(Over the remnant of Judah Nebuchadnezzar placed a vassal king who swore the strongest oaths of allegiance to his superior. After reigning some years, however, he rebelled. Then followed one of the most desperate sieges of history. Jerusalem was ringed about by forts, assailed by all the enginery of the times. Famine and pestilence walked in her streets, and at last the city yielded. Zedekiah and his family escaped in the confusion, but were quickly captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar. The cruel conqueror killed the children of the captive king before his sight, and then put out his eyes.)
Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of the Lord did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence: and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
GREAT STAIRWAY APPROACHING HEROD'S TEMPLE AT SAMARIA.
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
There are only a few ruins left to tell the story of the once proud city of Samaria. The old temple of Baal is thus described:--
"It was of a size sufficient to contain all the worshipers of Baal that the northern kingdom could furnish. Four hundred and fifty prophets frequented it. In the interior was a kind of inner fastness or adytum, in which were seated or raised on pillars the figures carved in wood of the Phoenician deities as they were seen, in vision, centuries later, by Jezebel's fellow-countryman, Hannibal, in the sanctuary of Gades. In the center was Baal, the Sun-God; around him were the inferior divinities. In front of the temple, stood on a stone pillar the figure of Baal alone"
This city, completely destroyed by the Assyrians, was rebuilt by Pompey. Herod, in pursuance of his commercial policy, which was based on intercourse with the west, and of his plan of governing the country with strongholds garrisoned by Gentile soldiers devoted to his interests, made Samaria a strong fortress.
