Warunki społeczne Judejczyków deportowanych do Babilonii w świetle tekstów biblijnych i pozabiblijnych

Abstract

There are only a few biblical texts (Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), which give us some information on economical and social conditions of the Jews in Babylonia. According to them it seems like being a very strong captivity. The non-biblical sources permit us to recognize principles of the Assyrian and Babylonian kings' practice with regard to defeated poeples. There were not one, but more deportations of Jews into Babylonia and each of them was different, in accordance with the number of the persons and their social position. Babylonians highly cruel used to punish their enemies, but they needed soldiers, artificians and farmers to carry out their projects in Babylonia. The soldiers were incorporated into the Babylonian army, the artificians and the farmers were sent out to rebuild destroyed towns and villages and to renew agriculture in Mesopotamia. This was the reason, for which the deported masses of Jews were settled i n special places chosen before by the Babylonian king. Without any doubt, the place of settlement, if it was Babylon itsef or the nearestby region, a town – for instance – or a village, inhabited or not, worked very much with the influence on the social conditions of the exiled people. Generally we can say, that it was not so much of a captivity than a deportation only. The Jews enjoyed freedom and ałl civil rights; they had also their own political and social tribal organization. The majors of tribe were the highest officials of the people. Together with the priests and with the great prophets, like Ezekiel, Deutero-Isaiah and others, they observed and developed their religious and national traditions. This way the Jews preserved their social and religious independence, although they had no country (Judah) nor capital (Jerusalem) nor sanctuary (Yahweh's temple).