Babylonian Captivity: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	Babylonian Exile
Date	c. 598 BCE - c. 538
Location	Babylonia
Participants	Jew

Photos

James Tissot: The Flight of the Prisoners

The prophet Isaiah

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.

Statue of Nebuchadnezzar, a bearded statue in ornate robes holding a staff, set among columns and Babylonian architecture.

Etching by Jan Luyken shows Babylonian soldiers leading captives from Jerusalem as the city burns in the background, with columns of smoke and ruined buildings.

Gouache painting, showing Jewish exiles in robes sitting and reclining by a river under trees, gazing toward a city.

Engraving by Gustave Dore showing Cyrus the Great standing among ornate columns as he returns gold and silver vessels to figures in foreground.

Embroidered wall hanging shows seated figures by a river, musical instruments hanging from trees, and a city labeled as Zion, illustrating a bible verse.

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Topics

Jewish Diaspora

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Key People

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

Hebrew prophet

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Nebuchadnezzar II

king of Babylonia

Engraving by Johann Sadeler after Chrispijn van den Broeck showing Ezra, a bearded man in robes and a cap, standing outdoors and reading an open book, with a landscape in the background.

Ezra

Hebrew religious leader

Ezekiel

Hebrew prophet

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Zedekiah

king of Judah

Nehemiah

Nehemiah

Jewish leader

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Jehoiachin

king of Judah