The Fall of Jerusalem

Ahikam

Official who protected the prophet Jeremiah from execution

A high-ranking Judean official under King Josiah and a protector of the prophet Jeremiah during a period of intense religious reform and political turmoil.

Ebed-melech

Cushite official who rescued the prophet Jeremiah from a muddy cistern

A Cushite official in the palace of King Zedekiah who rescued the prophet Jeremiah from a muddy cistern and received a divine promise of survival.

Elishama, Ancestor of Ishmael

Royal ancestor of Ishmael who assassinated the governor Gedaliah

A member of the royal family of Judah during the Divided Monarchy, known as the grandfather of Ishmael son of Nethaniah.

Elnathan

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Evil-merodach

King of Babylon who released Jehoiachin from prison

The King of Babylon who ascended to the throne during the Divided Monarchy and released King Jehoiachin of Judah from his thirty-seven-year imprisonment.

Gedaliah, Governor of Judah

Governor of Judah appointed by Babylon who was assassinated at Mizpah

A high-ranking Judean official appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar to serve as governor over the remnant of Judah following the fall of Jerusalem.

Hamutal

Mother of King Jehoahaz and King Zedekiah

The daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, wife of King Josiah, and mother of two kings of Judah: Jehoahaz and Zedekiah.

Ishmael son of Nethaniah

Royal descendant who assassinated Gedaliah and massacred pilgrims at Mizpah

A member of the Davidic royal family who assassinated Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor of Judah, following the fall of Jerusalem.

Israel

Patriarch who wrestled with God and fathered the twelve tribes

The third patriarch of the covenant, formerly known as Jacob, who received his name after wrestling with God and became the father of the twelve tribes.

Jehoiachin

King of Judah who was taken captive to Babylon and later released from prison

A king of Judah who reigned briefly in 598–597 BC before being exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jehoiakim

King of Judah who burned the scroll of Jeremiah's prophecies

The second son of King Josiah who reigned over Judah for eleven years as a vassal to Egypt and later Babylon, known for his wickedness and opposition to the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah of Libnah

father of Queen Hamutal and grandfather of King Zedekiah

A resident of Libnah whose daughter, Hamutal, became the queen mother of two kings of Judah during the final years of the Divided Monarchy.

Jeremiah, Son of Hilkiah

Prophet who predicted the seventy-year Babylonian exile and the New Covenant

A major prophet of the Divided Monarchy who predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the 70-year Babylonian exile while suffering intense persecution for his message.

Jezaniah

Military commander who consulted Jeremiah but later rejected his prophecy to stay in Judah

A military commander in Judah during the Babylonian occupation who initially sought the counsel of the prophet Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem.

Johanan son of Kareah

Military commander who rescued the captives of Ishmael but later led the Judean remnant into Egypt against the command of God

A military commander of Judah who attempted to protect the remnant of Jerusalem after the Babylonian conquest but eventually led the survivors to Egypt against prophetic counsel.

Judah, Son of Jacob

Patriarch who received the blessing of the scepter and whose lineage produced King David and Jesus Christ

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, ancestor of the Tribe of Judah and the Davidic line, known for his leadership and pivotal role in the preservation of his family.

Kareah

Father of Johanan and Jonathan who were military commanders of the Judean remnant

A Judean figure whose sons served as high-ranking military commanders during the chaotic period following the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.

Maacathite

Patriarchal founder of a Judean clan whose descendants served as Davidic warriors and military commanders

An ancestral figure and patriarch associated with the tribe of Judah, recognized as the progenitor of the people of Maacah within the Judean territory.

Manasseh, King of Judah

King of Judah who reigned 55 years and was notorious for his idolatry and late-life repentance

The longest-reigning king of Judah, Manasseh is noted for his extreme idolatry, subsequent Assyrian captivity, and dramatic late-life repentance.

Nebu-sar-sekim

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Nebuchadnezzar

King of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem and was humbled by God

The powerful king of Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem, deported the Judeans, and eventually acknowledged the sovereignty of the God of Israel.

Nebushazban

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Nebuzaradan

Babylonian commander who oversaw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

The captain of the Babylonian guard under King Nebuchadnezzar who directed the destruction of Jerusalem and managed the deportation of the Jewish people.

Nehushta

Woman living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Nergal-sar-ezer

Babylonian official living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Nergal-sar-ezer the Rabmag

Babylonian official present at the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC

A high-ranking Babylonian military official who held the title of Rabmag during the final siege and fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Nethaniah, Father of Ishmael

Royal descendant whose son Ishmael assassinated Governor Gedaliah

A member of the royal house of Judah and the father of Ishmael, who assassinated the Babylonian-appointed governor Gedaliah after the fall of Jerusalem.

Rab-mag

Babylonian official who sat in the Middle Gate during the fall of Jerusalem

A high-ranking Babylonian military and administrative official present during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Rab-saris of the Babylonian Conquest

Babylonian official who occupied the Middle Gate of Jerusalem during its fall

A high-ranking official and military commander under King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon who participated in the final siege and capture of Jerusalem.

Samgar

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Seraiah son of Tanhumeth

Military commander of Judah who joined the remnant at Mizpah under Governor Gedaliah

A Judean military commander who surrendered to Gedaliah at Mizpah following the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.

Seraiah the Chief Priest

Chief Priest of Jerusalem who was executed by Nebuchadnezzar after the fall of the Temple

Seraiah was the final high priest of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction by the Babylonians and the father of Ezra the Scribe.

Shaphan, Scribe of the Divided Monarchy

Royal scribe who read the rediscovered Book of the Law to King Josiah

A high-ranking royal scribe under King Josiah who played a pivotal role in the discovery of the Book of the Law and the subsequent religious reforms in Judah.

Solomon

King of Israel who built the first Temple and was famous for his wisdom

The third king of Israel who built the First Temple in Jerusalem and was renowned for his God-given wisdom and immense wealth during the United Monarchy.

Tanhumeth

Father of Seraiah the Netophathite who served under Governor Gedaliah

Tanhumeth was a Judean from Netophah whose son, Seraiah, was a military commander during the Babylonian occupation of Judah.

Zedekiah, Last King of Judah

Last King of Judah who witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

The final king of the Kingdom of Judah who reigned during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem and oversaw the city's eventual destruction.

Zephaniah, Priest of the Divided Monarchy

Priest of the second rank who served as King Zedekiah's messenger to Jeremiah and was later executed by the Babylonians

A high-ranking priest of the second order who served as a royal intermediary to the prophet Jeremiah during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah.