Either tell them you are an "apostate", or ask them to prove 607 without using the Societys literature.
Actually, I ask them to prove 607 B.C. by using Watchtower litter a ture:
Most of what we need is found in a single paragraph of the Watchtower book "Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules!" on page 184 . To keep things simple, I will paraphrase this paragraph, but include the actual paragraph at the end for reference.
We have to start AFTER the date of Jerusalem's fall with a date and event that is agreed upon by both the WTS and secular historians. From this date we will count backward by counting forward.That date is 539 B.C., the date that Babylon fell to Cyrus the Mede. Keep in mind we are trying to find the date Jerusalem fell.
The Watchtower book "Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules!" tells us that Nabonidus was King when Babylon fell in 539 B.C. The Watchtower book "Aid to Bible Understanding" tells that Nabonidus ruled seventeen years from 556 to 539 B.C.
We are now back to 556 B.C.
The Watchtower book "Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules!" tells us that before Nabonidus, Labashi-Marduk ruled about nine months. It also tell us that before Labashi-Marduk, Neriglissar ruled for four years. So if we go backwards 4 years and nine months from 556 B.C. we're now at 560-561 B.C.
The Watchtower book "Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules!" also tells us that before Neriglissar, Evil-Merodach ruled for 2 years. We are now back to 562-563 B.C. and to the last year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzer.
On page 1212 of the Aid to Bible Understanding book we are told that Nebuchadnezzer ruled 43 years.
562/563 + 43 years = 605/606 BC, the year when Nebuchadnezzer started ruling Babylon.
2nd Kings 25:8-10 tells us that Jerusalem was destroyed in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzer's reign, so if we go forward 19 years from 605/606 B.C. we will have the approximate years of the destruction of Jerusalem.
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Nabonidus- 17 years 556 to 539 B.C. - Cyrus overthrew Babylon
Labashi-Marduk- assassinated within 9 months
Neriglissar -- 4 years
Evil-Merodach -- 2 years
Nebuchadnezzar -- 43 years
17 years + 9 months + 4 years + 2 years + 43 years = 66 to 67 years.
Starting at 539 B.C. and going back 66/67 years we arrive at 605/606 B.C. or the start of the reign of Nebuchadnezzer.
Nineteen years after 605/606 B.C. brings us to 586/587 B.C. when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
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*** References ***
Insight on the Scriptures page 425 under "Chaldea""
"Particularly was this domination manifest during the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E. when Nabopolassar, a native of Chaldea, and his successors, Nebuchadnezzar II, Evil-merodach (Awil-Marduk), Neriglissar, Labashi-Marduk, Nabonidus, and Belshazzar, ruled the Third World Power, Babylon."
Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules, page 184:
"After reigning but two years King Evil-Merodach was murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglissar. According to the inscriptions that have been found, this usurper of the throne spent most of his time in building operations and reigned four years. When he died, his son Labashi-Marduk, though not yet of age, succeeded him. He was a vicious boy, and within nine months he had his throat cut by an assassin. Nabonidus, who had served as Governor of Babylon and who had been Nebuchadnezzar's favorite son-in-law, now took the throne and had a fairly glorious reign till Babylon fell in 539 B.C."
Aid to Bible Understanding on Nabonidus - P 1195:
"Last supreme monarch of the Babylonian Empire...On the basis of cuneiform texts he is believed to have rule some seventeen years (556-539 B.C.E.)."
2 Kings 25:8-10 On the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 9 He burned the Lord’s temple, the king’s palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. 10 The whole Chaldean army [with] the commander of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
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Many JW's have a problem believing the "Aid To Bible Understanding" book because of its "APOSTATE" influences. Ray Franz was in charge of the research and writing of it.
In that case, the following should put their deeply disturbed minds at ease:
*** it-2 p. 457 Nabonidus ***
Last supreme monarch of the Babylonian Empire; father of Belshazzar. On the basis of cuneiform texts he is believed to have ruled some 17 years (556-539 B.C.E.).
