See the history of
the Egyptians(1034) for what relates to this expedition, and the
consequences that attended it.

Nabopolassar finding,(1035) that after the taking of Carchemish by Necho,
all Syria and Palestine had revolted from him, and neither his age nor
infirmities permitting him to go in person to recover them, he made his
son Nabuchodonosor partner with him in the empire, and sent him with an
army to reduce those countries to their former subjection.

(M174) From this time the Jews begin to reckon the years of
Nabuchodonosor, _viz._ from the end of the third year of Jehoiakim, king
of Judah, or rather from the beginning of the fourth. But the Babylonians
compute the reign of this prince only from the death of his father, which
happened two years later.

(M175) NABUCHODONOSOR II. This prince defeated Necho's army, near the
Euphrates, and retook Carchemish.(1036) From thence he marched towards
Syria and Palestine, and reunited those provinces to his dominions.

He likewise entered Judea, besieged Jerusalem, and took it:(1037) he
caused Jehoiakim to be put in chains, with a design to have him carried to
Babylon; but being moved with his repentance and affliction, he restored
him to the throne. Great numbers of the Jews, and, among the rest, some
children of the royal family, were carried captive to Babylon, whither all
the treasures of the king's palace, and a part of the sacred vessels of
the temple, were likewise transported. Thus was the judgment which God had
denounced by the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah accomplished. From this
famous epocha, which was the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, we
are to date the captivity of the Jews at Babylon, so often foretold by
Jeremiah. Daniel, then but twelve years old,(1038) was carried captive
among the rest; and Ezekiel some time afterwards.

Towards the end of the fifth year of Jehoiakim died Nabopolassar, king of
Babylon, after having reigned one and twenty years.(1039) As soon as his
son Nabuchodonosor had news of his death, he set out with all expedition
for Babylon, taking the nearest way through the desert, attended only with
a small retinue, leaving the bulk of his army with his generals, to be
conducted to Babylon with the captives and spoils. On his arrival, he
received the government from the hands of those that had carefully
preserved it for him, and so succeeded to all the dominions of his father,
which comprehended Chaldea, Assyria, Arabia, Syr