Siege of Jerusalem (597 BC)

In 601 BC , in the fourth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar II , king of Babylon , unsuccessfully attempted to invade Egypt and was repulsed with heavy losses. This failure led to numerous rebellions among the states of the Levant which owed allegiance to Babylon, including Judah , where the king, Jehoiakim , stopped paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar and took a pro-Egyptian position. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions. According to the Babylonian Chronicles , he laid siege to Jerusalem , which eventually fell on 2 Adar (March 16) 597 BC . The Chronicles state: 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 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 (them) forth to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar pillaged both the city and the Temple and deported to Babylon the new king Jeconiah who was either eight or eighteen at the time (Jehoiakim having died in the meantime) and his court and other prominent citizens and craftsmen, along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judah, numbering about 10,000 . Among them were Ezekiel . The author of the book of Daniel , while actually most likely writing/compiling in the middle of the second century BCE, reports that his experiences (if they are to be understood and interpreted as historical narrative) also occur while in Babylonian exile in this period. A biblical text written in approximately the same time period of the exile reports that "None remained except the poorest people of the land" and that also taken to Babylon were the treasures and furnishings of the Temple, including golden vessels dedicated by King Solomon . ( 2 Kings 24:13–14 ) These events are described in the Nevi'im and Ketuvim , sections of the Tanakh , and the Hebrew Bible , known to non-Jews as the Old Testament . This first deportation is the start of the Jewish Diaspora (or exile). ( 2 Kings 24:10–16 ) Nebuchadnezzar installed Jeconiah's uncle, Zedekiah , as puppet-king of Judah, while Jeconiah was compelled to remain in Babylon, where he was regarded by the Jews in Babylon as the legitimate king of Judah and later would be regarded as the first of the exilarchs .

Military campaign carried out by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, in 597 BC This article is about the siege that occurred in 597 BC; not to be confused with the second siege by Nebuchadnezzar, see Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC) . The Siege of Jerusalem was a military campaign carried out by Nebuchadnezzar II , king of Babylon , in 597 BC. In 605 BC, he defeated Pharaoh Necho at the Battle of Carchemish , and subsequently invaded Judah . According to the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle , King Jehoiakim of Judah rebelled against Babylonian rule, but Nebuchadnezzar captured the city and installed Zedekiah as ruler.

Victory by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon This article is about the siege that occurred in 597 BC; not to be confused with the second siege by Nebuchadnezzar, see Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC) . 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, with king Jeconiah of Judah deported to Babylon and replaced by his Babylonian-appointed uncle, Zedekiah . The siege was recorded by both the Hebrew Bible ( 2 Kings 24:10–16 ) and the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle . In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar unsuccessfully attempted to take Egypt and was repulsed with heavy losses. Jehoiakim king of Judah seized the opportunity to revolt against Babylonian rule, taking a pro-Egyptian position, despite the strong remonstrances of the prophet Jeremiah . Jehoiakim died for reasons unclear, and was succeeded by his young son, Jeconiah. 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 . This event is considered to be the start of 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 . In 587 BC, a second siege of Jerusalem culminated in the destruction of the city and First Temple , bringing an end to the Kingdom of Judah. The twilight of Judah: in the Egyptian-Babylonian maelstrom. Journal for Semitics . 6 (1): 46– 56. hdl : 10520/AJA10318471_285 .

Victory by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon This article is about the siege that occurred in 597 BC; not to be confused with the second siege by Nebuchadnezzar, see Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC) . 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 . The circumstances of Jehoiakim’s death are not clear. He was succeeded by his young son, Jeconiah. 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. 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. The twilight of Judah: in the Egyptian-Babylonian maelstrom. Journal for Semitics . 6 (1): 46– 56. hdl : 10520/AJA10318471_285 . Journal for Semitics . 8 (1): 12– 20. hdl : 10520/AJA10318471_366 .