Western Civilization

The southern kingdom of Judah was also forced to

pay tribute to Assyria but managed to retain its inde-

pendence as Assyrian power declined. A new enemy,

however, appeared on the horizon. The Chaldeans

(kal-DEE-unz) brought the final destruction of Assyria,

conquered the kingdom of Judah, and completely

destroyed Jerusalem in 586B.C.E. Many people from

Judah were deported to Babylonia; the memory of

their exile is still evoked in the stirring words of

Psalm 137:

By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when

we remembered Zion....

How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a

foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget

its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do

not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem

my highest joy.^2

But the Babylonian captivity of the people of Judah did

not last. A new set of conquerors, the Persians,

destroyed the Chaldean kingdom and allowed the peo-

ple of Judah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their

SYRIA

Dead Sea

CYPRUS

Mediterranean

Sea

EGYPT

Red Sea

Byblos

Sidon

Tyre

Samaria

Jerusalem

Jordan R.

Damascus

Euphrates R.

Nile

R. SINAI

Mt.

Sinai

0 100 200 Miles

0 100 200 300 Kilometers

Philistines

Kingdom of

Judah

Kingdom of

Israel

Phoenicians

MAP 2.1The Israelites and Their Neighbors in the First

MillenniumB.C.E.United under Saul, David, and Solomon

according to the biblical account, greater Israel split into

two states—Israel and Judah—after the death of Solomon.

With power divided, the Israelites could not resist

invasions, which dispersed many Jews from Canaan. Some,

such as the “ten lost tribes,” never returned. Others were

sent to Babylon but were later allowed to return under the

rule of the Persians.

Q Why was Israel more vulnerable to the Assyrian

Empire than Judah was?

Prisoners from Judah.The Assyrians overran the kingdom

of Israel in 722 or 721B.C.E., destroyed the capital city of

Samaria, and then began an assault on the kingdom of Judah.

In this eighth-centuryB.C.E. relief from the palace of

Sennacherib at Nineveh, Assyrian soldiers are seen impaling

Jewish prisoners after their conquest of the fortified town of

Lachish in Judah in 701B.C.E.

British Museum, London/Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

The Hebrews: “The Children of Israel” 31

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