without blemish: They had no defects or blemishes that would disqualify them. The Lord required the same for Israel’s priests (Leviticus 21:16–24; 22:17–25). These youths had the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and character needed to work in high government positions.
Babylon had a wide range of literature that covered many kinds of knowledge. It included:
wisdom and secret writings,
creation stories,
magic spells,
theogonies (origins and family trees of the gods),
legal texts,
ancient histories,
letters,
dream journals,
guides for interpreting visions, and
mathematical and astrological materials.
The education of these young men, all in a foreign language, was as advanced as that of Moses in Egypt.