31 - The Babylonian Exile and the restoration of the Jews in Palestine (586–c. 500 B.C.)

Summary

PALESTINE DURING THE EXILE

When Nebuchadrezzar returned to Babylon in the autumn of 586 B.C., he took with him a substantial part of the remaining population of Jerusalem, including the skilled craftsmen, who may well at that time have been concentrated in the city. Gedaliah ben Ahikam ben Shaphan (II Ki. 25:22), the puppet ruler left in command by Nebuchadrezzar, was not, as the previous nominee, Zedekiah, had been, in the royal Davidic succession, but he did come from a line of distinguished state officials, his grandfather having played a part in the promulgation of the Book of the Law in Josiah's time, and his father having on one occasion intervened with Jehoiakim to preserve the life of the prophet Jeremiah. A clay seal impression from Lachish suggests that he himself may well at an earlier date have held the position of royal chamberlain. This impression, which is probably to be dated to the latter part in the seventh century, reads ‘Belonging to Gedaliah the chamberlain’, and if it does indeed come from his own seal it shows that he held this office in the time of Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, or Zedekiah, probably the last, since his father was still active in the time of Jehoiachin and he would not have reached years of seniority until later. It is possible, though by no means certain, that another clay seal impression of unknown provenance, but palaeo-graphically of the early sixth century B.C., inscribed ‘Belonging to Hananiah ben Gedaliah’, might refer to an otherwise unknown son.