in a general sense, the state or condition of a captive.

in sacred history, a punishment which God inflicted upon his people for their vices and infidelities. The first of these captivities is that of Egypt, from which Moses delivered them; after which, are reckoned six during the government of the judges; but the greatest and most remarkable were those of Judah and Israel, which happened under the kings of each of these kingdoms. It is generally believed, that the ten tribes of Israel never came back again after their dispersion; and Josephus and St Jerom are of this opinion; nevertheless, when we examine the writings of the prophets, we find the return of Israel from captivity pointed out in a manner almost as clear as that of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah: See Hosea i. 10, 11. Amos ix. 14. The captivities of Judah are generally reckoned four; the fourth and last of which fell in the year of the world 3416, under Zedekiah: and from this period begins the 70 years captivity foretold by Jeremiah.

Since the destruction of the temple by the Romans, the Hebrews boast that they have always had their heads or particular princes, whom they call princes of the captivity, in the east and west. The princes of the captivity in the east governed the Jews that dwelt in Babylon, Assyria, and Persia; and the princes of the captivity in the west governed those who dwelt in Judaea, Egypt, Italy, and in other parts of the Roman empire. He who resided in Judaea commonly took up his abode at Tiberias, and assumed the name of Ro'chabboth, "head of the fathers or patriarchs." He presided in assemblies, decided in cases of conscience, levied taxes for the expenses of his visits, and had officers under him who were dispatched through the provinces for the execution of his orders. As to the princes of the captivity at Babylon, or the east, we know neither the original nor succession of them. It only appears that they were not in being before the end of the second century.