“At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon;
also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.” (2 Kings 24:10,15,17).
Babylonian Quote: ‘The King of Akkad mustered his troops, marching to the Hatti-land, and encamped against the city of Judah…besieged the city and captured the king. He appointed there a king of his own choice, received its heavy tribute and sent them to Babylon.’
‘Nebuchadnezzar deported all the important men to Babylonia, seven thousand in all, and one thousand skilled workers, including the blacksmiths, all of them able-bodied men fit for military duty.’ (2 Kings 24:16).
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Nebuchadnezzar needed a large number of men to maintain the miles of irrigation channels in addition to the building of palaces and temples, especially after Sennacherib had previously destroyed the city.