# Introduction

##### Author: Jeremiah the Prophet

- Jeremiah started his service as a youth from a priestly family
- God invited him to prophesy but he was worried
- Israel had already been made captive to Assyria 
    - Jeremiah's prophecies were about "repent so it doesn't happen to you too!"
    - It was revealed to Jeremiah that the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be taken captive by Babylon
- Many kings and the people heard his prophecies, but did not take it seriously.
- Babylonian Captivity 
    - Came in several waves
    - In the time of King Zedekiah, they came and seized Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, plundered the gold and the vessels and anything of value in the Temple; and they took captives
    - Jeremiah witnessed all of those things
- Weeping Prophet 
    - Prophesied for 40 years before the captivity, and lamented, so he received the nickname "Weeping Prophet"
- After the Captivity, some Judean leaders wanted to flee to Egypt and God forbade it by Jeremiah's voice (Jeremiah 43) 
    - So they took him and forced him to go to Egypt with them
    - There, he preached that they will be punished
- Tradition tells us that Jeremiah died in Egypt
- Date of Authorship: After witnessing the captivity of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple

##### Introduction to Lamentations

- The Church arranges for us to read this on the 12th hour of Friday in a mournful tune, because not only did they kill prophets... they killed the Messiah.