“Prophetic Historiography”: Understanding the Role of Jeremiah 52 in the Book of Jeremiah

Abstract

ABSTRACT The uniqueness of Jer 52, its distance from the prophetic figure, and our understanding of the nature of prophetic books have resulted in Jeremiah’s concluding chapter being labeled a historical appendix that merely affirms the prophet’s predictions. In this article, I propose that Jer 52 is more than a mere appendix and instead presents a Jeremianic account of Jerusalem’s fall that is distinct from 2 Kgs 25 and informed by the words of the prophet and patterns of the book in chs. 1-51. This is demonstrated by the chapter’s significant differences from 2 Kgs 25 that echo Jeremiah’s message. Such a reading is affirmed by later biblical authors, namely the Chronicler, who view Jerusalem’s fall through the lens of Jeremiah’s words.