Beyond Today Bible Commentary: Daniel

Continuing on from the previous section of commentary regarding the Babylonian victory at Carchemish and the southward flight of the Egyptian forces, "the Old Testament suggests that Nebuchadnezzar followed them as far south as Egypt [pushing them out of Syria and Judah] and that he forced Jerusalem to pay tribute and yield prisoners, including Daniel the prophet. [The kingdom of Judah was thereby taken from Egypt and incorporated into the Babylonian Empire].... All this took place in a matter of a few weeks, for by August 15, 605, Nabopolassar had [unexpectedly] died and Nebuchadnezzar had to return at once to Babylon [to secure his succession]. As the author of Kings indicates, Jehoiakim remained a loyal subject to the Babylonians for the next three years (605-602)" (Eugene Merrill, Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel,1987, pp. 450-451).