597, 586 b.c.
The final years of the kingdom of Judah were marked by a power struggle between the Egyptians and the Babylonians, the rising power that had overtaken the Assyrian Empire. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon eventually won out and seized control of the Mediterranean coastal lands. When Zedekiah, who had been placed on the throne of Judah by the Babylonians, rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and captured the city. Zedekiah fled toward the east but was captured near Jericho and sent to Riblah to be judged.
