exiled people, whom I have caused to go into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,” Jehovah said: “Build houses and inhabit them, and plant gardens and eat their fruitage. Take wives and become father to sons and to daughters; and take wives for your own sons and give your own daughters to husbands, that they may give birth to sons and to daughters; and become many there, and do not become few. Also, seek the peace of the city to which I have caused you to go into exile, and pray in its behalf to Jehovah, for in its peace there will prove to be peace for you yourselves.” (Jer. 29:4-7) Some of them developed skills in various trades that proved useful after the captivity ended. (Neh. 3:8, 31, 32) Engaging in commercial enterprises and general merchandising became their specialties. The findings concerning a well-known Jewish family in Nippur indicate a flourishing banking, real estate and insurance business; many Jewish names were found among their business records. Such commercial intercourse and social contact with non-Jews in time tended to infiltrate the Hebrew language with Aramaic.

The period of captivity, amounting to eighty years for some, naturally affected community worship of the true God Jehovah. With no temple, no altar and no organized priesthood, the offering of daily sacrifices was not possible. However, the practice of circumcision, abstention from unclean foods, sabbath observance and constancy in prayer were things the faithful could do in spite of the scorn and ridicule of others. Captive Daniel’s “serving with constancy” his God was well-known by King Darius and others. Even when an interdict was legalized forbidding under the penalty of death the making of a petition to anyone except the king, “even three times in a day [Daniel] was kneeling on his knees and praying and offering praise before his God, as he had been regularly doing prior to this.” (Dan. 6:4-23) Such faithfulness in their limited worship helped to prevent these exiles from losing their national identity. They could also profit from the contrast they observed between the pure simplicity of Jehovah’s worship and the ostentatious idolatrous materialism of Babylon. No doubt they also benefited from the presence of Jehovah’s prophets, Ezekiel and Daniel.—Ezek. 8:1; Dan. 1:6; 10:1, 2.

As the local synagogue arrangement developed among the Jews, the need for copies of the Scriptures in the communities of Jewish exiles all over Media, Persia and Babylonia intensified. Ezra was known as “a skilled copyist in the law of Moses,” indicating that copies of Jehovah’s law had been brought from Judah, reproductions of which were made. (Ezra 7:6) Without doubt these precious scrolls of past generations included the book of Psalms, with the probability that Psalm 137, and perhaps also Psalm 126, were composed during or shortly after the captivity. The six so-called Hallel Psalms (113 to 118) were sung at the great Passover feasts following the return of the remnant from Babylon.

RESTORATION AND THE DISPERSION

Hope of release from the captivity was not to be found in Babylon’s policy of ‘no return.’ Egypt, to whom Israel had once looked for assistance, was in no position militarily or otherwise to help, and the other nations were likewise helpless, if not outright hostile toward the Jews. Only in Jehovah’s prophetic promises was there any basis for hope. Moses and Solomon, centuries before, had spoken of restoration that would follow captivity. (Deut. 30:1-5; 1 Ki. 8:46-53) Other prophets also gave reassurance of a deliverance from exile. (Jer. 30:10; 46:27; Ezek. 39:25-27; Amos 9:13-15; Zeph. 2:7; 3:20) Isaiah, in the last eighteen chapters (49-66) of his prophecy, developed this restoration theme to a sweeping climax. The false prophets, however, proved wrong in predicting an early release, and any who trusted in them were sadly disappointed.—Jer. 28:1-17.

Faithful Jeremiah proved to be the one giving the correct length of the desolation of Jerusalem and Judah as seventy years, after which restoration would come. (Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10-14; 30:3, 18) Concerning this, Daniel, in the first year of Darius the Mede (c. 538 B.C.E.), “discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.”—Dan. 9:1, 2.

Early in 537 B.C.E., Persian King Cyrus II issued a decree instructing the captives to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. (2 Chron. 36:20, 21; Ezra 1:1-4) Preparations were soon under way. With the direction of Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Jeshua, “the sons of the Exile” (Ezra 4:1), numbering 42,360 in addition to 7,537 slaves and singers, made the trip of about four months and, by the seventh month, in the fall, were settled in their cities. (Ezra 1:5–3:1) Providentially, the royal line of David leading to Christ had been preserved through Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) and Zerubbabel. Also, the lineage of the Levitical high priest continued unbroken through Jehozadak and, in turn, his son Jeshua.—Matt. 1:11-16; 1 Chron. 6:15; Ezra 3:2, 8.

Later, more captives returned to Palestine. In 468 B.C.E., Ezra was accompanied by more than 1,750, which figure apparently includes only adult males. (Ezra 7:1–8:32) A few years later Nehemiah made at least two trips from Babylon to Jerusalem, but how many Jews returned with him is not disclosed.—Neh. 2:5, 6, 11; 13:6, 7.

The captivity put an end to the separation of Judah and Israel. The conquerors made no distinction according to tribal origins when deporting the exiles. “The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah are being oppressed together,” Jehovah observed. (Jer. 50:33) When the first contingent returned in 537 B.C.E., representatives of all the tribes of Israel were among them. Later, at the completion of the temple rebuilding, a sacrifice of twelve male goats was made, “according to the number of the tribes of Israel.” (Ezra 6:16, 17) Such reunification after the captivity was indicated in prophecy. For example, Jehovah promised to “bring Israel back.” (Jer. 50:19) Furthermore, Jehovah said: “I will bring back the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel, and I will build them just as at the start.” (Jer. 33:7) Ezekiel’s vision of the two sticks being made one (37:15-28) indicated that the two kingdoms would again become one nation. Isaiah foretold that Jesus Christ would become a stumbling stone “to both the houses of Israel,” hardly meaning that Jesus, or the twelve whom he sent out during his third tour of Galilee, would have to visit settlements of captives in far-off Media in order to preach to descendants of the northern kingdom. (Isa. 8:14; Matt. 10:5, 6; 1 Pet. 2:8) The prophetess Anna, in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth, was of the tribe of Asher, which tribe was once numbered with the northern kingdom. (Luke 2:36) All of this shows the Anglo-Israelite theory false in its claim that none of the ten tribes were restored to Palestine but were “lost.”

Not all the Jews returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, only a “mere remnant.” (Isa. 10:21, 22) Among these returning there were very few who had seen the original temple. Old age prevented many from risking the hardships of the trip. Others who could have made the trip from a physical point of view chose to remain where they were. Many, no doubt, had gained a little material success over the years and were satisfied to remain where they were. It the rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple did not occupy the first place in their lives they would not be inclined to make the hazardous trip, with an uncertain future awaiting them. And, of course, those who had proved apostate had no incentive to go back.

This means that, as a people, part of the Jews remained scattered and came to be known as the Di·a·spo·raʹ or “Dispersion.” In the fifth century B.C.E. communities of Jews were found throughout the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire. (Esther 1:1; 3:8) Even certain descendants of the exiles still found positions high in government office: for example, Mordecai and Esther under the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), and Nehemiah as royal cupbearer to Artaxerxes I. (Esther 9:29-31; 10:2, 3; Neh. 1:11) Ezra, when compiling Chronicles, wrote that many of those dispersed in various eastern cities “continue until this day” (c. 460 B.C.E.). (1 Chron. 5:26) With the rise of the Grecian Empire, a considerable number of Jews was brought by Alexander the Great to his new Egyptian city of Alexandria, where they learned to speak Greek. It was there that translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek to produce the Septuagint Version was begun in the third century B.C.E. The Syro-Egyptian wars brought about the transferal of many Jews into Asia Minor and into Egypt respectively. Pompey, upon conquering Jerusalem in 63 B.C.E., took Jews to Rome as slaves.

The great dispersion of Jews throughout the Roman Empire was a factor contributing to the rapid spread of Christianity. Jesus Christ limited his own preaching to the soil of Palestine, but commanded his followers to reach out and spread their ministry “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jews from different parts of the Roman Empire were in Jerusalem attending the Pentecost festival in 33 C.E., and heard the spirit-begotten Christians preaching about Jesus in the languages of Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, the district of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Crete, Arabia and Rome. Thousands, upon returning to their lands, took with them their newly found Christianity. (Acts 2:1-11) In most of the cities Paul visited he found synagogues where he could readily speak to Jews of the Dispersion. In Lystra Paul met Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess. Aquila and Priscilla were newly arrived from Rome when Paul got to Corinth, c. 50 C.E. (Acts 13:14; 14:1; 16:1; 17:1, 2; 18:1, 2, 7; 19:8) The great numbers of Jews in Babylon made it worth Peter’s effort to go there to carry on his ministry among “those who are circumcised.” (Gal. 2:8; 1 Pet. 5:13) This community of Jews in Babylon continued as the most important center of Judaism for quite some time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.

CARCHEMISH

(Carʹche·mish).

An important trade center situated on the W bank of the upper Euphrates at one of the main fords of that river. A principal trade route ran from Nineveh up to Haran (only about 55 miles [88.5 kilometers] E of Carchemish), then crossed the Euphrates at Carchemish and continued on to the Orontes valley in Lebanon, from which point other routes led to the Mediterranean or S to Palestine and Egypt. Caravans passing through provided revenue in the form of taxes, and the city evidently became quite wealthy.

Due to its strategic position, both commercially and militarily, control of Carchemish was sought by aggressor kingdoms from early times. Pharaoh Thutmose III (of the middle of the second millennium B.C.E.) obtained plunder from it and Ramses III also records an assault on the city. Ashurnasirpal II (of the ninth century B.C.E.) describes his crossing of the Euphrates on rafts buoyed up with inflated goatskins and claims to have received tribute from the king of Carchemish that included 20 talents of silver, 100 talents of copper, 250 talents of iron, plus gold objects, furniture inlaid with ivory, garments of linen and wool, and other booty.

Carchemish figures in the Biblical account at Isaiah 10:9, where Jehovah foretold the Assyrian attack against Israel and Judah. The boastful Assyrian ruler is described as listing Carchemish among the kingdoms that could not withstand his might. This doubtless refers to the Assyrian conquest of the independent kingdom of Carchemish by Sargon II, a contemporary of King Hezekiah. Thereafter Carchemish was ruled by an Assyrian governor.

Then, after the fall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, Pharaoh Necho marched through Canaan en route to Carchemish to block the victorious Babylonians from driving W of the Euphrates into Syria and Canaan. King Josiah of Judah unwisely tried to turn the Egyptian forces back at Megiddo and was killed in the attempt (c. 629 B.C.E.). (2 Chron. 35:20-24) About four years later, in 625 B.C.E., a decisive battle was fought at Carchemish between the Egyptian and Babylonian armies. Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonians to a smashing victory over Pharaoh Necho’s forces and swept over Syria and Canaan. This battle marked the end of Egyptian imperial strength in these regions. The Bible account at Jeremiah 46:2 is paralleled by that of the Babylonian Chronicles (B.M. 21946), both describing the defeat of the Egyptian army.

Excavations have been made at the site of Carchemish at Jerablus on the border of Turkey and Syria, about 63 miles (101.4 kilometers) NE of Aleppo. A large number of documents in the language presently called “Hittite” were found, and it is believed that Carchemish was dominated by the “Empire of Hattusha” for about two centuries during the latter part of the second millennium B.C.E. (See, however, HITTITES.) Also found were reliefs bearing, among other things, the image of a sphinx, as well as the “crux ansata” symbol or ʽankh, indicating strong Egyptian influence.

CARIAN BODYGUARD

(Caʹri·an).

A body of troops that aided Jehoiada in the overthrow of Athaliah and the installation of Jehoash as king of Judah.—2 Ki. 11:4, 13-16, 19.

Many scholars consider the “Carian bodyguard” to be another name for the “Cherethites” (Heb., k^ere·thimʹ), mentioned as serving in the military forces of David and Solomon. In the view of some scholars the Cherethites also functioned as a special bodyguard for these kings. (2 Sam. 8:18; 1 Ki. 1:38; 1 Chron. 18:17) This connection of the Carian bodyguard with the Cherethites is additionally based on the fact that the Masoretic text says “Cherethites” at 2 Samuel 20:23 while its marginal reading has “Carian.”

There is an ancient district of Caria in the SW part of Asia Minor. Certain authorities conjecture that the Philistines migrated to Canaan from that district via the island of Crete. (Amos 9:7) Because Ezekiel 25:16 and Zephaniah 2:5 associate the Cherethites with the Philistines, and because the Septuagint rendering of these texts has “Cretans” instead of Cherethites, some believe that this district of Caria was the original homeland of those in the Carian bodyguard.

While this association of the Carian bodyguard with the Cherethites and with the district of Caria possibly has some basis, a number of lexicographers prefer to treat the Hebrew word as simply meaning “foreigners.”

CARKAS

(Carʹkas).

One of King Ahasuerus’ seven court officials by whom he sent the unheeded demand for Vashti’s presence.—Esther 1:10-12; see COURT OFFICIAL.

CARMEL

(Carʹmel) [orchard or fruitful land].

The name of both a mountain range and a city. The Hebrew word (kar·melʹ), however, is also used to refer to “new grain” (2 Ki. 4:42) or, more frequently, to any fruitful field or orchard.—Isa. 16:10; 32:15; Jer. 2:7.

1. The Carmel range is a wedge-shaped spur of the central mountain range of Canaan, running out therefrom in a N-NW direction with its NW headland coming to within two hundred yards (182.9 meters) of the Mediterranean Sea. The entire range measures some thirty miles (48.3 kilometers) in length, stretching from the Mediterranean down to