What does the Bible has to say about the period of the exile in Babylon?

Pahel & Baruq

According to historians and archaeologists, 586 or 587 B.C.E. is generally accepted as the year of Jerusalem’s destruction. Accepting these dates means that the exile lasted only 50 years and not 70 as we are told. What does the Bible say?

As Bible students, we believe that if there is disagreement between archeology and the Sacred Texts, we trust first God’s word. In some case, it can be that we have to review our understanding of the divine text. If we agree with searchers, Jews stayed only fifty years in Babylon. But our comprehension based on the Watchtower literature is that they stayed seventy years. So, what the Bible says about this? We must start by reading Jeremiah chapter 25. What does it say? In the first verse, Jeremiah reveals the time when he received Jehovah’s word:

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Contrary to our publications, historians place Nebuchadnezzar’s first year as king in 605 BCE. If it is the case, how has he destructed Jerusalem in 607? It is a fact that he was king from several years at that time. The prophecy continues: (8-11)

Therefore this is what Jehovah of armies says, “Because you would not obey my words, I am sending for all the families of the north,” declares Jehovah, “sending for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and something to whistle at and a perpetual ruin. I will put an end to the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing from them, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp. And all this land will be reduced to ruins and will become an object of horror, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.”

What is the lesson here? As a punishment of their conduct Jehovah sent Nebuchadnezzar against the families of the north so that they shall submit to the king of Babylon. Note that the prophecy is not for Judah or Jerusalem only, but, as we read in verse 9, “against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations.” All these nations are devoted to destruction to time indefinite. Verse 11 states: “And all this land will be reduced to ruins … and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.” So not only Judah but all the surrounding nations will be subject to God’s wrath. All these nations will serve the king of Babylon for an appointed time, 70 years. These nations are, among others, Jerusalem and Judah, Egypt, the Philistines, Moab, Tyre, the kings of the Arabians, the Medes, … Verses 12 & 13:

‘But when 70 years have been fulfilled, I will call to account the king of Babylon and that nation for their error,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and I will make the land of the Chaldeans a desolate wasteland for all time. I will bring on that land all my words that I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.’

Although Jehovah call Nebuchadnezzar “my servant”, in that he serves as an instrument for God’s anger, Babylon will not remain unpunished for having risen against Judah and Jerusalem. The verse says: “when 70 years have been fulfilled, I will call to account the king of Babylon and that nation”. So seventy years must pass and then that nation will experience God’s anger. Jehovah will make the land of the Chaldeans a desolate wasteland. Babylon will suffer the same punishment it inflicted to the other nations. Verse 14 states: “I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their own hands”. From Jeremiah’s prophecy we learn that the land of Judah and the surrounding nation will be desolate for indefinite times (verse 9), the nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years (verses 9b and 11) and, when seventy years are terminate, Jehovah will call to account the king of Babylon. (verse 12) The Watchtower of October 1, 2011 gives this explanation in the article “When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part One” on subtitle:

“Seventy Years” for Whom?

Years before the destruction, the Jewish prophet Jeremiah provided an essential clue to the time frame given in the Bible. He warned “all those living in Jerusalem,” saying: “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25:1, 2, 11, New International Version) The prophet later added: “This is what Jehovah has said, ‘In accord with the fulfilling of seventy years at Babylon I shall turn my attention to you people, and I will establish toward you my good word in bringing you back to this place.’” (Jeremiah 29:10) What is the significance of the “seventy years”? And how does this time period help us to determine the date of Jerusalem’s destruction?
Instead of saying 70 years “at Babylon,” many translations read “for Babylon.” (NIV) Some historians therefore claim that this 70-year period applies to the Babylonian Empire. According to secular chronology, the Babylonians dominated the land of ancient Judah and Jerusalem for some 70 years, from about 609 B.C.E. until 539 B.C.E. when the capital city of Babylon was captured.
The Bible, however, shows that the 70 years were to be a period of severe punishment from God—aimed specifically at the people of Judah and Jerusalem, who were in a covenant to obey him. (Exodus 19:3-6) When they refused to turn from their bad ways, God said: “I will summon . . . Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon . . . against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations.” (Jeremiah 25:4, 5, 8, 9, NIV) While nearby nations would also suffer Babylon’s wrath, the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70-year exile to follow were called by Jeremiah “the punishment of my people,” for Jerusalem had “sinned greatly.”—Lamentations 1:8; 3:42; 4:6, NIV.
So according to the Bible, the 70 years was a period of bitter punishment for Judah, and God used the Babylonians as the instrument for inflicting this severe chastisement. Yet, God told the Jews: “When seventy years are completed, . . . I will . . . bring you back to this place”—the land of Judah and Jerusalem.—Jeremiah 29:10, NIV.

Let’s review these arguments.

“Instead of saying 70 years “at Babylon,” many translations read “for Babylon.””

Jeremiah 29:10

כִּֽי־ כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֠י לְפִ֞י מְלֹ֧את לְבָבֶ֛ל שִׁבְעִ֥ים שִׁבְעִ֥ים שִׁבְעִ֥ים שִׁבְעִ֥ים שִׁבְעִ֥ים עֲלֵיכֶם֙ אֶת־ דְּבָרִ֣י הַטּ֔וֹב לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶתְכֶ֔ם הַמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

Indeed, almost all traductions use the expression “for Babylon” instead of “at Babylon”. The latter is a vestige of the King James that we can find in some protestant versions of the Bible. But what does write the original text? The Hebrew word “le” is translated as “at” in the New World Translation, but its most common meaning is “for”. And only reading these two words, very cleaver is who can say he has the exact translation. This is the reason why it is necessary to read the whole context:

Jeremiah 29:4-7 - This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiled people, whom I have caused to go into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Become many there, and do not decrease. And seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray in its behalf to Jehovah, for in its peace you will have peace.’

Jeremiah asks the people not to listen to false prophets who predict a rapid return to Judah. (verses 8 & 9) He speaks to the jews that are already in exile in Babylon, seven years before the fall of Jerusalem. So the question is, why does he not say seventy-seven years but seventy? … Then, Jehovah makes the promise that we read in verse 10:

For this is what Jehovah says, ‘When 70 years at (or for) Babylon are fulfilled, I will turn my attention to you, and I will make good my promise by bringing you back to this place.’

What do we understand? The residence of the exiles should not last more than seventy years. But if these seventy years count since the fall of Jerusalem, once again we ask the question: Why God did not speak of seventy-seven years? The justice of God allows some people to suffer greater punishment than others although the error is the same? Of course, not! So, we understand that the seventy years were already underway at the time when Jeremiah encouraged these first exiles seven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet, the Watchtower quoted above says:

The Bible, however, shows that the 70 years were to be a period of severe punishment from God—aimed specifically at the people of Judah and Jerusalem, who were in a covenant to obey him. (Exodus 19:3-6) When they refused to turn from their bad ways, God said: “I will summon . . . Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon . . . against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations.” (Jeremiah 25:4, 5, 8, 9, NIV) While nearby nations would also suffer Babylon’s wrath, the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70-year exile to follow were called by Jeremiah “the punishment of my people,” for Jerusalem had “sinned greatly.”—Lamentations 1:8; 3:42; 4:6, NIV.
So according to the Bible, the 70 years was a period of bitter punishment for Judah, and God used the Babylonians as the instrument for inflicting this severe chastisement. Yet, God told the Jews: “When seventy years are completed, . . . I will . . . bring you back to this place”—the land of Judah and Jerusalem.—Jeremiah 29:10, NIV.

Let’s read and read again Jeremiah’s prophecy and let’s answer that question: what shows that the 70 years were to be a period of severe punishment from God—aimed specifically at the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Jehovah was angry against his people, but also against the surrounding nations. Jeremiah wrote: “I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants (Judah and Jerusalem) and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and something to whistle at and a perpetual ruin. I will put an end to the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing from them, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp. And all this land will be reduced to ruins and will become an object of horror, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.” No distinction is made between Judah and the surrounding nations. Of course, Jerusalem has sinned greatly and must suffer the punishment spoken in the book of Lamentations. But it does not mean that the other nations won’t suffer the same degree of punishment. Many were nations that have oppressed God’s people, and so they have to suffer the punishment from Jehovah with the same intensity. According to the information in our possession, Babylon exerted its influence on the nations from -609 to -539, when the capital was taken. Is it a coincidence that the prophecy speaks of seventy years and that is correspond exactly to the duration of the domination of Babylon as a world power?

When Did “the Seventy Years” Start?

The inspired historian Ezra, who lived after the 70 years of Jeremiah’s prophecy were fulfilled, wrote of King Nebuchadnezzar: “He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.”—2 Chronicles 36:20, 21, NIV.
Thus, the 70 years were to be a period when the land of Judah and Jerusalem would enjoy “sabbath rests.” This meant that the land would not be cultivated—there would be no sowing of seed or pruning of vineyards. (Leviticus 25:1-5, NIV) Because of the disobedience of God’s people, whose sins may have included a failure to observe all the Sabbath years, the punishment was that their land would remain unworked and deserted for 70 years.—Leviticus 26:27, 32-35, 42, 43.

2 Chronicles 36:20,21

וַיֶּ֛גֶל הַשְּׁאֵרִ֥ית מִן־ הַחֶ֖רֶב אֶל־ בָּבֶ֑ל וַֽיִּהְיוּ־ ל֤וֹ וּלְבָנָיו֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים עַד־ מְלֹ֖ךְ מַלְכ֥וּת פָּרָֽס׃ לְמַלֹּ֤אות דְּבַר־ יְהוָה֙ בְּפִ֣י יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ עַד־רָצְתָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ אֶת־ שַׁבְּתוֹתֶ֑יהָ כָּל־ יְמֵ֤י הָשַּׁמָּה֙ שָׁבָ֔תָה לְמַלֹּ֖אות שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃

Ezra made a connection between Jeremiah’s prophecy and its fulfillment. Thus, in verses 20 and 21 of 2 Chronicles 36, he pointed out that the Jews went into exiles to be servants of the Babylonian kings “until the kingdom of Persia began to reign (a priori in 539 BCE), to fulfill Jehovah’s word spoken by Jeremiah, … to fulfill 70 years.” According to Esdras, the seventy years were fulfilled during the conquest of Babylon by the Persians, which is in line with the prophecy. Yes, but the prophet does not speak of the sabbaths Ezra has inserted into its text. So, what was he referring to? To Leviticus 26:34 & 35:

At that time the land will pay off its sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest, as it must repay its sabbaths. All the days it lies desolate it will rest, because it did not rest during your sabbaths when you were dwelling on it.

Ezra introduced the prediction from Leviticus to demonstrate its achievement. Note that Moses did not say that the sabbath would last seventy years, nor Jeremiah. The land should simply rest in order to repay its sabbaths, but the period is not specified. They are just two closely related prophecies and that is why Ezra united them. Also, we can note that a jubilee lasts fifty years, that is seven sabbaths plus one year. The last year is the year when everyone recover his land. These fifty years correspond to the length of the exile of the Jews in Babylon, admitting that Jerusalem has been destruct in 587 BCE and that the Jews recovered their lands in 537 BCE. (some historians give 588 for the departure and 538 for the return. The total is always 50 years) Although we don’t want to be dogmatic, it could be that this explanation makes sense. (other explanations can be find with a research on the web) Thus, we would understand that Jeremiah predicted the seventy years of the Babylonian rule (609 BCE, the fall of Haran - 539 BCE) and that in that period began another period of fifty years when the land kept sabbath. (687 - 537 BCE) The article continue:

When did the land of Judah become desolated and unworked? Actually, the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem twice, years apart. When did the 70 years commence? Certainly not following the first time that Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Why not? Although at that time Nebuchadnezzar took many captives from Jerusalem to Babylon, he left others behind in the land. He also left the city itself standing. For years after this initial deportation, those left remaining in Judah, “the lowly class of the people,” lived off their land. (2 Kings 24:8-17) But then things drastically changed.
A Jewish revolt brought the Babylonians back to Jerusalem. (2 Kings 24:20; 25:8-10) They razed the city, including its sacred temple, and they took many of its inhabitants captive to Babylon. Within two months, “all the people [who had been left behind in the land] from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.” (2 Kings 25:25, 26, NIV) Only then, in the seventh Jewish month, Tishri (September/October), of that year could it be said that the land, now desolate and unworked, began to enjoy its Sabbath rest. To the Jewish refugees in Egypt, God said through Jeremiah: “You have seen all the disaster that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them.” (Jeremiah 44:1, 2, English Standard Version) So this event evidently marked the starting point of the 70 years.

Strong's Concordance

chorbah: waste, desolation, ruin
Original Word: חָרְבָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chorbah
Phonetic Spelling: (khor-baw')

Short Definition: ruins
Chorbah appears 42 times in the Bible

biblehub.com - Chorbah

Should the seventy years necessarily start when there would be no inhabitants in Judah? Jeremiah spoke of devastation, desolation and ruins. These terms do not necessarily mean lack of population. For exemple, Jeremiah 25:17 & 18 say that the prophet took the cup out of the hand of Jehovah and presented it to the condemned nations because Jehovah should make them a ruin “as it is today”. The phrase “as it is today” indicates that the land is already a ruin, or that the desolation has already begun. But the land was still inhabited on those days. Ezekiel 33:24 speaks about “the inhabitants of these ruins”. Verse 27 states that “those living in the ruins will fall by the sword”. Specialists of antique languages admit that the Hebrew word used in theses passages (chorbah) can be used to talk about the status of a town after a great battle. It is in ruins, devastated (chorbah) but still inhabited. So we might perfectly say that Jerusalem and Judah began to be devastated and in ruins during the first invasion of the Babylonians, in 605 BCE.

When Did “the Seventy Years” End?

The prophet Daniel, who lived until “the kingdom of Persia came to power,” was on the scene in Babylon, and he calculated when the 70 years were due to end. He wrote: “I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.”—Daniel 9:1, 2, ESV.
Ezra reflected on the prophecies of Jeremiah and linked the end of “the seventy years” to the time when “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation.” (2 Chronicles 36:21, 22, NIV) When were the Jews released? The decree ending their exile was issued in “the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia.” ~~(See the box “A Pivotal Date in History.”)~~ Thus, by the fall of 537 B.C.E., the Jews had returned to Jerusalem to restore true worship.—Ezra 1:1-5; 2:1; 3:1-5.

Daniel 9:2

אֲנִי֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל בִּינֹ֖תִי בַּסְּפָרִ֑ים מִסְפַּ֣ר הַשָּׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־ יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ יִרְמִיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא לְמַלֹּ֛אות לְחָרְב֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃

Did Daniel lack a calendar? He was surely able to know how many years he spent in Babylone. But it was not enough. Daniel himself told that he “discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” Since Daniel knew the date of the destruction of Jerusalem, why did he need to see the fall of Babylon in order to discern that the seventy years had ended? Surely because, according to Jeremiah, the end of the seventy years should be the end of Babylon as a power! He never said that they end when the Jews would return in Judah. Opening again Jeremiah 25:12,13, we read:

To be sure to understand the point, let’s read again the first sentence:

But when 70 years have been fulfilled, I will call to account the king of Babylon and that nation

First, the seventy years end and Jehovah call to account Babylon, exactly as Daniel has understand. And then, after the fulfillment of the seventy years, the Jews return to Jerusalem. Assuming that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 BCE and that Babylon fell in 539 BCE, the years are only sixty-eight. It would mean that Babylon was invaded before the end of the period of seventy years. Now, how Jehovah could call to account the king of Babylon and that nation in 537, two years after its downfall? The Persian conquest definitely put an end to the Babylonian supremacy over the nations. After 537 it was impossible to serve the king of Babylon. Daniel, who was one of the protagonists, understood that the seventy years allocated to Babylon to complete the devastation of Jerusalem as mentioned in Jeremiah 25:12 ended during the night of Belshazzar’s death. God himself showed it to the king making appear a hand on the wall with the following word: MENE. Daniel gave the meaning: “God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.” (Daniel 5:26) The curtain fell on Babylon and Daniel opened the books to understand the times. He discerned through Jeremiah 29:10 that following the completion of the seventy years God would pay attention to his people. The time was near when he would bring back them home. Daniel does not say that the seventy years are the desolation of Jerusalem. He does not even speak of that in his long prayer when he asks for God’s mercy over his people. The article continues with this paragraph:

But if the evidence from the inspired Scriptures clearly points to 607 B.C.E. for Jerusalem’s destruction, why do many authorities hold to the date 587 B.C.E.? They lean on two sources of information—the writings of classical historians and the canon of Ptolemy. Are these sources more reliable than the Scriptures?

Seeing what we have learned above, there is no evidence from the inspired Scriptures that clearly points to 607 BCE for Jerusalem destruction. The rest of the article wants to be a demonstration that modern historians base their studies on untrusted documentations. The purpose of this study is to show what the Bible has to say about the period of the exile in Babylon. So we won’t examine that part. Nevertheless, Internet is full of literatures that belie the argument of the Society. But as Christians, the testimony of the Bible is far enough for us and we do not need external elements to understand the meaning of the word of God. The understanding of the past events may change as we make new archeological discoveries, and we could have surprises in the future. Recently, some biblical researchers made the hypothesis that Jerusalem was destructed in 630 BCE. What will be the next date? All that we can say is that knowing the date of the fall of Jerusalem has no other importance than the historical curiosity.

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