The conquest of Judah by the Babylonians was a pivotal event in biblical history that led to the exile of the people of Judah. According to the Bible, it took place in several stages over a period of about 20 years, from 605-586 BC.
Background
At the start of the 7th century BC, the Kingdom of Judah was caught between two powerful empires – Egypt to the south and Babylon to the north. Judah was a small kingdom that occupied the southern part of the land of Canaan. Its capital was Jerusalem and its people were known as Jews or Judeans.
For much of the 7th century BC, Judah was a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire. But after the death of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal around 627 BC, Babylon under king Nabopolassar rebelled against Assyrian rule. In 612 BC, the Babylonians allied with the Medes and destroyed the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. This left a power vacuum that Judah was caught in the middle of.
The First Deportation – 605 BC
The first deportation of Jews from Judah to Babylon took place in 605 BC. At this time, the Babylonians under king Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish (Jeremiah 46:2). This gave Babylon control over Syria and Palestine, including Judah.
To secure his control over the region, Nebuchadnezzar marched against Jerusalem and deposed Judah’s king Jehoiakim, replacing him with Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:1). Nebuchadnezzar also carried off royal family members, warriors, craftsmen and artisans from Jerusalem to Babylon – including the prophet Daniel (Daniel 1:1-6). This was the first wave of Jewish exile to Babylon.
The Second Deportation – 597 BC
The second deportation occurred in 597 BC, about 8 years after the first one. King Jehoiachin had rebelled against Babylon, so Nebuchadnezzar again besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiachin surrendered and he, his family, leaders, warriors and craftsmen were taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24:10-16).
Nebuchadnezzar then installed Jehoiachin’s uncle Mattaniah as a puppet king, changing his name to Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17). But Zedekiah later also rebelled against Babylon.
The Fall of Jerusalem – 586 BC
Zedekiah’s rebellion resulted in the full-scale conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. The Babylonians lay siege to Jerusalem for over 18 months before the walls were breached (2 Kings 25:1-3). King Zedekiah was captured trying to escape the city. After being forced to watch the execution of his children, Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon (2 Kings 25:4-7).
The city of Jerusalem was ransacked – houses were burned, the Temple was destroyed and the walls were broken down (2 Kings 25:8-10). Almost all the inhabitants of the city were either killed or deported to Babylon, except for the very poorest (2 Kings 25:11-12). This ended Judah as an independent kingdom.
The last major event was the assassination of the Babylonian governor Gedaliah, who had been appointed over the remaining people in Judah (2 Kings 25: 22-26). After this the rest of the prominent Jews, including the prophet Jeremiah, fled to Egypt.
Dates and Sources
The Bible provides the main account of Judah’s conquest by Babylon. Extra-biblical sources like the Babylonian Chronicles confirm and provide additional details about these events.
The key dates are:
- 605 BC – First deportation under Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1-6)
- 597 BC – Second deportation under Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:10-16)
- 586 BC – Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple under Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:1-21)
Reasons for Judah’s Defeat
The Bible gives several explanations for why Judah was conquered by the Babylonians:
- God allowed it as punishment for Judah’s sins (2 Kings 24:20, Lamentations 1:5)
- False prophets gave bad advice (Jeremiah 23:16-22)
- Egypt didn’t help against the Babylonians (Jeremiah 37:5-10)
- Judah’s kings kept rebelling against Babylon (2 Kings 24:20)
Ultimately it was because Judah was a tiny kingdom caught between two mighty empires. Geopolitically, Judah did not stand a chance against the rising power of Babylon.
Impact on the Jewish People
The conquest and exile had a deep psychological and theological impact on the Jewish people:
- It shook their faith as they questioned how God could allow Jerusalem to be destroyed (Psalm 137:1-4)
- It exposed them to the beliefs and culture of Babylon (Ezekiel 23)
- It birthed new literary works like Lamentations that dealt with the pain of exile
- It raised up prophets like Ezekiel and Jeremiah who encouraged national repentance
- It preserved the uniqueness of Jewish identity and culture in a foreign land
In the long run, these events renewed the Jewish faith and shaped Judaism for centuries to come. The exile and return to Jerusalem became defining points in Jewish history and memory.
Later History
In 539 BC, the Persian emperor Cyrus conquered Babylon. The following year he allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4). About 50,000 Jews returned over the next decades under leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah.
The Jews rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple, but struggled with local opposition. Judah remained a small province – first under Persian, then Greek and finally Roman rule until the destruction of Jerusalem again in 70 AD.
Nevertheless, the period after the return from exile saw key developments in Jewish history – the rebuilding of the Temple, the rise of synagogues, the establishment of the Torah and the birth of religious groups like the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The conquest and exile experience made the Jewish people zealous to maintain their faith and identity no matter what empire ruled over them. This fueled Jewish resistance against efforts to impose Greek and Roman culture and religion in the centuries that followed.
Lessons for Today
The conquest of Judah contains some lessons that remain relevant today:
- No nation, no matter how favored, is exempt from judgment if they reject God.
- God’s people can maintain their faith even in very difficult circumstances.
- God retains the power to restore and rebuild what seems irrevocably lost.
- Suffering and exile can purify and strengthen the character of both individuals and nations.
- Empires rise and fall according to God’s sovereign plan.
While the details differ, many groups have experienced exile, persecution and attempts to destroy their identity. The Jewish example of resilience, purification and restoration continues to inspire faith in God’s faithfulness. By His power, the eternal purposes of God ultimately prevail.