Page "History of Israel" Paragraph 17

The Assyrian Empire was overthrown by the Medes and the Chaldean, or New Babylonian, Empire in 612 BCE.

In 586 BCE King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Judah.

According to the Hebrew Bible, he destroyed Solomon's Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon.

The real population transfer figures are somewhat contested by historians, though the general perception is that significant portion of local population had remained, while the exile was largely of the nobility class.