Jeconiah

Jehoiachin (Hebrew יהויכין; Babylonian Ya'ukin Šar matYaudaya, also: Jechonjah, short form: Konya, Konjahu; * to 616 BC; † after 560 BC ) was king of Judah to succeed his father Jehoiakim. The name Jehoiachin means in Hebrew: YHWH (was ) attached.

Life

Jehoiachin's father Jehoiakim was king of Judah. An army of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar II subjugated Judah with its capital in Jerusalem and Judah made ​​tribute. Since Jehoiakim rebelled against it, there was a renewed attack an army of Babylon. During this attack Jehoiakim son Jehoiachin was appointed at age 18 to the king. His reign lasted only three months and ten days, after he surrendered to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

After he was exiled with other officials, craftsmen and soldiers to Babylon, he was about 37 years in captivity there. By Nebuchadnezzar's successor, Evil- Merodach ( Amel -Marduk ), he received back the freedom and remained in Babylon. He is considered the founder of the Exilarchats.

During the excavations in 1900 Robert Koldewey found in the Southern Citadel of Babylon administrative documents that describe the food rations for Jehoiachin and five of his seven sons ( 1 Chronicles 3:16-18 ). 1933 was the first time to decipher the cuneiform writing on such a panel. It has been well documented, what Jehoiachin ate back then. A total of four different receipts are obtained in which king Jehoiachin is mentioned. Such a cuneiform tablet is on public display in the Ancient Near East Museum in Berlin.