etion of the renewed temple and its
dedication, 517 B. C. Either satisfies the scripture. In history it is
customary to speak of this exile as covering only the fifty years from
587 B. C. when Jerusalem was destroyed and the last company carried
away to 537 B. C. when the first company returned under Zerubbabel.

The Fugitives in Egypt. When Jerusalem fell the king of Babylon
allowed many of the poorer people to remain in Palestine and Jedediah,
a grandson of Josiah, was appointed to rule over them. 2 K. 25:22. His
career was a very useful one, but through jealousy he was soon
murdered, 2 K. 25:25. This led the people to fear lest Nebuchadnezzar
would avenge his death, whereupon they fled into Egypt 2 K. 25:26.
Jeremiah attempted to keep them from going to Egypt (Jer. 42:9-22.)
but, when he failed, he went along with them and shared their destiny,
Jer. 43:6-7. They settled at Tahpanhee (Jer. 44:1), a frontier town
where many foreigners lived under the protection of Egypt. They seem
to have built a temple there and did much to retain their racial
ideals. Jeremiah seems to have continued his faithful prophecies and
the people seem to have continued as faithfully to reject his counsel.
We do not know how he ended his career but Jewish tradition says he
was put to death by his own people.

The Exiles in Babylon. The state of the exiles in Babylon may not be
fully known but from the contemporary writers very much may be known.
(1) _Their home_. They were settled in a rich and fertile plain,
intersected by many canals. It was on the river, or canal, Chebar (Ez.
1:1.3; 3:15, etc.) which ran southeast from Babylon to Nippur. It was
a land of traffic and merchants and fruitful fields (Ez. 17:4-5). They
were rather colonists than slaves and enjoyed great freedom and
prosperity. (2) _Their occupation_. By reason of their intellectual
and moral superiority the Jews, as they are called from this time
forward, would secure rapid advancement. Some of them such as Daniel
obtained high position. Others became skilled workmen. Following the
advice of Jeremiah (Jer. 29:5), many of them no doubt gave themselves
to agriculture and gardening. Probably most of them yielded to the
opportunities of the "land of traffic and merchants" mentioned above
and engaged in commercial instead of agricultural pursuits. (3) _Their
government_. For a long time they were allowed to control their own
affairs as their own laws provided. The elders of the fami