Babylonian Captivity | Definition, History, & Significance - Britannica

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External Websites

• The University of Chicago Press Journals - Influence of the Babylonian Exile on the religion of Israel
• JewishEncyclopedia.com - Captivity, or Exile, Babylonian
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - The Babylonian Captivity
• St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology - Exile: History, Interpretation, and Theology
• Boston University - Babylonian Exile and Beyond
• Jewish Virtual Library - The Jewish Temples: The Babylonian Exile
• Humanities LibreTexts - The Babylonian Captivity and the Great Western Schism
• Bible Odyssey - Babylonian Exile

Babylonian Captivity Jewish history Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Babylonian Exile Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Babylonian Captivity, the forced detention of Jews in Babylonia following the Neo-Babylonian Empire’s conquest of the kingdom of Judah in 598/7 and 587/6 bce. The captivity formally ended in 538 bce, when the Persian conqueror of Babylonia, Cyrus the Great, gave the Jews permission to return to Palestine. Historians agree that several deportations took place (each the result of uprisings in Palestine), that not all Jews were forced to leave their homeland, that returning Jews left Babylonia at various times, and that some Jews chose to remain in Babylonia—thus constituting the first of numerous Jewish communities living permanently in the Diaspora.

Many scholars cite 597 bce as the date of the first deportation, for in that year King Jehoiachin was deposed and apparently sent into exile with his family, his court, and thousands of workers. Others say the first deportation followed the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar in 586; if so, the Jews were held in Babylonian captivity for 48 years. Among those who accept a tradition (Jeremiah 29:10) that the exile lasted 70 years, some choose the dates 608 to 538, others 586 to about 516 (the year when the rebuilt Temple was dedicated in Jerusalem).

Quick Facts Also called: Babylonian Exile (Show more) Date: c. 598 BCE - c. 538 (Show more) Location: Babylonia (Show more) Participants: Jew (Show more) Key People: Ezekiel Ezra Jeremiah Nebuchadnezzar II Nehemiah (Show more) See all related content

Although the Jews suffered greatly and faced powerful cultural pressures in a foreign land, they maintained their national spirit and religious identity. Elders supervised the Jewish communities, and Ezekiel was one of several prophets who kept alive the hope of one day returning home. This was possibly also the period when synagogues were first established, for the Jews observed the Sabbath and religious holidays, practiced circumcision, and substituted prayers for former ritual sacrifices in the Temple. The degree to which the Jews looked upon Cyrus the Great as their benefactor and a servant of their God is reflected at several points in the Hebrew Bible—e.g., at Isaiah 45:1–3, where he is actually called God’s anointed.

More From Britannica biblical literature: The Babylonian Exile and the restoration The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.