Details of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. revealed in an analysis of the fire

A team of Israeli archaeologists recently completed a study of a large building believed to have been destroyed by fire during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This study is unique in that it seeks to reveal the details of this catastrophic event by scientifically analyzing the charred remains of the building that burned during the destruction and restoration of Jerusalem. from the deep excavation layer where the Ruins of the structure is designated as Building. 100 can be found. The archaeologists write in a paper on research on the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem just published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

By applying the latest and most advanced methods of fire debris analysis, the archaeologists were able to reconstruct the destruction of this building in a step-by-step manner. In the process they were able to discover fascinating details about how the huge fire that engulfed the building progressed, and even about how it likely started.

Science Shows Destruction of Jerusalem Occurred in an Intense Inferno

Considering its subsequent impact on the political and religious history of the Southern Levant, the Babylonian invasion that destroyed the kingdom of Judah and its capital Jerusalem easily ranks as monumentalevents. most in ancient history. Everything relatedto this terrifying military operation–the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple, the destruction and dissolution of the kingdom of Judah, the captivity or forced exile of the ancient Judeans inBabylon–bothplayed a central role in the unfolding of the Old Testament.story. Testament, and ultimately the formation of modern Jewish and Christian religions.

In search of a more precise and detailed chronology of the destruction of Jerusalem, in which the Babylonians “burned[…]all the houses of Jerusalem” according to the Bible, Israeli researchers have turned to Scienceisdevelopingrapidly.of the analysis of ancient fires.

Because its burned ruins werediscovered and easy to study, the team of archaeologists focused their research on the6th-century BC structure in Jerusalem that was identified as Building 100. This large two-story buildingisthe residence oftheelite. occupied by the wealthy and influential inhabitants of Jerusalem until the day itwasdestroyedby fire.

It cannotbesaidwithcertainty that Building 100 fell during the siege of Jerusalem in586BC.It is stillpossible that it was burned in aprevious fire. But itisverylikely that this structure was destroyed during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, as the structure was completelydestroyed despite its immense size.

Ruins Provide Much-Needed Clues About Destruction of Jerusalem

Building 100 was discovered and excavated at an inconspicuous location: underneath a parking lot on the western slope of a hill in the southeastern part of ancient Jerusalem. While the spot is ordinary-looking today, it is near the site where the First Temple was believed to have been constructed.

From the moment it was discovered, it was clear how much destruction the structure had become. “The evidence in the building debris leaves no doubt that a fire occurred,” the archaeologists wrote, before noting that “there are no clear signs that the fire was Intentional or accidental, and if intentional, where was the fire? started and how.” It spread.

To answer these questions, Israeli archaeologists used complex processes called FTIR spectroscopy and magneto-archaeological analysis to study layer of charred debris preserved from Building 100.

“The objective is to determine the intensity, direction and origin of the fire that destroyed Building 100 in order to reconstruct the destruction in detail, to determine whether the fire was intentional within the framework of the destructive events in Babylon and to find out what steps the agents of this destruction took in how they disposed of the privileged building. This Tu,” wrote to scholars studying the possible connection between the charred ruins and the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.

To search for ignition points to trace the path of the fire , they measured the magnetic signature of pottery shards and broken floorboards unearthed inside the structure.Extremely hot flames can alter these magnetic tracks, and that’s what happened here because many of these artifacts exhibit magnetic properties consistent with being exposed to a great inferno.

Based on the prevalence of artifacts with magnetic distortions, it was determined that the fire was most intense on the top floor. On the bottom floor two of three rooms studied had not burned much at all, while another had been subject to a very intense but short-lived combustion-related event. This likely means that the destruction was so vast on the upper floor that it collapsed and smothered the fire on the first floor before it could spread from one end of the residence to another.

Arson and the Siege of Babylon

Revealingly, the signs of localized fire destruction were broadly distributed throughout the remains of the building. “The widespread presence of charred remains suggests a deliberate destruction by fire, which was ignited at several locations in the top and bottom floors, with heat rising to burn the ceiling of the bottom floor,” the researchers explained. “The spread of the fire and the rapid collapse of the building indicate that the destroyers invested great efforts to completely demolish the building and take it out of use.”

This is a meaningful discovery, because it suggests this aristocratic residence was purposely targeted. This is what would be expected if invaders were attempting to punish ruling elites for their disobedience—which is exactly what the 30-month Siege of Jerusalem was all about. Following the Kingdom of Judah’s revolt against Babylonian authority in the late seventh century BC, the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire , Nebuchadnezzar II , ordered the invasion and complete destruction of Jerusalem as a form of retribution for the Judean transgressions.

This study of one burned building doesn’t reveal many details about what happened throughout the city as a whole. But it does strongly suggest the invaders wanted to make the destruction of Jerusalem as thorough as possible. This supports the Biblical story of how the siege unfolded, which was in a most brutal and merciless fashion.

Top image: Representational image of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Source: Ryan / Adobe Stock