Babylonian Exile

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The exile of part of the population of the kingdom of Judah by the Babylonian monarch Nebuchadnezzar in the early part of the sixth century BCE. The first deportation took place in 598 BCE, when King Jehoiachin of Judah surrendered to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar that had besieged Jerusalem. The king, his palace retinue, and 10,000 other captives were deported (II Kings 24:12-16) and Nebuchadnezzar set up Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, as king. Zedekiah, however, soon revolted and again Jerusalem was besieged. This time, in 586 BCE, the city was destroyed. The second deportation is described in II Kings 25:8-21. Only in 538 BCE were the exiles given permission by the Persian ruler Cyrus, who had conquered Babylonia, to return to their homeland (Ezra 1:1-4). Not all the exiles answered the call to return. Many remained behind in Babylonia, which became (along with Egypt) the first community of the Jewish Diaspora.

According to tradition, the Babylonian Exile lasted 70 years (Jer. 29:10). It had a profound impact on Jewish religion, which for the first time, had no Temple focus. It is possible that under these circumstances Synagogue worship emerged. The exiles would have held their own prayer services (the embryo of the Liturgy) with petitions to God for a return to Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple. The exiles would have been encouraged and inspired by the prophets of the exile, notably Ezekiel and, according to modern scholars, the author of the second part of the book of Isaiah. According to the rabbis, the period of the Babylonian Exile saw the change of Hebrew writing to the square script (see Alphabet) and the introduction of Babylonian names for the months of the Calendar. It also appears that Babylonian influence led to a more developed concept of Angels in Jewish tradition.

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The exile of a section of the population of Judah to Babylonia in the 6th century B. C. Mass deportation of conquered populations was a common practice in both the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. After the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (722/1 B.C.), the population of the Northern Kingdom was carried away to Assyria (II Kgs 18:11-12) and over a century later a considerable section of the population of Judah was exiled to Babylonia in three successive waves. However, unlike the situation in the Northern Kingdom, no foreign population was transferred to Judah to replace its exiles. Nevertheless the Babylonian Exile, following the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple, was a deeply traumatic experience for the Jewish people. The first deportation in 598 B.C. followed the surrender of King Jehoiachin of Judah to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar who were besieging Jerusalem. The Babylonian king carried into captivity King Jehoiachin, his mother, his palace retinue, the Temple and palace treasures, along with 10,000 captives (II Kgs 24:12-16). The conquerors set up Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, as the new ruler of Jerusalem. However, Zedekiah also rebelled against Babylon. Once again Jerusalem was besieged; it fell and the Temple was destroyed in 587/6 B.C. The second deportation is described in II Kings 25:8-21; Jeremiah 39:8-10; 52:12-34. Shortly after the destruction of the Temple a new uprising against Gedaliah the governor appointed by the Babylonians resulted in further deportations (582 B.C.). The exiles remained in Babylon until the edict of Cyrus which granted them permission to return in 538 (Ezra 1:1-4; II chr 36:22-23). The historical books of the Scriptures come to an end with the beginning of the Babylonian Exile. There is no detailed chronicle of the Exile and the sparse information that exists is gleaned from the Prophetic books as well as from Ezra and Nehemiah. However, from these texts and available external sources such as Babylonian contract tablets it may be inferred that after an initial period of hardship the life of the exiles was eased. Most of them lived in small, agricultural communities (Ezek 1:1; 3:15) but some were engaged in trade (Neh 1:11; Is 55:1-2; Zech 6:9-11); some owned their own houses (Jer 29:5; Ezek 8:1); married (Jer 29:6; Ezek 24:18) and indeed, when Cyrus' edict made return to Zion possible, not all the exiles availed themselves of the opportunity. Many remained in Babylon where they were to form prosperous communities whose leaders were to compete for the leadership of the Jewish world with the sages of Jerusalem after the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70. It was probably in the Babylonian Exile that the institution of the synagogue emerged – a meeting place where Jews could read their sacred literature and hear the expositions of their prophets.

The time of the Exile was one of great spiritual upheaval. Many believed the destruction of the Temple and the dispersion were divine retribution for the sinfulness of the people: this was the message of the prophets as exemplified, for instance, in the Book of Lamentations. But their message was also a message of hope: the Lord would forgive his erring children and restore Jerusalem and the Temple to their former glory (Is 44:26-28).

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