Gedaliah

According to the Hebrew Bible, Gedaliah ( /ɡɛdəˈlaɪ.ə/ or /ɡɨˈdɑːljə/; Hebrew: גְּדַלְיָּה G'dalyyâh or גְּדַלְיָהוּ G'dalyyâhû, meaning God is great) was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon as governor of Yehud province, which was formed after the defeat of the Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem, in a part of the territory that previously formed the kingdom. He was supported by a Chaldean guard stationed at Mizpah. On hearing of the appointment, the Jews that had taken refuge in surrounding countries returned to Judah.