Judah Alone (721-587 B.C.E.)

C. Judah Alone (721-587 B.C.E.)

After 721 B.C.E. Judah was the only kingdom of "Israelites" left; the territory north of Judah was now an Assyrian province. Ahaz, the Judean king at the time of Israel's demise, remained loyal to Assyria, but his son, Hezekiah, established alliances with Egypt and Babylon as a hedge against Assyria. This roused Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to mount an attack on Jerusalem in 701 B.C.E. Under mysterious circumstances Sennacherib withdrew his troops before achieving the surrender of the city. During this crisis Isaiah supported the Davidic dynasty in principle but criticized its particular rulers (see Chapter 10).

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Hezekiah's Tunnel.This tunnel linked the city of Jerusalem with its water source. It was constructed in anticipation of Sennacherib's attack. Photo by Barry Bandstra

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    Manasseh, the next king of Judah, ruled for forty-five years, content to submit to the Assyrians and benefit from the international peace that came from the arrangement. Toward the end of his reign Assyria was on the decline, and Babylonia was gaining strength and territory. By the mid-seventh century B.C.E. things were astir in the ancient Middle East, and even Egypt was reasserting influence in Canaan.
    Into this volatile situation Josiah assumed the throne in Judah. He was greeted as a David "reborn." He won back some territory in the north. He also backed a major religious reform in Judah, a reform that is intimately associated with the book of Deuteronomy. At this same time Jeremiah (see Chapter 11) and Zephaniah (see Chapter 13) challenged Judah to return to faith during its stand against mighty Babylonia.
    In 622 B.C.E., during the reign of Josiah a scroll was found in the Jerusalem temple in the course of cleaning up the sanctuary to return it to authentic Yahwistic worship. The scroll contained a collection of laws that originated in the Northern Kingdom. This scroll has been identified as the core of the present book of Deuteronomy (see Chapter 5). Called the "book of the covenant," it inspired serious Yahwistic revival in Judah, entailing sweeping political and religious changes.
    Meanwhile, Nebuchadnezzar was extending Babylonian influence westward. Defeating the combined forces of Assyria and Egypt at Carchemish in 605 B.C.E., he now had access to Canaan, including Judah. Nahum gloated over the destruction of once mighty Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (see Chapter 13).
    Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E., deported its king Jehoiachin to Babylon, along with many of Jerusalem's influential citizens, and placed Zedekiah on the throne expecting him to be cooperative. When Zedekiah made an alliance with Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem in 587 and destroyed Jerusalem, including its temple. Zedekiah was blinded and taken away captive. In a second deportation, Nebuchadnezzar took even more of Jerusalem's citizenry to Babylon, and rendered Judah incapable of challenging him again. Habakkuk agonized over a divine justice that could employ wicked Babylonia to punish God's chosen people (see Chapter 13).