The historical events of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, as well as the exile of the upper class and the royal family, which occurred between 597 and 582 under the Babylonian Empire led by Nebuchadnezzar, are of immense significance for the literature of the Old Testament. The Book of Lamentations represents the poetic condensation of this period of suffering and emphatically adopts the perspective of the victims, rather than that of the victors. It provides an answer to the question of how one can hold on to JHWH in a time of great distress, which is also a crisis of faith. It becomes evident that the supplicant does not bypass the lament but, with the help of the lament, struggles towards renewed hope.