Tevet 10, 5785; from sunset January 9, 2025, to sunset January 10, 2025
(The tenth day of the tenth month)
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).
Above is an image of one of the Babylonian Chronicles. This particular tablet relates Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Jerusalem when he looted the Temple treasuries and deported the elite of Jerusalem. Though it does not mention Jehoiachin or Zedekiah by name – it does tell the story of Jehoiachin’s removal from the throne and Zedekiah’s appointment. Today’s story takes place nine years later.
For the last two decades, ever since the death of Josiah, Judah has been in trouble. First with Pharaoh Necho and then with Nebuchadnezzar.
During the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and they became his vassal. Babylon had also invaded Egypt and took its territory from the wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River. After three years, Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon. Then he died and his son Jehoachin became king. During his days Nebuchadnezzar laid siege against Jerusalem, emptied the Temple treasuries, cut up the gold vessels made in the days of Solomon and carried off the elite of the city (including the king) – leaving only the poor. Nebuchadnezzar installed a 21-year-old Zedekiah as king in Jehoiachin’s place. For his whole life Zedekiah had known nothing but life under the thumb of his country’s oppressors. Nine years into his reign Zedekiah also rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar…setting in motion a series of events which ended with the destruction of the Temple.
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. – 2 Kings 25:1-2 (NIV)
For the next two and a half years the city was under siege. It’s hard for us to imagine what that must have been like. Because of these events, a fast was initiated. It became known as the “Fast of the Tenth Month.” Zechariah famously declared that one day this will become a joyous feast day.
And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace. – Zechariah 8:18-19 (RSV)
Until that day, the fast is still observed and those who desire to mourn this event should fast between sunrise and sunset. The above story is also recorded in Jeremiah 39 & 52:
This the name Jeremiah (“Yirmeyahu”) as seen in the Aleppo Codex, written over one thousand years ago.
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. – Jeremiah 39:1 (NKJ)
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. – Jeremiah 52:4-5 (NKJ)
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