Bill T. Arnold Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, … Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. —2 Kings 24:20–25:1 The Babylonians were a notable people during the Old Testament period for two reasons. First, from a purely historical perspective, they were God’s instrument of destruction against Jerusalem late in the story of his people. Second and perhaps more importantly, they transmitted and in