The Archaeological Study of the Concept of “The Emptiness of Judah” During the Babylonian Exile and the Early Persian Period

Phaswane Simon Makuwa

doi:10.25159/2663-6573/14850

Authors

Phaswane Simon Makuwa North West University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/14850

Keywords:

archaeology, early Persian period, emptiness, exile, Judah

Abstract

Archaeological studies are essential on the subject of Judah’s emptiness during the Babylonian exile, as referenced in 2 Chronicles 36:20–21 and Lamentations 1:3–4. The biblical accounts about the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE imply that it was uninhabited. However, archaeological evidence indicates that Jerusalem remained inhabited, framing the issue as one of perspective rather than literal emptiness. The lack of evidence for a functional capital city during this period indicates the nature of the desolation. The absence of the divinely driven royal and cultic activities that defined Judah are the crux of the matter. The subsistence agricultural activities in Judah benefited Babylonian interests, at the total disregard of Judah. Judah lost its sovereignty, pride, and glory associated with God’s presence. Meanwhile, God’s wondrous acts were experienced in Babylon, leaving Judah bereft of divine favour and involvement. Judah was “written off” by divinity for a period referred to as a Sabbath rest. The desolation is not total depopulation, but the deliberate absence of God in all spheres of life for many years. Archaeological extrapolations point not to the lack of residents, but the absence of leadership and the profound disengagement of God. God actively wrought the desolation, as indicated in pre-exilic and exilic prophecies concerning the disaster. This article contributes to the understanding that God has repeatedly expressed his involvement in Judah’s desolation, illustrating his departure and explaining the true nature of Judah’s desolation in contrast to its previous identity as a nation under God.

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