Jewry 38. Events in Babylonian exile (ban)

from: Israel Finkelstein / Neil A. Silberman: The Bible unearthed. Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts; The Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2001; German edition has got the title "No trombones before Jericho" (orig. German: "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho"): edition C.H.Beck oHG, Munich 2002;

Here in this analysis is used the German version "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho" of DTV, Munich 2004, second edition of 2005. All page indications refer to the German version. I hope the page numbers are not very different.

Jewish settlements in captivity in Babylonia - priests of the "1 god movement" - new trials of interpretation of the ruin of Judah

Old Testament almost completely conceals the life during the ban. Only allusions can be found in the books of the prophets:

-- the Jewish banned are said having lived in the capital of Babylon and in the countryside (report of Ezekiel and Deuterojesayah in Isaiah chapter 40 to 55)

-- the settlement is said having been in underdeveloped territories near the new built canals (Ezekiel)

-- Jeremiah is said having consulted the banned to prepare oneself for a long stay, with construction of houses, horticulture and founding of families (Jeremiah 29,5-6).

[But this Jeremiah is said having been fled to Egypt...]

The "1 god movement" preaching the false identity during the ban

In the exile the "1 god movement" is enforcing it's activity (p.317). According to Finkelstein / Silberman the priests and the remnant family members of the royal family are building up a new life, eventually under leadership of the banned Davidic king Jeconiah and not under the blinded Zedekiah (p.319).

The priests have the leading role (p.331). The "holy books" are not a support of the [false] identity [and the fake is proved] (p.333).

The "1 god movement" feels compulsory to adapt the books of Moses and of Chronicle to the events and is revising the texts. At the same time the Israelites in Babylonia and in Jerusalem are working out new social systems working out new forms of religious services (p.317).

The invented exodus from Egypt is more and more important for the banned because the faked exodus is copied to the situation of the banned in Babylonia (p.333).

According go Finkelstein / Silberman also the faked migration of the faked patriarch Abraham from the Euphrates river to Canaan could have won more importance for the banned. The banned have the same project (p.333).

[The invented migrations are models now for real migrations that have to be performed whereas the invented history is fixing itself in the subconsciousness].

Is there a new elite in Yehud province for Judah?
In the case of Yehud many searchers mean that Babylonia had educated a loyal elite with the deportees for keeping safe the borderline to Egypt later (p.330).

[There is a parallel also in this case: Stalin formed of the German prisoners of war a Communist elite of latter East Germany (GDR). The members were elected and indoctrinated in the Gulag concentration camps...]

The compulsion for a new interpretation handling the ruin of Judah - the second version of the Deuteronomistic History

The clerks of the "1 god movement" have to revise the books of Moses and the Deuteronomistic History describing why Judah did not get any salvation (p.323). After the destruction of Jerusalem another way for new hopes of salvation has to be found.

-- the aim of the code of law with the compulsion for Passover festival does not change (p.324)

-- the events with the second ban have to get a theological sense for a philosophy of salvation (p.324-325).

By this a second version of the Deuteronomistic History is prepared (p.324).

560 B.C.
Babylonia: The deported king Jeconiah is released from prison

OT claims:
King Amel-Marduk from Babylonia is said having been released from it's jail and is said having given a life long pension (2d book of Kings 25,27-30) (p.325,326).

539 B.C.
Persia conquering Babylonia

(p.318)

Persian Reich / Persian Empire under Cyrus
King Cyrus, emperor of Persia, profile	Map with the expansion of Persia under Cyrus. This is more than only a Fertile Crescent...

538 B.C.
Persia: king Cyrus permits the return of the banned Jews
Cyrus decides that the deported Jews can return (p.329). The decision is a calculated, new policy and not at all a gesture of mercy (p.330).

OT claims:

-- king Cyrus is said having decided the liberation of all deported

-- king Cyrus is said having given the permission to reinstall Judah and to rebuild the temple (book of Ezra 1,2-3) (p.319).

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