Page 87 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

strategy and high taxes on the people. As captives in the land, the Jewish people obviously made
tremendous contributions, either with their monetary resources or labor.

God’s Providential Care

In 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great, king of the Persian empire, conquered and took control of the Babylonian
empire. Within a year of his victory, Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland.
Counting from 586 BCE, the Jews were held in Babylonian captivity for about 48 years. Traditionally, and
according to Jeremiah 29:10, the exile lasted 70 years. The traditional view often counts from 586 BCE to
516 BCE, the year when the rebuilt Temple was dedicated in Jerusalem. Another notable view chooses
the dates 608 to 538. Returning Jews left Babylonia at various times, while some Jews chose to remain
in Babylonia, thus constituting the first of numerous Jewish communities living permanently in
the diaspora. Acts 2:9-11 seems to indicate that such communities as these (in diaspora) kept in tune
with Jewish festivals and traveled to Jerusalem.

In any case, God sovereignly and providentially sustained his people throughout their captivity in
Babylon. Although the Jews suffered greatly and faced powerful cultural pressures in a foreign land, they
maintained their national spirit and religious identity. God raised faithful and uncompromising men,
such as Daniel, to positions of leadership and influence in the foreign land (Daniel 2:48). Through their
obedient actions, such men influenced not only the lives of fellow Jews but also those of pagan leaders
(Dan. 3:8-30). Daniel might have been influential in the release of Jehoiachin, the imprisoned Jewish king
in Babylonia. (2 Kings 25:27–30)

Meanwhile, godly men such as Ezekiel communicated God’s counsel to God’s people. Elders acting as
representatives of Jewish communities frequently visited Ezekiel to hear God’s Word ((Ezekiel 8:1; 14:1;
20:1). “Apparently, the lines of communication were open too. Jeremiah wrote letters to the captives in
Babylonia (Jeremiah 29:1). The captives in Babylon also wrote letters to friends in Judah (Jeremiah
29:25). To what degree they preserved the true faith among the Jews in captivity must be left open to
question, but they do not seem to have succumbed in any substantial numbers to the idolatry of the
Babylonians.” 123 This is demonstrated by significant spiritual reform in Jerusalem upon their return,
recorded in the books of Nehemiah and Ezra.

Jewish artisans and other skilled men (2 Kings 24:14) evidently advanced their skills while in Babylonia.
Their participation in building Babylon and other prominent cities afforded them a learning opportunity
in advanced arts and crafts. Their successful rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem while fighting off
enemies (Nehemiah 4:15-23), indicates that a good number of Jewish men possessed some military skill
they likely acquired from the Babylonian army.

Clearly, in all this, God still shaped his people for their restoration and the reformation that soon took
place in Jerusalem, which we will cover in the following chapter.

123 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (pp.
312–313). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.

86