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CHAPTER XIII

ISAIAH OF BABYLON

To Nebuchadnezzar Babylonia owed more than her wonderful city and her monumental buildings. Largely by his military genius the empire had been wrested from the Assyrians, and by his political sagacity and consideration for his vassal states the otherwise unrelated parts of the empire were held together in more or less loyal cohesion during his reign of forty-three years. At his death he bequeathed a well-ordered and powerful empire to his son Evil-Merodach.

One of the acts of this new king was the liberation of Jehoiachin who had been confined in Babylonian prisons since the coming of the first deportation. We can easily see that in the bitterness of their disappointment at the fall of Jerusalem the Jews may have become restive, especially since the new king was known to be weak in character and rule. After a brief reign of two years EvilMerodach2 was assassinated by his brother-in-law, who followed much more closely the policy of Nebuchadnezzar. For four years this new king labored, building great temples and palaces and guarding himself well against the conspiracies which he feared. Then he died, leaving his throne to his son, a mere child, who within nine months was murdered by his nobles.

Nabonidus,3 a prince of Babylon, was chosen king by the conspirators. His interests were chiefly religious, and he spent his energies in building new temples and renovating old ones, making collections of old gods and manufacturing new ones, at the same time neglecting his kingdom and its affairs, deeming it impossible that one who devoted himself to the gods so faithfully should ever lack their support and favor.

I See chap. xi, p. 153.

2 Evil-Merodach: See Table of Historical Events, p. 169.

3 Nabonidus: See Table of Historical Events, p. 169. Nabonidus left the government of the city chiefly to his son Bel-shar-uzur, who carried on the government without the title. He joined the king of Egypt in an alliance against Cyrus of Persia. When Cyrus entered Babylon as conqueror the son of Nabonidus was killed and he himself was banished to Karamania.

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(Said to be a portion of the wall of Solomon's Temple-a spot to which the Jews to this day resort to bewail the fall of Jerusalem)

In the midst of all these changes the Hebrews were not disinterested spectators. They possibly suffered much in the death of so able a monarch as Nebuchadnezzar and under his successor fared worse. There is ample opportunity for oppression and injustice under anarchistic government, and anarchy was rampant in Babylon during all these years. The Babylonian gods seemed not to be demonstrating their ability to maintain a strong government. "Were they losing their power, or was Babylonia in disfavor with them?" questioned the Hebrew.

Meanwhile, something of momentous importance to Babylon, and to the captives was taking place in the North. One of the great world-conquerors of antiquity, Cyrus the Great,1 was rapidly coming to the front. Originally he had held the throne of Persia and of Anzan, a province of Elam, as a vassal of the great Median empire. By a series of events, some of which were natural, and some the result of intrigues, Cyrus himself assumed the throne of Media about 551 B.C. He quickly established himself south of the Tigris, and north of Babylonia, and then proceeded to the conquest of Lydia, on the western coast of Asia Minor, whose king, Croesus, controlled the whole of Asia Minor. Following this the Greek colonies were attacked and brought into subjection, then the less civilized peoples east of his empire.

By no people more eagerly than by the Jews in Babylonia was the course of Cyrus watched. Rumors of his high character in addition to those of his military prowess assured captive nations of lenient treatment, perhaps even the return of some to their native lands. Would such an all-conquering hero stop short of Babylon ? To others in Babylon besides the Hebrews the prospect was not unpleasing, for among the residents in Babylonia were many deported peoples whose interest in the city was that of adoption rather than of blood.

In this crisis a prophet, perhaps the greatest among the Hebrews, appeared. We will call him Isaiah of Babylonia, because in the confusion of the passing years his wonderful utterances were bound

1 Cyrus the Great: This remarkable king is the hero of Xenophon's Cyropoedia. The student will find it most interesting to search for information concerning him in histories and biographies.

up with those of Isaiah of Jerusalem whose work preceded his by more than half a century. He is really unknown, not only in his name, but also as to the facts of his life, save only that he was among the captive Hebrews in Babylonia. His words portray not himself, but the glory of Jehovah, and the great manifestation of his power and favor which was about to appear.

This man like his predecessors had his peculiar task. The political upheavals in Babylonia and the appearance of Cyrus seemed to promise the long-hoped-for opportunity for a return to Palestine. How many of the people were ready for such a movement ?2 To arouse the old national spirit, to kindle hope and enthusiasm in dead and indifferent souls, to build up a faith in Jehovah which would result in the return of the people, and the restoration. of Jerusalem to something of her former splendor-that was the great task which Isaiah of Babylonia joyously and ardently assumed and in doing so gave expression to the most sublime conception of Jehovah which the Hebrews had yet known.

He announces his message as one of comfort to a people whose suffering had more than compensated for past sins.

3"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,"

Saith your God.

"Speak ye tenderly to Jerusalem,4

And say unto her,

5 That her hard service is accomplished,

That her guilt is pardoned;

That she hath received of Jehovah's hand
Double for all her sins."

I The work of this prophet, as we have it, appears in chaps. 40-55 of the Book of Isaiah. Chaps. 1-39 of this book we have studied as the work of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Chaps. 56 and following seem to be from still later poets and prophets. For what reason or by what accident all were bound together, and the chapters numbered consecutively we do not know. Each section of the book is distinguishable from the others by differences in language and literary style, and by the background of history which it reflects.

2 Recall the spirit of indifference against which Ezekiel had worked, and the superior attractions of Babylonia as a place of residence, in view of the generous rule of Cyrus which was confidently expected.

3 Isa. 40: I-II.

4 Addressed to ruined Jerusalem, but intended to encourage especially the people of the captivity whom the prophet was trying to inspire to a great movement in favor of return to Palestine.

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