Why was King Jehoiachin taken to Babylonia in 597 BCE?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

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.

King Jehoiachin was taken to Babylonia in 597 BCE following his surrender to the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar II.12

The conflict arose after Jehoiachin’s father, King Jehoiakim, rebelled against the Neo-Babylonian empire by withholding tribute and counting on military support from Egypt. In response, Nebuchadrezzar II sent an army to besiege Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died before the siege concluded, leaving his son, Jehoiachin, to surrender the capital on March 16, 597 BCE. Upon the surrender, Jehoiachin and thousands of his subjects were taken into exile in Babylonia, marking an early stage of the Babylonian Captivity.321