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INTRODUCTION. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem three times, taking captives and deporting them to Babylon. The first invasion and deportation was in 605 B. C. when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was reigning in Judah. Jehoiakim became subject to Nebuchadnezzar for three years but then rebelled (II Kings 24:1). Jehoiakim was apparently killed by Nebuchadnezzar sometime later in a violent manner, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer. 22:18-19; 36:30).