Today in class we finished talking about Josiah’s Jerusalem and began discussing the exilic Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. Finishing up Josiah’s Jerusalem, we continued to look at the development of literacy in the ancient world. We examined the Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon, which is a letter from a man pleading for his robes back. This is directly related to scripture in Exodus and Amos that requires that robes be returned to workers at the end of the day. This brings up the question of whether the scripture was written first or if it was oral tradition that was later taken down into writing. We also have examples of biblical blessings inscribed on pieces of jewelry long before we see them written in the biblical context.
In 586 BCE the Babylonians destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. This was the 2nd Babylonian exile where the elites were exiled. The 1st Babylonian exile took place in 597 BCE when the King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel were exiled. We have archaeological evidence of the destruction of the temple and a declining populationwith burnt layers and a lack of other artifacts. This marks the fall of the promise to David from 2 Samuel 7. The people have been kicked out of their land, the temple has been destroyed and it looks as if there is no hope for the people of Jerusalem. This is the idea that we closed on: what do you do when everything you believe, the foundation of your religion, contradicts everything you are seeing in reality?
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