Why did King Nebuchadnezzar destroy Solomon's Temple?

Answer 1

In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attempted an invasion of Egypt, that turned out to be an extremely costly failure. In response, several regional states previously conquered by Babylon began to entertain thoughts of breaking away, emboldened by Babylon's weakened position. Among these was the kingdom of Judah, which stopped paying tribute to king Nebuchadnezzar, believing the Babylonians had become too weak to respond. In the years following the failed incursion into Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar regrouped his forces and began to reassert his control over the upstart states. In 599 BC, the Babylonians began a siege of Jerusalem, capital of Judah, and by 597 BC, they had conquered the city. Nebuchadnezzar installed a new king named Zedekiah, believing that Judah would afterward remain a puppet-state. However, Zedekiah made a secret alliance with Egypt, and eventually openly rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. In response, the Babylonians returned to again lay siege to Jerusalem in 589 BC, and after a thirty-month campaign, they again conquered the city. This time, Nebuchadnezzar had apparently had enough of dealing with Jerusalem. Many of the citizens were taken into captivity and transported to Babylon itself. Nebuchadnezzar ordered one of his generals, a man named Nebuzaraddan, to completely destroy the city. Every building in the area was razed, including Solomon's Temple.

Answer 2

King Nebuchadnezzar's army destroyed the Holy temple of Jehovah when they conquered Jerusalem, because Jeremiah prophesied that it would happen if the Jews did not change their ways. Therefore the Babylonian conquered them.

A less circular answer is that Judah had previously had an alliance with Babylon as tributary or vassal state. Judah switched alliances and later pledged itself as a vassal to Egypt, Babylon's rival. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, was angered by this betrayal and sent a vast army to conquer Judah. Judah was expecting Egypt to come to its assistance and therefore arrayed defenses against the Babylonians. This military confrontation further exacerbated Nebuchadnezzar's rage and when he broke through the Judean defenses (the Egyptians did not intervene), he destroyed Solomon's Temple as retribution.

Answer 3

He wanted to construct the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in that location.