Babylonian captivity - Research Paper Example

This paper seeks to discuss the Babylonian Captivity (Michael 36). Following the capture of the Babylonians city, a certain number of Israelis, who perhaps were selected basing on their importance and prosperity, were deported back to Mesopotamia. The number that remained is still being disputed by various scholars, but the deportations were the common places in Babylon and in Syria policy. The exiles made sure their links with their relatives back at home was maintained as clearly explained by the Ezekiel who was the early year’s prophet of exiles.

In about 538 B.C, Cyrus the great, who was by then the new master of an empire put initialized a new attitude geared towards the restoration of worship, as well as the decreed and nations at Jerusalem. The centaury that came after this decree was essential in the Jews history given that it was the time that the Jews got reintegrated into a religious and national unit. In certain parts of this period, Nehemiah and Ezra are regarded as the best source. Notably, it is during this period that the prophesied seventy years of captivity were all fulfilled at a time when the new template was completely finished in 516 B.C. The exile to Babylon and the act of destroying the temple do represent a magnificent shock to the Jewish persons.

Formerly, there lacked a basis of comparison given that during early days, normative Judaism was taken to imply constantly living in presence of God, which was an act well acceptable at the temple. There are numerous miracles that did occur on a daily basis at the temple and could easily be witnessed by many people. For instance, whichever way wind blew, the smoke of sacrifices obeyed and went ascended straight to heaven. In this case, feeling spiritual while in the temple was such an intense spirituality and it was a clear indication that God was together with the Jewish people.

It was the same for the land. One specific miracle exhibited by the land, was that after every six years, there was a bumper crop harvest, which provided the Jews an opportunity to take the seventh year (the sabbatical year). However, it is worth contenting that as it presently stands, the temple, God’s presence and the land are all gone. This explains why they wept at the rivers of Babylon. History has it that whenever the Babylonians attacked Israel, they took with them 10,000 of the brightest and the best that appeared to be as a disaster.

However, with the Jews coming to Babylon, it seems to be a blessing because with their arrival, the Jewish infrastructure is implemented. It is from this that it can be observed that the Yeshivas were established, with there being a mikever and butcher. This, therefore, implies that the Jewish life continues and hence there can hardly be seen any assimilation during the period of Babylonian exile. LIFE IN EXILE As widely noted, the Babylonians were notably quite cruel while pursuing their wars and conquests, as well as attitudes towards the Jewish community who were living and let live (Michael 23).

It happened that that life while in Babylonian turned out not as such too awful as expected. Therefore, they went ahead to point at the community leader who at the time was their representative to the Babylonian authority for the Jewish commun