CHAPTER VII. DEATH OF JOSIAH. CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH. 2 KINGS XXIII. XXIV. 2 CHRON. XXXV. XXXVI. UT the religious reformations of the pious king kingdom. At this period the great Assyrian empire had considerably declined', while the kingdom of Egypt under a powerful monarch named NECHO2, had recovered much of its ancient glory. This king now resolved to gain possession of Carchemish3, which commanded the passage of the Euphrates. From motives which cannot be certainly divined, Josiah resolved to oppose his progress through his own territory, and, in spite of an 1 Partly from dissensions with the Medes (B.C. 634—603), who were attempting to seize the dominion over the East, but still more in consequence of the great Scythian invasion, about B.C. 630, described by Herodotus (1. civ.-cvi.), Assyria had been greatly weakened, her cities being desolated, and her palaces dismantled or destroyed. These Scythian hordes penetrated into Palestine as far as Ashdod, but were repulsed by Psammetichus, and on their return a portion, probably attracted by the situation of Beth-shan (See above, p. 313), settled there, whence its Greek name Scythopolis, "the city of the Scythians." Milman's History of the Jews, 1. 391; Rawlinson's Herod. Vol. I. 485, Five Gt. Mon. II. 512. 2 Called by Manetho Nechao, by Herodotus Nexus, on the monuments Neku, the son and successor of the first Psanimetichus. His defeat of the Syrians in a great battle is mentioned by Herod. II. 159, and is said to have taken place at Magdŏlus (=Migdal-el, in the tribe of Naphtali, Josh. xix. 38), which is identified with the Magdala of Matt. xv. 39, probably in consequence of a confusion between this name and Megiddo. Rawlinson's Herod. II. 246 n. 3 Not the classical Circesium, but higher up the Euphrates, "occupying nearly the site of the later Mabog, or Hierapolis." Smith's Bib. Dict.; Dict. Geog. Art. Hierapolis. embassy from the Egyptian monarch begging him not to interfere, drew up his forces at Megiddo, and, as though with a presentiment of his doom, disguised himself before entering into the battle. His fears were verified; struck by the Egyptian archers, he was removed from the field to die before he reached Jerusalem, where he was committed to the grave amidst the profoundest grief of his people, and especially of the prophet JEREMIAH, who composed a funeral elegy over this last and best of the kings of Judah, B. C. 610 (2 Chr. xxxv. 25; Lam. iv. 20). His son and successor JEHOAHAz or SHALLUM (Jer. xxii. 11), only held the throne for 3 months. On his return from Carchemish, Necho condemned the land to pay a tribute of 100 talents of silver, and a talent of gold, and sending for the new king to Riblah1 in the land of Hamath, put him in bonds, and thence removed him to Egypt, where he died (2 K. xxiii. 34). His brother ELIAKIM was now permitted by the Egyptian monarch to ascend the throne, and in obedience to the same authority changed his name to JEHOIAKIM. In the 4th year of his reign, or B.c. 606, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, placed by his father Nabopolassar at the head of the Assyrian armies, marched forth to avenge the Egyptian invasion. In a pitched battle at Carchemish (Jer. xlvi. 1—13) he utterly defeated Pharaoh-Necho, and recovered Colesyria, 1 "At the upper end of the valley of Lebanon, some 35 miles beyond Baalbec, and about 10 days' journey from Jerusalem," on the great road between Palestine and Babylonia. Describing the advantage of its position, Dr Robinson says that it lies "on the banks of a mountain-stream in the midst of a vast and fertile plain, yielding the most abundant sup plies of forage. From this point the roads were open either by Aleppo and the Euphrates to Nineveh, or by Palmyra to Babylon...by the end of Lebanon and the coast to Palestine and Egypt, or through the Bukâa and the Jordan valley to the centre of the Holy Land." Robinson's Bib. Res. III. 545, Phoenicia, and northern Palestine. Then advancing into Judæa he drove all who had no fenced cities-and amongst the rest the Rechabites (Jer. xxxv. 11)-—to Jerusalem, captured that city, placed Jehoiakim in fetters, rifled the Temple, and carried off to Babylon some of the sacred vessels, and many of the principal Hebrew nobles, including DANIEL and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Dan. i. 1—6). On promise, however, of faithfulness to his liege lord Jehoiakim was suffered to retain his kingly dignity, at least in name, for 3 years longer. At the close of this period he had the hardihood to try and throw off the yoke, and rebelled against his suzerain. But this only involved his kingdom in deeper misery1. Unable to take the field in person, Nebuchadnezzar sent a numerous force against him from his now subject provinces of Chaldæa and Syria, as well as Moab and Ammon (2 K. xxiv, 2). These overran the whole country, and reduced it to the lowest degree of wretchedness and misery. During the period of degradation that now ensued, Jehoiakim, either in a contest with some of his many foes, or owing to a rising of his oppressed subjects, came to a violent end. His body lay ignominiously exposed upon the ground, and was buried with the burial of an ass, without pomp or ceremony, beyond the gates of Jerusalem, B.C. 599 (Jer. xxii. 18, 19; xxxvi. 30). JEHOIACHIN his son, also called JECONIAH and CoNIAH, was now placed upon the throne (2 Chr. xxxvi. 9), but after a reign of 3 months and 10 days, Nebuchad 1 For the moral and religious degradation of the country at this period, see Jer. xix.; Ezek. viii.; for the king's vin. dictive persecution of righteous prophets, Jer. xxvi.; for his impiety in cutting up the roll containing Jeremiah's prophecy, Jer. xxxvi.; for his luxury and tyranny, as also his selfishness in building splendid palaces while his kingdom was so impo verished, Jer. xxii. 13—17. nezzar's army appeared before Jerusalem, and the young king and his court surrendered at discretion. The Temple was again pillaged of such vessels that yet remained, the king himself, the nobles, and chief artisans were removed to Babylon1, and none, save the poorest of the population, were left behind (2 K. xxiv. 8—16). MATTANIAH, the uncle of the captive king, was now placed by the Babylonian monarch in charge of the exhausted kingdom, and took the name of ZEDEKIAH. In defiance of the dictates of common prudence, and of the advice of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. xxvii. xxviii. ; Comp. Ezek. xvii. 12—21), he was foolish enough to court an alliance with Pharaoh-Hophra, or Apries, a new and enterprising monarch in Egypt. Instantly the Babylonian armies were put in motion, and overran all Judah, while Jerusalem together with Lachish and Azekah alone held out. A temporary delay was caused by an effort of the king of Egypt to relieve his ally, and the necessity of first repulsing the Egyptian forces. This achieved, the Chaldæans again presented themselves before the walls of the Holy City, and besieged it for upwards of 16 months. The wretched inhabitants were reduced to the most fearful straits. Famine prevailed throughout the city (2 K. xxv. 3); the tongue of the sucking child clave to the roof of its mouth for thirst, the young children cried for bread, and no man brake it unto them (Lam. iv. 4); nobles that had ever before fed delicately, searched even dunghills for any remnants of food that might be found (Lam. iv. 5); and mothers boiled their own children (Lam. iv. 10). The Lord at last poured 1 In 2 K. xxiv. 14, 16, the numbers are given as 7,000 soldiers, 1,000 artificers and smiths, and 2,000 others, whose occupation is not mentioned. 2 Rawlinson's Herod. Vol. 1.515. For the prophecies of Jeremiah during the reign of Zedekiah, see chaps, xxi. xxiv. xxvii. 12-22, xxviii. xxix. xxxii. xxxiii, xxxiv. xxxvii. xxxviii. upon the city the cup of His fierce anger for all its iniquities, and its Day of Doom was come. At length the Chaldæan armies effected a breach in the strong walls, and made their way into the city. With a few of his troops Zedekiah effected his escape to Jericho, but was pursued, captured, and sent to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. Judgment was then passed upon him (2 K. xxv. 6), and his sons having first been put to death before his face, his eyes were thrust out1, and laden with fetters he was removed to Babylon, B.C. 588. Punishment having thus been inflicted on the king, Nebuzar-adan, an officer high in the confidence of the Babylonian monarch, was dispatched to Jerusalem, to carry out the complete destruction of the city. By his orders, the Temple, the royal palace, the houses of the wealthy, were set on fire; the walls were broken down; the sacred vessels of the once glorious House of Jehovah were plundered; the brazen pillars were broken up; the chief priests were put to death; and the rest with the greater part of the inhabitants were removed to Babylon. A scanty remnant was permitted to remain in their native land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen (Jer. lii. 16), under the superintendence of GEDALIAH, who with a Chaldæan guard (Jer. xl. 1, 2, 5) was stationed at Mizpeh2 (2 K. xxv. 23; Jer. xl. 6), a strong fortress 6 miles north of Jerusalem. Declining the offer of a retreat at Babylon, Jeremiah resolved to share the lot of this miserable remnant in his own land (Jer. xl. 6). But even the late terrible misfortunes could not calm the spirit of faction. Gedaliah was assassinated under circumstances of revolting treachery by ISHMAEL, a man of royal blood, together with some of the Chaldæan guard 1 Thus were fulfilled the apparently contradictory prophe cies in Jer. xxxii. 4, and Ezek. xii. 13. 2 Or Mizpah. For notices of this place on previous occasions, see above, pp. 272, 280, 375. |