After the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C., the Assyrians who conquered them would also fall the century following. After the death of the Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal in 627 B.C., the Assyrian empire began to crumble due to civil war. Taking advantage of this weakness, the Babylonians attacked in alliance with the Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. Nineveh was sacked in 612 B.C., and the seat of power in the region was transferred to Babylonia. Thus began a period in Mesopotamian history that witnessed a significant improvement in daily life. Architectural projects flourished as did other arts and sciences. This new power would be known as the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
The most significant ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire was king Nebuchadnezzar. He would go on to capture much territory for his empire as well as beautifying his kingdom with impressive construction projects. For example, in 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar led an army against the Egyptian ruler Necho II, who was occupying Syria. This would go down in history as the Battle of Carchemish, where Pharaoh Necho II was defeated and Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. In the field of art and architecture Nebuchadnezzar enlarged the royal palace, built a bridge over the Euphrates, and constructed the Processional Way and the famous Ishtar Gate lavishly decorated with glazed brick.
In addition to these military excursions and engineering endeavors, king Nebuchadnezzar also made Biblical history through his sieges of Jerusalem and by destroying the Temple of Solomon. According to the Bible, in 598 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar and his army came against Judah and besieged it. King Jehoiakim died during the siege and in the following year (597) Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and took the new king Jeconiah prisoner. He then installed king Zedekiah and took from him a rich tribute. Along with Jeconiah prominent citizens and craftsmen, and much of the Jewish population, numbering about 10,000 were deported back to Babylon.
As devastating as this was for Judah, the Babylonians would return a decade later. Though Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah, he revolted against Babylon and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar responded by once again invading Judah and began the second siege of Jerusalem in 589 B.C. The siege lasted until famine prevailed and the city was broken up. The men of war fled by night and the king went the way toward the plain. However, the Babylonians pursued after the king and captured him in the plains of Jericho, where his army deserted him. Zedekiah was then taken to the king of Babylon for judgment in Riblah. There they killed Zedekiah’s sons in front of him and then put out his eyes and carried him off to Babylon, where he remained a prisoner until he died.
The final blow came on the 9th of Av in 586 B.C. Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of king Nebuchadnezzar came unto Jerusalem. He burnt the Temple, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. The walls of Jerusalem were broken down round about. The people in the city were carried away, but the poor were left behind to be vine-dressers. The pillars of brass that were in the Temple as well as the brass sea were broke in pieces and taken away. All the vessels of gold and silver were also plundered and taken back to Babylon. The Temple was completely destroyed and all of Jerusalem with it. King Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon with the treasures of the Temple and a great number of the people of Judah. This would be the final deportation in the period of Jewish history know as the Babylonian Captivity.
References:
Barker, M. The Gate of Heaven. (Sheffield, United Kingdom: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2008).
Brenton. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. (London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851).
Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).