JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

(626 B.C.E.), which together with Media and the Ummanmanda
(Scythians?) destroyed Nineveh (612), quickly established
its own rule (604) in “the land of Hatti” (Syro-Palestine).
Although the prophet *Nahum rejoiced over Nineveh’s
fall and Habakkuk was stunned by Babylon’s rise (Hab. 1:1ff.),
Jeremiah foretold that Babylonian rule would last “70 years”
(Jer. 25:12; 29:10) and counseled submission. The setback that
Babylon suffered at the hands of Egypt (601), however, encouraged
King *Jehoiakim to rebel (II Kings 24:1). The uprising
was crushed by Nebuchadnezzar himself (598–597), but
the statement that Jehoiakim was led into exile (Dan. 1:1ff.;
I Esd. 1:39ff.; cf. II Chron. 36:5–6) is probably unhistorical.
It is likely that he died in Jerusalem, reviled by Jeremiah (cf.
II Kings 24:6; Jer. 22:13–19; 36:30–31), and that the city was
surrendered by his son Jehoiachin on March 16, 597 B.C.E.
(II Kings 24:8ff.; II Chron. 36:9ff.). As punishment for the
rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar sent into exile the young king
and his family, royal officials, warriors, artisans, and other
distinguished people from Jerusalem and Judah, and took
much spoil from the Temple and palace (II Kings 24:12ff.;
Jer. 13:18–19; II Chron. 36:9–10). The number of exiles is reported
in round numbers once as 10,000 exclusive of artisans
(II Kings 24:14) and once as 7,000 “mighty men” and 1,000
artisans (II Kings 24:16). Probably because Jehoiachin surrendered
in time, Nebuchadnezzar did not destroy Jerusalem.
He took the exiled king’s uncle Mattaniah, made him a vassal
king, and changed his name to Zedekiah (II Kings 24:17; Ezek.
17:11ff.). Jehoiachin, however, retained his royal status, and a
Babylonian tablet of 592 reports that he and his five sons, along
with other exiles, were allotted rations by Nebuchadnezzar.
The seal impressions “Eliakim steward of Yaukin,” discovered
at Tell Beit Mirsim, Beth-Shemesh, and Ramat Raḥel, may indicate
that his royal estates were preserved intact.
In the eyes of Jeremiah, the exilic community was, metaphorically,
a basket of excellent figs and would ultimately be
restored to the land, while the remaining population were bad
figs and would experience further destruction (Jer. 24:1–10).
Ezekiel, settled among the exiles, provides evidence that events
were dated according “to the exile of King Jehoiachin” (Ezek.
1:2). Despite the continuous preaching of Jeremiah and Ezekiel,
prophets in Judah such as Hananiah son of Azzur (Jer. 28:1ff.)
and in Babylonia such as Ahab son of Kolaiah, Zedekiah son
of Maaseiah, and Shemaiah the Nehelamite (Jer. 29:21ff.)
encouraged the rump state of Judah to believe that deliverance
was at hand. Relying upon Egypt (Jer. 37:5; Ezek. 17:15;
29:6–7), Zedekiah rebelled. This time the city was destroyed
(586 or 587) and the Temple burned. For breaking his oath of
allegiance Zedekiah was blinded, exiled to Babylon, and his
sons were executed. Other leading officials were likewise put
to death. The Temple vessels were taken as booty, and all but
the poorest were sent into exile (II Kings 25:1–21; Jer. 39:1–10;
52:1–27; II Chron. 36:11–21; cf. also Dan. 5). Whereas excavation
shows clear evidence of destruction at this time in several
Judahite sites, e.g., Tell Beit Mirsim, Lachish, Beth-Shemesh,
Beth-Zur, etc., the evidence thus far is that Benjamin
exile, babylonian
remained untouched. (On the archaeological situation see
C. Carter, O. Lipschits, A. Zertal, and J. Zorn, apud Lipschits
and Blenkinsopp in Bibliography.) Appointed governor by the
conquerors, *Gedaliah son of Ahikam resided in the Benjaminite
town of Mizpah until he was assassinated by *Ishmael
son of Nethaniah of the royal family (II Kings 25:22–25; Jer.
40:7ff.). The people then fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with
them (Jer. 41–43), and in 582 a third group was carried off into
Babylonian exile (Jer. 52:30). The same source which reports
this last small exile of 745 Judahites gives figures of 3,023 and
832 for the exiles of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah respectively (Jer.
52:28–30). It is not clear how these figures are to be reconciled
with those cited earlier.
The destruction of the state and the Temple and the exile
to Babylonia were traumatic experiences that concomitantly
brought forth desires for revenge and stirrings of repentance.
Feelings ran strong not only against Babylon (Isa. 47; Jer. 51; Ps.
137) but also against neighboring Edom, which rejoiced at, and
benefited from, the destruction (Ezek. 25:12–14; 35:1ff; Obad.;
Mal. 1:3–5; Ps. 137:7; Lam. 4:21–22). Although Jeremiah and
Ezekiel explained the impending destruction as punishment
for moral and cultic sins, the actual destruction was a shock.
It aroused strong lament (Book of Lamentations) and regular
commemorative fasts (Zech. 7:1ff.; 8:18–19) and a yearning to
be reconciled with God and restored to the land of Judah (Ps.
137; Lam. 3:39ff.; 5:19–21). The Sabbath and festivals continued
to be observed, and names such as Shabbethai (Ezra 10:15;
Neh. 8:7; 11:16; *Murashu Tablets) and *Haggai (the prophet;
and a personal name in the Murashu Tablets) made their appearance.
The contrast between monotheism and polytheism
became sharpened (e.g., Isa. 44:6ff.), and gentiles attracted to
the God of Israel were promised a share in the restored Temple
if they observed the Sabbath and the Covenant, probably
of circumcision (Isa. 65:1ff.). Except for the leaders who had
contact with Babylonian officials – *Sheshbazzar/Shenazzar
(Ezra 1:8ff.; 5:14; 6:5; I Chron. 3:18), *Zerubbabel son of Shaltiel
(Ezra 3:2), Mordecai (Ezra 2:2), Bilshan (Ezra 2:2) – and were
therefore given, or adopted, Babylonian names (cf. Esth. 2:5,
7; Dan. 1:5ff.), the majority of exiles in Babylonia, as in Egypt,
preserved the practice of giving Hebrew names.
Economically, the exiles did not fare badly, and socially
they succeeded in preserving their clan and family structure
intact. A prominent position was held by King Jehoiachin,
who in 561 was exalted by King Amel-Marduk (*Evil-Merodach)
over the other exiled kings. The communal leaders, “the
elders of Judah/Israel” (Ezek. 8:1; 14:1; 20:1, 3), maintained
their traditional authority and were known as “elders of the
exile (Jer. 29:1). Craftsmen and builders were engaged in the
royal building projects in Babylon, and clay tablets record rations
distributed in 592 to such as Semachiah, Gaddiel, and
Urimelech. Many were settled on “mounds” (tel), i.e., sites that
had formerly been destroyed and needed to be rebuilt, such
as Tel-Melah and Tel-Harsha (Ezra 2:59; Neh. 7:61). Ezekiel
had a house in Tel-Abib (Akkadian for “mound caused by the
deluge”), which lay along the Chebar Canal (Ezek. 1:1; 3:15, 23;
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6 609