Recall that the first phase of the exile took place in 605 BC, when Judah's royal famiiy and high ranking officials were taken to Babylon. Daniel had been among that group. This second wave occurred eight years later in 597 BC, was larger in scope and took the royal family and officials as well as "7000 of the best troops and 1000 craftsmen and artisans, all of whom were strong and fit for war." There were 10,000 taken in all, leaving only the poorest of Judah in the land. This left them vulnerable, so apparently the newly installed king, Zedekiah (who was also one of Josiah's sons), made an alliance with Pharoah Hophra of Egypt. This disloyalty upset Nebuchudnezzar, who advanced his army against Judah. The Egyptians did honor their alliance and showed up for battle, but the Babylonians retreated. At the end of today's reading, Jeremiah assures Zedekiah that he has not seen the last of Babylon. And we know from history that Babylon did finish the job, totally ransacking Jerusalem and the Temple, in 587 BC.
Tomorrow's reading: Jer. 37:11-38:28; Ezekiel 1-3:15
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment