Exile

-586 BC — -538 BC

The Babylonian captivity — God's judgment on Judah for persistent idolatry and injustice. The Temple was destroyed in 586 BC. Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel ministered among the exiles, sustaining hope for restoration.

Key Events

Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction

586 BC

Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army breaches Jerusalem's walls, burns Solomon's Temple, and carries the people of Judah into exile. The darkest hour in Israel's history — yet the prophets maintained hope.

Daniel in Babylon

~605–536 BC

Daniel, taken captive as a young man, serves faithfully in the Babylonian and Persian courts. God delivers him from the lion's den and grants him apocalyptic visions of world empires and the coming Kingdom of God.

Fiery Furnace

~586 BC

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image and are thrown into a blazing furnace. God delivers them unharmed — a fourth figure 'like a son of the gods' walks with them in the flames.