Abstract from Kingdom of Priest - A History of Old Testament Israel by Eugene H. Merill p. 451-452

Jehoaichin and Zedekiah of Judah

In his sixth year( 599 -598) Nebuchanezzer marched into north Syria and in his seventh (598 -597) took Jerusaleum from Jehoiachin son an successor of Jehoaikim (2 King 24:10-17). On March15/16, 597, he set up as king-still another son of Josiah, namely, Zedekiah. The last exploit of Nebuchadnezzar which is recorded in the Babylonian Chronicle is a campaign against the Elamites. Unfortunately the chronicle breaks off at 594-593, and nothing more is known from Babylonian sources until 557 -556. The Old Testament speaks of such momentous accomplishments as his capture of Jerusalem in 587-586, but the extrabiblical texts are silent on the whole matter. After replacing his father on the throne of David, Jehoiachin evidently maintained an anti-Babylonian posture that immediately brought Nebuchadnezzar's stern reaction. After only three months in power Jehoiachin found his city surrounded by the Babylonian hosts and he quickly capitulated . This time the royal family was deported along with other leading citizens including Ezekiel the prophet. The cream of Judah's military force and her most skillful craftsmen also had to abandon their land and homes to go into exile. Finally, Nebuchaanezzar helped himself once more' to the temple treasures and carried them back to Babylon as a sign of his complete success.

Though Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle and Josiah's son, was left as puppet ruler of Judah, it is clear that the Jewish people regarded Jehoiachin as the true scion of David until the day of his death. He never returned to Jerusalem, it is true, but after long years as a polit-ical prisoner in Babylon he was placed on a government pension and apparently was treated more as an honored guest of Babylon than as her prisoner (2 Kings 25:27-30). It must have seemed to the exilic Jewish community that the time would surely come when Jehoiachin would.lead them back triumphantly to Jerusalem and restore the for-mer glory of the house of David.

Zedekiah was, however, king de facto of whatever was left of Judah in 597.