Difference between revisions of "Exile"

<li> Of the kingdom of the two tribes, the kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (&nbsp;Jeremiah 25:1 ), invaded Judah, and carried away some royal youths, including Daniel and his companions (B.C. 606), together with the sacred vessels of the temple (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:7; &nbsp;Daniel 1:2 ). In B.C. 598 (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:28; &nbsp;2 Kings 24:12 ), in the beginning of Jehoiachin's reign (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:8 ), Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive 3,023 eminent Jews, including the king (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:10 ), with his family and officers (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:12 ), and a large number of warriors (16), with very many persons of note (14), and artisans (16), leaving behind only those who were poor and helpless. This was the first general deportation to Babylon. <p> In B.C. 588, after the revolt of [[Zedekiah]] (q.v.), there was a second general deportation of Jews by Nebuchadnezzar (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:29; &nbsp;2 Kings 25:8 ), including 832 more of the principal men of the kingdom. He carried away also the rest of the sacred vessels (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:18 ). From this period, when the temple was destroyed (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:9 ), to the complete restoration, B.C. 517 (&nbsp;Ezra 6:15 ), is the period of the "seventy years." </p> <p> In B.C. 582 occurred the last and final deportation. The entire number Nebuchadnezzar carried captive was 4,600 heads of families with their wives and children and dependants (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:30; &nbsp;43:5-7; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:20 , etc.). Thus the exiles formed a very considerable community in Babylon. </p> <p> When Cyrus granted permission to the Jews to return to their own land (&nbsp;Ezra 1:5; &nbsp;7:13 ), only a comparatively small number at first availed themselves of the privilege. It cannot be questioned that many belonging to the kingdom of Israel ultimately joined the Jews under Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, and returned along with them to Jerusalem (&nbsp;Jeremiah 50:4,5,17-20,33-35 ). </p> <p> Large numbers had, however, settled in the land of Babylon, and formed numerous colonies in different parts of the kingdom. Their descendants very probably have spread far into Eastern lands and become absorbed in the general population. (See JUDAH, KINGDOM OF; [[Captivity]] .) </p> <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Exile'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/e/exile.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> In the Old Testament ‘the exile’, or ‘the captivity’, refers to the period of approximately seventy years that followed Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem and deportation of the people into captivity in Babylon (2 Kings 24; &nbsp;2 Kings 25:1-21; &nbsp;Jeremiah 25:11-12; &nbsp;Jeremiah 29:10; &nbsp;Daniel 1:1-4; &nbsp;Ezekiel 1:1-3). (For details of the successive stages of this conquest and deportation see JUDAH, [[Tribe]] AND KINGDOM. For details of life in captivity in Babylon see [[Daniel]] ; [[Ezekiel]] .) The exile came to an end after Persia’s conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, when the new ruler gave permission to the captive Jews to return to their homeland (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:22-23; &nbsp;Ezra 1:1-4; &nbsp;Isaiah 48:20; see CHRONICLES, [[Books]] OF; EZRA). </p> <p> In the New Testament ‘the exile’ refers to the life of [[Christians]] in the present world. Since Christians are considered to be a citizen of heaven, their present life is like that of foreigners or pilgrims in an alien country (&nbsp;Philippians 3:20; &nbsp;Hebrews 13:14; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:1; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:17; &nbsp;1 Peter 2:11; see [[Foreigner]] ). </p>

<p> (only occurs of an expatriated person, צעֶה, ''Tsoeh', Bent,'' "captive exile," &nbsp;Isaiah 51:14; גֹלֶה, ''Goleh', A Transported'' captive, as elsewhere often (See Assyrio-Babylonian Banish)), of the [[Israelitish]] nation (comp. Cellarii ''Dissertatt.'' page 178 sq.). (See Captivity). </p> <p> '''1.''' Of the kingdom of ''Israel,'' as early as the time of [[Pekah]] (q.v.), B.C. cir. 741. Tiglath Pileser (q.v.), in accordance with a cardinal maxim of Oriental despots (compare Haeren, Ideen, I, 1:405 sq.; Gesenius, Jesa. 1:949), transported to Assyria (&nbsp;2 Kings 15:29; comp. Isaiah 8:23) a part of the inhabitants of [[Galilee]] and the trans-Jordanic provinces (Gilead). A still earlier deportation (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 5:26) seems to have been made by [[Pul]] (q.v.). After the destruction of Samaria (q.v.) and the entire northern state (B.C. 720) by Shalmaneser (q.v.), the same fate overtook all the distinguished and serviceable Israelites (&nbsp;2 Kings 17:6; &nbsp;2 Kings 18:9 sq.; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 5:26). They were assigned a residence on the Chaboras, in [[Mesopotamia]] (See [[Habor]]), and in Media (comp. Josephus, ''Ant.'' 9:14, 1), and there established the worship of [[Jehovah]] after their corrupt fashion (&nbsp;2 Kings 17:27 sq.). See Witsius, Δεκάφυλον, ''Site De Decem Tribubus Isr.'' (in his '',Egyptiaca,'' page 318 sq.), Michaelis, ''De Exilio Decem Tribuum'' (in his ''Comment. Soc. Gott.'' Brem. 1774, page 31 sq.). (See Israel (Kingdom Of).) </p> <p> '''2.''' Respecting the carrying away of the [[Jews]] in several colonies, there are various accounts in the Hebrew historical books, which modern writers have not carefully distinguished (see Bauer, ''Hebrews Gesch.'' 2:370 sq.; Jahn, ''Archdol.'' 11, 1:190 sq.; Bertholdt, ''Zeittafel Zum'' Daniel, page 503 sq.). </p> <p> '''(a.)''' The books of Kings mention only two deportations: ''The First'' occurred after the surrender of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, in the time of [[Jehoiachin]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:14 sq.; comp. &nbsp;Jeremiah 27:20 sq.; in this way involved [[Mordecai]] (&nbsp;Esther 2:6), and it befell (besides the king himself) the affluent and useful citizens, 10,000 and upwards in number (Josephus says 10,832, Ant. 10:7, 1); the second was the result of a formal capture of Jerusalem by assault of the Chaldaeans in the time of Zedekisah, and was effected by Nebuchadnezzar's general (in that prince's 19th year) [[Nebuzaradan]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:11). Only the common people, devoted to agriculture, remained (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:12; &nbsp;2 Kings 25:22). </p> <p> '''(b.)''' The books of Chronicles expressly record only the carrying away under Zedekiah (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 26:20), while (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 26:10), in mentioning the transportation of king Jehoiachin, they say nothing of a deportation of the people at that time. </p> <p> '''(c.)''' &nbsp;Jeremiah 52:28 sq., specifies three distinct carryings away, and assigns to each not only the number of those deported, but also a date namely, the first deportation in the 7th year (of Nebuchadnezzar, comp. &nbsp;Jeremiah 52:29-30), which consisted of 3023 Jews; the second in the 18th of Nebuch., of 832 chiefs of Jerusalem; then third in the 23d of Neb., of 745 individuals. [[Finally]] </p> <p> '''(d.),''' according to &nbsp;Daniel 1:1; &nbsp;Daniel 1:3 sq., as early as the 3d yeas of Jehoiakim's reign, some Jewish youths of noble families among them Daniel himself) must have been carried to Babylon. These difficulties (see Hengstenberg, Genuineness of Daniel [Clarke's ed.], page 43 sq., against De Wette, in the Hall. Encyclop. 23:7 sq.; Lengerke, Daniel, page 13 sq.) are readily adjusted by observing, 1st, that the years of Nebuchadnezzar in this passage of Jeremiah bear date from his full accession to the throne of Babylon (the beginning of B.C. 604), while those in Kings are reckoned from the epoch of his viceroyship, a little over one year earlier (See Nebuchadnezzar); and, 2dly, that the apparent discrepancy in the number of citizens transported naturally arises from the different manner in which they are enumerated and classified in the several narratives. Thus viewed, the transactions will appear concisely as follows: </p> <p> '''1.''' (Early in B.C. 6516.) Nebuuchadnezzar's invasion, in the 3d year of Jehoiakimn (&nbsp;Daniel 1:1). </p> <p> '''2.''' (Sumumer of B.C. 606.) Subjugation by Nebuchadnezzar in his first associate year, and the 4th of Jehoiakiam (&nbsp;Jeremiah 25:1); when, besides some of the sacred vessels (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:7), a few royal youths were taken away as hostages, including Daniel and his companions (&nbsp;Daniel 1:2 sq.). </p> <p> '''3.''' (Spring of B.C. 598) First general deportation, in the 7th year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:28), or the 8th of his viceroyship (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:12), and the beginning of Jehoiachin's reign (2 Kings xxiv, 8), when 3028 eminent Jews (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:28), including the king (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:10), his family, and officers (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:12), with such men as Mordecai (&nbsp;Esther 2:6), also some 7000 warriors (&nbsp;2 Kings 21:16), were carried away, making about 10,000 individuals of note (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:14), besides about 1000 artisans (&nbsp;2 Kings 24:16, and leaving only the poorer classes of the city and its neighborhood (&nbsp;2 Kings 14:14). </p> <p> '''4.''' (Late in B. C. 588.) Second general deportation, in Nebuchadnezzar's 18th year of reign (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:29), or the 19th of his viceroyship (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:8), when, besides the rest of the sacred vessels (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:18), 832 more of the principal men who had by that time rallied to Jerusalem were taken away (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:29), iucluding especially the refugees (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:1), and leaving but the commonest agricultural laborers (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:14). </p> <p> '''5.''' (Early in BS.C. 582.) Final deportation, in Nebuchadnezzer's 28d year (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:30), when the last 745 private persons (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:30) who had not fled to Egypt (&nbsp;Jeremiah 43:5-7), nor been destroyed in the pa vioum massacres (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:20), ware taken away making 4600 definitely enumerated (&nbsp;Jeremiah 52:10), but in all somue 12,600 male heads of families, with their wives, children, and dependents, from Jerusalem and its vicinity alone, and a proportionate number from the residue of the country of Judaea. </p> <p> The Babylonian exile thus began with the Jews partially in B.C. 598, but generally in B.C. 588. It ended in the first year of the reign of Cyrus (over Babylon), i.e., B.C. 536, and therefore lasted strictly 51-52 years. The reckoning of Jeremiah, however (&nbsp;Jeremiah 25:11 sq.; &nbsp;Jeremiah 29:10; compare &nbsp;2 Chronicles 36:21; &nbsp;Zechariah 1:12; &nbsp;Zechariah 7:5; Josephus, War, 5:9, 4), which assigns it a length of 70 years, is to be understood as computed from Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Western Asia in B.C. 606, when, as appears from &nbsp;Daniel 1:1; Daniel cf.1 some of the members of the royal family of Judah were carried into captivity, in fulfillment of &nbsp;Isaiah 39:6-7. (See Offerhaus, ''Spicilegium,'' page 181 sq.; Schroder, ''Rege.'' Babyl. page 286 sq.). This was the more natural epoch to the Jews, inasmuch as from that time Nebuchadnezzar became to all intents and purposes the liege lord of the Jewish kings, and in the above table we see the years of his reign are dated accordingly. It is a remarkable coincidence that from thee date of the destruction of the Temple, B.C. 588 (&nbsp;2 Kings 25:8), to the time of its complete restoration, B.C. 517 (&nbsp;Ezra 6:15), is precisely the commensurate (and sacred) term of 70 years; and this period is sometimes employed as an aera by the sacred writers (&nbsp;Ezekiel 40:1). Other very strained conjectures as to this time are those of Behin (in Iken and Hase's ''Thesaur. Theol. Philol.'' 1:954 sq.), Bengel ''(Ordo Temporum,'' page 196 sq.), etc. Ideler deems the desolation of the Temple to be exclusively referred to ''(Flandbuch D. Chronol.'' 1:530). Gramberg ''(Religionsid.'' 2:388 sq.) and Hitzig ''(Jerem.'' page 230) think the 70 years merely a round number. (See Seventy Years' Captivity). </p> <p> The condition of the Hebrews in the exile was certainly, as a general thing, not so severe (Jahn, Archaologie, II, 1:209; comp. Leydecker, De var. reip. Hebr. statu, page 299 sq., especially page 310 sq.; Verbrugge, De statu ad condit. Judaeurum teampore exil. Babyl., in his work De nomin. Hebr. plur. num. [Groning. 1730], page 71 sq.) as is usually held. Most of them became settled (&nbsp;Jeremiah 29:5 sq.), and acquired property, even to affluence (Tob. 1:22, 25; 2:1; 6:13; 8:21; 9:3; 10:11; 14:15, etc.), and the possession of slaves (&nbsp;Tobit 8:14 sq.; &nbsp;Tobit 11:10). Several were taken to court (&nbsp;Daniel 1:3 sq., &nbsp;Daniel 1:19), and even promoted to high station (Daniel 2:48 sq.; 6:2; compare &nbsp;Esther 10:3), or were honored with important trusts (&nbsp;Tobit 1:16); indeed, in one instance a [[Jewess]] actually reached queenly dignities (&nbsp;Esther 2:17). They also appear to have kept up in some sort their national constitution (&nbsp;Ezekiel 14:1; &nbsp;Ezekiel 20:1; Susan. 5:28), and to have maintained among themselves an observance of the [[Mosaic]] law (&nbsp;Tobit 7:14; Susan. 5:62). According to the [[Talmud]] (R. [[Gedaliah]] in Shalshel. Flakkab. folio 13; Gemara, Makkoth, 1:1; Sanhedr. 1:12 and 21), they were under the general direction of an aichmalotarch (q.v.), or "chief of the exiles" (ראֹשׁ הִגְּלוּת ), one of their own nation (Buddaei ''Hist. Vet. T'' . 2:863). [[Religious]] discipline was exercised among them; but, as they could not lawfully offer sacrifice outside Jerusalem, their worship necessarily consisted of prayer (and public reading, out of which naturally grew expounding) in stated assemblies (comp. Psalms 137). (See [[Synagogue]]). They did not lack strong comfort and exhortation: Ezekiel (q.v.) lifted in their midst his prophetic voice, and Jeremiah (q.v.) sent them from afar a monitory epistle (chapter 29). Probably many surrendered themselves to levity and vice (&nbsp;Ezekiel 33:31), and yielded an ear to false prophets (&nbsp;Jeremiah 29:21; but comp, &nbsp;Tobit 2:14). </p> <p> Of the permission to return to Palestine, which Cyrus granted to the entire people (&nbsp;Ezra 1:5; &nbsp;Ezra 7:13), Jews alone, in the first instance at least, availed themselves (Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7; comp. Josephus, Ant. 11:5, 2: "But the whole people of the Israelites remained in the mine country ... The ten tribes are beyond the [[Euphrates]] to this day, unknown and innumerable myriads"); for the return mentioned in &nbsp;Ezra 2:1, is only of such exiles as had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, and in the list there following there are (besides priests and Levites) only recited Judahites and Benjamites; nor can "Israel" (&nbsp;Ezra 2:59; compare &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:61) be there referred to the former kingdom so called. The indications of &nbsp;Jeremiah 1:4; Jeremiah cf., 17, 19; &nbsp;Ezekiel 37:11 sq., had, moreover, not at that time been fulfilled (the date in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 5:26 is uncertain; Keil, ''On Kings,'' page 497, n.). (See Witsius, Δεκάφυλον, page 344 sq.; Ritter, ''Erdk.'' 10:250.) Yet it cannot well be doubted that many of the exiles from the northern kingdom, who were likewise embraced in the decree of Cyrus, and at the time included in his dominions, did eventually join their Jewish brethren, if not in some of the homeward expeditions named in [[Scripture]] as having taken place under Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, yet in some smaller, later, or less distinguished companies. This supposition is not only justified by the, nature of the case, but fortified by the numerous intimations in the prophets (e.g. Jeremiah 1:4, 5, 17-20, 33-35) coupling the return of both the kingdoms (see Meth. Quart. Review, July, 1855, page 419 sq.), and is well-nigh established by the Palestinian occurrence in a late age of individuals from the northern tribes (e.g. &nbsp;Luke 2:36; comp. &nbsp;Acts 26:7). What proportion thus returned we have no means of determining; it was doubtless small, as was indeed that of the exiles from the southern tribes compared with the great mass who still remained in the land of their captivity, now become their home. [[Community]] of lot must have drawn both branches of the common stock of Israel nearer together during the captivity under the same heathen government, and it is altogether likely that in a few centuries those who permanently remained lost all trace of the sectarian distinction that had once estranged "Judah and Ephraim." (See [[Restoration]] (Of The Jews).) </p> <p> The descendants of those who did not return either centred at certain points, especially Babylon (q.v.), where they afterwards became celebrated for their Jewish schools of Rabbinical literature; or, as was chiefly the case, it may be presumed, with the more distant and earlier removed ten tribes, wandered still farther in numerous Jewish colonies into the Medo- Babylonian provinces (Lightfoot, Append. to Hor. Hebr. in Acts, page 264 sq.), remnants of which have survived to a late day (Benj. of Tudela, quoted in Ritter, Erdk. 10:241 sq.). It is possible even that the [[Samaritans]] may have owed their mongrel origin to some such source (Gesenius, De Pentat. Samar. page 4), as they were transplanted to [[Palestine]] before the deportation of the Jews, and yet sufficiently late to have allowed a partial amalgamation with the heathen whence they came to have taken place, and especially as they had only the [[Pentateuch]] (Paulus, in Eichhorn's Biblioth. 1:931). From the provinces of the [[Persian]] empire the Jewish colonists may readily have spread into Arabia, India, and even China. Wild attempts at their discovery have been abundantly made, such as those of Adair (tlistory of the American Indians, Lond. 1775), Noah (The Amer. Indians the Descendants of the ten Lost Tribes of Israel, N.Y, 1835), and [[Grant]] (Nestorians, or the Lost Tribes, N.Y. 1841). (See [[Dispersed]] Jews). </p>

<p> '''''ek´sı̄l''''' , '''''eg´zı̄l''''' ( גּלה , <i> '''''gālāh''''' </i> , צעה , <i> '''''cā‛āh''''' </i> ): Occurs twice only in the King James Version (&nbsp;2 Samuel 15:19 ( <i> '''''gālāh''''' </i> , "to remove"); &nbsp;Isaiah 51:14 ( <i> '''''cā‛āh''''' </i> , "to be bowed down"). In the Revised Version (British and American) "exile" is substituted for "captivity" (&nbsp;Ezra 8:35 ( <i> '''''shebhı̄''''' </i> ), and &nbsp;Ezekiel 12:4 ( <i> '''''gōlāh'''''' </i> ); "go into exile," for "remove and go" (&nbsp;Ezekiel 12:11 ); "exiles of Ethiopia" for "Ethiopians captives" (&nbsp;Isaiah 20:4 ); "He shall let my exiles go free" for "He shall let go my captives" (&nbsp;Isaiah 45:13 ); "an exile" for "a captive" (&nbsp;Isaiah 49:21 ). "The exile" is in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "the captivity" (which see). </p>