Archaeologists have found and cataloged an important cuneiform tablet, probably originally from Mesopotamia, but its provenance is uncertain since it was discovered and acquired off the antiquities market. However, this clay tablet has been verified as a genuine official document of the Babylonian period. Often abbreviated as ABC 5, this tablet is known as the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle — sometimes referred to as the Jerusalem Chronicle. It is part of the greater Babylonian Chronicles, and it records the Babylonian history of the first 11 years of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (from 605-594 BC).
A Bit of Background
Before we go further, it is probably useful to sketch in a little bit of history.
Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt had previously taken Judah’s King Jehoahaz captive and appointed Jehoiakim as king of Judah (reigning from 609 – 598 BC). Jehoiakim would later be replaced (briefly) by his son, Jehoiachin.
Pharaoh Necho II was defeated by the Babylonians in the battle Carchemish (~605 BC). The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle records that, Nebuchadnezzar II “crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Carchemish. They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to nonexistence.” Egypt never fully recovered from this defeat. Jeremiah the prophet wrote about the battle of Carchemish and the defeat of Egypt (Jer. 46:2).
Back to the Story
The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle goes on to recount that in year seven of Nebuchadnezzar II (about 597 BC), that “the king of Babylonia called out his army and marched to Hattu. He set his camp against the city of Judah (i.e., Jerusalem) and on 2nd Adar he took the city and captured the king (i.e., Jehoiachin). He appointed a king of his own choosing (i.e., Zedekiah) there, took heavy tribute and returned to Babylon.”
Jehoiachin (aka Jeconiah) reigned only three months and ten days as king of Judah. He surrendered to the Babylonian army, which took him captive to Babylon and placed his uncle in power as a puppet king.
Summary
The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle remarkably parallels the accounts in the books of Kings, Chronicles, and Jeremiah, which all mention:
- the 597 BC siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar,
- the capture of Jehoiachin, and
- the appointment of Zedekiah.
All of these are historical events, recorded in the Bible and corroborated by this independent Babylonian account from the 6th century BC.
