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Jeremiah the prophet
active c. 627–586 BC· Person· People
Mostly agreed by scholarsMost historians agree; some details uncertain.
Jeremiah warned Judah for about 40 years that Babylon would destroy Jerusalem, and lived to see it happen.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
Called as a youth (Jeremiah 1), he attacked trust in the Temple as a guarantee of safety (Jeremiah 7) and told King Zedekiah to submit to Babylon. He was beaten, jailed and lowered into a muddy cistern as a traitor. He dictated his words to the scribe Baruch; King Jehoiakim burned the scroll column by column (Jeremiah 36). He promised a 'new covenant' written on hearts (31:31). Taken to Egypt, he disappears from history.
Why it matters
His 'new covenant' gave Christianity the name of its scriptures: 'New Testament' means new covenant (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8).
Life, legacy and sources
Clay seal impressions found in Jerusalem name Jehucal and Gedaliah, probably the officials who had him thrown in the cistern (38:1). The Lachish letters (c. 588 BC) record Babylon's advance.
Questions and debates
The Greek version of Jeremiah is about one-eighth shorter and ordered differently; the Dead Sea Scrolls contain both forms, so two editions circulated.
Connections (3)
▸Jeremiah the prophet warned of Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the First TempleMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
For decades Jeremiah predicted that Babylon, 'the foe from the north', would take Jerusalem, and urged surrender to save lives. Officials called it treason and threw him into a cistern. When the city fell, the Babylonians freed him and let him stay in Judah (Jeremiah 39–40).
When and where
Jerusalem, about 605–586 BC, under kings Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; during the final siege Jeremiah was held in the court of the guard.
How do we know?
The fall itself is confirmed. The book of Jeremiah, partly dictated to the scribe Baruch, gives a close, dated account, though scholars see later editing.
Questions and debates
Some prophecies may have been sharpened after the event. Most scholars doubt that Lamentations, traditionally credited to Jeremiah, is his.
▸Jeremiah the prophet predicted seventy years of Babylonian exileFaith & scripture
The connection
Jeremiah foretold that 'these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years' (25:11). In a letter to the first exiles he told them to build houses, plant gardens and 'seek the welfare of the city' (29:7), promising return after seventy years. Daniel 9 later reinterprets the seventy years as seventy 'weeks' of years.
When and where
Jerusalem, about 605 and 597–594 BC; the letter went to deportees in Babylonia (Jeremiah 29).
How do we know?
The prediction is in the text; how well it fits depends on counting: 605 to 539 BC is 66 years, while 586 to 516 BC, when the Second Temple was finished, is 70.
Questions and debates
Was 'seventy' a literal forecast or a stock figure for a lifetime? An Assyrian king's inscription also speaks of seventy years of divine anger against Babylon.
▸Jeremiah the prophet promised a 'new covenant' recalled at The Last SupperMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Jeremiah 31:31–34 promises a 'new covenant' in which God will write his law on people's hearts and forgive their sins. At the Last Supper Jesus calls the cup 'the new covenant in my blood' (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25), presenting his death as that promise kept.
When and where
Jeremiah spoke in Jerusalem around 600–586 BC, before the Babylonian conquest; the Last Supper took place in Jerusalem about AD 30 or 33.
How do we know?
Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31 in full and applies it to Christ. The word 'Testament' itself comes from the Latin for 'covenant'.
Questions and debates
Mark and Matthew have 'my blood of the covenant', echoing Exodus 24:8, without 'new'; whether Jesus said 'new' is debated. Jews read Jeremiah's promise as still addressed to Israel.