Destruction of Jerusalem (ending the dynasty of David) by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, exile of the Jews to Babylon. The Temple in Jerusalem is burned, King Zedekiah attempts to escape but is captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar. His sons are slaughtered in front of him, the last thing he sees, as his eyes are then gouged out. The Babylonians decide to annex the territory to the empire. The Jewish ruling class and the priestly elite are deported to Babylon. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jewish religion cannot be defined as monotheistic at all. It is the writings of the early Persian era that clearly formulate monotheistic statements. In the context of the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, around 515 BC, “inclusive monotheism” is invented, with YHWH revealing himself to all humanity as “elohim.” This word can be translated as God. In a certain sense, it is believed here that all gods could be manifestations of the one God, an idea corresponding to the Persian conception of Ahura Mazda. Only to Moses, and through him only to Israel, does God reveal himself under his name YHWH, and therein lies the unique privilege of Israel, according to its religion, while other peoples, while venerating their own gods, equally venerate the God of Israel without knowing it.
