Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.
Ishmael didn't stop with Gedaliah, he killed all the Jewish people who were there with him at Mizpah, plus the Babylonian soldiers and warriors he found.
Violence has a way of spiraling way beyond the original target.
📚 Historical Context
In the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem around 586 BC, Gedaliah was appointed as governor by the Babylonians to oversee the surviving Jews in Mizpah, aiming to stabilize the region. Ishmael, a member of the royal family and likely motivated by nationalistic resentment, assassinated Gedaliah and his followers, including Babylonian soldiers and local men of war, which plunged the area into further chaos. This event is part of the broader narrative of Judah's downfall and the scattering of its people as described in the Book of Jeremiah.
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