2 Kings 25:13 (WEB)
The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in the LORD’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in the LORD’s house, and carried the bronze pieces to Babylon.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
2 Kings 25:13–15 (KJV)
13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
Key words
- עַמּוּדֵי הַנְּחֹשֶׁתammudey hannechoshet · Hebrew
- 'the pillars of brass' — the inventory of what Babylon carried off: pillars, bases, the bronze sea, pots, shovels, snuffers, spoons, firepans, bowls.
- אָרוֹןaron · Hebrew
- 'ark' — the word does not appear. The most sacred object in the temple is missing from the list.
Why it matters
When Scripture inventories what the Babylonians took from the temple, the Ark is not on the list (the parallel list in Jeremiah 52:17–23 omits it too). Pitre uses this negative evidence against the common assumption that Babylon carried the Ark away (p 50): the Bible itself does not say so. That silence is what makes the 2 Maccabees tradition of Jeremiah hiding the Ark the oldest positive account we have.