Tammuz 10 – And they overtook him in the plains of Jericho

July 16, 2024

Tammuz 10, 5784; from sunset July 15, 2024, to sunset July 16, 2024

This is an image of the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle; one of 50+ Babylonian Chronicles which is a series of tablets recording major events in Babylonian history. This tablet brags of capturing the king of Judah (Jehoiachin) and the appointment of a king of his choosing (Zedekiah).

When the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on the 9th of Tammuz, King Zedekiah fled the city. He was captured by Babylonian troops in the plains of Jericho on the 10th of Tammuz and was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who forced him to witness the slaughter of his sons, and then ordered his eyes gouged out. This story is recorded three times in the Bible: 2 Kings 25 and Jeremiah chapters 39 and 52.

Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.

So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him. Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon. – 2 Kings 25:4-7 (NKJ)

So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain. But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho.

And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. – Jeremiah 39:4-7 (NKJ)

Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.

So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. – Jeremiah 52:7-11 (NKJ)

The following commentary was taken from the website chabad.org:

Thus ended the kingdom of David, until it shall be restored again, as promised by God through His holy prophets. The destruction and exile had been predicted by Moses, and the catastrophe came to pass with all the horrors of which the Torah had warned. Realizing this, the people also remembered another prophecy of Moses, that God would preserve His covenant with His people. This prophecy contained the following words: “Yet, for all that, though they may be in the land of their enemies, will I not cast them away, neither will I despise them to destroy them completely, to break My covenant with them. And I will remember unto them the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, that I may be unto them God.”

The first Holy Temple, built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years, until it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Seventy years later, as Jeremiah prophesied, the exiles returned and built the second Holy Temple. It stood for 420 years, when it was destroyed by the Romans. Ever since then we have been waiting for the promised Messiah, a descendant of King David, to gather in our exiles and build the third Holy Temple, never to be destroyed again. This prophecy, too, will be fulfilled as surely as the others.

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