Siege of Jerusalem (597 BC)
Siege of Jerusalem | |||||||
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Part of Judah's revolts against Babylon (601–587 BC) | |||||||
The siege of Jerusalem is mentioned in the Early Years of Nebuchadnezzar chronicle (ABC 05) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Judah | Neo-Babylonian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Jehoiakim † Jeconiah | Nebuchadnezzar II | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Much fewer | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Many slain, others taken to captivity | Unknown | ||||||
Part of a series on |
Jerusalem |
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The siege of Jerusalem (597 BC) was a military campaign carried out by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, in which he besieged Jerusalem, then capital of the Kingdom of Judah. The city surrendered, and its king Jeconiah was deported to Babylon and replaced by his Babylonian-appointed uncle, Zedekiah. The siege is recorded in both the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 24:10–16) and the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle.
In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II unsuccessfully attempted to take Egypt and was repulsed with heavy losses. Jehoiakim—the king of Judah—seized this opportunity to revolt against Babylonian rule, taking a pro-Egyptian position, despite the strong remonstrances of the prophet Jeremiah.[1][2][3] The circumstances of Jehoiakim’s death are not clear. He was succeeded by his young son, Jeconiah.[4][5]
The Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, and in March 597 BC the city surrendered. Jeconiah, his court and other prominent citizens and craftsmen, were deported to Babylon.[6] This event is considered to be the start of the Babylonian captivity and of the Jewish diaspora. Jeconiah's uncle, Zedekiah, was installed as vassal king of Judah.
A decade later, Zedekiah launched another rebellion against the Babylonians, which was brutally crushed by Nebuchadnezzar II. In 587 BC, a second siege of Jerusalem culminated in the destruction of the city and Solomon's Temple, bringing an end to the Kingdom of Judah.[1]
Dating
The
Siege
To avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, King
Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions. According to the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle,[11] he laid siege to Jerusalem, which eventually fell in 597 BC. The Chronicle states:
In the seventh year [of Nebuchadnezzar, 598 BC] in the month Chislev [November/December] the king of Babylon assembled his army, and after he had invaded the land of Hatti (Syria/Palestine) he laid siege to the city of Judah. On the second day of the month of Adar [16 March] he conquered the city and took the king [Jeconiah] prisoner. He installed in his place a king [Zedekiah] of his own choice, and after he had received rich tribute, he sent forth to Babylon.[12]
Jehoiakim died during the siege, possibly on December 10, 598 BC,[13] or during the months of Kislev,[14] or Tevet.[15] Nebuchadnezzar pillaged the city and its Temple, and the new king Jeconiah, who was either 8 or 18, and his court and other prominent citizens and craftsmen, were deported to Babylon.[6] The deportation occurred prior to Nisan of 597 BC, and dates in the Book of Ezekiel are counted from that event.[16]
Nebuchadnezzar installed Jeconiah's uncle, Zedekiah as puppet-king of Judah, and Jeconiah was compelled to remain in Babylon.[17] The start of Zedekiah's reign has been variously dated within a few weeks before,[18] or after [19][20] the start of Nisan 597 BC.
The
References
- ^ ISBN 978-90-474-2072-9.
- ^ Malamat, A. (1975, January). The twilight of Judah: in the Egyptian-Babylonian maelstrom. In Congress Volume Edinburgh 1974 (pp. 123-145). Brill.
- ^ a b The Divided Monarchy c. 931–586 BC
- .
- doi:10.10520/AJA10318471_366 (inactive 31 January 2024).)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link - ^ a b The Oxford History of the Biblical World, ed. by Michael D Coogan. Published by Oxford University Press, 1999. pg 350
- ^ D. J. Wiseman, Chronicles of Chaldean Kings in the British Museum (London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1956) 73.
- ISBN 0-8254-3825-X, 9780825438257, 217.
- ^ Kenneth Strand, "Thiele's Biblical Chronology As a Corrective for Extrabiblical Dates," Andrews University Seminary Studies 34 (1996) 310, 317.
- ISBN 9781575674360.
- ^ Geoffrey Wigoder, The Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible Pub. by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)
- ^ No 24 WA21946, The Babylonian Chronicles, The British Museum
- ^ Horn, Siegfried H. (1967). "The Babylonian Chronicle and the Ancient Calendar of the Kingdom of Judah" (PDF). Andrews University Seminary Studies. V (1): 21.
- ISSN 1203-1542.
- ^ Green, Alberto R. (1982). "The fate of Jehoiakim". Andrews University Seminary Studies. 20 (2): 106. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
- ^ Young, Rodger C. (March 2004). "When Did Jerusalem Fall?" (PDF). Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. 47 (1): 32ff.
- ^ Britannica.com, Zedekiah
- ^ Thompson, John Arthur (1980). The Book of Jeremiah. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 729.
- ^ Hayes, John H.; Hooker, Paul K. (2007). A New Chronology for the Kings of Israel and Judah and Its Implications for Biblical History and Literature. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 95.
- ^ Thiele, Edwin R. (1970). The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. Kregel Academic. p. 192.
- ^ 2 Kings 24:14
- ^ 2 Kings 24:16
- ^ S2CID 244932444, retrieved 2022-05-24
- ^ Jeremiah 52:28