among the exiles in Babylon when news of Zedekiah’s breach of loyalty to Babylon had become known. It may also appear more than a little surprising that the two prophets executed in Babylon (v. 21) had been rash enough to proclaim the treasonable message of the imminent downfall of Babylon. How far this was encouraged by knowledge of internal problems for the royal house in Babylon and how far it represented ordinary human wishful thinking is not known. Yet it had become known and the officials acted