There were actually several different times during this period (607-586 B.C.) when the Jews were taken captive by Babylon. God used Babylon as His agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him. It is an important period of biblical history because both the captivity/exile and the return and restoration of the Jewish nation were fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies. The Babylonian captivity or exile refers to the time period in Israel’s history when Jews were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon.
