What circumstances led to the exile of the Israelites in Babylon?

      

Discuss the circumstances that led to the exile of the Iraelites in Babylon.

  

Answers


Maurice
(i) Towards the end of the 7th century BC, the Babylonians had become the most powerful nation in the Middle East through conquest.

(ii) The Israelites had forsaken the Covenant Way of life for example, leaders were corrupt and lacked moral responsibility.

(iii) Inter marriages with non-Israelites brought in foreign influence which made the Israelites turn away from Yahweh to other gods.

(iv) The Israelites refused to listen to the teachings of Prophet Jeremiah who tried to bring them back to the Covenant Way of Life.

(v) The Israelites also persecuted the prophets of Yahweh such as Jeremiah when he challenged them about their way of life.

(vi) The Israelite's failure to take the opportunity given to them by the prophets to repent brought God's judgement upon them by using Babylon to exile the people of Judah.

(vii) Israel had experienced a succession of weak rulers who did nothing to return the people to the Covenant Way of Life.

(viii) In 605 BCE the Babylonians, after defeating the Egyptians at Carchemish, were left with no obstacle to prevent them from marching north.

(ix) The Babylonian army captured Judah and forced King Jehoiakim to accept the Babylonian rule hence, making Judah become a vassal state of Nebuchadnezzar.

(x) After three years of Babylonian rule, King Jehoiakim tried to overthrow the Babylonians but he died suddenly and was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin.

(xi) The Babylonian army marched on to Jerusalem and King Jehoiachin was forced to surrender in 597 BC leading to the first deportation of the exile to Babylon.


(xii) The Babylonians installed Zedekiah as their vassal in Judah who later rebelled against the king of Babylon.

(xiii) In 589 BC, the Babylonian army returned to Judah and surrounded the city of Jerusalem.

(xiv) In 587 BC, the Babylonians invaded the city and completely destroyed it including the Temple of Jerusalem (most of the people who had survived the first deportation were deported as exiles to Babylon).
maurice.mutuku answered the question on June 21, 2017 at 12:25


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