דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ו, פסוק ז׳

The fall of Jerusalem and the looting of the Temple did not happen in a single, sudden event, but rather unfolded through gradual stages of captivity and submission. During this particular campaign, Nebuchadnezzar did not completely empty the Temple of its sacred items. Instead, he took only a portion of the holy vessels [רש״י]. This partial removal aligns perfectly with the later prophecies of Jeremiah, who foretold the eventual fate of the remaining vessels that were left behind in Jerusalem.

Establishing the exact timeline of this event presents a chronological challenge. Accounts in the Book of Daniel suggest that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and seized the vessels during the third year of Jehoiakim's reign, yet this invasion actually occurred at the very end of Jehoiakim's life, in his eleventh year as king. To resolve this, the "third year" is understood not as the beginning of Jehoiakim's rule, but as the third year of his active rebellion against the Babylonian king [רש״י].

The sequence of events followed a specific timeline: Nebuchadnezzar ascended to power during Jehoiakim's fourth year as king. He quickly subdued Jehoiakim, forcing him into servitude for three years. Afterward, Jehoiakim rebelled for another three years. During the third year of this rebellion, which was Jehoiakim's final year on the throne, Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city and captured the vessels. Once taken to the city of Babylon, the Babylonian king placed these looted sacred objects directly inside his own private royal palace [מצודת דוד].