The Babylonian Invasion The Downfall of Judah The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--James 5:16 Richard Doctor God keeps his own times and purposes. To a thoughtful observer weighing the objective evidence without considering the special operation of Jehovah’s overruling providence in the defense of his people, Jerusalem might easily have fallen at least a century before Zedekiah’s disastrous rebellion. Approximately 100 years earlier in the 8th century B.C. Assyria under the leadership of Sennacherib possessed sufficient military prowess and resolve to conquer Jerusalem when the city was under siege during the reign of Hezekiah. Yet, as Scripture promises, the prayers of a righteous man availeth much, and so much the more when these prayers are in harmony with the unseen movements of God’s chronological reckoning marking the beginning of the Times of Gentile dominion with the year 606 B.C. Assyria’s strengths should not be underreckoned. In the 8th century B.C. Assyria was aggressive and well organized. They had moved the technology of armaments to a new level of sophistication and deadliness which was of great importance. Assyria mastered the artifice for circulating massive volumes of air through a mixture of iron with a large portion of charcoal so that unprecedented high temperatures were reached. The formulation dissolved carbon into the molten iron to render a novel metal with properties far superior to iron. This was the world’s first steel, a metal of unsurpassed properties useful for armaments. With this technological superiority, literally, an unbeatable “edge” in warfare, Assyria dominated the Fertile Crescent and held Babylon under its power for nearly a hundred years, until the 7th century <SA%1>B.C.<S*A*%1> Jeremiah specifically mentions this expertise in steel making (Jeremiah 15:12). Of additional note is Assurbanipal’s remarkable library of 22,000 clay tablets. This was one of the great attempts to collect and codify world knowledge. Henceforth, any serious world power would likewise find knowledge and technological skills critical to survival. As the Assyrians challenged the walls of Jerusalem, the exercise of Jehovah’s providence and grace came in response to pious king Hezekiah’s prayers. Scripture records the remarkable deliverance of Jerusalem when the angel of the Lord brought a pestilence that smote 185,000 Assyrians in one night. This disaster forced the withdrawal of the invading army (Isaiah 37:36). Putting the proper “spin” on bad news is as old as politics itself, and this process was easier in historic periods without a free press to challenge the official state account. The Assyrians official record implausibly recounts the reason for the withdrawal being that swarms of field mice had come into the camp and eaten the leatherworks and bowstrings of the Assyrian armaments. Admittedly, this may be partly true and point toward any of a number of diseases carried by these mice as the possible vector for the delivery of the pestilence through the intervention of the Lord’s angel. While the two-tribe kingdom of Judah remained unconquered after the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, Judah had hardly prospered. It was not fully independent. Judah had become a tribute-paying vassal state to Assyria, and served in the critical but unenviable role of a buffer state between the powerful empires of Assyria and Egypt. The Babylonian Challenge Babylon and the civilizations on the plains of Shinar had been a force in world politics and culture since the flood. After a century of subjugation Babylon was about to take center stage in world affairs. Under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar, Babylon gained independence from Assyria in the last quarter of the 7th century. [For those reading current historical texts, it is important to recognize that the date historians ascribe to this battle of 626 B.C. is on a time-line that differs by 18 years from the chronology employed by Bro. Russell.] Following this, there was a period of prolonged fighting under the able leadership of Nabopolassar in confederacy with the Medes that resulted in Assyrian defeat in battle after battle. Assyria’s capital of Nineveh fell fourteen years later and the Assyrian empire was broken. Nabopolassar was now in control of an empire that stretched from Babylon to the borders of the Promised Land. Realizing that his age was working against him for expansive new projects, and recognizing the need to consolidate this new empire, Nabopolassar turned over the military campaign to his son Nebuchadnezzar. A new world order was about to emerge. Babylon, soon to be the first universal empire, held forth a vision of a united confederacy of states, where an ambitious citizen with talent and education might have an opportunity for advancement in civil government, whatever their ethnic origin. This policy was to benefit Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Such acceptance of ethnic diversity had rarely been attempted before, and its effect was not only to set Babylon as the first among the world’s nations, but to set a precedent for all governments to follow. In conformance with this policy, Nebuchadnezzar took the nobles, artisans, as well as the brightest and most promising youth from throughout the conquered lands to learn about Babylonian culture and manners. This policy was not wholly altruistic, for it also impoverished the conquered peoples of the leadership and armament makers--two skills that would be crucial for a successful rebellion. Nevertheless, the Lord, through Jeremiah presents a positive prophetic image of these events: “The LORD showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah [Jehoiachin] the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. . . . Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”--Jeremiah 24:1-7 The Eclipse of Egypt Egypt, like Babylon had been a force in world politics for nearly two thousand years and seemingly was favored to go on forever. But Egyptian society and its god kings were living fossils in the new world of the 7th century B.C. Egypt focused its energy on maintaining the status quo in a world where geopolitics was fundamentally changing. Egypt was about to go into an eclipse from which it has never recovered. Although the prophets announced the reality that Egypt would cease as a world power, this seemed inconceivable to human understanding (Isaiah chapters 19 and 20; Jeremiah 43:9-13). Egypt watched the emergence of Babylon’s power with alarm. Following the fall of Ninevah the Egyptians mounted a major campaign to confront Babylon in an effort to relieve their former enemies now turned allies. Egypt’s object was to confederate with the Assyrians at their last stronghold in Haran. Of special importance is the death of good king Josiah, the great reformer, who was pious as good king Hezekiah had been. No doubt, had he lived, Josiah would have attempted to place the nation of Judah out of the path of God’s wrath. But the hour of change was now tolling. Josiah opposed the passage of PharaohNecho and his army on their march north through present-day Syria to near where the river Euphrates flows southward at its confluence with the Chaboras. This ancient fortification called Carchemish is located approximately at the border with present day Turkey. Egypt urged Josiah to desist but he refused (2 Chronicles 35:20). A battle between PharaohNecho and Josiah took place at the auspicious location of Megiddo particularly suited to a smaller force holding at bay a superior force. Here Josiah was fatally wounded by an Egyptian archer and died (2 Chronicles 35:23). So tragic was this loss of Josiah that we find Jeremiah adding his voice to the lamentations over the death of this powerful moral force for righteousness and unadulterated worship of Jehovah. (2 Chronicles 35:25). Yet even here, the Lord did not leave his people without hope but included this word of encouragement and promise to show his love for his wayward people: “Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.”--Jeremiah 46:28 This diversion of Egyptian momentum by Josiah was enough to seal the doom of the last Assyrian holdouts. The Egyptians came back against Jerusalem, put it under a relatively light tribute; installed one of Josiah’s surviving sons as king and renamed him Jehoiakim. The Egyptians then carried off captive his brother Jehoahaz--the people’s choice for ruler (2 Chronicles 36:1-4). Egypt clearly was looking for Judah to continue as a buffer state, and the desire of the people during the next generation to flee to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem speaks to their general perception of Egypt as the lesser of two evils. The Battle of Carchemish and the New World Order Four years later a reorganized Egyptian army was again on the march. This time the fighting at Carchemish, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, marks one of the definitive battles in world history. In a decisive defeat Egypt was broken as a world power. This battle receives notice in the Bible and the Lord’s overruling providence against Egypt is recorded in Jeremiah 46:1-13: “The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. . . . Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? . . . Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates . . . For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together. The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come [and] smite the land of Egypt.” The First Babylonian Assault on Jerusalem--Jehoiakim’s 4th Year “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it.” --Daniel 1:1 The convention of referring to the third year of Jehoiakim by Babylon’s accession-year reckoning was employed by Daniel in his writings. This is in fact identical to the fourth year of Jehoiakim, referred to in Jeremiah 46:2, using a non-accession year system. In this fourth year, the impious and weak kingdom of Judah now found itself at the center of the world conflict between Egypt and Babylon. Jehoiakim’s appointment by the Egyptians left him under a cloud as to his legitimacy. The chroniclers give him little sympathy and he is accounted as reigning and doing evil for eleven years (2 Chronicles 36:5). Following the decisive battle at Carchemish, Babylon moved unopposed through the Promised Land and besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiakim secured a diplomatic rapprochement and transferred his allegiance from Egypt to Babylon. At this time, Babylon’s policy of taking the best and brightest of the youth from subject kingdoms for education began. Henceforth, Judaism would learn the heavy task of holding to the promises of Jehovah under the unfavorable tutelage of gentile masters. The Second Babylonian Assault on Jerusalem--Jehoiakim’s 11th Year Behind the walls of Jerusalem, Jehoiakim chaffed at serving Nebuchadnezzar. Babylonian forces again crossed into Israel and met the Egyptians in fierce battle, where the Babylonian chronicles admit, “they inflicted heavy losses on each other.” Emboldened by the heavy Babylonian losses, Jehoiakim rebelled in the 8th year of his reign. Here, the Babylonian chronicles shed some light on intermediate events. During Jehoiakim’s 9th year, Nebuchadnezzar organized his army and chariots. During the 10th year, he subjugated all of present day Syria and while paying special attention to a pre-emptive strike against the Arabs (Moab and Ammon), where much booty and numerous gods were reported as the trophies. These opportunistic raids during the political breakdown in the region are noted in 2 Kings 24:2. Possibly the reason for this strategic move was that the camel-mounted Arab raiding parties could emerge in quick strikes over long distances and these were a constant threat to supply lines. At this point, in Jehoiakim’s 11th year, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem with the intent of bringing Jehoiakim in fetters to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6). While the Jewish historian Josephus was confused on these issues, misreading the point of the various texts, we know from the Babylonian records (which Josephus would not have known) that Nebuchadnezzar left Babylon “in the month Kislev” (month 9). Apparently at this point, or shortly after the start of the siege, Jehoiakim died. The testimony of 2 Kings 24:1 does not mention his deportation, and one of two scenarios could harmonize the testimony:
The Second Babylonian Capture of Jerusalem--The Short reign of Jehoiachin With Jehoiakim’s death, either his eight year-old, or likelier, eighteen-year old son, Jehoiachin, became king. During his exceedingly short reign of three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9) he also managed to elicit the ire of the chroniclers who noted his evil. Again from the Babylonian chronicles in the 7th year of Nebuchadnezzar, on arriving at Jerusalem: “He [Nebuchadnezzar] encamped against the city of Judah and on the second day of the month Adar [month 12, February-March] he captured the city and seized its king.” From Chronicles: “And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 36:10). The Appointment of Zedekiah and the Loss of Temple Furniture With Jehoiachin deported to Babylon, his uncle, the twenty-year old Zedekiah, a king to Nebuchadnezzar’s “liking” was set up as the king in Jerusalem. What is most important to note here is that with this deportation, the Babylonians also carried off “the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord.” Apparently some of the lesser vessels were not taken. During the reign of Josiah, Jeremiah had already prophesied about the loss of the Ark, and in a note of hope and deep understanding, the ability of God’s people to see a blessing beyond this immediate loss (Jeremiah 3:16,17). From 2 Kings 24:13, it is generally concluded that this stripping of temple treasures included all the golden furniture of the temple, or at the least their gold coverings. Specifically this would mean, the Ark of the Covenant, the angels in the Most Holy, the incense altar, the candlesticks and table of showbread. The Hebrew suggests that these were violently torn from their moorings on the floor and removed to Babylon. We are not left to conjecture about the state of the priesthood for we are directly told: “Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.”--2 Chronicles 36:14 The very place where God once was pleased to set his name and sanctify it now lay stripped of its most precious treasures save minor vessels and the enormous brass pillars and laver of Solomon. It is likely that the very mass of the pillars and the lavers protected them by making them too cumbersome to trundle off to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:19-22). The chroniclers conclude by noting that there was “no remedy” for the nation’s apostasy (2 Chronicles 36:16). The worship of Jehovah at his temple had ceased. The
Third Babylonian Assault and Destruction of Jerusalem Jeremiah specially entreated Zedekiah to accept Judah’s subjugation to Babylon. However, he was generally ignored and reviled as an agent of doom whose words would only serve to discourage a vigorous defense of Jerusalem. Jeremiah continually found himself in open arguments with false prophets who disastrously counseled rebellion against Babylon and spoke of how the vessels of the temple would soon be returned (Jeremiah 27:15,16). One such false prophet named Hananiah broke off from Jeremiah’s neck the yoke that Jeremiah had been instructed to carry by the Lord (Jeremiah 27:2). Hananiah then falsely prophesied that the return of the vessels and the captives would take place within two full years (Jeremiah 28:3). Urged on by these false prophets, and his nobles, Zedekiah rebelled in the 9th year of his reign and met with swift response from Babylon. The leaders in Jerusalem seriously underestimated the determination and skill of the Babylonians at siege warfare. For example, we know in historical retrospect that the blockade and siege of Tyre by Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem was to continue unabated for 13 years, followed by an economic blockade for the entire remaining period of Babylon’s dominion. In contrast to the pious outpouring of repentance by good king Hezekiah that delivered Jerusalem from outright conquest by the Assyrians, king Zedekiah had no such inclinations toward piety and repentance. Nevertheless, Zedekiah’s continual appeals to Jeremiah and his fear of his own noblemen should these conferences be discovered indicate that he was far from fully persuaded of the wisdom of this rebellion (Jeremiah 38:14-23). The defenders at Jerusalem had been promised assistance by Egypt, but the relief force was driven back. At the same time, Edom came in as a Babylonian ally (Obadiah 10-14; Lamentations 4:21; Psalm 137:7). The horrors of the siege of Jerusalem are graphically related in the book of Jeremiah. The process of ramp construction and breaching walls with the siege engines of the day was slow, and the general strategy was to starve out the inhabitants while the invading force remained strong and well-supplied. In the 11th year of Zedekiah, the invading army broke through on the day of national disaster, the 9th of Ab (July/August) as if to further emphasize the Lord’s hand in this matter. Zedekiah’s miscalculation brought destruction by fire on Jerusalem, the deliberate wrecking of the city’s walls, gates, and main public structures; the destruction of his own family; his personal blindness at the hand of the Nebuchadnezzar’s armies; and the near complete deportation of all but the poorest inhabitants. The polity of Israel ceased. Concluding Question The difference between the chronology we have learned and the chronology accepted by historians regarding the conquest of Jerusalem is repeatedly raised as a criticism of Bro. Russell’s scholarship. Many readers of The Herald are aware that a divisive debate on this question is ongoing within the Bible Student movement regarding this very point. The question is: Should we agree that Babylon’s conquest of the Holy Land began in 607 B.C., 2520 years before 1914 A.D., or should we accept the 19-year difference of the Bowen-Barbour chronology? The answer to this question moves beyond the merely historical into the realm of organizational psychology and change management. Whatever we may answer in our consciences before the Lord as individuals and organizationally, let us consider this: We today, living in the 21st century are the stewards of the mysteries of God, and it is required of a steward both that he be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-6), that dogmatic zeal not according to knowledge is blinding (Romans 10:2), and that our knowledge must always be interpenetrated with love or we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). |