When you think about the Ancient Near East, it's
just this constant swirl, isn't it? Empires rising,
falling, power struggles everywhere. Absolutely.
And today we're diving into, well, a really intense
chapter. It focuses on Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrian
one, ruling from Nineveh, not the later Babylonian
king people often think of. Right. Good clarification.
And his clashes, starting with Arthasad, the
median king over in Ekpatana. Exactly. But it
quickly spirals out from there, doesn't it? It
becomes this much bigger story about trying to
dominate the whole Western region and how those
places reacted, especially Judea. Yeah, that's
what we really want to get into today. We've
got these texts, these accounts, and we want
to use them to figure out, you know, what was
really going on? What were the motivations? Why
these massive campaigns? What was the impact?
Particularly, as you said, on Judea. It's a chance
for you listening to really get inside this key
moment in history using the records we actually
have. So where do we start? Nebuchadnezzar versus
Arfaxad, right? The setup is Nebuchadnezzar's
12th year as king in Nineveh. Arfexad to Nicbotana.
And Arfexad city, Becbotana, it sounds like he
really went all out building it up. The descriptions
are pretty detailed. Oh, incredibly so. The sources
talk about these walls, built with huge, hewn
stones, like six cubits long, three thick, 70
cubits high, 50 wide. That's massive. It is.
And the gates. 70 cubits high 40 wide towers
reaching 100 cubits on foundation 60 cubits wide
I mean this isn't just building a wall. No, it's
a statement. It's definitely projecting power
Maybe showing he wasn't intimidated or perhaps
he was and felt he needed this kind of defense
Either way, Nebuchadnezzar comes against him.
They fight on this plane near Rigo, and Nebuchadnezzar
isn't alone, is he? He's got backup. Yeah, quite
a bit of backup, actually. The texts list, various
groups from the Hill Country, people living along
the Big Rivers, Euphrates, Tigris, even the Hydaspes.
So a wide net. A very wide net. Plus, Ariach.
King of the Elamites and the Chelydites. It shows
Nebuchadnezzar was, well, pretty skilled at building
alliances, pulling together this coalition. Okay,
so he's got strength in numbers, not just his
own army. But then he pushes further, looking
west. And this is where things really start to
affect Judea and its neighbors. Right. He sends
out this call for even more support. And the
list of places he contacts is just vast. It really
covers the map, doesn't it? It does. Persia,
Silesia, Damascus, Lebanon, Antelebonan, all
the coastal areas, Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee,
Isdralin, then Samaria, its cities. And further
south. Yeah, west of the Jordan, right down to
Jerusalem, Bethany, Chilus, Kadesh, the river
of Egypt. all the way into Egypt itself, Tannis,
Memphis, up to the Ethiopian border. It's like
he wants the whole known world, or his part of
it, involved. He's thinking big, so how do they
respond in the West? Do they sign up? Not quite.
It's actually a major snub. The texts say they
basically ignored him. They weren't afraid, didn't
see him as this great power, maybe? Or maybe
just too far away, felt disconnected. Could be.
Whatever the reason, his messengers come back
with nothing. Worse than nothing, they return
totally disgraced. Humiliated. Ouch. That's not
going to sit well with a king like Nebuchadnezzar.
No, not at all. The texts say he was absolutely
furious, livid. And he makes some kind of declaration.
He swears an oath. By his throne, by his kingdom,
he vows revenge. And he names names. Who's on
the list? Felicia, Damascus, Syria, Moab, Ammon.
And then crucially, all of Judea and Egypt right
down to the Mediterranean and Red Sea coast of
the two seas. So Judea is explicitly targeted
now. Because they didn't join him. Exactly. That
refusal becomes the justification for what comes
next. Yeah. It's a really ominous moment. Okay,
so time passes. We jump to Nebuchadnezzar's 17th
year. He circles back to Arfixod. And this time...
This time it's decisive. Nebuchadnezzar wins.
Big time. Arfixod's army, all that cavalry and
chariots... gets routed. And Ekbetana, those
huge walls. Breached. Nebuchadnezzar takes the
city, sacks it, tears down the towers, pillages
the marketplaces. Arfixad himself tries to flee
into the mountains, the Rago region, but he's
caught. And killed. Yes, cured and killed end
of Arfixad. Nebuchadnezzar has cemented his power
in the east. So victory secure, he heads back
home to Nineveh. And there's a celebration. A
massive one. The texts mention 120 days of feasting
and celebrating with his forces. A huge victory
party, basically. But that oath about the West,
he hasn't forgotten, has he? Not for a second.
Almost immediately after, in his 18th year, first
month, 22nd day, the sources are very specific.
There's a council meeting. In the palace? Yes.
He lays it all out for his advisors, recounts
how the Western lands defied him, refused his
command, and the decision is made. to act on
the oath. To utterly destroy them. To make an
example of everyone who disobeyed. This is the
moment the plan for the Western Campaign, led
by Holofernes, is formally set in motion. Right.
Holofernes, Nebuchadnezzar's top general, second
in command. Yeah. And the scale of this new operation
is huge from the start. It's staggering. He's
ordered to assemble 120 ,000 infantry, 12 ,000
cavalry. Just enormous numbers for the time.
Absolutely massive. Yeah. And the mission is
crystal clear. Go West, subdue everyone who disobeyed.
Punish them. And the message Holy Friends carries
isn't subtle. No, it's blunt. Demand earth and
water. That classic symbol of total surrender.
Give us control of your land, your resources,
everything. Or else... Or else face the full
force of this army. Overrun, conquered, exiled.
The threat is overwhelming. And if any cities
or regions still resist... The orders are explicit.
Show no mercy. Slaughter, plunder, total devastation.
It's meant to inspire terror. So Holy Friends
gets to work. Gathers his commanders, his troops.
You mentioned cavalry, but also mounted archers.
Yes. 12 ,000 mounted archers, specifically mentioned.
Adds a whole other layer of mobile threat. And
the logistics behind this. That's been insane.
How do you even feed an army that big? Well,
the texts mention a massive supply train. Huge
numbers of camels, donkeys, mules carrying provisions,
and incredible amounts of livestock, sheep, cattle,
goats driven along with them. Plus food stores,
gold, silver from the treasury. This is a long
haul operation. They're prepared for a serious
campaign. How quickly do they move out? Very
quickly. From Nineveh, they reached the plain
of Bechteleth, which is near the mountains north
of Upper Salicia, in just three days. set of
a base camp there. And then the campaign begins
in earnest. It sounds like a wave of destruction
rolling west. It really is. Putt and Lude are
devastated. The Rassicites, the Ishmaelites,
plundered. He sweeps through Mesopotamia, taking
fortified cities along the Wadi -Abron, reaches
the Mediterranean. Takes Silesia. Yep, conquers
Silesia, crushes any opposition there, then turns
south towards Arabia, hitting the Midianites.
How are they dealt with? brutally, surrounds
their tents, burns them down, sacks their camps.
Total destruction of their way of life. Then
he moves towards Damascus. Right into the plain
of Damascus, specifically during the wheat harvest.
That's deliberate. Cripple their food supply.
Exactly. Burn the fields, destroy the flocks
and herds, loot the cities, kill the young men.
Just absolute devastation across the plains.
The goal seems to be to leave nothing behind
that could support resistance. And the effect
on the coastal cities. must have been pure terror.
You can imagine. Word spreads fast. Sidon, Tyre,
Serr, Osina, Jamdia, Azotus, Ascalon, they all
see what's happening. And they react how? They
send messengers immediately. Sewing for peace.
Basically saying, we surrender completely. Take
whatever you want, our homes, our land, our resources,
us. Just don't destroy us like the others. total
capitulation. Does Holofrans accept? He does,
in a way. He occupies their cities, puts garrisons
in place. He even takes some of their men as
auxiliaries for his own army. They receive him
with celebrations, garlands, music, trying to
appease him. But it's not entirely peaceful,
is it? There's a twist. There is. While he doesn't
raise the cities it submit, he does devastate
their surrounding territories. And critically,
he destroys their sacred sites, their holy groves.
Ai, what's the point of that? It's about enforcing
singular loyalty. Wipe out local worship, make
everyone worship a Nebuchadnezzar alone. It's
military, political, and religious domination.
Okay. So after securing the coast, Holofernes
moves inland, closer to Judea. Yes, he sets up
camp near Judea, in the plain of Esdralon, near
a place called Dothan. between Gibe and St. Thopoulos.
And the text says he stays there for a whole
month. A month? Why so long? To gather supplies,
replenish everything his massive army needs before
the next phase, which everyone must have known
was likely Judea itself. The threat is now right
on their doorstep. Right. So let's shift perspective
now. How are the Israelites in Judea reacting
to all this? They must be hearing the news. Oh,
absolutely. The texts say they were terrified.
They knew exactly what Holofernes had done to
other nations, how he looted and destroyed their
temples and shrines. And for them, Jerusalem
and their own temple, that would be the ultimate
disaster. Especially because, as the sources
mentioned, they'd only recently returned from
exile. Their temple had been purified and rededicated
not long before this. The timing couldn't be
worse. It felt like everything they'd just rebuilt
was about to be destroyed again. So what do they
do, facing this, well, seemingly unstoppable
force? They can't match Holofernes militarily,
can they? Not an open battle, no. So their response
is twofold. First, practical defense. Second.
intense spiritual action. Okay, let's break that
down. Practical defense. They send word out across
the region, particularly Samaria places like
Kona, Beth -Horon, Belmaine, Jericho. Fortify
the hilltops, strengthen the villages, gather
up all the food provisions they can now that
the harvest is in. Who's organizing this? Joerkeen,
the high priest in Jerusalem, seems central.
He writes specifically to the people in Bethulia
and Bathoma's time. Where are they? Strategically
vital spots. They overlook the plain of Ezrealon,
near Dothan, where Holofernes is camped. And
crucially, they control the mountain passes leading
into Judea. Ah, choke points. Exactly. The text
emphasizes how narrow these passes were, maybe
only wide enough for two people side by side.
Perfect for defense against a much larger force
trying to push through. Smart. Did the people
follow his instructions? Yes. It seems there's
unity. They followed Joakim's orders and the
guidance from the Senate, the Council of Elders
in Jerusalem. They secured those passes. Okay,
so that's the practical side. What about the
spiritual response? You said it was intense.
Incredibly intense. The entire population, it
seems. Men, women, children, even resident aliens,
hired workers, slaves, everyone put on sackcloth.
It's a sign of deep mourning, repentance, humility.
And prayer. Constant fervent prayer. They cried
out to God. In Jerusalem, people prostrated themselves
right in front of the temple, put ashes on their
heads, spread sackcloth on the ground, even draped
the altar itself in sackcloth. Wow. A whole community
mobilized in supplication. Completely. They're
begging God to save them from capture, from ruin,
and especially from the profanation of their
sanctuary, their holy place. Does the text say
anything about whether this worked? Spiritually,
I mean. It does. It explicitly states the Lord
heard their cry and saw their distress. The fasting
and praying continued not just in Jerusalem,
but throughout Judea. Even the priests. Yes.
Joachim and all the priests serving with him
wore sackcloth too. They continued the daily
offerings, the burnt offerings, voluntary ones,
votive ones, but they did it all with ashes on
their turbans pleading constantly for God to
favor the house of Israel. It's this picture
of total reliance on divine help combined with
determined practical defense. So let's pull this
together then. We've seen Nebuchadnezzar's power
grow after beating Arfixud. We've seen his ambition
turn west, leading to this brutal campaign under
holophones. A campaign that just steamrolled
nation after nation, using sheer terror and military
might, bringing this massive army right up to
the edge of Judea. And then we see the Israelites
reaction. Not just fear, but this really interesting
mix of fortifying strategic passes and this incredibly
intense community -wide appeal to God for protection.
Yeah, it really sets the stage, doesn't it? You
have this clash brewing, the seemingly invincible
Assyrian war machine versus this small nation
recently restored, banking on both strategic
defense and their faith. It makes you wonder,
looking at it from their perspective back then,
what hope could they possibly have had? I mean,
based on Holoferny's track record so far. Exactly.
Militarily, the odds look impossible. Which forces
you to ask what other factors might even come
into play here? What does this whole narrative
tell us looking back about how power works how
people resist overwhelming force and Well, the
role belief plays when everything seems lost
it definitely leaves you thinking What happens
when unstoppable force meet? Well, perhaps not
immovable objects but deeply determine people
relying on something beyond the physical That's
the question hanging in the air