The Burning of Jerusalem

Evidence of the Babylonian Siege

It is believed that the siege took place in about 587 BC, at the end of the First Temple Era.

Babylonian Arrowheads
These date back to the 6th century BC and were discovered near the top of the hill. Similar ones were found in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and in the rubble from the Temple Mount. Though the Babylonians tended to recovered the arrowheads they could for reuse, some were likely trapped beneath fallen buildings.

Evidence of Jerusalem Being Burned by the Babylonians

Excavations of the City of David (Old Jerusalem) have revealed beneath layers of rock, charred remains of pottery, wood, bones and grape seeds covered by a layer of ash. The evidence points to a large amount of the city being burned quickly in an intense fire, while buildings in other portions were simply abandoned.

Stamped Jars

In the same layers as charred artifacts were found many jars that were once used to store grain and fluids. Many of these containers bore a rosette seal, and many of their handles were stamped. Seals such as this are consistent with this period of time. Names stamped into the handles included the following:

Scribe of King Jehoikim, son of Josiah (Jeremiah 36:10)
Gemaryahu ben Shafan - Geramiah

Ministers of King Zedekiah who tried to kill Jeremiah by lowering him into a muddy dungeon (Jeremiah 38:1,6)
Yehuchal Ben Shelamayahu - Jucal, son of Shelemiah
Gedaliah Ben Pashchur - Gedaliah, son of Pashur

Biblical Account	Antiquities of the Jews (Flavius Josephus 37-100 AD)	Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle (written on a clay tablet)	Archaeological Findings
		Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemis...He accomplished their defeat and beat them to non-existence." This was the Battle of Carchemish in about 605 BC. He pursued those who escaped. "...in the district of Hamath the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped...Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hamath."
		"In the seventh year [of Nebuchadnezzar] in the month Chislev [Nov/Dec] the king of Babylon assembled his army, and after he had invaded the land of Hatti [Syria/Palestine] he laid siege to the city of Judah." This is considered to be the first of three sieges of Jerusalem by Babylon. (Chronicle 5, Rev. 11)
		"On the second day of the month Adar [16 Mar] he conquered the city and took the king [Jeconiah] prisoner. He installed a king [Zedekiah] of his own choice, and after he had received rich tribute, he sent forth to Babylon." This was in 597 BC. (Chronicle 5, Rev. 12-13)
		Nebuchadnezzar's tablet ended at about 594 or 593 BC. The tablet which would have covered the second siege on Jerusalem in 587 BC has not been found.
On the 10th day of the 10th month of the 9th year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar and his army built forts around Jerusalem and attacked. (Jeremiah 52:4-5)	The Babylonian armies "erected towers upon great banks of earth" around the city to repel "those that stood upon the walls" (Book X, ch 8:1)	The Nebuchadnezzar tablet found doesn't cover all of his reign; it only covers through the 11th year (594 or 593 BC) of his reign. This final siege on Jerusalem took place about 10 years later, so we don't have the Babylonian perspective on this siege.
In the 9th day of the 4th month, the famine was "sore in the city" (Jeremiah 52:6)	The siege lasted 18 months. Many Hebrews died of famine and "the darts which the enemy threw at them from the towers" (Book X, ch 8:1)		Babylonian arrowheads, which date back to the 6th century, were found near the top of the hill. Similar arrowheads were found in the rubble of Temple Mount.
	Jerusalem was taken at about midnight, the generals entered the temple (Book X, ch 8:2)
The city was "broken up and its armies fled by night through a gate by the king's garden into the plains (Jeremiah 52:7)	King Zedekiah took his wives, children, captains and friends and fled the city through a fortified ditch into the desert (Book X, ch 8:2)
The armies of the Chaldeans pursued the king and caught him in the plains of Jericho. His army "was scattered from him". (Jeremiah 52:8)	The Babylonians pursued him. His friends and captains scattered and Zedekiah was captured near Jericho. (Book X, ch 8:2)
They took Zedekiah to the king of Babylon in Riblah in the land of Hamath, "where he gave judgment upon him." (Jeremiah 52:9)	Zedekiah was taken to Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah. He accused him of forgetting "his former words" and not appreciating the power Nebuchadnezzar had given him, and called Zedekiah "a wicked wretch" for not keeping "the country for him". (Book X, ch 8:2)
The king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons "before his eyes" and killed the princes of Judah in Riblah. (Jeremiah 52:10)	Zedekiah's sons and friends are killed in front of him. The high priest, Saraiah, was beheaded there in Riblah, a city of Syria. (Book X, ch 8:2)
Zedekiah's eyes were "put out" and Nebuchadnezzar "bound him in chains" and took him to Babylon where he was put in prison until his death. (Jeremiah 52:11)	Zedekiah's eyes were "put out" and he was bound and carried, blind, to Bablyon by Nebuchadnezzar with the other captives. Zedekiah was kept in prison in Babylon until his death. (Book X, ch 8:2,7)
	Nebuzaradan was sent "to pillage the temple", "burn it and the royal palace", level the city to the ground and bring the people to Babylon.
	He arrived in the 11th year of Zedekiah's reign (the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar), pillaged the temple and carried away the "vessels of God".
	He set fire to the royal palace and to the temple, which had stood for 470 years, 6 months and 10 days.		Charred remains of pottery, wood, bones and grapes seeds were found beneath a layer of ash and layers of rock, indicative of an intense fire. Containers were found in the same layer as the charred remains. Some were stamped with the names Jehoikim's scribe and two of Zedekiah's ministers.
	The fire was set 1062 years, 6 months and 10 days after the Hebrews' departure from Egypt, and 3513 years, 6 months and 10 days after the "generation of Adam". (Book X, ch 8:5)
	After Zedekiah's death, Nebuchadnezzar "buried him magnificently" and freed the new high priest. (Book X, ch 8:7)