thirdwitness: Can anyone show that mene mene tekel upharsin does not equal 2520 gerahs.
I cannot prove it does not equal 2,520 gerahs. But I can prove that positively asserting that it absolutely does equal 2,520 gerahs has no solid foundation in fact. I can further prove that drawing any prophetic conclusions from that coincidence, even if it is true, is an exercise in rampant speculation.
Mene = 30, 50, or 60 shekels (depending on the authority cited and the time period considered)
Tekel = 1 shekel
Upharsin = Half a mena, i.e. 15, 25, or 30 shekels (depending on the authority cited for Mene)
Gerah = 1/20 shekel
Mene + mene = 60, 100, or 120 shekels (depending upon the authority cited)
+ tekel = 61, 101, or 121 shekels
+ upharsin = 76, 126, or 151 shekels (in total)
* 20 = 1520, 2520, or 3020 gerahs
But...even if it does equal exactly 2,520 gerahs (which monetary unit is not even mentioned, BTW) there are many meaningless numeric coincidences throughtout every issue of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, why would this matter? It is not as though the fulfillment of the 70 years for Babylon had ANY significance to Daniel 4, after all.
AuldSoul