Palestine / Israel: 'Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem'. Oil on oak wood painting by Rembrandt (15 July 1606 - 4 October 1669), 1630. Zedekiah had been installed as king of Jerusalem by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II following the Siege of Jerusalem in 597 BCE. But Zedekiah revolted against Babylon, and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. In 589 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar began an 18-month siege of Jerusalem, eventually breaking down Jerusalem's walls and conquering the city. Jerusalem was plundered and most of its inhabitants were enslaved.