Judah’s Road to Ruin

609 B.C.E.

• Pharaoh Necho II, leader of the mightiest power of the day, marches north to support the dying Assyrian Empire in its struggle against the rising star of Babylon. As the Egyptian forces pass through Megiddo, King Josiah of Judah attacks and is defeated. Josiah dies from a battle wound and is succeeded by his younger, anti-Egyptian son Jehoahaz. Necho swiftly deposes Jehoahaz and installs his elder, pro-Egyptian brother Jehoiakim as vassal king of Judah.

• Egypt crosses the Euphrates in July and joins forces with the Assyrians. Egypt controls the region from the Euphrates to Egypt (2 Kings 24:7).

• Judah’s brief stretch of independence, between periods of Assyrian and Egyptian domination, comes to an end.

605 B.C.E.

• Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon takes the reins of power and routs Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish, on the Euphrates. Syria and Palestine fall to the Babylonians.

• Failing to recognize the enormity of this shift in power, Judah sympathizes with Egypt, thereby ensuring future conflict with Babylon.

603 B.C.E.

• Judah surrenders to Babylon as Nebuchadnezzar sweeps through Syria-Palestine. Despite his pro-Egyptian sympathies, Jehoiakim submits to Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1).

601/600 B.C.E.

• Babylonia attacks, and is defeated by, Egypt in the eastern Delta. Nebuchadnezzar withdraws to Babylon for two years to rebuild his army. This allows Necho to campaign in southern Palestine. Jehoiakim, sensing shifts in the balance of power, switches his allegiance to Necho, who seeks to build a coalition against Babylon.