The Babylonian captivity, or exile, was the period when many people of the Kingdom of Judah were taken to Babylon after being defeated by Nebuchadnezzar II. A first group, including the king Jehoiachin and many of the elite, was deported after the capture of Jerusalem, and a larger deportation followed when the city and the Temple were destroyed some years later. In Babylonia the exiles preserved their religion and traditions, and much of the Hebrew Bible was shaped or edited in this period, with prophets such as Ezekiel speaking to the community. After the Persian king Cyrus conquered Babylon, he allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. The experience left a deep mark on Jewish thought and memory.
Before and after
- c. 600s BCEPhoenician sailors circumnavigate Africa, according to Herodotus
- from 600 BCE to 500 BCEArchaic Greece
- 600 BCEFounding of Milan
- 600 BCEBirth of Cyrus the Great
- from 16 March 597 BCE to 1 January 538 BCEBabylonian captivity
- c. 595 BCESolon reforms Athens
- from 589 BCE to 587 BCESiege of Jerusalem
- 587 BCENebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple
- 575 BCEIshtar Gate
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- c. 2,560 BCEConstruction of Great Pyramid of Giza
- 6th century BCEConstruction of Parthenon
- from January 27 BCE to January 395 CERoman Empire
- 11 May 330 CEConstantine dedicates Constantinople
- 25 March 421 CEFounding of Venice
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 6th century BCE.