c. 597 BCE

King Jehoiachin of Judah, Is Exiled to Babylon

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This Babylonian Ration List tablet corroborates the Biblical story told of King Jehoiachin’s exile to Babylon in 597 BCE. From 2 Kings Chapters 24 and 25 we learn:‍

(Nebuchadnezzar) deported Jehoiachin to Babylon and the king’s mother and wives and officers and the notables of the land were brought as exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon.… there was a continual allowance given to him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.

‍The text of the tablet lists the rations for King Jehoiachin and his family, while they were held captive in Babylon.

Babylonian Ration List
State Museums of Berlin, Vorderasiatisches Museum
Olaf M. Tessmer

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Overview

Babylonian Ration List

This text lists the rations for King Jehoiachin and his family, while they were captive in Babylon.

In the Bible

2 Kings 24:15-16

He (Nebuchadnezzar) deported Jehoiachin to Babylon and the king’s mother and wives and officers and the notables of the land were brought as exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon.

All the able men, to the number of seven thousand—all of them warriors, trained for battle—and a thousand craftsmen and smiths were brought to Babylon as exiles by the king of Babylon.

מְלָכִים ב' כ"ד, ט"ו-ט"ז:

" וַיֶּ֥גֶל (נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר) אֶת־יְהֽוֹיָכִ֖ין בָּבֶ֑לָה וְאֶת־אֵ֣ם הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת־נְשֵׁ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְאֶת־סָֽרִיסָ֗יו וְאֵת֙ אֵילֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ הוֹלִ֛יךְ גּוֹלָ֥ה מִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בָּבֶֽלָה׃ וְאֵת֩ כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַחַ֜יִל שִׁבְעַ֣ת אֲלָפִ֗ים וְהֶֽחָרָ֤שׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר֙ אֶ֔לֶף הַכֹּ֕ל גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים עֹשֵׂ֣י מִלְחָמָ֑ה וַיְבִיאֵ֧ם מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל גּוֹלָ֖ה בָּבֶֽלָה."