot was disastrous, and they were starving in the streets, the Babylonian army breached the city wall, and entered Jerusalem. In the confusion, Zedekiah managed to escape, abandoning the city like the coward he was. He was chased and caught near Jericho, and taken to Riblah in chains. Nebuchadrezzar had no mercy. Zedekiah saw his sons executed, and was then blinded, before being led off to die himself, in Babylon.

Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and Nebuchadrezzar's commands were carried out by his commander, Nabuzaradan. He took full charge and spent four weeks organising the people to be marched to Babylon, on a journey of no return. During that time the people had time to pack, and decide what they could take, (their records, books, and other luggage). At Ramah where they were assembled, Jeremiah was freed, and given the choice, to go, or to stay, because of his unswerving loyalty. He chose to stay with the poor who were left behind.

Nabuzaradan stripped the palace and the Temple of all that was worth having, gold, silver, and bronze for re-use, before ordering the systematic destruction of the walls, and all buildings in the city.

Thus ended the history of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Since the time they had abandoned the theocratic rule of YHWH, in the time of the Judges, a series of human kings had led the Covenant people to disaster.

There is a dearth of information to help us continue 'the Story'. The majority of Jerusalem's people went into exile for the rest of their lives, in Babylon. The countryside was not left so empty, but there was no organisation at first.. Refugees came out of hiding in the hills, and others come in to fill the gaps in the fertile areas. Archaeology has shown that all the major towns were also devastated at this time. The Babylonians were thorough in their conquest.

Little is known of the administration set up by Babylon, except for Jeremiah's story which continues in chs 40 -45. Shaphan's grandson, Gedeliah, was set up as a local 'Governor', but confusion reigned, and he was soon murdered. His murderers seized Jeremiah, and ran with him, to safety in Egypt. Jeremiah eventually died there, far from the land he loved.

The year, 586 BCE, is a watershed in Israel's story. Nothing was ever the same again.

The people who remained managed to survive, but did not become economically prosperous. The YHWH cult survived , probably in the ruins of the Temple, but other gods were worshipped too. They were kept politically inactive, and unable to stop incursions of Arabs and Edomites into the south of the country. (the future Idumaea of Herod's family!).

A third deportation took place in 581, but for reasons unknown.

Many Jews had fled, or emigrated to Egypt, and settled in various places, one of them being in Elephantine, (Aswan), where they even built their own Temple for YHWH and other gods! Many were employed as mercenary soldiers, guarding Egypt's boundaries. They were allowed to keep their own customs, of Sabbath-keeping and circumcision, and even kept Passover, but they never 'returned' to Judea.

The future of Israel's story rested among the many who went to Babylon.

The Jews' first sight of Babylon must have been overwhelming. The city was huge in comparison with Jerusalem, and teemed with wealth and luxuries unimaginable. The great Ishtar Gate was covered in glazed tiles, the long processional road was paved with marble, all the way to the massive Temple of Marduk, and passing the famous 'Hanging Gardens', and the beautiful royal palace of Nebuchadrezzar, which some of the first exiles had helped to build. The Jews, though were in too much despair to admire their new surroundings. It seemed as if their God, YHWH, had been 'beaten' by a much more splendid god!

YHWH had been vanquished in Jerusalem, and even his Temple was in ruins. His people felt very cut off from Him, as Ps 137 vividly reflects.

In Babylon, they were met by their leading countrymen who had already been there for the previous eleven years, and were still clustered around the court of King Jehoiachin. They had already begun to prosper in the opportunities open to them in Babylon, and the newcomers began to do the same. They were allowed to continue their own customs, and keep their corporate identity, even encouraged to worship their own God. (again, see Ps 137).

At first they were 'put to work', some as soldiers, some as artisans, and others on the land, in various areas around Babylon. In time some received land grants, others dealt in commerce, and many prospered. They were allowed autonomy over themselves, and reverted to the leadership of 'the Elders' of their families and clans. They examined their traditions, and began to preserve their family genealogies.

Many of their religious leaders gathered at Casiphia, where the priests, prophets, Levites, and former Temple singers and servants kept their identities, though no attempt was made to build another YHWH-Temple. Josiah's Law of Centralisation had taken hold, even though its Temple was in ruins.

There is no clear evidence of their worship in Babylon, but the out-of-work priests began to commit all their ancient liturgies and customs into writing, (the future book of Leviticus), while the prophetic guilds began to collect their traditions, and edit them. Eventually the Book of Deuteronomy would be 'finished', and the Deuteronomic History books would be written.

The year 586 was a turning point, also, for the young prophet, Ezekiel. He had been totally ridiculed until then, especially when he warned that Jerusalem would be destroyed, but 586 had proved him a 'true' prophet!

It made people begin to wonder how it could be, that YHWH, whose Temple had been demolished, could still make contact with His people, in Exile? Had YHWH come too? If this were so, maybe there was HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, after all!