Zedekiah

Zedekiah (Hebrew צדקיהו, Zedekiah 618 * † after 586 BC, roughly translated: God of my righteousness ) was the last king of the kingdom of Judah ( the southern kingdom ) in the period of the kings of Israel. He was originally called Mattanja as the third son of Josiah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II changed Matt Anya's name after the enthronement in Zedekiah.

Regency

The most important source for the life of Zedekiah are the books Kings and Chronicles in the Bible. According to 2 Kings 24.17 to 25.7 EU, he was the brother of King Jehoiakim and thus the uncle of his predecessor King Jehoiachin of the three months and ten days reigned ( 2 Chr 36.9 EU).

Zedekiah was set up under the Babylonian Chronicle of Nebuchadnezzar II in its seventh year of reign as king after this v. around December 598 BC. / January 597 BC (month Kislimu ) was drawn against Jerusalem, and after the capitulation on 10 March 597 v. Chr.greg. ( 2 Addaru ) loot part of the temple treasures and the Jewish upper class was run together with the royal family into the Babylonian exile. In 2 Kings 24:12 EU the eighth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II is the involvement of the Akzessionsjahres other hand called.

Coincidentally, it is reported that Zedekiah was 21 years old when he ascended the throne, and that he reigned for 11 years. Although Nebuchadnezzar II Zedekiah a Gotteseid to maintain loyalty had sworn let (2 Chronicles 36.13 EU and Ezekiel 17,13 ff.EU ), Zedekiah broke in his ninth year of reign ( 589-588 BC) the promise and thereby caused the downfall of the southern kingdom of Judah. Apparently Zedekiah had made ​​efforts to bring about a coalition antibabylonische about. Jer 39.5 EU and 2 Kings 25.6 EU report of the trial before Nebuchadnezzar II, the usual punishment for breaking the oath of a god was the execution. The prophet Jeremiah sees Nebuchadnezzar II an instrument of God ( Jer 25.9 EU).

The Babylonian ruler sent his army and besieged Jerusalem and a half years from 10 January 588 v. Chr.greg. ( 10 Tebetu ) ( 2 Kgs 25.1 EU; Hes 24.1 EU). The siege was short term, interrupted by the intervention of the Pharaoh Apries, which carried military aid against his army. However Nebkudanezar II withdrew with his troops, so that Apries soon returned to Egypt and the Babylonierkönig a renewed siege of Jerusalem was made possible. In the course of the Babylonian army finally stormed on 23 July 587 BC Chr.greg. ( 9 Du'uzu ) under the leadership of the Babylonian Nergal - Sarra commander - usur the city of Jerusalem. Zedekiah fled in the Jordan Valley, but was overtaken and there deserted by his followers. He was taken prisoner before Nebuchadnezzar; this had killed his sons before his eyes had blinded him and then took him in chains to Babylon.

On August 20, 587 v. Chr.greg. ( 7 Abu ), in the 18th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II ( 587-586 BC), Nebuchadnezzar burned official Nabu - Sarra - iddina ( Nebuzaradan ), Chief of the guard, after the sack of the temple, the palace and all larger building in Jerusalem, the rest of the Judean upper classes and a part of the people were led into captivity. Jeremiah says ( Jer 52,12 EU) that the invasion of Jerusalem and the subsequent destruction in the 19th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II is said to have taken place on 10 Aw; in the second book of Kings on the other hand ( 2 Kgs 25.8 EU) on 7 Aw.

In the time before the Conquest to the destruction of Jerusalem fell after chronicling the work of Jeremiah, the prophet called by God peoples. While the King book did not mention him, and only the " anger of the LORD " suggests as a reason of the events, the Chronicle suggests the demise of statehood, the monarchy and the temple as God's judgment upon Zedekiah " hardening " and idolatry with which he ( the house of God the temple ) had contaminated:

" And the Lord God caused their fathers again and again to them by his messengers; because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people and there was no forgiveness. "