The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04

Viewed as an event in the worlds history.
the deportation Of many OF the Jews to Baby
lonia was "a mere incident in the execution Of "A
policy which tho Assyriaus and their success
sors. the Babylonians. adopted with reference
70 such nations AS refused to submit to their
rule. So long as vassal States paid tribute reg
ularly they were permitted to retain their ter
ritorial integrity and their political organiza-
ton. H. however. they repeatedly revolted.
their permanent submission was assured by
the humiliation of their independent national
life. The more or less complete deportation Of
the inhabitants and the recolonization Of their
original territory by subjects transported from
other parts Of the empire was the drastic
method which the conluerors employed. The
approach to the extinction OF a nation was par
ticularly close in the case OF Juiiea. because.
not once but three times. did it in
cur the dire displcasure OF its conquer
ors. BY the first deportation. which
Cured in 5"7 i. c.. the young King Jehoiak in.
his immediate family. the nobles the warriors
and the Skilled artisans of the kingdom were
removed to Babylon. According to the account
given in H. Kings. tho total was 10000. but no
mention Is made of the women and children
who were allowed to accompany their hus-
bands and fathers. and who may well have in
Eleven years later. in $50 b. C.. another unsuc-
cessful revolt OF the Judrans led the baby
lonians to recur to the policy Of deportation.
The author OF the SEVENTEEN chapter Of Jerc-
miah estimates the number carried away this
time from the villages OF Judma at 2.O23. while
those removed from Jerusalem, which was
captured in the following year. were computed
at S32. As here again the figures refer only
to males. we may assume that the total
number conveyed TO Babylon in the second
deportation was between 1000 and 10000
For the PURPOSE. apparently. OF avcngng
the assassination Of n loyal Governor the
Babyonians. in 5S1 i. C.. took occasion to
deport 40 adult males. or. say $500 souls
1t would thus seem that the total mum her car
ried to BahylonIa in the three DECORATIONS was
about oO.OOO. IN" cstmat" seems reasonable
when compared with the 2T.29O who, accord
ing to the Assyrian inscriptions were loported
from the city Of Snmaria at the time of its final
fall in I'D B. {. The estimate is also confirmed
by the large number OF Jews who during the
succeeding centuries were found residing in
Babylonia and adjacent regions The Jews de-
ported to Babylonia, however. represented
only fraction OF the former population Of
JudRa. The fact that tho Babylonians did not
deem 1t needful to Introduce colonists from
other parts OF their empire is in itself evil
dence that great numbers Of the Jul
deans continued to develop the Resources
OF their native land. There is also reason
to believe that there was a large emlgra-
ton from Judma to Egypt. Hosea 5 references
to the Nile country as one Of tho lands sought
by voluntary eNiles indicate that the Israel
ties in I'D Is. C., when the northern Kingdom
was destroyed by Assyria. set an example
which their southern brethren were to follow
under similar circumstances. Even after the
first Jewish deportation Jeremiah iyNiy 81
addressed his prophecy to them that remain
In this land IJudRal and to them that dwell in
the land OF Egypt If. as this reforenc" indi-
Gates. an important fraction of tho Jewish
race. as well many descendants of tho
northern Israelitcs. were already, in lt5 T.
c.. found in Egypt. their numbers must
have been later greatly increased, for
when 1T became evident that Judra wa.
doomed. patriots would recognize that they
could serve their country better by going for a
time voluntarily into exile in Egypt than by
remaining to fall into the hands Of the Baby
lonians. Such an exodus took place about Isl
Is. c., those who took part il it establishing
themselves at -Rpahnes. on the eastern bor-
der OF the desc. Other centres Of Jewish
colonization were 'ol. also Il border town.
about twelve milesf r, 'usian; Noph. which
is identified with the an, t city II Memphis,
and the country Of Paphros. which seems to
be designation Of the territory Of Southern
Egypt. Thus, while many Jews preferred to
remain on the lurders OF JudHa others sought
homes in the southcrumoet province, Of the
land OF their adoption. Arefercnce in Ezekiel.
MN, a. implies that they were found rs far
south as Syenw. on the isiUudof Elcrhuutinc.
Three centres. then, of Jewish reputation
may be distinguished during the Bahylonion
period: the first was Palestine itself, tho SEE
onl Egypt. and the third Bahylonia. Ralirully
different from One anothr" were the conditions
under which the Jews lived in these three
centres. The city OF Jerusalem itself after it
had been subjectr to the wrath OF Babylon. Is
described aS complete drsoatiOn. tho haunt
of Jackals.' Lam. V, ~. but there is no eyi-
dAnce that the smaller towns 81 lu,lra were
subjected to similar treatment. The refer
cnccs in Jeremiah NJ. indicate that many Of
tho villages in luda'a survived, although no
doubt. their population was impaired Con-
temporary writer's, rs well as the facts OF sub
sHHua"t history. testify that only the poor and
ignorant Jews were left behind in Palestine
1t was not to be expected that under the rulo
OF Il RahylOnian Governor. the Jewish peasants,
who chung to their native hills. would de-
vcIop vigorous religious life. chance
reference in Jeremiah xii. - indicates that
certain external forms Of tho worship of Jc-
hovah were still kept up In connection with the
site Of tho ruined sanctuary at Jerusalem. but
in prophecy dated in the eleventh year OF the
captivity l1Si Il. G. and directed to tho-" who
inhah.t the vast" places IN the land of Israel
Ezekiel accuses them uf returning To N" iur,.
AIRY which had always possessed an attrac-
tipn tor tn" "oah uuj ,Emorlat purtlpn nf the
inhabitants Of JU,iaa Tho religious d".,aI.
mrUl q, the period must lr sought Hmuug
their klnoron who w,r" dwelling Il, exile, IN
iahy a. In" Jews who fingered m Iud,Ua
nevertheless. constituted an important Gle.
NEIL: IN the problem az the future OF the jew.
ISL race, fot they We're 10 furnish to II Large
cAtent the members OF the community whicl