Nebuchadnezzar Destroys Jerusalem

In 586 BCE, after a brutal 18-month siege, Nebuchadnezzar II's army breached Jerusalem's walls, burned the Temple Solomon had built, and deported most of the surviving population to Babylon. The Babylonian Chronicle, the Lachish Letters (desperate messages between Judean outposts), and thick destruction layers found by archaeologists all confirm this event. Arrowheads, burned stones, and collapsed buildings tell the story. This began the Babylonian Exile that would reshape Judaism forever.