587/607

by reneeisorym 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Narkissos

  drew,

  the 2 Chronicles 36 passage is actually referancing two differant passages. Mainly the ones in Jeremiah as well as Leviticus.

  Certainly true but how does that get around the problem I am pointing out -- i.e., that the Chronist holds a different interpretation of Jeremiah's 70 years as referring to the sabbath of the land according to the pattern of Leviticus 26, making them an ideal period of desolation?

  My provisional understanding is that the OT contains at least three interpretations of the 70 years: (1) starting before the final fall of Jerusalem and ending with the fall of Babylon (Jeremiah, especially 29); (2) starting with the fall of Jerusalem but ending after the return from exile (Zechariah, Daniel); (3) beginning and ending with the desolation (sabbath) of the Judean land itself (2 Chronicles). I would add that (3) probably influences the ultimate redaction of the proto-Masoretic text of Jeremiah 25:11f, which seems to identify the 70 years to both (1) "the nations will serve the king of Babylon" and (3) "this land shall be in ruin".
• 

  bigdreaux

  i have to claim ignorance on this. i get so confused about the 607 b.c.e. teaching. i never really paid much attention during the meetings. can someone tell me where i can get the societies view of this, so, i can understand what i am looking for to do research on this? or, can someone well versed in it, send me an e-mail breaking it down to idiot terms for me?
• 

  Leolaia

  I would also add that the Danielic conception of the 70 years (#2 in Narkissos' scheme) is dependent on the same Leviticus text as the interpretation in 2 Chronicles (#3). Daniel's prayer in v. 4-19 is occasioned by the demand for repentance in Leviticus 26:40, the "curse and imprecation written in the Law of Moses" (v. 11) is none other than the one in Leviticus 26:14-39, and the stipulation in that curse that Israel be punished sevenfold (Leviticus 26:21, 23, 27) is the rationale behind expanding the 70 years into 490 years in v. 24. This also makes the initial total of 70 years equivalent to the number of sabbatical years in 490 years (Leviticus 25:1-7), and the first unit of that longer period equals seven sabbatical years, or one jubilee (49 years, cf. Leviticus 25:8-11), with the fiftieth year being a year of return from slavery to one's homelands. The 49 years of captivity after 587 BC and the return from exile in the following year would thus fit the jubilee period quite well. The initial 49 years ends with the coming of an anointed leader, which from ancient times was interpreted to be Jeshua son of Jozadek, the "son of oil" (Ezra 3:8, Zechariah 3:1-9, 4:14), the first high priest after the exile.
• 

  Doug Mason

  This is how the WTS gets to 607:
  
  1. Babylon fell in 539 BCE. This is agreed to by all authorities, therefore it is an "absolute date".
  
  2. The Jews returned to their land and set up the temple system on Tishri 1 (Oct) 537 BCE.
  
  3. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of "70 years" of captivity and depopulation, which started when the temple was destroyed -- hence that was 607 BCE.
  
  Problems for them include (corresponding to the above):
  
  1. The same authorities who give them 539 just as unanimously give them 587 for Jerusalem's destruction. The Absolute Date within that period is 568 BCE for Nebuchadnezzar's 37th year; if that is wrong, so too is 539 BCE.
  
  2. The WTS cannot prove that the Jews returned in 537 BCE, let alone show that this event is relevant.
  
  3. Jeremiah spoke of 70 years of serving Babylon by Judah and all its surrounding neighbours, and this began when Babylon defeated Egypt at Carchemish.
  
  Doug
• 

  jdough

  the answer is here http://www.geocities.com/jerusalem607/