Jeremiah and the 70 years. Jewish exile or Babylonian rule?

by digderidoo 103 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  JCanon

  Hi Narkissos:

  c. the time of desolation of the land of Judah, which is historically unaccurate (since the exile only lasted about 50 years, cf. the 1st "7 weeks" of Daniel 9, and did not imply a complete desolation to begin with), but seems to be in view in 2 Chronicles 36 (and later in Josephus, although he does know from Berossus the actual duration of the exile). I tend to think that this third interpretation (c) was worked along with the first one (a) into the extant text of Jeremiah 25:11, for the part: "This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years."

  You forgot to mention Josephus' interpretation of the 70 years as beginning with the last deportation and ending the 1st of Cyrus. It doesn't matter if it is believed to be accurate or not. That is precisely where he places the 70 years in fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, thus the 70 years of "servitude" specifically are for the "poor people" remaining from those killed off in Egypt. He clearly indicates the land lay desolate for 70 years after this last deportation. That is a clear contradiction of the shorter NB Period. But it is quite consistent with the Bible's reference at 2 Chronicles that those last deported of those "remaining from the sword" would serve the kings of Babylon for 70 years while the land paid back its sabbaths.

  Therefore, there is no choice but to resolve the discrepancy. One or both are giving erroneous information. One or both have revised their records. Of course, when we start to look at the Babylonian records and see the three main texts, the Babylonian Chronicle, Nabonidus Chronicle and the Cyrus Cylinder are all dated during the Persian Period it becomes clear we have to address issues of the Persians revising the Babylonian records. The VAT4956, though confirms that the original dating for year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar fell in 511 BCE. So the 587 BCE dating is DEFINITELY FICTITIOUS just based on the double-dating int he VAT4956 alone. Now, obviously, there may be a lack of scholarly expertise to appreciate what is going on but that's not my problem. Anybody can use an astronomy program and check out the details themselves.

  On the other side of the fence though, Biblical scholars like Martin Anstey and Phillip Mauro have concluded that the Bible's "absolute" timeline must date the 1st of Cyrus to 455 BCE to fulfill the 70 weeks prophecy. THAT becomes an interesting comparison for the VAT4956 511 BCE dating and Josephus' 70 years beginning in year 23. Why? Because the RELATIVE CHRONOLOGY and ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY work out precisely the same.

  That is, if year 37 falls in 511 BCE then year 23 falls in 525 BCE. If that is the beginning of the 70 years, then the 1st of Cyrus falls in 455 BCE. 455 BCE is the absolute date for the beginning of the 70 weeks prophecy, which some feel only Cyrus can fulfill since the city and temple began to be rebuilt that year and the Bible says the prophecy begins when the "word goes forth to rebuild Jerusalem."

  So some of us have moved on based on the VAT4956 alternative confirmation for redating the entire Neo-Babylonian Period.

  In addition, when Zechariah 1 and 7 clearly show the Jews still in exile 70 years after the fall of Jerusalem for year 2 of "Darius" and 70 years after the mourning for Gedaliah in year 4, it is clear Zechariah is supporting Josephus' 70-year application since the Jews would have still been in exile another 2 years if the 70 years began in year 23, 4 years after the fall of Jerusalem. Thus Zech 1 and 7 is a reference to the reign of Darius the Mede who began to rule at Babylon after the Medes and Persians conquered that city. Thus Darius the Mede rules for 6 years before Cyrus comes to the throne, which the Bible supports.

  So at this point, some of us who have looked at the astronomical texts feel the 587 BCE chronology is faked and not to be taken seriously, and find compatibility with the Bible using the VAT4956's reference to 511 BCE for year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar, and Josephus' assignment of the 70 years beginning with the last deportation. So it doesn't really matter how effective one is able to match up 70-year scenarios with the 587 BCE or 539 BCE chronology since those dates have been dismissed by the VAT4956 already as fake. The VAT4956 proves those are the wrong dates. 587 BCE is just old news at this point.

  But even so, Martin Anstey has a following, of which I'm one, who believes that 455 BCE must fulfill the 70 weeks prophecy and thus the Bible's timeline in comparison with the NB timeline would be radically different anyway. We feel the JWs compromised with secular chronology by using 539 BCE as a "pivotal date" for their chronology, though it seems to have worked out for them in relation to 1914, but not according to the Bible. It is clear the last deportation triggers the 70 years, and they avoid with a passion acknowledging those last deported were the last remaining ones of the official nation who had ran down to Egypt, even though that is specifically noted by Josephus. So they are liars and dishonest and the "evil slave" just as the Bible calls them. 1914 doesn't work out even on a "relative chronology" basis because the 70 years begins when the land is totally empty and desolate. And Jeremiah 44:14,28 clearly says those who had ran down to Egypt who "escaped from the sword" would return to Judea. So Jews were in Judea right up until the 23rd year before the land was completely desolate. To avoid that concept, the WTS presumes some Jews were scattered about after Gedaliah was assasinated and it is these who were gathered from the surrounding area (specifically avoiding Egypt) that were deported. They give no explanation as to what happened to Jeremiah and Baruch who certainly were not killed. What happened to them? I'll tell you. They were part of those last deported in year 23! So 607 BCE is a double joke, both via Jewish traditional history and the Bible.

  The Bible is vindicated totally though, when you date year 1 of Cyrus to 455 BCE and thus year 23 to 525 BCE since year 37 falls in 511 BCE which is confirmed by the VAT4956!! So that's great!

  So it's sort of odd seeing so many still discussing dating that already has been clearly corrected and dismissed by the key astronomical texts involved as far as secular evidence. But also a comfortable interpretation of 455 BCE for the 1st of Cyrus for those who follow Anstey now, especially now that we know so much about the actual revisions of the Persian Period and Xerxes faking his death and claiming he was Artaxerxes. So it boils down to either people are not that bright or not that honest if they don't face the reality of the evidence in place now as to what happened and why there are these discrepancies. It's almost funny.

  Anyway, to each his own, as they say!

  JC
• 

  dawg

  Again and again lunatic Scholar keeps on saying...
  
  "Celebrated WT scholars have used all of the evidence oth biblical and secular to prove that 607 BCE is the only possible datre for the Fall of Jerusalem. Their methodology is carefully explained as with all of the evidence and it is simple and precise which cannnot be said for the proponents of 586 or 587 BCE".
  
  Yet will not name one... they don't exist. I was watching History Chanel last night, it was about the Ark of the covenant. Man kept on saying over and over that scholars came to the conclusion that 586BC was when Jerusalem fell... he never mentioned one of the WT "celebrated scholars"... not once.
• 

  JCanon

  Hi Mary:

  (Daniel 9:2) in the first year of his reigning I myself, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, [namely,] seventy years.

  (Zechariah 1:12) So the angel of Jehovah answered and said: "O Jehovah of armies, how long will you yourself not show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, whom you have denounced these seventy years?"

  (Zechariah 7:5) "Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When YOU fasted and there was a wailing in the fifth [month] and in the seventh [month], and this for seventy years, did YOU really fast to me, even me?

  These are NOT the scriptures JWs use for their reference for the 70 years. It is 2 Chronicles 36:20 that is they key reference for the 70 years:

  Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign; 21 to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

  Jeremiah's prophecy was about the DESOLATION of the land as well as deportation of the people off the land. So the servitude of those deported off the desolated land is the same 70 years. This is how JEWS understand the 70 years as we learn from Josephus. The Jewish traditional 70 years goes from the last deportation until the 1st of Cyrus. The Bible agrees.

  As in the case of your references above, note that if the 70 years did not begin until year 23 that the Jews still should have been in exile 70 and 72 years after the fall of Jerusalem, which occur in years 2 and 4 of Darius the Mede. They would not have been released until the 6th of Darius the Mede. But as you can see in the context, they are still in exile, asking... " how long will you yourself not show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, whom you have denounced these seventy years?" So this was the continued denouncement of these cities for 70 years, that is, the denouncement being the destruction and desolation of these cities since the destruction of Jerusalem. But God had not shown mercy to these cities yet by allowing the people to return and rebuild them. But this is consistent with the Bible's chronology that the 70 years of total desolation of the land had not been completed yet. There were people in the land right up until the 23rd year since some surviving from the sword down in Egypt returned to Judea, at least for a short while, before being deported to Babylon as per Jeremiah 44:14,28. These are two scriptures JWs completely do not want to deal with since it clearly establishes people in the land right up until year 23, and they need the land to be totally empty the same year Jerusalem was destroyed.

  So there is no MYSTERY as to when the Bible's 70 years are to begin with respect to the land paying back its sabbaths and the desolation of 70 years are. And that is the basis for the 70 years insistence by Jehovah's witnesses. It gets vague maybe when you introduce the "nations" having to show servitude and so that opens the door to try and apply this to Babylon and the nations it conquered, but that is a side issue. 2 Chronicles clearly needs seventy years of sabbath in the land to occur and it is associated with those last deported in year 23. That is more than clearly expressed by Josephus, someone whose 70-year interpretation by Jeremiah is avoided by most of the discussants here. Of course, it is avoided because it becomes far too obvious the Jews know how to interpret their own Bible and their own history.

  So in reality, there is no CONFUSION about the 70 years. JWs and COJ and others need to have their own agendas met with regards to when the 70 years occurs rather than just following the traditional Jewish historical reference to when these 70 years took place. But since it contradicts the "sacred" secular scholars decision to date the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BCE, Josephus is avoided like a plague, along with 2 Chronicles.

  So thanks for demonstrating that you also focus on the lesser references for JWs and their basis for introducing these 70 years where they do. It is 2 Chronicles that is the basis of introducing these 70 years and the desolation of the land that is the JW focus. They are desperate to assure the land is desolated after the fall of Jerusalem. That is not accurate, since the absolute desolation did not begin until the last deportation, but that is still central to this introduction of the 70 years and the basis for 607CE. It is so fundamental that they don't want to admit that the last deportees came from Egypt.

  So Jeremiah's reference to the "nations" fulfilling the 70 years are the secularists' anxiety scripture of desperation to establish some reality into the 587 BCE chronology. It is NOT the JW reference scripture for the 70 years, 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 and the land being desolate and keeping sabbaths for 70 years is.

  Cheers,

  JC
• 

  Mr. Majestic

  Dawg,

  I hate to see you in such misery old chap so I thought I would inform you of one of the ‘Celebrated Scholars’ being refered to.

  His name is Rolf Furuli. He is a lecturer of Semitic Languages at Oslo University.

  (big sigh) There....... I hate to see someone in agony when they can so easily be helped……….

  H_S

  Loved the clip from 'the young ones'. Years since I've seen that.
• 

  JCanon

  Hi Narkissos:

  V. 25 suggests that the author is still conscious (approximately) of the actual duration of the exile, since he ascribes the first set of "seven weeks" (7 x 7 = 49 years) to the desolation proper, after which the city is rebuilt. But the devastations in a broader sense do not end at this point -- the reconstruction takes place "in troubled times," Jerusalem is still subject to Gentile yoke until the trouble culminates in the "abomination of desolation," the profanation of the temple under Antiochus IV, hopefully leading to final salvation. So the 70 years are expanded into 70 x 7 years, according to the arithmetic of the Torah curses (Leviticus 26:18 etc.).

  I'm totally amazed. I'm amazed you have this rather elaborate interpretation which generalizes the 70 years as not 70 years and then expands them into later times when Josephus, the Jewish historian, clearly identifies when these 70 years began and ends. How is it that he is ignored historically and all these other theories predominate? I just don't understand.

  It is very simple. Per Josephus when the people were finally deported off their land, they served the kings of Babylon for 70 years while the land lay desolate to fulfill Jeremiah's prophecy. They are still in exile in the 2nd and 4th years of Darius the Mede. They will not be released until the "royalty of Persia" (that is, Cyrus the PERSIAN and not Darius the MEDE) begins to rule. After that 70 years, then they rebuild their city beginning in the 1st of Cyrus. It's very simple.

  YOU and many others are confused by the revisions in the timeline made by the Persians and the Greeks which has distorted the timeline. When the first revision was made though, which added a fake 30 years to the reign of Darius I, they did the usual thing which was try to steal those years from previous kings, managing to remove 26 years from the NB Period. That is WHY the NB Period per Josephus is 26 years longer than the current Babylonian secular timeline. The Bible and Joephus both contradict the shorter NB Period.

  Only now, if you follow Martin Anstey and understand the 70 weeks prophecy must be fulfilled by Cyrus and thus we must date the 1st of Cyrus to 455 BCE. If we follow Josephus and the Bible and establish year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar 70 years earlier, we get the year 525 BCE. But that means year 37 falls in 511 BCE, which is the dating found in the VAT4956! So it's full circle. We know the Babylonian dating was changed and the original astronomical texts were destroyed during the Seleucid Period. We know that because there are none now and the Seleucid's couldn't make "copies" unless those records were extant during their time. But it is clear they didn't just destroy records and create new fake documents, they also hid secret references in some of them to the original chronology.

  So it is GREAT now for Martin Anstey who originally identified the extra 82 years during the Persian Period to have Babylonian astronomical texts reflecting the longer Neo-Babylonian Period for the "relative" chronology as well as the "absolute" chronology that agrees with the 1st of Cyrus falling in 455 BCE. So all the Biblical and secular issues are resolved. Secular and Bible are now in complete sync and it's a great vindication for Josephus and the strict Biblical timeline.

  JC
• 

  JCanon

  Narkissos:

  It is clear from the chronological indications of the context (1:7 = 519 BC, 7:1 = 518 BC) that those "seventy years" have kept on running after the return from exile.

  It is NOT clear that those seventy years kept running after the return, because it clearly asks "how long will you yourself not show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, whom you have denounced these seventy years?"

  The denouncement of the cities clearly means their destruction. This denouncement had not ended yet. This was the 70th year of the denouncement that was continuing past 70 years now. Showing "mercy to these cities" meant the ending of that denouncement period. So only with the revised chronology would you think this "denouncement" continued past the return, when normally the denouncement would end when the return occurred and the cities were rebuilt again. YOU are suggesting that some sense of the denouncement was continuing after they returned and after they began to rebuild, as if that incident was insiginficant to God having shown any degree of mercy to these cities that remained "denounced." That makes not sense, especially compared to when you follow the JEWISH TRADITIONAL HISTORY of the 70 years as provided by Josephus which begins the 70 years in year 23. That means the 70 years was still yet to be completed in 4 years. So per Jewish historian Josephus, 70 years after the destruction of the Jerusalem the Jews still would have been in exile. Thus there is no conflicting concept of this "denouncement" and God showing "mercy to the cities" in relation to their return and why their return didn't automatically end the denouncement. So this scripture alone contradicts the pagan revised chronology.

  This is the 70th year of CONTINUED, UNINTERRPTED DENOUNCEMENT, meaning the destruction and desolation was in its 70th year in the 2nd of Darius and had not ended. That means this is NOT a reference to Darius I as many mistakenly think, but this is year 2 of DARIUS THE MEDE. Darius the Mede began to rule Babylon immediately after Cyrus and he overthrew it. The Bible says nothing about the Jews leaving Babylon in the 1st of Darius, but only in the 1st of Cyrus. The 1st of Cyrus would not occur until after Darius the Mede ruled for a full six years, confirmed by other comparisons. The Neo-Babylonan kings are considered to still be ruing during the rule of Darius the Mede because Darius the Mede was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. So when 2 Chronicles says they would serve Nebuchadnezzar and his "sons" it included Darius the Mede (grandson) and Nabonidus (son-in-law).

  So, sorry, IN NO WAY does the denunciation continue after the Jews have returned. Sorry. These cities were still desolated and they were asking when God was going to show them mercy by allowing them to be rebuilt. These cities were still denounced in year 2 of Darius. But no problem when you follow the Bible's strict chronology and don't being those 70 years of servitude and desolation to keep sabbaths 70 years until year 23.

  But fantasize on all you want. Just don't claim that's what the Bible is teaching.

  JC
• 

  JCanon

  BTXB:

  The age of Daniel. According to WT, he would have been around 100 when he was THROWN into the lion's den, right? If we remove the questionable 20 years, Daniel would have been 80 instead, right? So, wouldn't he have mentioned in his book that he was miraculously old at 100 by this time? 80 would have been old, but 100 would have been super-old, right? I wouldn't have imagined that other satraps would have been jealous and sought to kill a 100 year-old man, his days are numbered anyway. But an 80 year old man, if spry, could be around for another decade or so, and a worthy adversary. Is this addressed anywhere?

  Thanks,

  B the X

  Apparently some of the men were living to be quite old, over 100. Daniel lived into at least the 3rd year of Cyrus and was quite an elderly man, falling asleep and having to be awakened by the angel giving him the vision. We don't know for sure how old Daniel was but he was a "child" when he went to Babylon. The age of majority for in Jewish culture I think is 13 years old. That's when they have the Bar-Mitzvah, etc. So it's possible these children were as young as 10 years old when they were deported.

  Considering that, from the accession year of Nebuchadnezzar in 548 BCE, the year Daniel was deported, to year 3 of Cyrus in 453 BCE per the Bible's timeline, that is a period of 95 years, which would make Daniel about 105 years of age at the time.

  During the reign of Darius the Mede, which would have been about 10 years earlier he would have been around 95-101 years of age. Still quite old.

  Also in the 2nd year of Darius when the temple foundation was laid during the rejoicing some men, apparently a large group of older men were weeping who had remembered the original temple. (Ezra 3:10-13). So per the Bible there are 74 years from the fall of that temple until the 1st of Cyrus so the 2nd year is about 75 years. So those who were ten would be 85 years old, those 20 would be 95 years old and those up to 30 would only be 105 years old.

  I remember when I got baptized at 10 years of age and I remember the Long Beach Auditorium where the assemblies were held. I think we can also remember what our schools were like. I remember my kindergarten class room and the sand box when I was five years old. I remember the school, etc. But certainly at 15-20 one would remember something as significant as the temple. So the reduction of the 20 years would certainly make him younger, but even with the 20 years he is not excessively elderly.

  JC
• 

  JCanon

  SCHOLAR:

  It is imposible to reconcile 586/587 BCE with the biblical 'seventy years because the only date that works is 607 BCE for the Fall of Jerusalem. Scholars have for many decades tried to harmonize the data but without any success.

  Have mercy on a poor ex-drag-queen, please!! Jeremiah 44:14 and 28 clearly says those who escaped from the sword in Egypt would return to Judea. So the WTS' claim that the land was desolate from the fall of Jerusalem is directly contradicted by the Bible. Further, they quote Josephus about the 70 years who specifically says those deported from Egypt were deported in year 23. The WTS deliberately claims these deportees must have scattered from when Gedaliah was killed and then were deported in year 23. They avoid the idea of Egypt entirely and invent these people. This is clearly because they cannot afford to deal with any News in Judea after the fall of Jerusalem because the complete desolation of the land has to occur for 70 years. But the Bible clearly reestablishes the return of the Jews to Judea up until the 23rd year. So they go against both the Bible AND Josephus in this reference, and invent a group of Jews inconsistent with the Jews deported, which were those who "escaped from the sword" meaning the ones who had returned from Egypt.

  So IN NO WAY is 607 the "only date that works for the fall of Jerusalem." Per the incorrect chronology it might work for the last deportation, year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar, which per Josephus and the Bible is when the 70 years must begin, but not the fall of Jerusalem. Jerusalem per the 537 BCE chronology for the 1st of Cyrus must be dated 4 or 5 years earlier to the 19th or 20th year of Nebuchadnezzar which would fall by that dating to 611-612 BCE. You lose total 100% credibility when you go against the Bible like this and follow the WTS in avoiding the Jews still in Judea right up until the 23rd year. So let me just quote that for you:

  And there will come to be no escapee or survivor for the remnant of Judah who are entering in to reside there as aliens, in the land of Egypt, even to return to the land of Judah to which they are lifting up their soul[ful desire] to return in order to dwell; for they will not return, except some escaped ones.’”

  28 And as for the ones escaping from the sword, they will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all those of the remnant of Judah, who are coming into the land of Egypt to reside there as aliens, will certainly know whose word comes true, that from me or that from them.”’”

  2 Chronicles 36: 20 Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign;"

  So the Bible supports Josephus when he says that Nebuchadnezzar deported those Jews down in Egypt back to Babylon. Only the Bible indicates they must have gone back through Judea, so there is no conflict.

  So BE HONEST. If you insist on using the 537 BCE chronology rather than the 455 BCE chronology. Fine. But the fall of Jerusalem in year 18 or 19 is 74 or 75 years earlier than the return, not 70 years. 70 years marks the last deportation and there were people in the land until the 23rd year. Further please don't go along with the WTS' direct misrepresentation of the scriptures that clearly agrees with Josephus that those last deported were those who were left remaining from the ones down in Egypt. That would include Jeremiah and Baruch, of course. So 607 BCE is WRONG regardless for the fall of Jerusalem. It is an untenable date for the fall of Jerusalem so many ways it hurts to have you think its a legitimate date.

  But if you have eyelids I suppose you can use them to close your eyes to all this, so, what can I say? I'm a witness too who have studied this and I can read the Bible and these references and so, I just can't follow your reasoning here. Sorry.

  JC
• 

  JCanon

  "The bible contains no dates whatsoever. All dates used are human conjectures."

  The bible gives us relative dates, these are perfectly good if you can agree an absolute date to relate them to, and most seem to agree that 539 is such a date. But there is no scriptual two year offset from 539 that allows a dogmatic assertion that 537 is the exact date that the Jews returned to Israel.

  I'm not entirely sure why there is a 2-year discrepancy other than trying to harmonize the Bible's chronology with the 6th year of Darius. The temple took 21 years to build ending in the 6th of Darius. The date for the 6th of Darius per secular history is 516/515BCE. If you go back exactly 21 years you get 537 BCE. Here is how it looked through during the time of Sir Isaac Newton when he worked out the chronology:

  544. Sardes is taken by Cyrus. Darius the Mede recoins the Lydian money into Darics.

  538. Babylon is taken by Cyrus.

  536. Cyrus overcomes Darius the Mede, and translates the Empire to the Persians. The Jews return from Captivity, and found the second Temple.

  529. Cyrus dies. Cambyses Reigns,

  521. Darius the son of Hystaspes Reigns. The Magi are slain. The various Religions of the several Nations of Persia, which consisted in the worship of their ancient Kings, are abolished, and by the influence of Hystaspes and Zoroaster, the worship of One God, at Altars, without Temples is set up in all Persia.

  520. The second Temple is built at Jeruselem, by the command of Darius.

  515. The second Temple is finished and dedicated.

  He dates things a year later, but the 2-year gap is still there from the fall of Babylon and the return of the Jews. Only very interestingly, he allows for a 2-year rule by Darius the Mede while the Jews are still in exile! So Sir Isaac Newton does not show Cyrus beginning to rule at Babylon until 2 years after the fall of Babylon, allowing a 2-year rule for Darius the Mede while the Jews are still in exile. So technically, per Sir Isaac Newton, the 1st of Cyrus falls the same year the Jews are released.

  This is different than the current take by JWs who sort of stretch the 1st year of Cyrus. They have Cyrus conquer Babylon in 539 BCE, then start his official 1st year in 538 BCE during which the decree is made, but the Jews don't get around to actually returning until the 2nd year of Cyrus when they actually returned and started rebuilding. So there is an irreconcilable issue with this per the revised chronology.

  With the 455 BCE chronology there is no such problem. Using the VAT4956 to date year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar to 511 BCE, the last deportation occurs in 525 BCE and ends in 455 BCE which is the 1st of Cyrus to fulfill the 70 weeks prophecy of 483 years before the baptism of Christ in 29 CE. So the Jews do return and actually start to rebuild in the 1st of Cyrus, but the 1st of Cyrus occurs 7 years after the fall of Babylon, and Darius the Mede counts his first year in the spring after Babylon falls.

  Interestingly, also, is the fact that it was Darius the Mede who invented the DARIC! Now some like COJ claim and suggest Darius was an imaginary person who does not survive historically. But the Darics alone prove he existed! COJ suggests it is another name for Cyrus!

  At any rate, during the time of Sir Isaac Newton, they dealt with these two years by having Darius the Mede rule for two years first before Cyrus takes the throne and begins to reign, during which time the Jews are still in exile.

  In REALITY, Darius ruled for six full years before Cyrus began to rule while the Jews, indeed, were still in exile as confirmed by Zech. 1 and 7.

  So in summary, it doesn't matter when using the revised chronology if it doesn't work out perfectly since it is revised chronology anyway. The Bible only aligns with the original timeline where Cyrus begins to rule in 455 BCE after a six-year rule by Darius the Mede.

  JC
• 

  digderidoo

  I did wonder when JCanon would take over the thread. I must admit i thought it would be sooner.

  I remember Farkel saying how he took a big fat dump in his thread. I now know how he felt.

  Paul