July 18, 586 BC: Jerusalem Falls
After two and a half years the Babylonian army final breaks through the wall and enters a city filled with desperate and starving people deciding if they should fight, flee or fall on their faces.
Three of Nebuchadnezzar’s officials are mentioned by name as entering the city and taking seats in the Middle Gate. Nebuchadnezzar is himself not in Judah and does not enter Jerusalem, since he is at Riblah (north of Damascus) which was his military headquarters during the siege of Jerusalem.
The Middle Gate mentioned in Jeremiah is likely the gate that can be seen in today’s Jewish Quarter of the Old City at a site called the “Israelite Tower.” (see Middle Gate Photo HERE; Details HERE, HERE and HERE.) The gate faces north in the northern portion of the wall of the city of 586 BC. Excavation has found remains of Babylonian arrowheads which would seem to indicate that there was fighting at this point of the wall and at this gate in 588-586 BC. Because of the topography Jerusalem was always invaded from the north. After working at this site and finding Babylonian arrowheads, Leen Ritmeyer said, “Our hands got black with soot – tragic evidence of the fall of Jerusalem.”
One of the Babylonian officials identified by Jeremiah, Nebo-sarsekim, has been confirmed on a cuneiform tablet from 595 BC that also lists him as a chief officer of King Nebuchadnezzar by the name of Nabu-sharrussum-ukin.
Zedekiah tried to flee, but was captured and taken to Riblah to appear before Nebuchadnezzar where he suffers a fate that he could have avoided by listening to Jeremiah. Ezekiel had already prophesied that Zedekiah would come to Babylon, but would not see it (Ezekiel 12:13). Jeremiah’s text explains how Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled. In 592 BC Ezekiel predicted from Babylon about Zedekiah’s attempted escape in 586 BC: Ezekiel 12:10-13
The city of Jerusalem is set on fire and the wall is broke down. But, Nebuzaradan, the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s imperial guard and the one who led the Jerusalem siege, had been given orders from Nebuchadnezzar to find and care for Jeremiah. This raises some questions:
- How did the great Nebuchadnezzar hear about Jeremiah?
- How did Nebuchadnezzar come to form a positive attitude towards Jeremiah?
- Why did Nebuchadnezzar care about Jeremiah?
The answers may include a variety of components, but one has to consider that Daniel who has been serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace since 605 and has spoken to Nebuchadnezzar on several occasions may be part of the source of Nebuchadnezzar’s information and the cause of his positive attitude. Daniel had copies of Jeremiah’s writings in Babylon (Daniel 9:2) and Daniel had heard Jeremiah preach in Jerusalem for several years before his captivity.
Nebuchadnezzar tells his commander Nebuzaradan to find Jeremiah, and then:
“Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” – Jeremiah 39:12
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