Who was the strange, enigmatic old man present at the nocturnal meeting hosted by old Nebuzaradan, one of Babylon's great princes? Boaz the orphan boy and one of the Judahite exiles residing in Babylon, was also in attendance, together with the elders of his community. As the night progressed, the two old men unfolded the story of the Great Siege of Jerusalem (587 bce), the destruction of the city by the Babylonian army, the burning of Solomon's Temple and the pivotal role played in these events by the great prophet Jeremiah. The story kindled in Boaz a desire in later life to return and take part in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the Temple, and its walls.
