1 The Social and Historical Situation in Templeless Judah

Abstract In this chapter, three sources of information — the historical presentation of the Hebrew Bible supplemented by ancient Near Eastern documentation where applicable, the evidence of the material culture available from excavations and surveys, and the impact of Babylonian rule on the region — are brought together to construct a holistic portrait of the situation in Templeless Judah. The chapter begins with a reconstruction of sixth-century Judah from the perspective of the biblical portrait, as it is important when examining this period to be aware of how the biblical writers understood the events of the sixth century and how they portrayed them. Other sources of information about the period such as those from the archaeological record and an understanding of the Babylonian empire are used to elucidate the historical details available from biblical and extra-biblical sources. Despite devastation and severe disruption, certain clues indicated the resumption of activity and the existence of a stable infrastructure within which cultic ritual continued.