twenty years. (1) _The first invasion and captivity_. This was in 607
B.C., at which time Daniel and his friends along with others were
carried into captivity, 2 K. 24:1, Jer. 25:1, Dan. 1:1-7. (2) _The
second invasion and captivity_. This was 597 B.C., at which time king
Jehoiakim and 10.000 of the people were carried into captivity. Among
these were Ezekiel and one of the ancestors of Mordicai, the cousin of
Esther, 2 K. 24:10-16; Eze. 1:1-2; Est. 2:5-6. (3) _The third invasion
and captivity_. In 587 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered and its walls and
palaces as well as the temple were destroyed and the inhabitants
carried away into exile, 2 K. 24:18; 24:1-27; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer.
52:1-11. This is the end of the southern kingdom.

The Period of the Captivity. Jeremiah predicts that the captivity will
last seventy years (Jer. 25:12; 29:10; see 2 Chron. 36:21; Dan. 9:2:
Zech. 7:6). There are two ways of adjusting the dates to fulfill this
prediction, (1) From the first invasion and the carrying into
captivity of Daniel and others, 607 B. C. to 537 B. C., when the first
company returned under Zerubbabel. (2) From the final fall of
Jerusalem. 587 B. C. to the completion of the renewed temple and its
dedication, 517 B. C. Either satisfies the scripture. In history it is
customary to speak of this exile as covering only the fifty years from
587 B. C. when Jerusalem was destroyed and the last company carried
away to 537 B. C. when the first company returned under Zerubbabel.

The Fugitives in Egypt. When Jerusalem fell the king of Babylon
allowed many of the poorer people to remain in Palestine and Jedediah,
a grandson of Josiah, was appointed to rule over them. 2 K. 25:22. His
career was a very useful one, but through jealousy he was soon
murdered, 2 K. 25:25. This led the people to fear lest Nebuchadnezzar
would avenge his death, whereupon they fled into Egypt 2 K. 25:26.