Why was Jeremiah taken to Egypt after Gedaliah was assassinated?

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Painting by Rembrandt van Rijn showing Jeremiah sitting in a dimly lit cave, head resting on his hand in sorrow, with Jerusalem burning in the background. — Jeremiah *Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem*, oil on panel by Rembrandt, 1630: in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Following the assassination of Gedaliah—the governor appointed by the Babylonians over the province of Judah—the remaining Jewish population in the region feared violent reprisal from the Babylonian authorities.123

In this climate of instability and terror, these survivors chose to flee to Egypt for safety. According to the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah was taken to Egypt against his will by this group of fleeing Jews. Even after his forced relocation, Jeremiah continued to serve as a spiritual leader, rebuking his fellow exiles until his death around 570 BCE.2314