From Babylon to Jerusalem: the pitfalls of communication
The last decades of the existence of Juda as a state lead the researcher of this tragic but extremely exciting period among rapidly changing conditions, often difficult to survey. The channels of communications were at least as important for the period as they are today. Babylon and Egypt, the small states of Palestine, the various political trends within Jerusalem, the members of the political and religious elite of Juda already deported or still at home were all looking for ways to transmit and receive information – with more or less success. The merits or defects of their decisions were the results of how they were able to analyse the situation. Mapping this complicated communication network will contribute to a clearer picture of the last two decades of the history of Juda as well as of the functioning of the system of relationships between centre and periphery.
