LAMENTATIONS
- Jewish and Christian tradition ascribes Lamentations to Jeremiah. It is written in the style of the book of Jeremiah by Baruch.
- Lamentations describes the divine judgment on Jerusalem in 586 BC. Jeremiah and Baruch were eye-witnesses of this event.
- The book was written after 586 BC and before 575 BC.
- It is a poetic book consisting entirely of laments. Ancient literature has a tradition of laments over the destruction of cities.
- It is read on Jewish festival days commemorating the destruction of the two temples.
- Genre: Poetic metaphor
Baruch
- This book belonging to the Apocrypha is written in Jeremiah’s style by Baruch son of Neriah, Jeremiah’s secretary.
- It was written in the 5th year of the destruction of Jerusalem when Baruch had joined the exiles.
- Baruch read this book to the exiles living in Babylon near the River Sudi.
- It is a prayer, a lament and a warning to do what is right.
- Chapter 6 is a copy of a letter sent by Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon.
- It is apparent that after 586 BC Baruch has ended up as an exile in Babylon, while Jeremiah became an exile in Egypt where he was martyred.
Apart from writing Lamentations and the book entitled Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe also wrote down the prophecies of Jeremiah and the four history of Israel books I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Thus, Baruch wrote six books of the Bible and one book of the Apocrypha.
Merry and True 