II. There were =Three Captivities= of Ju"dah, all in one generation and all under one Chal-de"an king, Neb-u-chad-nez"zar:
1. =Je-hoi"a-kim"s captivity=, B. C. 607. Je-hoi"a-kim was the son of Jo-si"ah, placed upon the throne after the battle of Me-gid"do, in which Jo-si"ah perished (2 Kings 23. 34). For three years Je-hoi"a-kim obeyed Neb-u-chad-nez"zar; then he rebelled, but was speedily reduced to subjection, and many of the leading people among the Jews were carried captive to Bab"y-lon (2 Kings 24. 1, 2). Among these captives was Dan"iel the prophet (Dan. 1. 1-6). From this event the _seventy years_ of the captivity were dated (Jer. 27. 22; 29. 10), though the kingdom of Ju"dah remained for twenty years longer.
2. =Je-hoi"a-chin"s captivity=, B. C. 598. Je-hoi"a-chin was the son of Je-hoi"a-kim (called Jec-o-ni"ah, 1 Chron. 3. 16; Jer. 24. 1; and Co-ni"ah, Jer. 22. 24). He reigned only three months, and then was deposed by Neb-u-chad-nez"zar and carried to Bab"y-lon. With the young king and the royal family were taken thousands of the people of the middle cla.s.ses, whom the land could ill spare (2 Kings 24. 8-16). Among these captives was E-ze"ki-el, the prophet-priest (Ezek. 1. 1-13).
3. =Zed-e-ki"ah"s captivity=, B. C. 587. He was the uncle of Je-hoi"a-chin and the son of the good Jo-si"ah (2 Kings 24. 17), and had been made king by Neb-u-chad-nez"zar. But he too rebelled against his master, to whom he had taken a solemn oath of fidelity (2 Chron. 36.
13). The Chal-de"ans were greatly incensed by these frequent insurrections, and determined upon a final destruction of the rebellious city. After a long siege Je-ru"sa-lem was taken, and the king was captured while attempting flight. He was blinded and carried away to Bab"y-lon, the city was destroyed, and nearly all the people left alive were also taken to the land of Chal-de"a (2 Kings 25. 1-11). After this captivity the city lay desolate for fifty years, until the conquest of Bab"y-lon by Cy"rus, B. C. 536.
III. Let us ascertain the =Causes of the Captivity=--why the Jews were taken up bodily from their own land and deported to a distant country.
1. Such deportations were a frequent =policy of Oriental conquerors=.
The Orientals had three ways of dealing with a conquered people: that of extermination, or wholesale butchery, which is frequently described upon the As-syr"i-an monuments; that of leaving them in the land under tribute, as subjects of the conqueror; and that of deporting them _en ma.s.se_ to a distant land. Frequently, when the interests of the empire would be served by changing the population of a province, this plan was carried out. Thus the ten tribes were carried to a land near the Cas"pi-an Sea, and other people were brought to Sa-ma"ri-a in their place (2 Kings 17. 6, 24). A similar plan regarding Ju"dah was proposed by Sen-nach"e-rib (2 Kings 18. 31, 32), but was thwarted by the destruction of the As-syr"i-an host.
2. We have already noticed another cause of the captivity in the frequent =rebellions of the kings of Ju"dah= against the authority of Bab"y-lon. The old spirit of independence, which had made Ju"dah the leader of the twelve tribes, was still strong, and it was fostered by the hope of universal rule, which had been predicted through centuries, even while the kingdom was declining. The prophets, however, favored submission to Bab"y-lon; but the n.o.bles urged rebellion and independence. Their policy was pursued, and the unequal strife was taken up more than once. The rebellions always failed; but after several attempts the patience of Neb-u-chad-nez"zar was exhausted, and the destruction of the rebellious city and the deportation of the population were ordered.
3. But underneath was another and a deeper cause--in =the rivalry of E"gypt and Bab"y-lon=. Pal"es-tine stood on the border of the As-syr"i-an empire toward E"gypt; and in Pal"es-tine there were two parties, the As-syr"i-an and the E-gyp"tian: one counseling submission to As-syr"i-a, the other seeking alliance with E"gypt against As-syr"i-a (Isa. 31. 1-3; 37. 6). After Bab"y-lon took the place of Nin"e-veh the Chal-de"an party took the place of the As-syr"i-an, as the Chal-de"an empire was the successor of the As-syr"i-an empire. The prophets, led by Jer-e-mi"ah, always counseled submission to Bab"y-lon, and warned against trusting to E"gypt, which had never given anything more than promises; but the n.o.bles were of the E-gyp"tian party, and constantly influenced the kings to renounce the yoke of Bab"y-lon and to strike for independence by the aid of E"gypt. The necessity of making the frontier of the Chal-de"an empire safe on the side toward E"gypt was the political cause for the deportation of the tribe of Ju"dah.
4. There was underlying all these political reasons a moral cause in =the divine purpose to discipline the nation=. The captivity was a weeding-out process, to separate the precious from the vile, the false from the true, the "remnant" from the ma.s.s. There had always been two distinct elements in Is"ra-el and Ju"dah--the spiritual, G.o.d-fearing few, and the worldly, idol-worshiping many. The worldly and irreligious took part in the resistance to the king of Bab"y-lon, and the worshipers of Je-ho"vah, led by the prophets, urged submission. As a result the n.o.bles and the warriors, for the most part, perished; while the better part, the strength and hope of the nation, were carried away captive.
Notice that the captives were mainly of the middle cla.s.s, the working element (2 Kings 24. 14-16). Those who had submitted to the Chal-de"ans were also taken away (2 Kings 25. 11). The prophet expressed greater hope for those taken away than for those left behind (Jer. 24. 1-10).
The captives were the root of Ju"dah, out of which in due time a new nation should rise; and, as we shall see, the captivity in Bab"y-lon proved to be the most benign experience in all the history of G.o.d"s chosen people.
Blackboard Outline
I. =Cap. Isr. Jud.= 1. Isr. 721. Jud. 587. 2. a.s.s. Sar.--Chal.
Neb. 3. Cas. Sea.--Riv. Eup. 4. Nev. ret.--Bro. b.
II. =Thr. Cap. Jud.= 1. Jeh. cap. 607. 2. Jehn. cap. 598. 3. Zed.
cap. 587.
III. =Caus. Cap.= 1. Pol. Or. conq. 2. Reb. kgs. Jud. 3. Riv. Eg.
Bab. 4. Div. pur. dis.
Review Questions
From what earlier captivity must that of Ju"dah be distinguished? What were the dates of these two captivities? By whom was each nation taken captive?
Where was each nation carried captive? What followed the captivity in each nation? What were the three captivities of Ju"dah? What were the events of the first captivity of Ju"dah? Who were carried away at this time? What date is connected with this captivity?
What were the events of the second captivity of Ju"dah? Who were then taken away? What were the events of the third captivity? How long was Je-ru"sa-lem left in ruins? By whom and when were the Jews permitted to return from captivity? What causes may be a.s.signed for the carrying away of the Jews? What were the customs of ancient Oriental conquerors? How did the conduct of the kings of Ju"dah bring on the captivity? What rivalry between nations was a cause of the captivity?
What were the two parties in the kingdom of Ju"dah?
How was the carrying away of the Jews a political necessity? What was the moral cause of the captivity?
PART TWO
IV. =The Condition of the Captives in Chal-de"a= was far better than we are apt to suppose.
1. They received =kind treatment=; were regarded not as slaves or prisoners, but as colonists. At a later captivity by the Ro"mans the Jews were sold as slaves and dispersed throughout the empire. Such wholesale enslavement was common after a conquest. For some reason the Chal-de"ans did not enslave the Jews at the time of their conquest, but colonized them as free people. This may have been because the captives as a cla.s.s were of the "Chal-de"an party" among the Jews, and hence were treated in a measure as friends. The letter of Jer-e-mi"ah to the exiles (Jer. 29. 1-7) shows that they were kindly dealt with in Chal-de"a. Some of them were received at the court and rose to high station in the realm (Dan. 1. 1-6).
2. =Their organization was maintained.= The exiles were not merged into the ma.s.s of the people where they were living, but retained their own system and were recognized as a separate colony. Their dethroned kings had a semi-royal state and at death an honorable burial (Jer. 52. 31-34; 34. 4, 5). The captives were governed by elders, rulers of their own nation (Ezek. 8. 1; 14. 1; 20. 1). There was a "prince of Ju"dah" at the close of the captivity (Ezra 1. 8). This fact of national organization was a fortunate one for the exiles. If they had been dispersed as slaves throughout the empire, or even had been scattered as individuals, they would soon have been merged among the Gen"tiles, and would have lost their ident.i.ty as a people. But being maintained as a separate race, and in Jew"ish communities, they were readily gathered for a return to their own land when the opportunity came.
3. =Their law and worship were observed.= There were no sacrifices, for these could be offered only at Je-ru"sa-lem in the temple. But the people gathered for worship and for the study of the law far more faithfully than before the exile; for adversity is a school of religious character far more than prosperity. The exile would naturally exert an influence in the direction of religion. While the irreligious and idolatrous among the captives would soon drop out of the nation and be lost among the Gen"tiles, the earnest, the spiritual, and the G.o.d-fearing would grow more intense in their devotion.
4. =They were instructed by prophets and teachers.= Jer-e-mi"ah lived for some time after the beginning of the captivity, made a visit to Bab"y-lon, and wrote at least one letter to the exiles (Jer. 13. 4-7; 29. 1-3). Dan"iel lived during the captivity, and, though in the court, maintained a deep interest in his people, and comforted them by his prophecies. E-ze"ki-el was himself one of the captives, and all his teachings were addressed to them (Ezek. 1. 1-3). Many evangelical and eminent Bible scholars are of the opinion that the latter part of I-sa"iah, from the fortieth chapter to the end, was given by a "later I-sa"iah" during the exile; but whether written at that time or earlier, it must have circulated among the captives and given them new hope and inspiration. The radical change in the character of the Jews which took place during this period shows that a great revival swept over the captive people and brought them back to the earnest religion of their n.o.blest ancestors.
5. =Their literature was preserved and enlarged.= Internal evidence shows that the books of the Kings were finished and the books of the Chronicles written at this time or soon afterward; the teachings of Dan"iel, E-ze"ki-el, Ha-bak"kuk, and other of the minor prophets were given; and a number of the best psalms were composed during this epoch, as such poems are likely to be written in periods of trial and sorrow.
Out of many psalms we cite Psa. 124, 126, 129, 130, 137, as manifestly written during the captivity. The exile was an age of life and vigor to He"brew literature.
V. =The Results of the Captivity.= In the year B. C. 536 the city of Bab"y-lon was taken by Cy"rus, king of the combined Medes and Per"sians.
One of his first acts was to issue an edict permitting the exiled Jews to return to their own country and rebuild their city. Not all the Jews availed themselves of this privilege, for many were already rooted in their new homes, where they had been for two generations. But a large number returned (Ezra 2. 64), and reestablished the city and state of the Jews. The captivity, however, left its impress upon the people down to the end of their national history, and even to the present time.
1. =There was a change in language=, from He"brew to Ar-a-ma"ic, or Chal-da"ic. The books of the Old Testament written after the restoration are in a different dialect from the earlier writings. After the captivity the Jews needed an interpreter in order to understand their own earlier Scriptures. Allusion to this fact is given in Neh. 8. 7. The Chal"dee of Bab"y-lon and the He"brew were sufficiently alike to cause the people during two generations to glide imperceptibly from one to the other, until the knowledge of their ancient tongue was lost to all except the scholars.
2. =There was a change in habits.= Before the captivity the Jews were a secluded people, having scarcely any relation with the world. The captivity brought them into contact with other nations, and greatly modified their manner of living. Hitherto they had been mostly farmers, living on their own fields; now they became merchants and traders, and filled the world with their commerce. Rarely now do we find a Jew who cultivates the ground for his support. They are in the cities, buying and selling. This tendency began with the Bab-y-lo"ni-an captivity, and has since been strengthened by the varied experiences, especially by the persecutions, of the Jews during the centuries.
3 =There was a change in character.= This was the most radical of all. Before the captivity the crying sin of Ju"dah, as well as of Is"ra-el, was its tendency to idolatry. Every prophet had warned against it and rebuked it, reformers had risen up, kings had endeavored to extirpate it; but all in vain--the worshipers of G.o.d were the few; the worshipers of idols were the many. After the captivity there was a wonderful transformation. From that time we never read of a Jew bowing his knee before an idol. The entire nation was a unit in the service of Je-ho"vah. Among all the warnings of the later prophets, and the reforms of Ez"ra and Ne-he-mi"ah, there is no allusion to idolatry. That crime was utterly and forever eradicated; from the captivity until to-day the Jews have been the people of the one, invisible G.o.d, and intense in their hatred of idols.
4. =There were new inst.i.tutions= as the result of the captivity. Two great inst.i.tutions arose during the captivity:
1.) The _synagogue_, which grew up among the exiles, was carried back to Pal"es-tine, and was established throughout the Jew"ish world. This was a meeting of Jews for worship, for reading the law, and for religious instruction. It had far greater influence than the temple after the captivity; for while there was but one temple in all the Jewish world, there was a synagogue in every city and village where Jews lived; and while the temple was the seat of a priestly and ritualistic service, the synagogue promoted freedom of religious thought and utterance. Out of the synagogue, far more than the temple, grew the Christian church.
2.) _The order of scribes_ was also a result of the captivity. The days of direct inspiration through prophets were pa.s.sing away, and those of the written Scripture, with a cla.s.s of men to study and interpret it, came in their place. During the captivity the devout Jews studied the books of their literature, the law, the psalms, the histories, and the prophets. After the captivity arose a series of scholars who were the expounders of the Scriptures. Their founder was Ez"ra, at once a priest, a scribe, and a prophet (Ezra 7. 1-10), who arranged the books and in a measure completed the canon of Old Testament Scripture.
5. =There was a new hope, that of a Mes-si"ah.= From the time of the captivity the Jew"ish people looked forward with eager expectation to the coming of a Deliverer, the Consolation of Is"ra-el, the "Anointed One" (the word Mes-si"ah means "anointed"), who should lift up his people from the dust, exalt the throne of Da"vid, and establish an empire over all the nations. This had been promised by prophets for centuries before the exile, but only then did it begin to shine as the great hope of the people. It grew brighter with each generation, and finally appeared in the coming of Je"sus Christ, the King of Is"ra-el.
6. From the captivity there =were two parts of the Jew"ish people=: the Jews of Pal"es-tine, and the Jews of the dispersion, 1.) The Jews of Pal"es-tine, sometimes called He"brews (Acts 6. 1), were the lesser in number, who lived in their own land and maintained the Jew"ish state.
2.) The Jews of the dispersion were the descendants of those who did not return after the decree of Cy"rus (Ezra 1. 1), but remained in foreign lands and gradually formed Jew"ish "quarters" in all the cities of the ancient world. They were the larger in number, and later were called "Gre"cian Jews," or h.e.l.lenists, from the language which they used (Acts 6. 1). Between these two bodies there was a close relation. The Jews of the dispersion had synagogues in every city (Acts 15. 6), were devoted to the law, made constant pilgrimages to Je-ru"sa-lem, and were recognized as having one hope with the Jews of Pal"es-tine. The traits of the two bodies were different, but each contributed its own elements toward the making of a great people.
Blackboard Outline
IV. =Con. Cap.= 1. Kin. tre. 2. Org. main. 3. La. wor. obs. 4. Ins.
pro. tea. 5. Lit. pre. enl.
V. =Res. Cap.= 1. Ch. Ian. 2. Ch. hab. 3. Ch. char. 4. Ne. ins.
(syn. scr.) 5. Hop. Mess. 6. Two. par. peo.
Review Questions
How were the captive Jews treated? What evidences show that their national organization was continued during the captivity? Why was this fact a fortunate one for the exiles? What customs of the Jews were observed during the captivity? What instructors did the Jews have during this period? What was the condition of Jew"ish literature during the captivity? What events followed the decree of Cy"rus? Did all the exiles of the Jews return? What change in language was wrought by the captivity? What change in habits followed the captivity? What great change in religion came as the result of the captivity? How can that change be accounted for? What two inst.i.tutions arose during the captivity? What new hope arose at this time? How were the Jews divided after the captivity?
FIFTEENTH STUDY
The Jewish Province
PART ONE