Many works have been devoted to this period in the history of the Jews and Israelites. The main source of information is the Bible, but it lacks details and reasons for the so-called captivity. It contains another case of a description of slavery in Egypt, when someone sold into slavery by his brothers received freedom and rose to the position of second person in the state, accepting thousands of his fellow tribesmen into this country and providing them with a comfortable existence. Ideologists of Judaism and Christianity continue to exaggerate the topic of Egyptian slavery and continue to develop the theme of the “poor Jew.” In this series, the myth of the Babylonian captivity occupies a significant place.
In order to establish the historical truth, I decided to debunk this myth, because it is still alive and brings significant income to some people, squeezing tears of tenderness and sympathy from our compatriots who are under occupation and do not notice this fact. They are much closer to the “suffering of God’s people” than their own problems and the problems of their Motherland Rus'-Russia.
In the chapters “Solomon” and “Jerusalem” I considered the issue of the division of Ancient Israel into two states and the reasons that led to this division, therefore it was decided not to include this period in the preliminary review.
With the death of Solomon, a new stage began in the history of the two kingdoms, which was characterized by a complex political life: wars, uprisings, change of dynasties and changes of religious beliefs, flight of the main population to neighboring states in order to escape extermination by their “brothers”. These collisions could not strengthen state power in both kingdoms, but only led to its weakening. The territory of these states repeatedly became dependent on their militarily stronger neighbors and repeatedly passed from hand to hand, either Egypt, Persia, or Babylon. External wars had no effect on the reconciliation of the tribes of the once united people.
During that historical period, on the territory of modern Asia Minor and Western Asia, unions of states arose repeatedly, which actively influenced the politics of the entire region. Historians sometimes pay attention to the purely external side of political events, but rarely has anyone noticed that the frequent change of names of states is not a fact of a change in the political arena of the states themselves, much less their disappearance from the face of the earth.
In those days, and even in later times, the name of the state was not secured de jure by international pacts, as is done now. This period is characterized by names state entities, derived from the capital and the names of famous leaders. We encounter a similar fact two millennia later in the lands of Europe and Russian principalities: the Roman Empire, Kievan Rus, Vladimir Rus, Novgorod Rus, etc...
The names of states of that period are replete with the names of kings and tribal names of dynasties: the state of the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Latin, Ptolemaic, etc. dynasties... Interstate unions often elected a single ruler, maintaining their state independence. As a rule, such “elections” were held annually. The elected leader conducted international affairs on behalf of the entire union and led allied forces if necessary. By successfully managing affairs, such a leader could be elected for a second and subsequent terms, especially if he led victorious wars that brought considerable booty to participants in military campaigns.
We encounter a similar situation in the first millennium BC. Here we find the names of the states of Media, Persia, Assyria (later Syria), Babylon, Urartu, Cimmeria. The Scythians often intervene in the course of political events, whose capital Scythopolis is located on the banks of one of the tributaries of the Jordan between Samaria and Galilee (the very name of the Jordan River already reminds us of the familiar Don-Dan, which among the Scythian peoples means “river” or “water” Note auto).
The Church Historical Dictionary contains interesting article on this topic: “Bethsan or Scythopolis between the Jordan and Mount Gilboa. The Philistines hung the corpses of Saul and his sons on its walls. Scythopolis was named either from the nearest city of Succoth (opinion of Philaret of Moscow) or from the Scythians who settled here in the beginning. 7th century." And one more article from here about the times of Saul: “Saul, the first king of Israel, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, was rejected by God; persecuted David, committed suicide in 1058 BC.” This date confirms the existence of the city from at least the end of the second millennium BC.
Jews came to these places and brought with them wars, unrest and destruction. Having settled in a number of adjacent states, they started wars among themselves; all neighboring peoples were drawn into the sphere of these events. As a result, Assyria, having captured a number of neighboring states in 767 BC. goes to war against Israel. King Menachem of Israel gave the king of Assyria a large ransom to prevent the battle and recognized the power of Assyria, for which he was killed and power passed to the commander Pekah (Pekah).
Pekah and the Aramaic (another related people with roots from the Arabian Peninsula) king Recip entered into an alliance against Assyria. They also invited the Jewish king to join this alliance against the common enemy; but Ahaz, who succeeded his father Jotham, was afraid to oppose strong enemy, refused to join the union. Then Pekah and Recip declared war on Ahaz. Allied troops invaded Judea and, having wreaked havoc on the occupied lands there, were already approaching Jerusalem. Being in a desperate situation, Ahaz sent an embassy to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser with the words: “I am your servant and your son. Come and save me from the hands of the king of Arama and the king of Israel, who have taken up arms against me!” The Assyrian king was very pleased with this expression of submission on the part of Ahaz, who, instead of joining the enemies of Assyria, humbly sought her protection. He immediately moved his army to the lands of his allies - the kings of Israel and Aramaea.
As soon as Pekah and Recip learned of the Assyrian invasion of their lands, they left Judea and hastily returned each to their own state. But it was already too late. Tiglath-Pileser conquered Damascus, the capital of Aram, and drove its inhabitants into a distant land; He captured King Recip and executed him. The Aramaic kingdom was annexed to Assyria and later received the name Syria (after the displacement and destruction of the indigenous Aesir population by the dark-skinned Arabians). Then a significant part of the kingdom of Israel was captured (735). Many residents of the kingdom were dissatisfied with Pekah, who brought disaster to the country by rebellion. A conspiracy was organized against him, as a result of which Goshea Ben-El, having killed Pekah, became king with the consent of the Assyrians.
For ten years Goshea remained a tributary of Assyria. During this time, the country healed its wounds and restored its destroyed cities. After the death of Tiglath-Peleser (Pel-king), troubled times came for some time in the country. Unrest began in the vassal states. Many of them turned to their closest powerful neighbor, Egypt, for help. The Israeli king also entered into secret negotiations with the Egyptian king So (Dog). Relying on his help, Goshea stopped sending annual tribute to Tiglath-Peleser’s successor, the “great king” Shalmaneser (Shalmaneser or Saloman king, which translated from Hebrew means white people to the king. Note ed.). When the indignant Shalmaneser invaded the Israeli possessions with a huge army, the Egyptians did not even try to go to the Israelis to help. The Assyrians took the Israeli cities one after another, and soon approached Samaria and besieged it. Even before the siege of the capital, Goshea was captured and executed as a traitor (724). The besieged inhabitants of Samaria offered desperate resistance to the enemy for a long time. For three years the Assyrians besieged the well-fortified Israeli capital. The city was taken after the death of Shalmaneser, under his successor Sargon (721).
Having taken Samaria, the Assyrian conqueror decided to destroy the kingdom of Israel and its ally Aram forever. To do this, he resorted to the usual method for those times: he resettled most of the population to various regions of Assyria: the regions of Western Asia and Transcaucasia. Settled in various countries, the Israelis and Aramians gradually mixed with the local peoples and subsequently almost got lost among them. The Assyrian king transferred many indigenous peoples from all over Assyria to live in the deserted Israeli cities. The settlers who arrived were pagans, but over time they adopted many Israelite traditions and beliefs. They mixed with the remnants of the native Israelites and subsequently formed a special half-pagan, half-Jewish nation, known as the Samaritans (from the capital Samaria).
Modern historians and anthropologists are still trying to figure out why Jews do not have pronounced anthropological features, although there are certain signs. Among them there are many people who have a Slavic appearance, and there is complete confusion with hair color. Red-haired Jews are especially surprising. At the same time, some peoples of Transcaucasia, knowing that red-haired and blond peoples with blue eyes, never cease to be surprised by their anthropological type, which gave reason to call them “persons of Caucasian nationality.” Linguists are still looking for the reasons for the spread of Aramaic writing, especially in the 7th century. BC. in a number of Asian countries and its relationship with Syriac, Hebrew square, Arabic, Pahlavi, Uyghur and Mongolian writing, but no relationship with modern Armenian. This question is answered unambiguously by the words and letters on the coins of Tigran the Great in the 1st century. BC, written in modern Russian letters and legends of Armenians regarding the creation of writing by Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th century. based on the Jerusalem alphabet. (Author's note)
The “cunning” Jews held out for more than a hundred years, becoming vassals from Egypt to Assyria. In 612 BC, the Scythians defeated Assyria. Two years later, Babylon rose in power in these lands. The first king was Nabolpalatsar (Nabolpalassar). In 604 BC. his son Nebuchadnezzar (Nebuchadnezzar) completely defeated the Egyptian troops near the city of Harkemish. Syria and Judea went to Babylon.
In 597, the Jewish king Jehoiakim, who recognized vassal dependence on Babylon, refused to pay tribute, but was killed by the cautious Jerusalemites. They elevated his eighteen-year-old son Joachim (Jehoniah) to the throne. Jerusalem was immediately besieged by the Babylonian army of Nebuchadnezzar. King Joahin and his mother Nehushta voluntarily surrendered and were sent to Babylon with many noble Jerusalemites. The youngest son of the high priest Josiah (Hosea) Tzidkiah (Zedekiah) was appointed king.
When Tsidkia realized that his state had strengthened, he refused to pay tribute to Babylon. This was followed by the siege and capture of Jerusalem in 586. Tsidkiah was captured, blinded and sent in chains to Babylon. By order of Nebuchadnetsar, the temple and palace of Jerusalem were burned. Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, was appointed ruler (viceroy). Mitzpe became the capital city.
In 581, another “revolution” took place in the Judean lands. The conspirators, led by Ismail Ben-Netanya, a descendant of the royal family, killed the governor Gedaliah in Mitzna. Fear of punishment led the Jews to flee to Egypt and other places where their fellow tribesmen lived.
The ruler of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, died in 562. Power passes to his son from the Jewish woman Evil-Morodach, who freed the Jewish king Joahin from prison and brought him closer to himself. This cost him his throne and his head, he was deposed and executed. Over the next five years, three kings were replaced.
The Troubles were ended by Cyrus the Second, who became the first king of the Achaemenid dynasty in Persia. He again began to collect the disintegrated lands. In 550, the unification of Media and Persia takes place. In 538, Cyrus (Koresh) took Babylon by storm and annexed it to the Medo-Persian kingdom. The following year, Darius the Mede (or Tsiaksar the Second, son and successor of Astyages, father-in-law of Cyrus), king of Babylon between Belshazzar and Cyrus, died.
After the death of his father-in-law (some sources say that he was killed by his son-in-law), Cyrus freed the Jews from captivity (some sources call this process the expulsion of the Jews from Babylon) in 537 and gave them an allowance to establish a household in his land. In Babylon, with his participation, the Jews elected the great knes (prince) Zerubabel, the high priest Yeshua (Jesus) and the kneses-knezes of all lands in accordance with the number of tribes of Israel. From among the Knesses, the first collective advisory body was formed - the Knesset (we find an analogue in the Politburo of the communists).
Thus ended the “Babylonian captivity” for the Jews, or more precisely, for the Israelis. Next begins a new stage in the development of the state of Judea. Many Jews did not return to their lands; they scattered throughout the world and mixed with the indigenous peoples. Largest number they settled in Mesopotamia (this territory received its name “mixed offspring” in the ancient pronunciation of Mesopotomia). A significant part of them remained in the lands where they lived for several generations and merged with the local peoples (this process was called “assimilation”, a derivative of “as + simit”).
In 522, the half-breed Darius 1 Hystaspes from the Achaemenid clan became the ruler of these lands. Historians called this state the Achaemenid State, as if the indigenous peoples by whose name the state itself is usually called did not exist. Only sometimes its name is Persia or Parsia. I think that there are no accidents here: Darius 1 Hystaspes began by increasing the tax burden in his state and restoring, or rather, with the construction of the second Temple of Jerusalem.
Life went on...
After the conquest of Assyria in 612 BC. e. The Babylonians took possession of the vast territory of their former rival, including Judea with its majestic capital Jerusalem, whose inhabitants did not want to submit to the new authorities. In 605 BC. e. the young heir to the Babylonian throne, Nebuchadnezzar, successfully fights the Egyptian pharaoh and wins - Syria and Palestine become part of the Babylonian state, and Judea actually acquires the status of a state located in the zone of influence of the winner. Four years later, the desire to regain lost freedom arises in the then king of Judah, Jehoiakim (Jehoyakim), at the very moment when he receives the news that Egypt has repelled an attack by the Babylonian army on its border. Having secured the support of the former colonialists, he hopes to thereby free himself from the Babylonians. In 600 BC. e. Joachim rebels against Babylon and refuses to pay tribute. However, due to a very sudden death, he was never able to enjoy the fruits of his decisions.
The Babylonians removed a tenth of the country's population
Meanwhile, his son found himself in a rather ambiguous situation. Three years later, Nebuchadnezzar II takes all the reins of power into his own hands, leading a very strong army, and, without hesitation, he begins the siege of Jerusalem. The young ruler of Judah, Jehoiachin (Yehoyachin), realizing that the Egyptians, on whom his late father so hoped, were not providing support, and, moreover, perfectly imagining all the dramatic consequences of a long siege of his capital for the inhabitants, decides to surrender. Jehoiachin's step can be appreciated, because it made it possible to avoid the destruction of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar agreed to keep the city intact. However, it was looted sacred temple Solomon, and the Jewish ruler himself and representatives of noble families were to be deported to Babylon. Joachim's uncle Zedekiah becomes king of the kingdom of Judah.
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II
Meanwhile, Egypt, not wanting to give up its territorial claims, continues to negotiate with defeated Judea (as well as with other states in the region) regarding the possibility of overthrowing Babylonian rule. The Jewish ruler Zedekiah declares his readiness to enter into the fight against Babylon, but his valiant decision is not supported by his compatriots, who have retained in their memory the consequences of Nebuchadnezzar's countermeasures. Despite all possible obstacles and doubts, war turns out to be inevitable. The inhabitants of Jerusalem rebelled against the colonialists at the end of 589 BC. e. or at the beginning of next year. Nebuchadnezzar and his troops return to Syria and Palestine, having made the final decision to put an end to the constant rebellions forever.
In Babylon, Jews maintained ties with their homeland
The Babylonian commander located his camp near the famous Syrian Homs - from there he led the siege of Jerusalem. Despite the futile attempts of the Egyptians to help the besieged city, the residents are suffering catastrophic food shortages. Realizing that the decisive moment was coming, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the creation of embankments with the help of which his troops could reach the top of the fortress walls, but in the end the Babylonians burst into the city through a hole in the wall. The long and painful eighteen months of fierce resistance end rather sadly: all the Jewish soldiers, and the king himself, are forced to hastily retreat to the Jordan Valley, in the hope of avoiding the terrible torture that the Babylonians usually inflicted on defeated enemies. The Jewish ruler Zedekiah is captured - the defeated king appears before Nebuchadnezzar. The rebels suffered a terrible punishment: the sons of Zedekiah were killed in the presence of their father, and then his eyes were gouged out and, chained, he was brought to a Babylonian prison. This moment marked the beginning of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which lasted almost 70 years.
The Babylonian kingdom, in which the captive Jews found themselves, was a vast territory located in a low-lying plain, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. For the Jews, the native landscape of picturesque mountains was replaced by vast fields, fragmented by artificial canals, interspersed with huge cities, in the center of which gigantic buildings - ziggurats - rose majestically. At the time described, Babylon was among the greatest and richest cities in the world. It was decorated with numerous temples and palaces, which aroused admiration not only among new captives, but also among all guests of the city.
In captivity, the Jews observed their customs and celebrated the Sabbath
Babylon by that time had about a million inhabitants (a considerable figure at that time), it was surrounded by a double protective line of fortress walls of such thickness that a carriage drawn by four horses could easily pass through them. Over six hundred towers and countless archers guarded the peace of the capital's inhabitants around the clock. The majestic architecture of the city gave it additional splendor, for example, the famous carved gate of the goddess Ishtar, which was reached by a street decorated with bas-reliefs of lions. In the center of Babylon was located one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, located on terraces supported by special brick arches. Another place of attraction and religious cult was the temple of the god Marduk, revered by the Babylonians. Next to him, a ziggurat soared high into the sky - a seven-tiered tower built in the 3rd millennium BC. e. At its top, blue tiles of a small sanctuary were solemnly kept, in which, according to the Babylonians, Marchuk himself once lived.
Jewish houses of worship in Babylon - prototypes of modern synagogues
Naturally, the majestic, huge city made a strong impression on the Jewish captives - they were forcibly relocated from Jerusalem, which was small at that time and quite provincial, to the center of world life, practically in the thick of things. Initially, the captives were kept in special camps and were forced to work in the city itself: either in the construction of royal palaces, or helping in the construction of irrigation canals. It should be noted that after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, many Jews began to regain personal freedom. Leaving the big and bustling city, they settled on the outskirts of the capital, focusing mainly on agriculture: gardening or vegetable growing. Some recent captives became financial magnates, thanks to their knowledge and hard work they even managed to occupy major positions in the public service and at the royal court.
Finding themselves unwittingly involved in the life of the Babylonians, some of the Jews, in order to survive, had to assimilate and forget about their homeland for a while. But for the overwhelming majority of the people, nevertheless, the memory of Jerusalem remained sacred. The Jews gathered together on one of the many canals - “the rivers of Babylon” - and, sharing with everyone their longing for their homeland, they sang sad and nostalgic songs. One of the Jewish religious poets, the author of Psalm 136, tried to reflect their feelings: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion... If I forget you, O Jerusalem, forget me, my right hand; stick my tongue to my throat, if I do not remember you, if I do not put Jerusalem at the head of my joy.”
A. Pucinelli “Babylonian Captivity” (1821)
While other residents of Israel, resettled by the Assyrians in 721, scattered around the world and, as a result, disappeared without a trace from the map of the peoples of Asia, the Jews during the Babylonian captivity tried to settle together in cities and towns, called on their compatriots to strictly observe the ancient customs of their ancestors, celebrate the Sabbath and other traditional religious holidays, and since they did not have a single temple, they were forced to gather for joint prayers in the houses of priests. These private chamber houses of worship became the forerunners of future synagogues. The process of uniting the national identity of the Jews led to the emergence of scientists and scribes who collected and systematized the spiritual heritage of the Jews. Recent captives managed to rescue some scrolls of the Holy Scriptures from the burning Temple of Jerusalem, although many historical materials had to be recorded anew, relying on existing oral tradition and sources. This is how the text of the Holy Scripture was restored and experienced by all the people, which was finally processed and edited after returning to their homeland.
F. Hayes “The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem” (1867)
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, as often happens with the departure of an outstanding commander, the decline of the Babylonian kingdom began. The new king Nabonidus did not possess the qualities of either a brave warrior or a talented and active statesman. Over time, Nabonidus began to avoid governing his empire altogether, leaving Babylon and settling in his personal palace in Northern Arabia, leaving his son Belshazzar to deal with state affairs.
Since the end of Israel's forty-year wandering in the desert, there has been a single kingdom consisting of twelve tribes. But due to internal conflicts under King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, there was a division into two kingdoms at war with each other. But none of them could withstand their enemies on their own.
In 722 BC, the Kingdom of Israel (Northern) with its capital Samaria was defeated by Assyrian conquerors. It could survive for barely two hundred years. The population of this kingdom, which consisted of the ten tribes of Israel, was taken from their native area and scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire.
The Kingdom of Judah (Southern), which consisted of two tribes, with its capital in Jerusalem, lasted one hundred and thirty-three years longer. But this kingdom did not escape a sad fate: its inhabitants were scattered by the victors, but the Jews were able to preserve their religious identity, which helped them not to mix with other peoples.
After the death of King Josiah, the kingdom of Judah came under Egyptian rule. Egypt under Pharaoh Necho was very strong, but Assyro-Babylonia was a counterweight to it, so for some time the pharaoh was indifferent to the fate of the small kingdom of Judah. Taking advantage of this circumstance, the Jews chose a new king. Egypt did not like such initiative of the Jews, and through the ambassadors Pharaoh Necho reminded that they Egypt did not like such initiative of the Jews, and through the ambassadors Pharaoh Necho reminded that they were in a vassal position towards him.
Over time, the balance of power changed, and Babylon came out on top, quickly becoming a powerful empire. Nebuchadnezzar II began to expand his empire, conquering new lands that had previously been under the rule of the recently powerful Egypt. Of course, Palestine, which was supposed to become part of the empire, also stood on this path of the new ruler. The prophet Jeremiah predicted the danger of conquest, but, as had often happened before, the king and most of the people did not want to listen to him. Only when the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, found himself under the walls of Jerusalem, did everyone become convinced of the reality of the prophecy. The people looked at everything that was happening with horror, but the king still refused to believe in the fall of the city and in response to a prediction heard at a gathering of people, “in irritation, he tore the scroll out of the hands of the reader, cut it up himself and threw it into the heated oven, wanting to expose the empty ravings of the crazy.” of people".
Having invaded Palestine, Nebuchadnezzar demanded that the king of Judah submit to Babylon and break all ties with Egypt. But each new king continued to secretly maintain relations with Egypt and dream of throwing off the yoke of Babylon, thereby accelerating the death of his fatherland and the coming conquest.
The last, twentieth king of Judah, after whom the Lord took away mercy from His people, and they were taken into captivity, was Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar appointed him to govern the pitiful remnants of the people. During all eleven years of his reign, the people were subject to huge taxes, and the king himself did not escape the sad experience of his predecessors, breaking away from Babylon and turning to Egypt for help. This led to the fact that the army of Nebuchadnezzar II once again, but for the last time, found itself under the walls of Jerusalem. Despite the courageous and selfless defense, the siege of the city lasted relatively short. The walls of Jerusalem could not stand it, it was robbed and destroyed, the victors killed the high priests, and most of the population was taken into captivity.
Having subjected Jerusalem to cruel devastation, Nebuchadnezzar did not want to completely wipe it off the face of the earth. This area, according to his plan, was to play the role of a province, serving as a barrier against Egypt.
Political and religious reasons for the captivity of the Jews
1. Babylon, as the only empire, should not have had strong and independent opponents in the form of free peoples who could harm or threaten it.
2. People who do not have their own homeland are much easier to manage and impose their own rules.
3. The more nations it conquered, the more Babylon grew richer, increasing its financial structure, army, manpower, etc. Thanks to this, it became stronger in the political arena.
4. An attempt to create one society in a single empire through a policy of assimilation, which launched the processes of “a homogeneous society that became the same both linguistically and culturally.”
5. The peoples taken into captivity provided Babylon not only economic resources, but also manpower. The physical and mental abilities of people were also important to the empire. First of all, they took away “the noble nobility, priests, warriors, skilled workers, even artisans and mechanics.” Their task was to maintain the power of the empire with their talents and strength.
6. One of the factors of the captivity was that the chosen people were divided into two states hostile to each other. There was no unity, there was no brotherly love and mutual assistance when trouble came. First the Northern Kingdom fell, and then the Southern Kingdom.
7. Many enemies who wanted to take over their neighbors. Having become defenseless, Judea was unable to prevent ill-wishers from invading its borders. The border lands were captured. “The Ammonites and Moabites attacked from the east, the Philistines from the west, and the Samaritans from the north. In the end, the Babylonian troops completed the job.”
8. The kings of Judah themselves, with rare exceptions, did not care about their country. They did not strengthen their state, but, on the contrary, undermined the state machine from within. The kings tried to extract as many resources as possible from their already poor possessions for their needs, imposing heavy taxes on the inhabitants. All this greatly undermined the financial structure of Judea and accelerated its death.
9. In addition, the Jews had to pay a tribute of “one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold, a sum that was intolerable.”
10. Short-sighted foreign policy, which consisted in the repeated renewal of political relations against Babylon with a weakened Egypt, which first entailed harsh punishments, and then the destruction of Jerusalem. “The kingdom of Judah was subjected to the greatest disasters from external conquerors, and this is precisely what the alliance with Egypt led to.”
11. The unfortunate location of Palestine, which led to agony between two powerful powers.
12. The Lord wanted to bring his people to reason, since they were completely hardened: “There had to be a spiritual and national renewal.” “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).
13. Due to the decline of religious and moral feelings among the people, the temple fades into the background. Piety turned into dead performance of rituals. The spiritual side was losing its importance more and more, so a radical way out of the current situation was needed.
“The prophets openly expressed the superiority of works of mercy and love over ritual works.”
14. The chosen people had a clear goal - to live up to their calling. Instead of being a light for all other nations and morally preparing them to join the kingdom of God, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah joyfully and completely indulged in corruption. The irreparable happened when one of the wicked kings placed an image in the very Temple of God. People said that with many gods they lived well. “We will give them glory. Let us burn incense to the goddess of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we did, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem; because, they added, then we were full and happy, and did not see trouble” (Jer. 44:17).
Liberation and return to the promised land
The new king Cyrus, who conquered Babylon, promised “freedom to numerous captives, or at least an alleviation of their situation, thereby managing to secure their sympathy and assistance.”
Among the captives were Jews who were subjected to the first deportation, which occurred in 589 after a short siege and the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II; the second deportation, which took place due to the unsuccessful uprising against Babylon and the alliance with Egypt, which Zedekiah raised. The city fell and was completely destroyed. The king was executed, and the inhabitants, with few exceptions, were taken to Babylon.” The long-awaited liberation occurred.
After the victory, the Jews greeted Cyrus as their liberator. The costs of this project fell entirely on the shoulders of the Persian treasury. Also, on his order, “gold and silver temple vessels, which were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar II during the destruction of Jerusalem,” were returned to the Jerusalem temple. With these actions, the king wanted to maintain his glory as a liberator, and he also wanted to express recognition to the people who were on his side even before the capture of Babylon. In the early years of the Persian Empire, Cyrus and his successors took into account the status of the House of David. Let us also not forget that the liberation of the Jews is also connected with the fact that the new ruler of Babylon became interested in the history of this people. Ancient prophecies clearly indicated that it was he who should be the liberator of the Jews from captivity. “Thus says the Lord to His anointed Cyrus: I hold your right hand, so that you may subdue the nations” (Isaiah 45:1).
Of course, Cyrus was a pagan, and his manifesto shows respect for the God of Israel as the ordinary gods in the pantheon, so there can be no suspicion that he would depart from his errors in matters of faith, for which there is ample evidence. He makes abundant sacrifices to Marduk, returning their favorite idols to the cities.
Thus ended the seventy-year captivity of Babylon, in 538 BC the Jews went to their homeland under the leadership of “a noble man from the royal family, a descendant of David, Zerubabel, and the high priest Yeshua.” All the Jews, who treasured God and the house that was lost, responded to the mercy of the royal decree. Those who could not achieve anything, who were no longer supported by anything, also returned; with rare exceptions, these people were poor.
Considering the state of the Jews in captivity, we can say that it was not easy, but it was precisely this situation that was required for a complete rethinking of the relationship between man and God. God treats His creation with love, but in order to save the soul, He is ready to make harsh decisions that will subsequently lead to the necessary goal. He is always ready to commute His sentence or turn it into mercy. The purpose of all punishments is the repentance of the people, like a lewd wife following her lovers (idols) and her return to her loving and waiting husband, the true God.
Babylon was preserved as the most hated name in the memory of the Jews. Subsequently, the New Testament writers and later Jews did not find a more terrible name when calling Rome.
Note:
Lopukhin A. P. Biblical history of the Old Testament. Montreal, 1986. P. 318.
Right there. P. 319.
Right there. P. 321.
Teush V. L. A brief sketch of the internal history of the Jewish people, In 2 vol. T. 1. - M., 1998. P. 78-79.
Auerbach M, b. The history of the Jewish people from the destruction of the First Temple to the present day. Israel., 1992. P. 2.
Tantlevsky I. R. History of Israel and Judea before the destruction of the first Temple. St. Petersburg, 2005. P. 238.
Lopukhin A. P. Biblical history of the Old Testament. Montreal., 1986. P. 318.
Sorokin V. Historical and cultural context of the Old Testament. Babylonian captivity / Bible - Center. [Electron, resource]. URL: http://www.bible-center.ru/book/context/captivity/ (Access date: (02/18/2017).
Right there. P. 323.
Lopukhin A. P. Babylonian captivity / Lopukhina A. P. // Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia, V 12 vol. T. 3. - St. Petersburg, 1902. P. 57.
Sorokin V. Historical and cultural context of the Old Testament. Babylonian captivity / Bible - Center. [Electron, resource]. URL: http://www.bible-center.ru/book/context/captivity/ (Access date: (02/18/2017).
Lopukhin A. P. Babylonian captivity / Lopukhina A. P. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus F. A and Efron I. A, V 86 t. T. 5. - St. Petersburg, 1891. P. 328.
Right there. P. 79.
Sorokin V. Historical and cultural context of the Old Testament. Babylonian captivity / Bible - Center. [Electron, resource]. URL: http://www.bible-center.ru/book/context/captivity/ (Access date: (02/18/2017).
Teush V. L. A brief outline of the internal history of the Jewish people. In 2 volumes, volume 1, page 79
Sources and literature
1. Lopukhin A. P. Biblical history of the Old Testament. Montreal, 1986.
2. Lopukhin A. P. Biblical history of the Old Testament. Montreal., 1986. P. 318.
3. Lopukhin A. P. Babylonian captivity // Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. In 12 vol. T. 3. - St. Petersburg, 1902.
4. Lopukhin A. P. Babylonian Captivity // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus F. A and Efron I. A, V 86, Vol. 5. - St. Petersburg, 1891.
5. Auerbach M, b. The history of the Jewish people from the destruction of the First Temple to the present day. Israel., 1992.
6. Sorokin V. Historical and cultural context of the Old Testament Babylonian captivity / Bible - Center. [Electron, resource]. URL: http://www.bible-center.ru/book/context/captivity/ (Date of access: (02/18/2017).
The country into which the Jews were taken into captivity was a vast, low-lying plain between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Here, instead of their native picturesque mountains, the captives saw before them vast fields crossed by artificial canals, among which stretched huge cities with gigantic towers rising above them - ziggurats.
Babylon, the capital of the kingdom, was at that time the greatest and richest city in the world. It was decorated with numerous temples and palaces, in front of which the captives stopped in silent amazement. Accommodating a million inhabitants, Babylon was surrounded by a double line of fortress walls so thick that a four-horse carriage could freely ride along them. More than six hundred towers protected the peace of the capital's residents. From the magnificent carved Ishtar Gate led a wide street with walls decorated with bas-reliefs of lions. One of the Seven Wonders was located in the city center ancient world– the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, located on terraces supported by brick arches. The greatest shrine was the temple of the Babylonian god Marduk. Near it, a ziggurat rose high into the sky - a seven-tiered tower built in the 3rd millennium BC. At its top, the blue tiles of a small sanctuary sparkled in the rays of the sun, in which, according to the Babylonians, their god Marduk lived.
On Jewish exiles transported from a small provincial town of Jerusalem into the thick of big world, Babylon made a stunning and terrifying impression. The captives were initially kept in camps and worked in the city of Babylon itself, in construction on the royal estates, and in the construction of irrigation canals. Over time, especially after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, they began to regain personal freedom. They settled on the outskirts of the capital, engaged in gardening and vegetable growing. Many took up trade and made great fortunes, for Babylon at that time was the most important center of international trade. Some Jews became financial tycoons. Others occupied major positions in the state apparatus and at the royal court. Having found themselves in the whirlpool of Babylonian life, some of the Jews assimilated and forgot about their homeland. But for the majority of the people, the memory of Jerusalem remained sacred. They often sat together somewhere on the canals - these “Babylonian rivers” - and, filled with homesickness, sang sad songs. The religious poet, the author of the one hundred and thirty-sixth Psalm, expressed their feelings as follows: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion... If I forget you, O Jerusalem, forget me, my right hand; stick my tongue to my throat, if I do not remember you, if I do not put Jerusalem at the head of my joy." ().
While the inhabitants of Israel, deported by the Assyrians in 721, scattered and eventually disappeared without a trace into the sea of \u200b\u200bthe peoples of Asia, the Jews settled together in cities and towns, observed their ancient customs, celebrated the Sabbath and all other religious holidays, and since They did not have a church; they gathered in the houses of priests for joint prayers. These private home chapels were the embryos of future synagogues. At this time, learned people, scribes appeared among the Jews, who collected and systematized the spiritual heritage of the people. The exiles managed to take some scrolls of the Holy Scriptures from the burning Temple of Jerusalem, but a lot of historical material had to be written down again using oral tradition. This is how the text of the Holy Scriptures was restored and created, finally processed after returning to their homeland.
Here, in captivity, under the weight of the trial that befell the Jews and far from the promised land, their repentance for their previous sins awakened stronger than ever, and as a result, their faith in a just and merciful God was strengthened. To maintain faith among the captive Jews and to console them, the Lord sent prophets. Particularly prominent prophets in the Babylonian captivity were Ezekiel and Daniel.
Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel was a prophet and priest. He spent his youth in Judea. When he was twenty-five years old, in 597, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem, he was taken into Babylonian captivity along with King Joachim and lived there among the migrants near the Chebar River. The priest Ezekiel was called to prophecy in the fifth year of his stay in Babylonian captivity. At the same time, the Lord showed His chosen one the following vision.
Ezekiel saw in a bright cloud something like four animals, each of which had four wings and four faces: a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle. Under each animal there was one wheel with high rims dotted with eyes. A crystal vault was established above their heads, and on the vault stood a throne. The Lord sat on the throne in the form of a man. From this throne, the Lord called Ezekiel to prophetic service and gave him to eat a scroll on which was written: “weeping, and groaning, and grief.” The Prophet ate this scroll and felt a sweetness in his mouth, like honey. These words, written on a scroll, were the theme of the prophet Ezekiel’s accusatory sermon. From that time on, prophetic words were heard from the lips of God’s chosen one, predicting the impending grief and suffering of the chosen people. Such a fate will befall the chosen people because they have forgotten their God and worship foreign gods. Ezekiel, like his contemporary the prophet Jeremiah, predicted the destruction of Jerusalem to the Jews and convinced them to submit to the will of God. From the distant land of captivity, he depicted the capture and destruction of Jerusalem in such detail, as if he had seen it all with his own eyes. But the prophet not only denounces the Jews, he consoles and encourages his captive brothers. He convinces them that the Jewish people, despite God’s grave punishment, will still remain God’s chosen one. Through his suffering he must be cleansed of sins, and then fulfill the mission entrusted to him, which is to spread faith in the True God among the pagan world.
Since the Jewish people had to fulfill such a historical mission, the prophet predicted the death of all their oppressors and the return of the Jews from captivity to their homeland. One day he told believers that the Lord had transported him to the future, restored Jerusalem. Some mysterious man took him around the city and around the courtyard of the newly rebuilt temple, and the Lord told him to look carefully and remember, so that he could later tell him in detail to his fellow countrymen in Babylon. Thus, Ezekiel supported the spirit of the exiles, predicted that they would return to the land of their fathers and their King would be the Descendant of David - Christ, the Savior of the World ().
Some of Ezekiel's prophecies are depicted symbolically. So, for example, the prophet depicts the future restoration of the kingdom of Judah and the coming resurrection of the dead under the guise of a field strewn with human bones. These bones, under the influence of the Spirit of God, are clothed with flesh and come to life (). Ezekiel depicts the saving teaching of the coming Messiah under the guise of a spring flowing from the temple, the waters of which flow into the Dead Sea and revive the whole country ().
The prophet did not live to see that happy hour when the Jewish people returned from captivity and restored their capital and temple. Tradition says that the great prophet was killed by a Jewish nobleman because Ezekiel boldly accused him of idolatry. For twenty-two years Ezekiel carried out the difficult prophetic ministry and left behind a book for the edification of his contemporaries and future descendants.
Prophet Daniel
Another great prophet who lived during the Babylonian captivity and supported faith in the True God among the Jewish people was Daniel, who came from a royal family and was taken into Babylonian captivity as a boy. While in captivity, at the request of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was chosen with some other captive boys from the best Jewish families to serve in the royal court. The king ordered them to be raised at his court, taught various sciences and the Chaldean language. He ordered them to give food from his table. Among those chosen were three of Daniel's friends: Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. Daniel, along with his three friends, firmly maintained their faith in the True God. They did not want to eat the royal food, so as not to eat something prohibited by the Law of Moses, and asked their eunuch teacher to give them only bread and vegetables. The teacher did not agree because he was afraid that they would lose weight and the king would punish him. But Daniel begged him to do the test within ten days. And when ten days passed, it turned out that Daniel and his friends not only did not lose weight, but even became fuller, healthier and more beautiful than their comrades. After this they were no longer forced to eat the king's food. For such strict fulfillment of the law - for abstinence (fasting) and piety, God rewarded these youths with good abilities and success in learning. During the test, they turned out to be smarter and better than others and received large positions at the royal court. God, in addition, gave Daniel the ability to clarify dreams, as Joseph once did. This elevation of the Jewish youths served to the benefit of the captive Jews. Pious young men were given the opportunity to protect the Jews from oppression and improve their lives in captivity. In addition, through them many pagans could know and glorify God.
One day Nebuchadnezzar had an extraordinary dream, but when he woke up in the morning, he could not remember it. This dream greatly disturbed the king. He called all the wise men and fortune-tellers and ordered them to remind him of the dream and explain its meaning. But they were unable to do this and answered: “There is no person on earth who could open this matter to the king...” (). Nebuchadnezzar became angry and wanted to put all the wise men to death. Then Daniel begged the king to give him some time, and he would explain the dream. Returning home, Daniel fervently prayed to God to reveal this secret to him. In a night vision, the Lord revealed to him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its meaning. The next morning, Daniel stood before Nebuchadnezzar and said, “King! When you went to bed, you thought about what would happen after you. And so, in a dream you saw a huge idol: it stood in splendor and its appearance was terrible. This image had a head of pure gold, a chest and arm of silver, a belly and thighs of copper, legs of iron, and the feet of the feet were partly made of iron and partly of clay. Then you saw how a stone broke away from the mountain by itself, without the assistance of human hands, and hit the feet of the idol and broke them, then the whole idol crumbled and turned to dust, and the stone grew so large that it covered the whole earth - Behold the king, Your Dream!"
“This dream,” Daniel continued, “means the following: you are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given kingdom, power, strength and glory... and you rule over other nations. Your kingdom is the golden head of an image. After you there will come another - a silver kingdom, which will be lower than yours. Then the third kingdom will come, the kingdom of copper, which will rule over the whole earth. The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron. In the days of the last kingdom, God of Heaven will erect an Eternal Kingdom, which will not be transferred to any nation, but will crush all the Kingdoms of the earth and spread throughout the whole world for eternity. So the Great God let the king know what would happen after everything.”
Having heard everything, King Nebuchadnezzar stood up and bowed to the prophet Daniel to the ground, and said: “Truly your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings...” (). After this, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Daniel as the head of the Babylonian region and senior over all the Babylonian sages, and appointed his three friends - Ananias, Azariah and Mishael - as rulers of the Babylonian country.
The predictions of the prophet Daniel were fulfilled exactly. After the Babylonian kingdom, three more world kingdoms followed one after another: the Median-Persian, Macedonian, or Greek, and Roman, each of which ruled the Jewish people.
During the Roman kingdom, Christ, the Savior of the world, came to earth and founded His universal, eternal Kingdom - the Holy Kingdom. The mountain from which the stone fell meant the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the stone meant Christ and His eternal Kingdom.
Friends of the Prophet Daniel in the Babylonian Furnace
Soon the friends of the prophet Daniel - Ananias, Azariah and Misail - were subjected to a great test of faith. King Nebuchadnezzar placed a large golden image in the field of Deire, near the city of Babylon. All the nobles and noble people of the Babylonian kingdom were gathered for its opening. And it was announced that everyone, as soon as they heard the sound of the trumpet and musical instruments, fell to the ground and bowed to the idol; If anyone does not fulfill the royal command, he will be thrown into a fiery furnace.
And so, when the sound of the trumpet was heard, all those gathered fell to the ground - only three of Daniel’s friends stood adamantly in front of the idol. The angry king ordered the furnace to be heated up and three Jewish youths were thrown into it. The flames were so strong that the soldiers who threw the condemned into the oven fell dead. But Ananias, Azariah and Mishael remained unharmed, because the Lord sent His Angel to protect them from the flames. While in the midst of the fire, they sang a song of praise, glorifying the Lord. This miracle surprised the king, and he ordered the three young men to come out of the burning oven. When they came out, it turned out that the fire did not touch them, even their clothes and hair were not singed. Nebuchadnezzar, seeing this miracle, said: “Blessed be God... Who sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him.”(). And the king forbade all his subjects, under pain of death, to blaspheme the name of the God of Israel.
The Babylonian captivity, in which the Jews found themselves for their apostasy from faith in the true God, lasted seventy years. This period of time was allotted by the Lord to the Jewish people for repentance and return to true faith. Full of hardships, these years became fruitful for the spiritual life of the people. The shaken faith of the Jews strengthened after enduring a severe trial. Having lost the Promised Land and deprived of freedom, the Jewish people understood the cause of these misfortunes. Having repented of their sins, the Israelis turned with faith and hope to God and regained what they had previously lost - the land of their fathers, blessed Palestine.
Babylon, one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient world, fell under the rule of the Persian king Cyrus in the middle of the sixth century BC. In the very first year of his rule, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return from captivity to their fatherland and rebuild the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. He returned to the Jews more than five thousand sacred vessels that were captured by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar from the Jerusalem temple he destroyed.
Thus the prophecy expressed two hundred years earlier by the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled. This famous prophecy named King Cyrus as the liberator of the Jewish people and the restorer of the temple destroyed by the Babylonians. So the pagan ruler became the spokesman for the will of the Most High God. And this will was that the period of captivity of the people had expired, for fruit worthy of repentance had been brought.
And so about fifty thousand Jews, a small remnant of a formerly numerous people, moved to the west, where their devastated land lay, where the ruins of their cities rose. The first thing the settlers did was to erect an altar to Jehovah God on the ruins of the Jerusalem temple and offer Him the sacrifices required by Jewish law. The Israelites asked the Lord for blessings and help in the difficult matters ahead of them. And God's help did not leave them. Despite all the difficulties, the new church was founded the next year, and twenty years later it was built and consecrated, after which the first divine service was held in it.
The new temple was not as rich and magnificent as the first temple, built in the tenth century BC by King Solomon. Built on the model of the first, the second temple was one third smaller than the previous sanctuary. Not so valuable materials were used in its decoration, because the people were poor and denied themselves everything they needed. But, despite all the hardships of this time, people forgot about material things and turned their eyes to heaven, to where their Deliverer and Defender resided.
During this difficult time of restoration of the Promised Land, when the people needed special support from above, the Lord raised up many prophets among the Jews. Their prophecies strengthened the faith of the Jews that the time was near when special help from God would appear to them and to the whole world. When the Savior of mankind comes to earth.
The prophet Haggai, who lived in those days, several centuries before the birth of Christ, predicted that, despite its outward modesty, the second temple would become more famous than the first. After all, it is into it that the Divine Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, expected by all Jews, will enter.
At the same time, the prophet Zechariah predicted that Christ would enter Jerusalem on a young donkey. This prophecy was fulfilled exactly when, a week before His suffering on the cross and miraculous Resurrection, the Lord solemnly rode into the city on a donkey.
The prophet Malachi predicted that the coming of the Savior to earth would be preceded by the appearance of the Forerunner. He will be sent by God to prepare people to accept the Savior. Calling the people to repentance, to cleanse their hearts, the Forerunner will help them see the incarnate God. After all, as it is said in the Gospel, only the pure in heart can see and know God. And, having come to know Him, people will be able to accept the salvation prepared for them by God.
The prophet Malachi was the last prophet in Judea. After him, for more than four hundred years, no prophetic words were heard among the Jewish people. Until the moment that what he proclaimed was fulfilled, until the Forerunner of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist, appeared among the Jews.
Encouraged by these prophecies, the Jewish people continued to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem, develop and uplift their land. Over time, a second wave of immigrants from Babylon joined the common cause of restoring the Promised Land.
The remaining centuries before the birth of Christ, the Jewish people were almost always under the rule of foreign conquerors, who established some softer, and some very despotic regimes of government. There was very little time left until the moment when the One who would bring true freedom and salvation to all people was to come to earth. This Savior will be the Son of God proclaimed by the prophets - the Lord Jesus Christ.
