The captivities of the Jews refer to several significant periods in biblical history when the Israelites were taken into exile by foreign powers. These events are pivotal in understanding the spiritual and historical development of the Jewish people as recorded in the Bible.

1. The Assyrian Captivity (circa 722 B.C.)

The Assyrian captivity marks the first major exile of the Israelites. The northern kingdom of Israel, comprising ten tribes, fell to the Assyrian Empire under King Shalmaneser V and his successor, Sargon II. This event is chronicled in 2 Kings 17:6: "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the towns of the Medes." The Assyrian captivity resulted in the dispersion of the ten tribes, often referred to as the "Lost Tribes of Israel."

2. The Babylonian Captivity (circa 586 B.C.)

The Babylonian captivity is one of the most significant events in Jewish history, marking the exile of the southern kingdom of Judah. This period began with the conquest of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The first deportation occurred in 605 B.C., with subsequent deportations in 597 B.C. and 586 B.C., the latter resulting in the destruction of Solomon's Temple. 2 Kings 25:11-12 records, "Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile the rest of the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude. But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields."

The Babylonian captivity lasted approximately 70 years, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:11: "This whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years." During this time, the Jewish people experienced significant cultural and religious transformation, including the compilation of important scriptural texts and the strengthening of their identity as a people devoted to the worship of Yahweh.

3. The Return from Exile

The return from Babylonian captivity began under the decree of Cyrus the Great of Persia in 538 B.C., as prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28). Ezra 1:1-3 records, "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his realm, declaring: 'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.'"

The return from exile was a gradual process, with significant leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah playing crucial roles in the restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. This period marked a renewal of religious and social life for the Jewish people, as they reestablished their covenant relationship with God.

4. The Roman Exile (A.D. 70)

While not traditionally grouped with the earlier captivities, the Roman exile following the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70 by the Roman general Titus is a significant event in Jewish history. This event led to the widespread dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, known as the Diaspora. Jesus prophesied this event in Luke 21:24: "They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

The captivities of the Jews are central to understanding the narrative of the Bible, illustrating themes of judgment, repentance, and restoration. These events underscore the faithfulness of God to His covenant promises, even amidst the disobedience and exile of His people.Captivities of the Jews

The present article is confined to the forcible deportation of the Jew; from their native land, and their forcible detention, under the Assyrian or Babylonian kings. Captives of Israel. --The kingdom of Israel was invaded by three or four successive kings of Assyria. Pul or Surdanapalus, according to Rawlinson, imposed a tribute (B.C. 771 or 712), Rawl.) upon Menahem. (2 Kings 15:19) and 1Chr 5:26 Tiglath-pileser carried away (B.C. 740) the trans-Jordanic tribes, (1 Chronicles 5:26) and the inhabitants of Galilee, (2 Kings 15:29) comp. Isai 9:1 To Assyria. Shalmaneser twice invaded, (2 Kings 17:3,5) the kingdom which remained to Hoshea, took Samaria (B.C. 721) after a siege of three years, and carried Israel away into Assyria. This was the end of the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel. Captivities of Judah .--Sennacherib (B.C. 713) is stated to have carried into Assyria 200,000 captives from the Jewish cities which he took. (2 Kings 18:13) Nebuchadnezzar, in the first half of his reign (B.C. 606-562), repeatedly invaded Judea, besieged Jerusalem, carried away the inhabitants to Babylon, and destroyed the temple. The 70 years of captivity predicted by Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 25:12) are dated by Prideaux from B.C. 606. The captivity of Ezekiel dates from B.C. 598, when that prophet, like Mordecai the uncle of Esther (Esther 2:6) accompanied Jehoiachin. The captives were treated not as slaves but as colonists. The Babylonian captivity was brought to a close by the decree, (Ezra 1:2) of Cyrus (B.C. 536), and the return of a portion of the nation under Sheshbazzar or Zerubbabel (B.C. 535), Ezra (B.C. 458) and Nehemiah (B.C. 445). Those who were left in Assyria, (Esther 8:9,11) and kept up their national distinctions, were known as The Dispersion. (John 7:35; 1:1; James 1:1) The lost tribes. --Many attempts have been made to discover the ten tribes existing as a distinct community; but though history bears no witness of the present distinct existence, it enables us to track the footsteps of the departing race in four directions after the time of the Captivity.

1. Some returned and mixed with the Jews. (Luke 2:36; Philemon 3:5) etc.
2. Some were left in Samaria, mingled with the Samaritans, (Ezra 6:21; John 4:12) and became bitter enemies of the Jews.
3. Many remained in Assyria, and were recognized as an integral part of the Dispersion; see (Acts 2:1; 26:7)
4. Most, probably, apostatized in Assyria, adopted the usages and idolatry of the nations among whom they were planted, and became wholly swallowed up in them.

The Child Jesus Brought from Egypt to Nazareth.
... After the captivities and the return of Judah from Babylon the phrase resumed its ...
in the very beginning of his reign he massacred three thousand Jews at once ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xv the child jesus brought.htm

The Captivity of Judah.
... This period is calculated to bring great discouragement to the Jews. ... prophet's call
and the incidents between the first and the second captivities; they then ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xv the captivity of.htm

The Apology of Aristides as it is Preserved in the History of ...
... being the worshippers of the gods acknowledged among you, and Jews, and Christians. ...
lot of mankind to have frequent wars and slaughters and bitter captivities. ...
/.../kay/the apology of aristides the philosopher/the apology of aristides as.htm

The Fourth Book
... Call his name, Not Beloved." And speaking to the Jews themselves: "You ... Our miseries,
our infirmities, our overthrow, our captivities and the punishments of our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the fourth book.htm

The Holy See and the Wandering of the Nations.
... Upon his delivery by the angel "from all the expectation of the people of the Jews,"
he "went ... The church was built to guard the emblems of the two captivities. ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter i the holy see.htm

1 Thessalonians iv. 15-17
... were their sufferings in Palestine, famines, pestilences, wars, captivities, under
the ... sodden their own children." (Lamentations 4:10.) The Jews then suffered ...
/.../homily viii 1 thessalonians iv.htm

How Much is the Bible Worth?
... nation's life, in its privileges and its vicissitudes, its captivities and its ... and
noble Romans"the ethical and spiritual development of the Jews had reached ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter xiii how much is.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... and Babylonish captivities, wandered about the country in sorrow and misery, as
upon those who were carried away? Can the circumstance that Jews are even now ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... that the Jewish historian Demetrios considered the captivities under Nebuchadrezzar ...
[Illustration: 029.jpg SENNACHERIB RECEIVING THE SUBMISSIONS OF THE JEWS]. ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied ...
... words in which the Evangelists describe the mocking behaviour of the Jews at the ...
Israel was accomplished by man, and was followed by fresh captivities, but in ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix ix list of old.htm

What was the Babylonian captivity/exile? | GotQuestions.org

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Summary of the Book of Ezra - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

Captivity: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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