Changes

=== Geopolitical situation ===

=== Geopolitical situation ===

The twenty-fifth year of Jehoiakim's life saw several major power shifts. [[Babylonia]] had broken free of [[Assyria]] when Jehoiakim was nine years old, and a Babylonian-[[Medea]]n alliance had steadily weakened the power of the once-mighty Assyrian empire.<ref>Ussher, ''op. cit.'', pgh. 740</ref> The [[Egypt]]ians were not willing to accept that state of affairs without a fight, however. And so, in 610 BC (or 609 BC by the Thiele reckoning), Pharaoh [[Necho II]] challenged the might of Babylonia at [[Carchemish]]. In that year, he took that city. He had to march through [[Southern Kingdom]] territory to do it, and so Josiah had joined battle with Necho at Megiddo. In that battle, Josiah had been killed, and very likely Jehoiakim's eldest brother [[Johanan]] was also killed in that same action.<ref>Ussher, ''op. cit.'', pghh. 754-6.</ref><ref name=Britannica1>Anonymous, [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9043491/Jehoiakim Jehoiakim], ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' online. Retrieved April 12, 2007.</ref><ref name=Columbia>Anonymous, [http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0826123.html Jehoiakim], ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed., Columbia University Press, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007 from Infoplease.com.</ref>

The twenty-fifth year of Jehoiakim's life saw several major power shifts. [[Babylonia]] had broken free of [[Assyria]] when Jehoiakim was nine years old, and a Babylonian-[[Medea]]n alliance had steadily weakened the power of the once-mighty Assyrian empire.<ref>Ussher, ''op. cit.'', pgh. 740</ref> The [[Egypt]]ians were not willing to accept that state of affairs without a fight, however. And so, in 610 BC (or 609 BC by the Thiele reckoning), Pharaoh [[Necho II]] challenged the might of Babylonia at [[Carchemish]]. In that year, he took that city. He had to march through [[Southern Kingdom]] territory to do it, and so Josiah had joined battle with Necho at Megiddo. In that battle, Josiah had been killed, and very likely Jehoiakim's eldest brother [[Johanan]] was also killed in that same action.<ref>Ussher, ''op. cit.'', pghh. 754-6.</ref><ref name=Britannica1>Anonymous, [https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9043491/Jehoiakim Jehoiakim], ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' online. Retrieved April 12, 2007.</ref><ref name=Columbia>Anonymous, [http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0826123.html Jehoiakim], ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed., Columbia University Press, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007 from Infoplease.com.</ref>

Thus Egypt appeared to hold sway in the territory classically called "Syria-Palestina" and "the land of Hatti" (where the modern [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]], and [[Jordan]] sit today) when the people of the Southern Kingdom passed Jehoiakim over and acclaimed his brother [[Jehoahaz II]] as their next king.

Thus Egypt appeared to hold sway in the territory classically called "Syria-Palestina" and "the land of Hatti" (where the modern [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]], and [[Jordan]] sit today) when the people of the Southern Kingdom passed Jehoiakim over and acclaimed his brother [[Jehoahaz II]] as their next king.