Bible Figure
Ishmael son of Nethaniah
biblical character (Jeremiah)
Ishmael son of Nethaniah was a member of Judah's royal family who assassinated the Babylonian-appointed governor Gedaliah after Jerusalem's fall.
Biography
Jeremiah 40-41 recounts warnings that Ishmael planned to kill Gedaliah, which Gedaliah refused to believe. Ishmael and ten men murdered Gedaliah at Mizpah, killed others with him, and later slaughtered pilgrims. He took captives and headed toward Ammon until Johanan's forces confronted him; Ishmael escaped with eight men.
Biblical Significance
Ishmael's violence destabilized the small Judean community left after Babylon's conquest and contributed to the survivors' fear-driven flight toward Egypt.