As the people of Judah were led away to Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah told them to expect a lengthy stay — to build houses, plant crops, have children, and live productive lives (Jeremiah 29:1-7). And despite the hardships and heartaches of being in a strange land, most Jews adjusted quite well to life in Babylon. During their seventy years there they adopted Babylon’s lunar calendar and its language of Aramaic. They worked, engaged in commerce, and prospered, with some even rising to high positions in government, like Daniel or Mordecai. As Walter C. Kaiser observes,…