SYNOPSIS: New archaeological finds from Jerusalem give evidence for its destruction at the hands of the Babylonians in 586 BC. This event significantly impacted the history of the people of Israel, even changing the system of writing they used and the language they spoke.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. – Daniel 1:1-2 (ESV)
Impact and Evidence of the Babylonian Siege
Announcements of the latest archaeological finds from the 2019 dig season continue to roll in. One of the latest is news of evidence for a destruction of Jerusalem that demolished Solomon’s Temple, ended the Kingdom of Judah, and sent many of its people into Babylonian captivity. An exquisite artifact from that destruction layer will be showcased below, along with the historical impact this event had on the people of Israel. It even affected the way they spoke and wrote the Hebrew Bible.
From Paleo-Hebrew Script to Square Script
Viewers of the Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Controversy will be clear on at least one fact – the Semitic alphabet available to Moses at the time of the Exodus does not look like the Hebrew of any Torah scrolls, the Isaiah scroll that Jesus read in Luke 4, or the Modern Hebrew script of today. Early on, however, the script the Hebrews used for their language was the one that appears in the Ketef Hinnom scrolls (also called the Silver scrolls).
These tiny scrolls were rolled up and placed in amulets that were perhaps worn around the neck. They record one of the earliest known references to YHWH, contain the Priestly Blessing of Numbers 6, and are written in Paleo-Hebrew script. The scrolls are dated to ca. 650-587 BC and contain early text from the Torah.
A Language-Shaping Event
In the sixth century, an event occurred that was so dramatic, it shifted the way the Israelites wrote their language from Paleo-Hebrew (a from closely related to the Proto-Sinaitic script), to the form that is recognizable today as Hebrew. Although scribes and a few others held on to the earlier script for a time, it was completely out of use by the mid second century AD. Since then, Hebrew has been written in what is variously termed the square script, Aramaic script, or Jewish script.
Even more, though, is that the impact of that 6th century event was so monumental, it resulted in the large-scale transition from Hebrew to Aramaic as the primary language of the people of Israel. This change lasted for centuries and is the reason why Daniel wrote half of his book in Aramaic, and why Ezra also wrote partially in Aramaic. Additionally, it is why even Jesus spoke in Aramaic, as attested by several quotes from Him in Mark 5:41, 7:34, and Matt 27:46, all of which are in the Aramaic tongue. Although this form of Aramaic is no longer spoken, the current form of Hebrew in the Aramaic square script or “Jewish script” of today is testament to the dramatic impact that one culture had on another some 2600 years ago.
A Nation-Destroying Event
What was this event that shaped world history and left ripple effects still felt today? It was the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem described in 2 Kings chapters 24 and 25. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the “destroyer of nations” (Jeremiah 4:7) obliterated Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:1-10; 52:1-30) and took Judah into captivity. (See evidence confirming the unlikely Bible prediction of this event.)
The result of the Babylonian captivity was that for 70 years the Jewish people lived among a foreign people who spoke a foreign language and whose language of commerce was a Semitic language written with a refined square script. Aramaic was a linguistic cognate (having the same language of origin) to Hebrew using the same alphabet, but with a more standardized style. This resulted in a wholesale switch that permanently impacted both the Hebrew language, as well as the way it is written, as can be seen even today.
An Evidence-Leaving Event
This shift in language and writing is not the only visible sign of King Nebuchadnezzar’s 6th century BC conflagration. As would be expected, the Babylonian army left a permanent trail, or layer, of destruction that archaeologists have been excavating as part of the Mount Zion Archaeological Project.
This ongoing excavation by an international team led by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is the site of a recent discovery that has churned up quite a bit of excitement over the past few weeks.
In August, excavators encountered ash layers on Mount Zion and for the first time an Iron Age structure was revealed at this location. Additionally, a hoard of 6th century BC artifacts was unearthed including charred wood, arrowheads in a style commonly used by Babylonian archers, lamps clearly from the era of the conquest, potsherds, and most interestingly, a very special piece of gold jewelry with damage that seems to give indication of trauma and violence.
These items are being described as a collection of ordinary household items jumbled together in a way reminiscent of the ruin that would suddenly befall a household. Most illuminating, though, is that the particular assortment of items makes dating the discovery straightforward. The arrowheads, lamps and pottery sherds are easily dateable. However, the item generating the most interest is the piece of gold jewelry that was discovered.
The tiny piece of jewelry is intricately worked with a gold shape clasping what appears to be a bunch of silver grapes. Excavators believe it may have been an earring or tassel ornament.
This unique object is important because it is a clear indicator of wealth. The unscrupulous wealthy in Judah were denounced by the Bible’s prophets and Daniel indicates the wealth of the temple in Jerusalem.
Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. – Daniel 5:2 (ESV)
The dig is taking place on the southwest slopes of Mount Zion itself, adding evidence of the great city’s fall to the Babylonians already discovered by the Temple Mount Sifting Project and in the City of David. The location of the discovery also shows that Jerusalem was more extensive than has been suggested by many scholars. (See more evidence from other excavations of Jerusalem’s destruction.)
All of these discoveries provide additional evidence of the biblical narrative. This discovery in particular provides modern-day confirmation of the real-world impact of Nebuchadnezzar, as detailed in 2 Kings 24-25. When we reflect not merely on the discovery, but the biblical explanation for why it occurred, there is truly much to think about. To that end, keep on thinking!
R. Brian Rickett taught biblical languages in seminaries in California, Texas, and Arkansas for two decades prior to founding the MIKRA Research Laboratory in 2017. At MIKRA, textual artifacts merge with innovative research technologies to bring ancient wisdom to a contemporary world.
TOP PHOTO: The Flight of the Prisoners by James Tissot between ca. 1896 and 1902. (Public Domain)
NOTE: Not every view expressed by scholars contributing Thinker articles necessarily reflects the views of Patterns of Evidence. We include perspectives from various sides of debates on biblical matters so that readers can become familiar with the different arguments involved. – Keep Thinking!
