Jeremiah 43

This unsubstantiated accusation makes Baruch sound like he’s a Babylonian. First-century Jewish and Roman historian, Josephus, said Baruch had been one of King Zedekiah’s top officials over the king’s personal affairs and assets. The Bible implies that he remained a longtime follower, friend, and colleague of Jeremiah. Jeremiah credits him with taking the dictation that produced the book of Jeremiah, which was later inducted into the Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Tahpanhes was a town in Egypt’s northland, in the fertile Nile Delta where the river fans out into streams that irrigate the fields before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. It’s now an archaeological site known as Tell Nebesha, about 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Cairo and about 220 miles (350 km) southwest of Jerusalem. The trip could have taken a month. A healthy walker on a good path could cover 15-20 miles a day, almost two weeks for the trip from Bethlehem to Tahpanhes. But families and pack animals could make the trip feel like slow motion.

Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt, but resistance was minimal. So, he didn’t tear the land up like he did in Judah.

The Washington Monument is one example of an obelisk, a towering pillar built to commemorate or to honor someone or something. The Al-Masalla obelisk is believed to be the oldest-surviving ancient Egyptian obelisk. It was constructed in Heliopolis, which is not part of Cairo. It stands 69 feet high (21 m). It was built of red granite stones that weigh an estimated 120 tons.

Heliopolis was a major town in ancient Egypt, one of the oldest, occupied since prehistoric times. It was also a major religious center of the country. It’s now part of northeast Cairo.