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In 2 Kings 24, Jehoiakim's service uses the political language found in Ugaritic letters, making his rebellion a rejection of Babylon's claim to rule Judah.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
KTU 2.23:3
Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Ancient Near East
And thus spoke the Sun, the Great King, my lord: […] […] the embassy of his servant he sends to your lord […] my embassy with him […] the embassy of your servant, when it arrives, the embassy of the Sun, the Great [King], my [lord] […] I know […] [the Sun], the Great King, my [lord] […] […] [the Sun], the Great [King], […] [my lord]. And I […] I ask [for life for the] Sun, the [Great] King, [my lord]. Indeed I [ask] for life of [soul] before Baal of Sapan, my lord, and length of days for my lord, before Amun and before the gods of Egypt, who guard the soul of the Sun, the Great King, my lord.
2 Kings 24:1
Hebrew Bible
1 During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim was his subject for three years, but then he rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, just as in the Lord’s message that he had announced through his servants the prophets. 3 Just as the Lord had announced, he rejected Judah because of all the sins that Manasseh had committed. 4 Because he killed innocent people and stained Jerusalem with their blood, the Lord was unwilling to forgive them. 5 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign and all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 6 He passed away and his son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.
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Notes and References
“... 312Ug. 'bd is used in Ugarit to denote the vassal of the Great King (KTU 2.23:3;
2.39:6), like the Akkadian word ardu, "slave" (PRU IV:49, line 12). The use of
עבדin this text is the typically political language for vassalage (cf. also 2 Kings
16:7; 17:3; 24:1; Ezra 9:10; 2 Chron. 12:8) and forms a parallel to the bringing
of tribute; ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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