Why did Nebuchadnezzar destroy temple of Solomon?

Answer 1

A:

In ancient times, conquering empires tended to leave subject nations intact and viable so that they could pay taxes and contribute to the central treasury. However, from the time the kingdom of Judah first submitted to Babylon in 605 BCE until 586 BCE, the tiny nation had been a source of rebellion against Babylonian control. King Nebuchadnezzar at first tried to destroy opposition by dispersing some of the elite members of the Jerusalem population, but this had failed.

Nebuchadnezzar knew that religion was one of the defining elements of a nation's identity. If all else failed, he could undermine the local religion by destroying the Temple, along with further deportations. This solution would probably have worked but Babylon itself was soon defeated by the Persians, who allowed the Jews to return if they wished to do so, helped in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, and perhaps contributed to Jewish theology.

Answer 2

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed on July 21, 356 BC in an act of arson committed by Herostratus. According to the story, his motivation was fame at any cost, thus the term herostratic fame.

The second-century Acts of John includes a story of the temple's destruction: the apostle John prayed publicly in the very Temple of Artemis, exorcising its demons and "of a sudden the altar of Artemis split in many pieces... and half the temple fell down," instantly converting the Ephesians, who wept, prayed or took flight. Over the course of the fourth century, perhaps the majority of Ephesians did convert to Christianity; all temples were declared closed by Theodosius I in 391.

In 401 B.C., the temple in its last version was finally destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom, and the stones were used in construction of other buildings.

Answer 3

The question does not say which temples were destroyed. However the greatest destruction in history occurred after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, at the end of the fourth century. The pagan temples were destroyed in order to help wipe out the ancient religions, and so that the Christian churches could pillage the marble and treasures of the temples.