The Kingdom of Judah ( he, יְהוּדָה, ''Yəhūdā''; akk, 𒅀𒌑𒁕𒀀𒀀 ''Ya'uda''
'ia-ú-da-a-a'' arc, 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤃𐤅𐤃 ''Bēyt
'') was an
Israelite
The Israelites (; he, בני ישראל ''Bnei Yisra'el'') were a confederation of Iron Age ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, Semitic-speaking tribes of the ancient Near East, who inhabited a part of Canaan during the history of ancient Israe ...

kingdom of the
Southern Levant
The Southern Levant is a geographical region
In geography, regions are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and the environ ...

during the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history
Human history, or world history, is the narrative of Human, humanity's pa ...
. It was located in
Judea
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard
Standard may refer to:
Flags
* Colours, standards and guidons
* Standard (flag), a type of flag used for personal identification
Norm, convention or requirement
* Standard (metrolog ...

, and its capital was
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس, ', , (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusał ...

. The other Israelite polity, the
Kingdom of Israel, lay to the north.
The
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew
Hebrew (, , or ) is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites ...

depicts it as the successor to the
United Monarchy
The United Monarchy () is the name given to the united Israelite
The Israelites (; he, בני ישראל ''Bnei Yisra'el'') were a confederation of Iron Age ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, Semitic-speaking tribes of the ancient Near Ea ...
, a term denoting the Kingdom of Israel under biblical kings
Saul
Saul (; he, , translit=Šāʾūl; gr, Σαούλ; ), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the first monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, suppose ...

,
David
David (; ) (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". is described in th ...

and
Solomon
Solomon (; he, , ), ''Šlēmūn''; : سُلَيْمَان ', also : ' or '; el, Σολομών ''Solomōn''; : Salomon) also called Jedidiah (, ), was, according to the and Christian , a fabulously wealthy and wise monarch of the who suc ...

and covering the territory of two historical kingdoms, Judah and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Yīsrāʾēl; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, translit=ʾIsrāʾīl), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a ...
. However, some scholars, including
Israel Finkelstein
Israel Finkelstein ( he, ישראל פינקלשטיין, born March 29, 1949) is an Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל; ar, إِسْرَائِيل) ...

and Alexander Fantalkin, believe that the existent archaeological evidence for an extensive Kingdom of Judah before the late 8th century BCE is too weak and that the methodology used to obtain the evidence is flawed.
The
Tel Dan Stele shows that the kingdom, in some semblance, existed by at least the mid-9th century BCE,
but it does little to show to what extent.
In the 10th and early 9th centuries BCE, the territory of Judah appears to have been sparsely populated, limited to small rural settlements, most of them unfortified.
Jerusalem, the kingdom's capital, likely did not emerge as a significant administrative centre until the end of the 8th century BCE. Before then, the archaeological evidence suggests its population was too small to sustain a viable kingdom. In the 7th century BCE its population increased greatly, prospering under Assyrian vassalage (despite
Hezekiah's revolt against the Assyrian king
Sennacherib
Sennacherib (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbreviation_of_logotype,_from__el.html" ;"title="Chiswick_Press_. ...

), but
in 605 BCE the Assyrian Empire was defeated, and the ensuing competition between the
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt #REDIRECT Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt#REDIRECT Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXVI, alternatively 26th Dynasty or Dynasty 26) was the last native dynasty
A dynasty (, ) is a sequence of ru ...
and the
Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, also known as the Second Babylonian Empire and historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last of the Mesopotamian empires to be ruled by monarchs native to Mesopotamia. Beginning with Nabopolassar's coronation as ...

for control of the
Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct Amer ...

led to the destruction of the kingdom in a series of campaigns between 597 and 582 BCE, the
deportation of the elite of the community, and the incorporation of Judah into a
province of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
The major cities of the kingdom were
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس, ', , (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusał ...

,
Lachish
Tel Lachish ( he, תל לכיש; grc, Λαχίς; la, Tel Lachis), known in Arabic as Tell ed-Duweir (), is the site of an ancient Near East, ancient Canaan, Canaanite and Israelite city, now an archaeological site and an National parks and na ...
,
Hebron
Hebron ( ar, الخليل أو الخليل الرحمن ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies Above mean sea level, above ...

,
Socho and
Ziph.
Archaeological record
The formation of the Kingdom of Judah is a subject of heavy debate among scholars, and an acrimonious dispute has emerged between
biblical minimalists and
biblical maximalists on this particular topic.
While it is generally agreed that the stories of
David
David (; ) (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". is described in th ...

and
Solomon
Solomon (; he, , ), ''Šlēmūn''; : سُلَيْمَان ', also : ' or '; el, Σολομών ''Solomōn''; : Salomon) also called Jedidiah (, ), was, according to the and Christian , a fabulously wealthy and wise monarch of the who suc ...

in the 10th century BCE tell little about the origins of Judah, currently, there is no consensus as to whether Judah developed as a split from the
United Kingdom of Israel (as the Bible tells) or independently. Much of the debate revolves around whether the archaeological discoveries conventionally dated to the 10th century should instead be dated to the 9th century, as proposed by
Israel Finkelstein
Israel Finkelstein ( he, ישראל פינקלשטיין, born March 29, 1949) is an Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל; ar, إِسْرَائِيل) ...

. Recent archaeological discoveries by
Eilat Mazar
Eilat Mazar ( he, אילת מזר; 10 September 195625 May 2021) was an Israeli archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. Archaeology is often considered a ...
in Jerusalem and
Yosef Garfinkel
Image:yosef Garfinkel.jpg, upProf. Yosef Garfinkel
Yosef Garfinkel (hebrew: יוסף גרפינקל; born 1956) is a professor of Prehistory, Prehistoric Archaeology and of Archaeology of the Biblical Period at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
...

in
Khirbet Qeiyafa
Khirbet Qeiyafa ( ar, خربة قيافة), also known as Elah Fortress and in Hebrew as Hirbet Kaifeh ( he, חורבת קייאפה), is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Valley of Elah, Elah Valley and dated to the first hal ...
seem to support the existence of the United Monarchy, but the datings and identifications are not universally accepted.
The
Tel Dan Stele shows an historical "
House of David" ruled a kingdom south of the lands of Samaria in the 9th century BC, and attestations of several Judean kings from the 8th century BC have been discovered, but they do little to indicate how developed the state actually was. The
Nimrud Tablet K.3751, dated c. 733 BCE, is the earliest known record of the name "Judah" (written in
Assyrian cuneiform
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyria
Assyria (), also called the Assyrian Empire, was a Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ( grc, Μεσοποταμία ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, ...
as Ya'uda or KUR.ia-ú-da-a-a).
The status of Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE is a major subject of debate.
The oldest part of Jerusalem and its original urban core are the City of David, which does not show evidence of significant Israelite residential activity until the 9th century. However, unique administrative structures such as the
Stepped Stone Structure and the
Large Stone Structure
The Large Stone Structure ( ''Mivne haEven haGadol'') is the name given to a set of remains interpreted by the excavator, Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar, as being part of a single large public building in the City of David (historic), City of ...
, which originally formed one structure, contain material culture dated to Iron I.
On account of the apparent lack of settlement activity in the 10th century BCE, Israel Finkelstein argues that Jerusalem was then a small country village in the Judean hills, not a national capital, and Ussishkin argues that the city was entirely uninhabited. Amihai Mazar contends that if the Iron I/Iron IIa dating of administrative structures in the City of David are correct, which he believes to be the case, "Jerusalem was a rather small town with a mighty citadel, which could have been a center of a substantial regional polity."
William G. Dever argues that Jerusalem was a small and fortified city, probably inhabited only by the royal court, priests and clerks.
A
collection of military orders found in the ruins of a
in the
Negev
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב; ar, ٱلنَّقَب ') is a desert
upright=1.5, alt=see caption, Sand dunes in the Rub' al Khali ("Empty quarter") in the United Arab Emirates">Rub'_al_Khali.html" ;"title="Sand dunes in th ...

dating to the period of the Kingdom of Judah indicates widespread literacy, based on the inscriptions, the ability to read and write extended throughout the chain of command from commanders to petty officers. According to Professor Eliezer Piasetsky, who participated in analyzing the texts, "Literacy existed at all levels of the administrative, military and priestly systems of Judah. Reading and writing were not limited to a tiny elite." That indicates the presence of a substantial educational infrastructure in Judah at the time.
Biblical and historical narrative
Partition of United Kingdom of Israel
According to the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew
Hebrew (, , or ) is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites ...

, the Kingdom of Judah resulted from the break-up of the
United Kingdom of Israel (1020 to about 930 BCE) after the northern tribes refused to accept
Rehoboam
Rehoboam (; , ; , ; la, Roboam) was, according to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ket ...
, the son of
Solomon
Solomon (; he, , ), ''Šlēmūn''; : سُلَيْمَان ', also : ' or '; el, Σολομών ''Solomōn''; : Salomon) also called Jedidiah (, ), was, according to the and Christian , a fabulously wealthy and wise monarch of the who suc ...

, as their king. At first, only the
tribe of Judah
According to the Hebrew Bible, the tribe of Judah (, ''Shevet Yehudah'') was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.
Biblical account
The Tribe of Judah, its conquests, and the centrality of its capital in Jerusalem for the worship of the god Yah ...

remained loyal to the
House of David, but the
tribe of Benjamin
According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the Samaritan Pentateuch ...

soon joined Judah. Both kingdoms, Judah in the south and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Yīsrāʾēl; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, translit=ʾIsrāʾīl), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a ...
in the north, co-existed uneasily after the split until the destruction of the
Kingdom of Israel by
Assyria
Assyria (), also called the Assyrian Empire, was a Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ( grc, Μεσοποταμία ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of We ...

in c. 722/721.
The major theme of the Hebrew Bible's narrative is the loyalty of Judah, especially its kings, to
Yahweh
Yahweh was the national god of ancient Kingdom of Israel (Samaria), Israel and Kingdom of Judah, Judah. His origins reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age. In the oldest biblical literature, he is a Weather ...
, which it states is the God of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Yīsrāʾēl; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, translit=ʾIsrāʾīl), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a ...

. Accordingly, all of the kings of Israel and many of the kings of Judah were "bad" in terms of the biblical narrative by failing to enforce
monotheism
Monotheism is the belief
A belief is an attitude
Attitude may refer to:
Philosophy and psychology
* Attitude (psychology)
In psychology
Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciou ...
. Of the "good" kings,
Hezekiah
Hezekiah (; he, חִזְקִיָּהוּ ''H̱īzəqīyyahū''), or Ezekias, ''Ḥazaqia'ú'' 'ḫa-za-qi-a-ú'' el, Ἐζεκίας Septuagint">/nowiki>Septuagint:_Εζεζία.html" ;"title="Septuagint.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Septuagint"> ...

(727–698 BCE) is noted for his efforts at stamping out
idolatry
Idolatry is the worship
Worship is an act of religion, religious wikt:devotion, devotion usually directed towards a deity. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a god. An act of worship may be performed i ...
(in his case, the worship of
Baal
Baal (), properly Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). was a title and honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term " ...

and
Asherah
Asherah , ''ʾăšērâ''; Ugaritic language, Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎘𐎗𐎚 ''Aṯirat'', name=, group= in ancient Semitic religion, is a mother goddess who appears in a number of ancient sources. She appears in Akkadian literature, Akkadian wri ...
, among other traditional Near Eastern divinities),
[, Emory University, 1997] but his successors,
Manasseh of Judah
Manasseh (; Hebrew language, Hebrew: ''Mənaššé'', "Forgetter"; akk, 𒈨𒈾𒋛𒄿 ''Menašši'' (written ''me-na-si-i''); grc-gre, Μανασσῆς ''Manasses''; la, Manasses) was the fourteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the ...
(698–642 BCE) and Amon (642–640 BCE), revived idolatry, which drew down on the kingdom the anger of Yahweh. King
Josiah
Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah
The Kings of Judah were the monarchs who ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah ( he, יְהוּדָה, ''Yəhūdā(h)''; akk, 𒅀𒌑𒁕𒀀𒀀 '' ...

(640–609 BCE) returned to the worship of Yahweh alone, but his efforts were too late, and Israel's unfaithfulness caused God to permit the kingdom's destruction by the
Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, also known as the Second Babylonian Empire and historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last of the Mesopotamian empires to be ruled by monarchs native to Mesopotamia. Beginning with Nabopolassar's coronation as ...

in the
Siege of Jerusalem (587/586 BCE).
However, it is now fairly well established among academic scholars that the
Books of Kings
A book is a medium for recording information
Information is processed, organised and structured data
Data (; ) are individual facts, statistics, or items of information, often numeric. In a more technical sense, data are a set of v ...
is not an accurate reflection of religious views in Judah or particularly Israel of the period.
Relations with Northern Kingdom

For the first 60 years, the kings of Judah tried to re-establish their authority over the northern kingdom, and there was
perpetual war between them.
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Yīsrāʾēl; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, translit=ʾIsrāʾīl), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a ...
and Judah were in a state of war throughout
Rehoboam
Rehoboam (; , ; , ; la, Roboam) was, according to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ket ...
's 17-year reign. Rehoboam built elaborate defenses and strongholds, along with fortified cities. In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign,
Shishak
Shishak, Shishaq or Susac (, Tiberian: , ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, ...
,
pharaoh
Pharaoh ( , ; cop, , Pǝrro) is the common title now used for the monarch
A monarch is a head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the conte ...

of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مِصر, Miṣr), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country
This is a list of countries located on more than one continent
A continent is one of several large landmasses. Generally identi ...

, brought a huge army and took many cities. In the
sack of Jerusalem (10th century BCE), Rehoboam gave them all of the treasures out of the temple as a tribute and Judah became a vassal state of Egypt.
Rehoboam's son and successor,
Abijah of Judah
Abijam (; el, Αβιού, Aviou; la, Abiam) was, according to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, ...
, continued his father's efforts to bring Israel under his control. He fought the
Battle of Mount Zemaraim
The great Battle of Mount Zemaraim was reported in the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek
Koine Greek (, , Greek approximately ;. , , , lit. "Common Greek"), also known as Alexandrian dialect, common Attic, Hellenistic or Biblical Greek ...
against
Jeroboam
Jeroboam I (; Hebrew
Hebrew (, , or ) is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites, Judeans and thei ...

of Israel and was victorious with a heavy loss of life on the Israel side. According to the
Books of Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a Hebrew
Hebrew (, , or ) is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it i ...
, Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain, and Jeroboam posed little threat to Judah for the rest of his reign, and the border of the
tribe of Benjamin
According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the Samaritan Pentateuch ...

was restored to the original tribal border.
AbijahAbijah ( ''Aviya'') is a Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew ( ''Ivrit Miqra'it'' or ''Leshon ha-Miqra''), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of Hebrew language, Hebrew, a language in the Canaanite languages, Canaanite branch of Semiti ...
's son and successor,
Asa of Judah
Asa (; el, Ασά; la, Asa) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the third king of the Kingdom of Judah and the fifth king of the Davidic line, House of David. The Hebrew Bible gives the period of his reign as 41 years. His reign is dated between ...

, maintained peace for the first 35 years of his reign,
and he revamped and reinforced the fortresses originally built by his grandfather, Rehoboam. 2 Chronicles states that at the
Battle of Zephath
The Battle of Zephath, according to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim. These te ...
, the Egyptian-backed chieftain
Zerah
Zerah or Zérach ( / "sunrise" Standard Hebrew ''Zéraḥ'' / ''Záraḥ'', Tiberian Hebrew ''Zéraḥ'' / ''Zāraḥ'') refers to several different people in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical can ...
the Ethiopian and his million men and 300 chariots were defeated by Asa's 580,000 men in the Valley of Zephath near
Maresha
Tel Maresha ( he, תל מראשה) is the Tell (archaeology), tell (archaeological mound) of the Hebrew Bible, biblical Iron Age city of Maresha, and of the subsequent, post-586 BCE Idumaea, Idumean city known by its Hellenised name Marisa, Arabis ...
. The Bible does not state whether Zerah was a pharaoh or a general of the army. The Ethiopians were pursued all the way to
Gerar
Gerar ( ''Gərār'', "lodging-place") was a Philistine
The Philistines were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when their polity, after having already been subjugated for centuries by ...

, in the coastal plain, where they stopped out of sheer exhaustion. The resulting peace kept Judah free from Egyptian incursions until the time of
Josiah
Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah
The Kings of Judah were the monarchs who ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah ( he, יְהוּדָה, ''Yəhūdā(h)''; akk, 𒅀𒌑𒁕𒀀𒀀 '' ...

, some centuries later.
In his 36th year, Asa was confronted by
Baasha of Israel
Baasha ( he, בַּעְשָׁא, ''Baʿšāʾ'' ) was the third king of the northern Israelite
The Israelites (; he, בני ישראל ''Bnei Yisra'el'') were a confederation of Iron Age ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, Semitic-speaking tr ...

,
[ who built a fortress at Ramah on the border, less than ten miles from Jerusalem. The capital became under pressure, and the military situation was precarious. Asa took gold and silver from the Temple and sent them to ]Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I ( he, בן הדד ; arc, בר הדד, ), son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion, was king of Aram-Damascus between 885 BC and 865 BC. A figure known only from the Old Testament, Ben-Hadad I was reportedly a contemporary of kings Baash ...
, the king of Aram-Damascus
Aram-Damascus ( or ) was an Aramean
The Arameans (Old Aramaic language, Old Aramaic: 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; Greek language, Greek: Ἀραμαῖοι; Syriac language, Syriac: ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ / Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic languages, Semiti ...
, in exchange for the Damascene king cancelling his peace treaty with Baasha. Ben-Hadad attacked Ijon, Dan and many important cities of the tribe of Naphtali
The Tribe of Naphtali () was one of the northernmost of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is one of the ten lost tribes.
Biblical narratives
In the biblical account, following the completion of the conquest of Canaan
A 1692 map of Canaa ...

, and Baasha was forced to withdraw from Ramah. Asa tore down the unfinished fortress and used its raw materials to fortify Geba and Mizpah in Benjamin
Mizpah ("watch-tower; the look-out") was a city of the tribe of Benjamin referred to in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including ...
on his side of the border.
Asa's successor, Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat (; alternatively spelled Jehosaphat, Josaphat, or Yehoshafat; ; el, Ἰωσαφάτ, Iosafát; la, Josaphat), according to 1 Kings 15:24, was the son of Asa, and the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, in succession to his father ...
, changed the policy towards Israel and instead pursued alliances and co-operation with the northern kingdom. The alliance with Ahab
Ahab (; akk, , Aḫabbu; grc-koi, ''Achaáb''; la, Achab) was the seventh king of Kingdom of Israel (Samaria), Israel, the son and successor of King Omri and the husband of Jezebel of Sidon, according to the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible pr ...

was based on marriage. The alliance led to disaster for the kingdom with the Battle of Ramoth-GileadRamoth-Gilead ( he, רָמֹת גִּלְעָד, meaning "Heights of Gilead"), was a Levitical city and city of refuge east of the Jordan river
)
, name_native_lang =
, name_other =
, name_etymology = Hebrew: ירדן (yardén, ...
. He then entered into an alliance with Ahaziah of Israel
Ahaziah ( ''’Ăḥazyāh'', " Yah has grasped"; also gr, Ὀχοζίας, ''Ochozias'' in the Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), ...

for the purpose of carrying on maritime commerce with Ophir
Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek
Koine Greek (, , Greek approximately ;. , , , lit. "Common Greek"), also known as Alexandrian dialect, common Attic, Hellenistic or Biblical Greek, was ...
. However, the fleet that was then equipped at Ezion-Geber
Ezion-Geber ( Ancient: ''Ġeṣyōn Geḇer''; also Asiongaber) is a city only known from the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, includ ...
was immediately wrecked. A new fleet was fitted out without the co-operation of the king of Israel. Although it was successful, the trade was not prosecuted. He joined Jehoram of Israel
Jehoram ( ''Yəhōrām''; also Joram) was the ninth king of the northern Kingdom of Israel ( 2 Kings 8:16, 2 Kings 8:25–28). He was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, and brother to Ahaziah of Israel, Ahaziah and Athaliah.
According to Books of Ki ...

in a war against the Moab
Moab ''Mōáb''; Assyrian: 𒈬𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀 ''Mu'aba'', 𒈠𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀
''Ma'ba'', 𒈠𒀪𒀊 ''Ma'ab''; Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and et ...
ites, who were under tribute to Israel. This war was successful, and the Moabites were subdued. However, on seeing Mesha
King Mesha (Moabite language, Moabite: 𐤌𐤔𐤏 *''Māša‘''; Hebrew: מֵישַׁע ''Mēša‘'') was a king of Moab in the 9th century BCE, known most famously for having the Mesha Stele inscribed and erected at Dhiban, Dibon. In this ...
's act of offering his own son in a human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed in a sequestered place and according to a set sequence. Rituals may be ...
on the walls of Kir-haresheth filled Jehoshaphat with horror, and he withdrew and returned to his own land.
Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat (; alternatively spelled Jehosaphat, Josaphat, or Yehoshafat; ; el, Ἰωσαφάτ, Iosafát; la, Josaphat), according to 1 Kings 15:24, was the son of Asa, and the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, in succession to his father ...
's successor, Jehoram of Judah
Jehoram of Judah () or Joram (; el, Ἰωράμ, Ioram; la, Joram or Ioram), was the fifth king of Judah
Judah may refer to:
Historical ethnic, political and geographic terms
The name was passed on, successively, from the biblical figure of J ...

, formed an alliance with Israel by marrying Athaliah
Athaliah ( Ancient
Ancient history is the aggregate of past eventsAztec King Nezahualpiltzintli of Texcoco
King is the ... and Queen Jezebel of Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Yīsrāʾēl; ar, إِسْ ...
, the daughter of Ahab
Ahab (; akk, , Aḫabbu; grc-koi, ''Achaáb''; la, Achab) was the seventh king of Kingdom of Israel (Samaria), Israel, the son and successor of King Omri and the husband of Jezebel of Sidon, according to the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible pr ...

. Despite the alliance with the stronger northern kingdom, 's rule of Judah was shaky. Edom
Edom (; Edomite
Edom (; Edomite: 𐤀𐤃𐤌 ''’Edām''; he, אֱדוֹם ''ʼÉḏōm'', lit.: "red"; akk, 𒌑𒁺𒈠𒀀𒀀 ''Uduma'') was an ancient kingdom in Transjordan located between Moab to the northeast, the Arabah
Th ...

revolted, and he was forced to acknowledge its independence. A raid by Philistines
The Philistines were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan
A 1692 map of Canaan, by Philip Lea
Canaan (; Northwest Semitic
Northwest Semitic, known as Syro-Palestinian in dialect geography, is a division of th ...
, Arabs
The Arabs (singular Arab ; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, ISO 233
The international standard
An international standard is a technical standard
A technical standard is an established norm (social), norm or requirement for a repeatable technica ...

and Ethiopians looted the king's house and carried off all of his family except for his youngest son, Ahaziah of Judah
Ahaziah of Judah (; el, Οχοζιας Okhozias; la, Ahazia) or Jehoahaz I (; ), was the sixth king of kingdom of Judah, Judah, and the son of Jehoram of Judah, Jehoram and Athaliah, the daughter (or possibly sister) of king Ahab of Israel. He ...

.
Clash of empires
After Hezekiah
Hezekiah (; he, חִזְקִיָּהוּ ''H̱īzəqīyyahū''), or Ezekias, ''Ḥazaqia'ú'' 'ḫa-za-qi-a-ú'' el, Ἐζεκίας Septuagint">/nowiki>Septuagint:_Εζεζία.html" ;"title="Septuagint.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Septuagint"> ...

became the sole ruler in c. 715 BCE, he formed alliances with Ashkelon
Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; he, , ), also known as Ascalon (; grc-gre, Ἀσκάλων, ''Askálōn''; ar, عَسْقَلَان, '), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea ...
and Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مِصر, Miṣr), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country
This is a list of countries located on more than one continent
A continent is one of several large landmasses. Generally identi ...

and made a stand against Assyria
Assyria (), also called the Assyrian Empire, was a Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ( grc, Μεσοποταμία ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of We ...

by refusing to pay tribute. In response, Sennacherib
Sennacherib (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
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A_logo_(abbreviation_of_logotype,_from__el.html" ;"title="Chiswick_Press_. ...

of Assyria attacked the fortified cities of Judah. Hezekiah paid three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold to Assyria, which required him to empty the temple and royal treasury of silver and strip the gold from the doorposts of Solomon's Temple
According to the Biblical narrative, Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was a temple in Jerusalem (: ''Bēṯ hamMīqdāš'') built under King Solomon's reign and completed in 957 BCE. The Temple was looted and then Siege of Jer ...

.[ However, Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in 701 BCE though the city was never taken.
During the long reign of (c. 687/686 – 643/642 BCE),] Judah was a vassal of Assyrian rulers: Sennacherib and his successors, Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbreviatio ...

and Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal, also spelled Assurbanipal, Asshurbanipal and Asurbanipal (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbrevi ...
after 669 BCE. Manasseh is listed as being required to provide materials for Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbreviatio ...

's building projects and as one of a number of vassals who assisted Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal, also spelled Assurbanipal, Asshurbanipal and Asurbanipal (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbrevi ...
's campaign against Egypt.
When Josiah
Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah
The Kings of Judah were the monarchs who ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah ( he, יְהוּדָה, ''Yəhūdā(h)''; akk, 𒅀𒌑𒁕𒀀𒀀 '' ...

became king of Judah in c. 641/640 BCE, the international situation was in flux. To the east, the Neo-Assyrian Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire (Assyrian cuneiform
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire
* Assyrian people, an ethnic group indigenous to the Middle East
* Assyrian Church (disambiguation)
* Assyrian language (disam ...

was beginning to disintegrate, the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, also known as the Second Babylonian Empire and historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last of the Mesopotamian empires to be ruled by monarchs native to Mesopotamia. Beginning with Nabopolassar's coronation as ...

had not yet risen to replace it and Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مِصر, Miṣr), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country
This is a list of countries located on more than one continent
A continent is one of several large landmasses. Generally identi ...

to the west was still recovering from Assyrian rule. In the power vacuum, Judah could govern itself for the time being without foreign intervention. However, in the spring of 609 BCE, Pharaoh
Pharaoh ( , ; cop, , Pǝrro) is the common title now used for the monarch
A monarch is a head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the conte ...

Necho II
Necho II (sometimes Nekau, Neku, Nechoh, or Nikuu; Greek: Νεκώς Β'; ) of Ancient Egypt, Egypt was a king of the 26th Dynasty (610–595 BC), which ruled out of Sais, Egypt, Sais. Necho undertook a number of construction projects across his k ...
personally led a sizable army up to the Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (the "Land Between the Rivers"). O ...
to aid the Assyrians
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire
* Assyrian people, an ethnic group indigenous to the Middle East
* Assyrian Church (disambiguation)
* Assyrian language (disambiguation)
* SS Assyrian, SS ''Assyrian'', seve ...
.[
* ] Taking the coastal route into Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or ar, سُورِيَة, ''Sūriyā''), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, ٱلْجُمْهُورِيَّةُ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلسُّورِيَّةُ, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-S ...
at the head of a large army, Necho passed the low tracts of Philistia
Philistia (, ''Pəlešeṯ'', Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece
Greece ( el, Ελλάδα, , ), officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country located in Southeast Europe. Its population is approxima ...
and Sharon
Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname.
In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
. However, the passage over the ridge of hills, which shuts in on the south the great Jezreel Valley
The Jezreel Valley (from the he, עמק יזרעאל, translit.
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt ...

, was blocked by the Judean army, led by Josiah, who may have considered that the Assyrians and the Egyptians were weakened by the death of Pharaoh Psamtik I
Wahibre Psamtik I (Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of Ancient history, ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile, Nile River, situated in the place that is now the country Egypt. Ancient ...
only a year earlier (610 BCE).[ Presumably in an attempt to help the Babylonians, Josiah attempted to block the advance at ]MegiddoMegiddo may refer to:
Places and sites in Israel
* Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley
* Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel
* Megiddo church (Israel)
* Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel
* Megiddo Junction, ...
, where a fierce battle was fought and Josiah was killed. Necho then joined forces with the Assyrian Ashur-uballit II
Ashur-uballit II, also spelled Assur-uballit II and Ashuruballit II (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbreviation ...
, and they crossed the Euphrates and lay siege to Harran
Ḥarrān, also known as Carrhae, was a major ancient city
A city is a large human settlement.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclop ...

. The combined forces failed to capture the city, and Necho retreated back to northern Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or ar, سُورِيَة, ''Sūriyā''), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, ٱلْجُمْهُورِيَّةُ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلسُّورِيَّةُ, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-S ...
. The event also marked the disintegration of the Assyrian Empire.
On his return march to Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مِصر, Miṣr), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country
This is a list of countries located on more than one continent
A continent is one of several large landmasses. Generally identi ...

in 608 BCE, Necho found that Jehoahaz had been selected to succeed his father, Josiah. Necho deposed Jehoahaz, who had been king for only three months, and replaced him with his older brother, Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim, also sometimes spelled Jehoikim; la, Joakim was the eighteenth and antepenultimate king of Judah from 609 to 598 BC. He was the second son of king Josiah () and Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. His birth name was Eliakim.; ...
. Necho imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver (about 3 tons or about 3.4 metric tons) and a talent of gold (about ). Necho then took Jehoahaz back to Egypt as his prisoner, never to return.
Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim, also sometimes spelled Jehoikim; la, Joakim was the eighteenth and antepenultimate king of Judah from 609 to 598 BC. He was the second son of king Josiah () and Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. His birth name was Eliakim.; ...
ruled originally as a vassal of the Egyptians by paying a heavy tribute. However, when the Egyptians were defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish
Carchemish ( or ), also spelled Karkemish (Hittite language, Hittite: ''Karkamiš''; Turkish language, Turkish: ''Karkamış''; he, כַּרְכְּמְישׂ; Ancient Greek, Greek: Εὔρωπος, ''Europos''; Latin: ''Europus'') was an imp ...

in 605 BCE, Jehoiakim changed allegiances to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II (), also Nebuchadrezzar II ( Babylonian cuneiform: ''Nabû-kudurri-uṣur''; Biblical Hebrew: – ''Nəḇūḵaḏreʾṣṣar'' or – ''Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar''; Biblical Aramaic: – ''Nəḇūḵaḏne ...
. In 601 BCE, in the fourth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar attempted to invade Egypt but was repulsed with heavy losses. The failure led to numerous rebellions among the states of the Levant
The Levant () is an term referring to a large area in the region of . In its narrowest sense, it is equivalent to the , which included present-day , , , , and most of southwest of the middle . In its widest historical sense, the Levant ...

that owed allegiance to Babylon. Jehoiakim also stopped paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar and took a pro-Egyptian position. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with the rebellions. According to the Babylonian Chronicles
The Babylonian Chronicles are a series of clay tablet, tablets recording major events in Babylonian history. They are thus one of the first steps in the development of ancient historiography. The Babylonian Chronicles were written in Babylonian cu ...
, after invading "the land of Hatti (Syria/Palestine)" in 599 BCE, he laid siege to Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died in 598 BCE during the siege and was succeeded by his son Jeconiah
Jeconiah ( he, יְכָנְיָה ''Yəḵonəyā'' , meaning "Yah
Yah may refer to:
* Jah
Jah or Yah ( he, , ''Yāh'') is a short form of (YHWH), the four letters that form the , : , which the ancient used. The conventional Christian Engl ...
at an age of either eight or eighteen. The city fell about three months later, on 2 Adar
Adar ( he, אֲדָר ; from AkkadianAkkadian or Accadian may refer to:
* The Akkadian language
Akkadian ( ''akkadû'', ''ak-ka-du-u2''; logogram: ''URIKI'')John Huehnergard & Christopher Woods, "Akkadian and Eblaite", ''The Cambridge Encyc ...
(March 16) 597 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar pillaged both Jerusalem and the Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called church (building), churches), Hinduism (w ...
and carted all of his spoils to Babylon. Jeconiah
Jeconiah ( he, יְכָנְיָה ''Yəḵonəyā'' , meaning "Yah
Yah may refer to:
* Jah
Jah or Yah ( he, , ''Yāh'') is a short form of (YHWH), the four letters that form the , : , which the ancient used. The conventional Christian Engl ...
and his court and other prominent citizens and craftsmen, along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judah, numbering about 10,000 were deported from the land and dispersed throughout the Babylonian Empire
Babylonia () was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in central-southern Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ( ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن '; grc, Μεσοποταμία; Syriac language, Classical Syriac: ...
. Among them was Ezekiel
Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yĕḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Koine ...

. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah
Zedekiah () also known as Tzidkiyahu originally called Mattanyahu or Mattaniah, was the 20th and last king of Judah
The Kings of Judah were the monarchs who ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah ( he, יְהוּדָה ...

, Jehoiakim's brother, the king of the reduced kingdom, who was made a tributary of Babylon.
Destruction and dispersion
Despite the strong remonstrances of Jeremiah
Jeremiah, Modern
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
Human history, also known as world history, is the description of humanity's past. It is informed by archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human acti ...

and others, Zedekiah revolted against Nebuchadnezzar by ceasing to pay tribute to him and entered an alliance with Pharaoh . In 589 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II returned to Judah and again besieged Jerusalem. Many Jews fled to surrounding Moab
Moab ''Mōáb''; Assyrian: 𒈬𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀 ''Mu'aba'', 𒈠𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀
''Ma'ba'', 𒈠𒀪𒀊 ''Ma'ab''; Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and et ...
, Ammon
Ammon (Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; he, עַמּוֹן ''ʻAmmōn''; ar, عمّون, ʻAmmūn) was an ancient Semitic languages, Semitic-speaking nation occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent ...

, Edom
Edom (; Edomite
Edom (; Edomite: 𐤀𐤃𐤌 ''’Edām''; he, אֱדוֹם ''ʼÉḏōm'', lit.: "red"; akk, 𒌑𒁺𒈠𒀀𒀀 ''Uduma'') was an ancient kingdom in Transjordan located between Moab to the northeast, the Arabah
Th ...

and other countries to seek refuge. The city fell after a siege, which lasted either eighteen or thirty months, and Nebuchadnezzar again pillaged both Jerusalem and the Temple and then destroyed both. After killing all of Zedekiah's sons, Nebuchadnezzar took Zedekiah to Babylon and so put an end to the independent Kingdom of Judah. According to the Book of Jeremiah, in addition to those killed during the siege, some 4,600 people were deported after the fall of Judah. By 586 BCE, much of Judah had been devastated, and the former kingdom had suffered a steep decline of both its economy and its population.
Aftermath
Babylonian Yehud
Jerusalem apparently remained uninhabited for much of the 6th century,[ and the centre of gravity shifted to Benjamin, the relatively unscathed northern section of the kingdom, where the town of ]Mizpah
Mizpah or Miz'peh ("watch-tower; the look-out") may refer to:
;In geography
* one of several places in ancient Judea\Palestine:
**Mizpah in Benjamin, a city near Jerusalem
** Mizpah in Gilead (Genesis), the place where Laban overtook Jacob on his r ...
became the capital of the new Babylonian province of Yehud
Yehud ( he, יְהוּד) is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District in Israel that is part of the joint municipality of Yehud-Monosson. In 2007, Yehud's population was approximately 30,000 (including Neve Monosson – see below) ...
for the remnant of the Jewish population in a part of the former kingdom. That was standard Babylonian practice. When the Philistine city of Ashkelon
Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; he, , ), also known as Ascalon (; grc-gre, Ἀσκάλων, ''Askálōn''; ar, عَسْقَلَان, '), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea ...
was conquered in 604 BCE, the political, religious and economic elite (but not the bulk of the population) was banished and the administrative centre shifted to a new location.
Gedaliah
Gedaliah, Gedalia, Gedallah Hirsch, E. G. and Greenstone, J. H. (1906)Gedallah Jewish Encyclopedia or Gedalya(h) ( or ; he, גְּדַלְיָּה ''Gəḏalyyā'' or ''Gəḏalyyāhū'', meaning "Jah
Jah or Yah ( he, יה, ''Yah'') is a short ...
was appointed governor of the Yehud province, supported by a Babylonia
Babylonia () was an and based in central-southern which was part of Ancient Persia (present-day and ). A small -ruled state emerged in 1894 BCE, which contained the minor administrative town of . It was merely a small provincial town dur ...
n guard. The administrative centre of the province was Mizpah in Benjamin
Mizpah ("watch-tower; the look-out") was a city of the tribe of Benjamin referred to in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (; Hebrew: , or ), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including ...
, not Jerusalem. On hearing of the appointment, many of the Judeans who had taken refuge in surrounding countries were persuaded to return to Judah. However, Gedaliah was soon assassinated by a member of the royal house, and the Chaldean soldiers killed. The population that was left in the land and those who had returned fled to Egypt for fear a Babylonian reprisal, under the leadership of Yohanan ben Kareah. They ignored the urging of the prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah, Modern
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
Human history, also known as world history, is the description of humanity's past. It is informed by archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human acti ...

against the move. In Egypt, the refugees settled in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph and Pathros, and Jeremiah went with them as a moral guardian.
Exile of elites to Babylon
The numbers that were deported to Babylon and that made their way to Egypt and the remnant that remained in the land and in surrounding countries are subject to academic debate. The Book of Jeremiah reports that 4,600 were exiled to Babylonia
Babylonia () was an and based in central-southern which was part of Ancient Persia (present-day and ). A small -ruled state emerged in 1894 BCE, which contained the minor administrative town of . It was merely a small provincial town dur ...
.[ The ]Books of Kings
A book is a medium for recording information
Information is processed, organised and structured data
Data (; ) are individual facts, statistics, or items of information, often numeric. In a more technical sense, data are a set of v ...
suggest that it was 10,000 and later 8,000.
Yehud under Persian rule
In 539 BCE, the Achaemenid Empire conquered Babylonia and allowed the exiles to return to Yehud Medinata and to rebuild the Temple, which was completed in the sixth year of Darius (515 BCE) under Zerubbabel, the grandson of the second to last king of Judah, Jeconiah
Jeconiah ( he, יְכָנְיָה ''Yəḵonəyā'' , meaning "Yah
Yah may refer to:
* Jah
Jah or Yah ( he, , ''Yāh'') is a short form of (YHWH), the four letters that form the , : , which the ancient used. The conventional Christian Engl ...
. Yehud Medinata was a peaceful part of the Achaemenid Empire until its fall in c. 333 BCE to Alexander the Great.
LMLK seals
LMLK seals are ancient Hebrew Stamp seal, seals stamped on the handles of large storage jars dating from reign of King Hezekiah
Hezekiah (; he, חִזְקִיָּהוּ ''H̱īzəqīyyahū''), or Ezekias, ''Ḥazaqia'ú'' 'ḫa-za-qi-a-ú'' el, Ἐζεκίας Septuagint">/nowiki>Septuagint:_Εζεζία.html" ;"title="Septuagint.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Septuagint"> ...

(circa 700 BCE) discovered mostly in and around Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس, ', , (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusał ...

. Several complete jars were found ''in situ'' buried under a destruction layer caused by Sennacherib
Sennacherib (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo
up Chiswick_Press.html"_;"title="Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press">Coat_of_arms_of_the_Chiswick_Press_
A_logo_(abbreviation_of_logotype,_from__el.html" ;"title="Chiswick_Press_. ...

at Lachish
Tel Lachish ( he, תל לכיש; grc, Λαχίς; la, Tel Lachis), known in Arabic as Tell ed-Duweir (), is the site of an ancient Near East, ancient Canaan, Canaanite and Israelite city, now an archaeological site and an National parks and na ...
. None of the original seals has been found, but some 2,000 impressions made by at least 21 seal types have been published.
LMLK stands for the Hebrew letters ''lamedh mem lamedh kaph'' (vocalized, ''lamelekh''; Phoenician language, Phoenician ''lāmed mēm lāmed kāp'' – 𐤋𐤌𐤋𐤊), which can be translated as:
* "[belonging] to the king" [of Judah]
* "[belonging] to King" (name of a person or deity)
* "[belonging] to the government" [of Judah]
* "[to be sent] to the King"
See also
* Kings of Judah
* List of artifacts in biblical archaeology
* List of Jewish states and dynasties
* United Kingdom of Israel, the kingdom before the split
* Kingdom of Israel, the Northern Kingdom
* Israel, the modern country
Notes
References
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External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judah, Kingdom of
Kingdom of Judah,
586 BC
6th-century BC disestablishments
10th-century BC establishments
Ancient Israel and Judah,
Ancient Levant
Books of Kings
Former monarchies of Western Asia
History of Palestine (region)
Historic Jewish communities
Political entities in the Land of Israel
States and territories disestablished in the 6th century BC
States and territories established in the 10th century BC
Jewish polities, Judah