Nebuchadnezzar II (Babylon)

Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple, ended the Kingdom of Judah, and deported many Judean elites to Babylon. This became one of the most traumatic events in Jewish history and shaped later Jewish ideas of exile, return, repentance, and national restoration. It marks the transition from the First Temple period to the Babylonian exile.

Archaeology in Jerusalem shows destruction by fire from the early 6th century before the common count. Excavations in the City of David, including structures such as the Burnt Room, House of Ahiel, and House of Bullae, revealed burned beams, ash, and destruction layers connected to the Babylonian destruction. Babylonian records also support the broader historical setting of Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns.