Starting off the lecture, we once again look at how writing was becoming popular and a social norm in Jerusalem during Hezekiah and Josiah's rule. One example is the Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon which is a physical writing that began to parallel the laws of the Hebrew Bible. In Exodus 22:25-26 and Amos 2:8, we see instructions to not abuse the poor and the return the clothes of a worker once he finishes his work. In the Yavneh Yam letter, we see a complaint from a worker who didn't get his clothes back after he had finish his work. This idea of returning clothes to workers and how it was a law that mirrors what the Hebrew Bible instructed. This shows that there was a written Law back then that people followed. Another example is the Torah amulets which were found in ketef Hinnom. On the amulets, there are quotes of Numbers 6:24-26 and Deuteronomy 7:9, which is basically a prayer. These amulets which date back to 600 BCE show that perhaps the Hebrew Bible was in fact used back as law. These objects show that the importance of literacy was growing rapidly and how writing becomes authoritative while human discourse decreases.
Now we turn our attention to Jerusalem and how the city is about to be invaded by the Babylonians. The Babylonian Empire (612-539 BCE) was the new big power growing in the region. King of Jerusalem, Josiah, was killed by Pharaoh Necro at Megiddo in 609 BCE possibly because Josiah was aiding the Babylonians. The Egyptians and Assyrians were fighting Babylonia, so it would make sense that the Pharaoh would kill Josiah if Jerusalem was in fact aiding the Babylonian Empire. In 597 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon besieges Judah and sets Zedekiah on the throne. In 586 BCE, he destroys Jerusalem and the temple and exile most of the people to Babylon. Only the poorest were left in Jerusalem. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 24. Extra biblical proof of the exile was found when 290 tablets were excavated near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. On these tablets, there were mentions to royal Judah families. This proves that there was a massive Jewish population that was in Babylonia during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, most likely from the exile.
The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had massive implications to the Jews. God had promised the safety of the holy city and that His temple would stand forever. With the temple destroyed, the Jews were confused and distraught. Everything they had learned and believed in came crashing down along with the temple. Did God break His promise? How can God be sovereign if His own dwelling place was destroyed? This feeling is known as cognitive dissonance, which is the idea where you have two contradictory beliefs that can not coexist. What happens when everything you believe in comes against reality? Can you hold on to two contradictory ideas? Some of the Jews fell out of the faith altogether whereas others tried interpreting God's covenant in a different way. Perhaps God meant something else when He made the promise to David and Hezekiah. Nonetheless, the Holy City was destroyed and there was nothing the Jews could do about it.
In certain parts of the Bible, such as Lamentations 1 and Psalm 137. We see sad and mournful passages where the authors are grieving of the tragedy. These passages have the same message, this is all part of God's plan and that its not God's fault, but the Jews fault because they angered God. Also, the Jews hope that God will come come and destroy Babylon, restoring Jerusalem back to its former glory. The Jews wanted revenge, but at the time being, there was nothing that could be done.
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