3O

3O

Jehoahaz died in captivity in Egypt, the first king of Judah to die in exile. And Jehoiakim became king of Judah. Necho then appointed Eliakim, another son of Josiah, as king of Judah. Eliakim changed his name to Jehoiakim.

After serving as the vassal of Nebuchadnezzar for three years Jehoiakim revolted against Babylon. But the king died at the hands of pro-Babylon partisans before the combined armies of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites and Ammonites could reach Jerusalem. And he was succeeded by his son Jeconiah.

And Azariah became High Priest in Jerusalem, but not unto God Most High, for the line of Lael in Kemen had become of the apple of Bat-El's eye. And following the first Day of Atonement Azariah told the priests, in confidence, that the Ark of the Covenant was not seen in the Holiest Place, and must have been withdrawn by God himself, but this was not told to the king, nor were any of Bat-El's words concerning the so-called Code of Moshe known to Azariah. Thus the Lord's punishment rolled on.

Like Jehoahaz, King Jeconiah also reigned only three months in Jerusalem. During his reign Nebuchadnezzar personally laid siege to Jerusalem and would accept no offers of tribute from Jeconiah to desist. When the seige became strait Jeconiah surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was taken captive to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures of the temple and deported the army, the craftsmen, and all the landowners of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah, the uncle of Jeconiah, as king and changed his name to Zedekiah. In that same year Seraiah became the last High Priest in Judah.

King Zedekiah reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. Near the end of his reign, King Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

Zedekiah attempted to escape the city but he was captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar. The sons of Zedekiah were slain before his eyes, and then Zedekiah was blinded, bound in chains, and taken to Babylon.

The Babylonians burned the temple and the palace of the king, and they burned every house within the walls of Jerusalem. The walls of the city were torn down and the twenty thousand people of the city were taken into exile in Babylon. From that day the kingdom of Judah ceased to exist, for it had becaome a mere province of Babylon.