babylonian captivity

noun

• The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat in the Jewish–Babylonian War and the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
• the period in Jewish history during which the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon.