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Biblical History Atlas

Historical event dossier · Royal, Political

Evil-merodach (Amēl-Marduk) releases Jehoiachin (561 BC)

Researched — not human reviewedRevision 1Last reviewed: not reviewed

No review items are open for this dossier. Classifications remain machine-proposed unless marked as approved by the owner.

Biblical references

Text: World English Bible (public domain). The ESV and NKJV are the preferred study translations and are referenced, not reproduced.

2 Kings 25:27–30Narration
27 In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison, 28 and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, 29 and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life; 30 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.
Jeremiah 52:31–34Parallel account
31 In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and released him from prison. 32 He spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, 33 and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life. 34 For his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Twenty-fifth day of the month.

Biblical account

Layer: Biblical text

On 27/XII of the thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin's captivity, Evil-merodach in his accession year released him, spoke kindly, set his throne above the other kings in Babylon, and gave him a daily allowance for life.

Historical overview

Layer: Historical reconstruction · Period: Early 561 BC

Nebuchadnezzar died in early October 562; Amēl-Marduk's accession year ran to Nisan 561, so its twelfth month (Addaru) fell in Feb–Mar 561. Ration lists of Nebuchadnezzar's thirteenth year (592/1) already record oil for Ya'u-kīnu, king of Yahudu, and his sons at Babylon.[1, 2]

Kingdoms: Neo-Babylonian Empire, Kingdom of Judah

Date and chronology derivation

Ranges are computed by the project's deterministic chronology engine from the biblical statements and each model's reign anchors. They are reconstructions, not independent dates.

562 BC – 561 BC

Model-independent (applies under every chronology model) · precision: month

How this range was derived

Earliest bound

  1. reign of Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) began between 25 Sep 562 BC and 7 Oct 562 BC (model-independent)[1]Assumption: Last tablets of Nebuchadnezzar 25 Sep and 7 Oct 562 (Uruk); first tablet of Amel-Marduk's accession year 7 Oct 562 (Sippar?) (Parker & Dubberstein p. 10). Accession year Oct 562 – Mar 561; year 1 from 6 Apr 561 (Parker & Dubberstein table).
  2. “Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign … in the twelfth month” — Evil-merodach (Amēl-Marduk) releases Jehoiachin (561 BC) months later reign of Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) (2 Kings 25:27)[1]Assumption: Accession year (from Oct 562); the twelfth month (Addaru) of that year falls in Feb–Mar 561 (Parker & Dubberstein table).

Latest bound

  1. reign of Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) began between 25 Sep 562 BC and 7 Oct 562 BC (model-independent)[1]Assumption: Last tablets of Nebuchadnezzar 25 Sep and 7 Oct 562 (Uruk); first tablet of Amel-Marduk's accession year 7 Oct 562 (Sippar?) (Parker & Dubberstein p. 10). Accession year Oct 562 – Mar 561; year 1 from 6 Apr 561 (Parker & Dubberstein table).
  2. “Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign … in the twelfth month” — Evil-merodach (Amēl-Marduk) releases Jehoiachin (561 BC) months later reign of Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) (2 Kings 25:27)[1]Assumption: Accession year (from Oct 562); the twelfth month (Addaru) of that year falls in Feb–Mar 561 (Parker & Dubberstein table).

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What else was happening? (model-independent)

  • Daniel's refusal of the king's food and the ten-day test (Dan 1:8–16): 606 BC – ?
  • Nebuchadnezzar II (reign): 605 BC – 562 BC
  • Nebuchadnezzar's golden image on the plain of Dura (Dan 3:1–7): 603 BC – ?
  • Nebuchadnezzar's decree honouring the God of the three Judeans (Dan 3:28–30): 603 BC – ?
  • The refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace (Dan 3:8–27): 603 BC – ?
  • Nebuchadnezzar's boast, madness and restoration (Dan 4:28–37): 604 BC – 562 BC
  • Daniel's night vision of the four beasts and its interpretation (Dan 7): ? – 539 BC
  • Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat at Susa (Dan 8): ? – 539 BC
  • Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) (reign): 562 BC – 560 BC
  • Gedaliah governs from Mizpah and is assassinated (2 Kgs 25:22–26): 589 BC – ?

Ancient and modern geography

Location confidence assumes the event as described. Whether it occurred is assessed in the claims below.

PlaceConnection to this eventLocation identification
BabylonBabil (ruins near Hillah)Place of captivity and releaseLocation confidence: certainBabylon (Pleiades 893951): certain[3]

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Claims, evidence and classifications

Each claim is classified on its own. A classification describes the evidence for that specific claim, not for the event as a whole.

Amēl-Marduk (Evil-merodach) became king in October 562 BC and reigned about two years.

Independently corroboratedMachine-proposedExternal evidence

Babylonian contracts date his accession from 7 Oct 562 and his death to 7–13 Aug 560 (Parker & Dubberstein). Josephus's eighteen years is contradicted by the documentary record.

Supporting

  • First tablet 7 Oct 562; last 7 Aug 560; Nergal-shar-usur from 13 Aug 560.[1]Strength: direct·p. 10·Claim checked

Challenging

  • Evil-Merodach reigned eighteen years.[4]Strength: direct·Ant. 10.11.2·Claim checked

Research date 2026-10-13

Jehoiachin was released in the twelfth month of Amēl-Marduk's accession year (early 561 BC).

Historically plausibleMachine-proposedHistorical reconstruction

The accession year (Oct 562 – Mar 561) contains one twelfth month (Addaru, Feb–Mar 561); 2 Kings and Jer 52 differ by two days. No Babylonian text records the release.

Supporting

  • Addaru of 562/561 falls in February–March 561.[1]Strength: direct·Nebuchadnezzar/Amel-Marduk tables·Claim checked

Research date 2026-10-13

Evidence by type

The same evidence regrouped by kind of source. Each item names the claims it bears on.

Archaeological evidence

None recorded for this event.

Scientific findings

None recorded for this event.

Ancient documents

Modern news and announcements

None recorded for this event.

Reference works and summaries

Historical disputes and competing reconstructions

  • 27th (2 Kgs 25:27) or 25th (Jer 52:31) of the twelfth month

    2 Kings; Jeremiah 52

    A two-day difference between the parallel accounts.[5]

Related passages and events

FromRelationshipToBasis
this eventSame eventhigh · Biblical textJeremiah 52:31–34Parallel account (twenty-fifth day).
this eventArtifact associationmedium · External evidenceJehoiachin's ration tablets (Babylon)Earlier ration lists show the same royal captive maintained at Babylon.[2]
this eventThematic parallellow · Biblical textCyrus's proclamation permitting the return and the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 1; 6:3–5)The exile narrative continues with Cyrus's decree (2 Chr 36:22; Ezra 1).

Prophetic relationships

No prophecy or proposed-fulfillment relationships have been recorded for this event.

Commentary references

Layer: Interpretation. This is commentary, not historical evidence.

Guzik notes the release in the thirty-seventh year and quotes Wiseman that the Hebrew implies an agreement, not merely kind words.[5]

Unanswered questions and research gaps

    Research process

    3 logged searches
    DateQueryWhereUseful
    2026-10-13Parker & Dubberstein (Amel-Marduk)local text1
    2026-10-13Josephus Ant. 10.11.2local text1
    2026-10-13COJS ration listlocal text1

    Sources

    1. 1.
      Parker, Richard A., Dubberstein, Waldo H.. Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.–A.D. 45 (SAOC 24). University of Chicago Press (Oriental Institute). archive.orgClaim checkedAcademic monographRead through the Internet Archive OCR text of the Oriental Institute PDF; OCR has digit errors (e.g. "589" for 539) checked against context. The 1956 revised edition was not consulted.Verification log
    2. 2.
      Center for Online Judaic Studies. Babylonian Ration List: King Jehoiakhin in Exile, 592/1 BCE — Center for Online Judaic Studies. cojs.org. cojs.orgClaim checkedMuseum catalogEducational presentation of the tablet (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin); does not name the translation used; Weidner's 1939 edition not read.Verification log
    3. 3.
      Pleiades contributors. Babylon — Pleiades place 893951. Pleiades (pleiades.stoa.org). pleiades.stoa.orgClaim checkedInstitutional databaseRepresentative point read from the Pleiades JSON record: lon 44.42497815, lat 32.53729695.Verification log
    4. 4.
      Josephus, Whiston, William (trans.). Josephus, Antiquities 10.6.3, 10.8.2–5, 10.11.2 (trans. W. Whiston). Project Gutenberg #2848. www.gutenberg.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textVerification log
    5. 5.
      Guzik, David. 2 Kings 25 — Enduring Word Bible Commentary. Enduring Word. enduringword.comClaim checkedTheological commentaryInterpretive resource — not historical corroboration.Verification log