SPADE:
Bible Chronology and Secular History: Concern is often expressed over the need to try to “harmonize” or “reconcile” the Biblical account with the chronology found in ancient secular records. Since truth is that which conforms to fact or reality, such coordinating would indeed be vital—if the ancient secular records could be demonstrated to be unequivocally exact and consistently reliable, hence a standard of accuracy by which to judge.
Spade. You are on the right track: Investigation and discussion. You just need more information. I've just discovered some of your writings. Here is something you need to know.
MARTIN ANSTEY. Martin Anstey in 1913 wrote his "Romance of Bible Chronology." He interpreted the "70 weeks" prophecy to be fulfilled in the 1st of Cyrus without exception and thus dated the 1st of Cyrus 483 years prior to the baptism of Christ. I agree with him. The 70 weeks prophecy must begin in 455 BCE but also that 455 BCE must match year 1 of Cyrus!
Martin Anstey, therefore, also determined that there were 82 years too many during the Persian Period! This seems like a lot of years to get rid of, but it really isn't. You can remove all those fake years by the time of the reign of Artaxerxes III in 358 BCE. As follows:
-1 Kambyses
-30 Darius I (per Ezra 6:14,15)
-21 Xerxes who is Artaxerxes (per Ezra 6:14,15 compared to Daniel 11:2)
-30 Artaxerxes II, 47 years reduced to 17 years.
82 years all done!
YOU are not like the others since you have to follow the Bible. So your next focus needs to be EZRA 6:14,15 which clearly shows that the king named Artaxerxes was king of Persia in the 6th year of Darius and that he is the king who actually last worked on the temple at Jerusalem. That doesn't work with revised secular history because a 36-year rule of Darius I is followed by a 21-year rule of Xerxes before Artaxerxes I comes on the scene. But once you know that "Artaxerxes" was the double-name for Xerxes, which was common for Persian kings to have two official names, then we know Xerxes and Artaxerxes were the same king and that Ezra 6:14, 15 is merely giving us the "accession year" of Xerxes/Artaxerxes.
Now, just in case you don't know how the "accession year" system works (and I apologize if it is apparent you do), the year was numbered to the king who was ruling at the time, from Spring to Spring. If the king died that year, his successor began his "year 1" the following Spring. In the meantime, the few months of rule after the death of the previous king is called his "accession year." So that is why we find an Artaxerxes is king of Persia in the sixth year of Darius because Darius I only ruled for 6 years before the Persians expanded his rule.
So when you date the 1st of Cyrus to 455 BCE, then ad 70 years back to the last deportation (not destruction of Jerusalem as JW mis-teach), then 525 BCE becomes the official year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar. The VAT4956 was created in the form oa diary to safely hide secret references to this original chronology. These secret references would appear as simple "errors" to the average or casual reader, which was the intent. But if you compare the errors with each other, you will see they match another year, that of 511 BCE for year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar in the midst of many other observations matching 568 BCE, the revised year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar. But I bring this up because 511 BCE is year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar when his year 23 falls in 525 BCE, which is where we must place the official Biblical dating.
Now for you, this might be a problem. That's because you cannot maintain loyalty to the WTS and have Bible truth as well. Case in point, note how they lyingly mislead their members in getting around Ezra 6:14,15....
"Artaxerxes Longimanus extended permission to Ezra the priest and also to Nehemiah to make trips to Jerusalem. (Ezr 7:1-7; Ne 2:1, 7, 8) Ancient historians credit him with a generally benign and generous personality. This coincides with his actions during the seventh year of his reign (468 B.C.E.), when Longimanus granted Ezra "all his request" in a decree that provided for silver, gold, and vessels for temple use, as well as provisions of wheat, wine, oil, and salt. (Ezr 7:6, 12-23; 8:25-27) This generous contribution may explain why Artaxerxes is included along with Cyrus and Darius at Ezra 6:14 as one of those whose orders contributed to the ‘building and finishing’ of the temple, although the actual construction had been completed 47 years previous, in 515 B.C.E."
This is from it-1, Artaxerxes. Note how they changed what Ezra 6:14,15 says, which is "built and FINISHED" to "building and finishing" as if this was an extended period of time. Sort of like how they are trying to extend the "last generation" I suppose. But the Bible clearly shows it was FINISHED in the sixth year of Darius by Artaxerxes, the King of Persia. Since they are fooled by the revised chronology which adds 30 years to the reign of Darius I, they have to twist the scriptures and imply "built and finished" mean "building and finishing" and thus not deal with the question of whether Xerxes' alternative name was Artaxerxes!! So they are confused and dishonest!! You can't support that and still think you can have TRUTH. This is one reason why the WTS GB is called the "man of lawlessness" at 2 Thess 4:2.
Time is running out. Soon the WTS and Christendom will be tossed into the lake of fire. They are both part of Babylon the Great now. That's why Revelation says, "Get out of her MY people!" That means Jehovah's people who originally came to the organization are now in Babylon the Great since Jehovah has abandoned the WTS now! The GB was disfellowshipped by Jehovah on November 10, 1992.
Now, I had it easy, because I was never really impressed with the Society. I always thought there were two agendas. For instance, while standing at Dodger's Stadium in the summer of 1975, that incredible build-up year by the WTS, the closing comments, they were saying how they were reluctantly booking venues for the assemblies for the next year because you have to book these stadiums a year in advance, even though it was clear they were expecting Armageddon that very year!! But then, shock! They also mentioned that they were also increasing their printing facilities and buying new presses and all that. That is, they were not going to slow down one bit in the preaching work, regardless of their 1975 theory. That's so "just in case" (vomit!) 1975 wasn't correct, they wouldn't be caught slowing down.
It thought that was amazing, but I also concluded, like 1925 and other false dates, they were now developing a reputation for false dates so I wasn't worried. Even so, I admired the focus of some at WTS headquarters who clearly didn't buy the 1975 propaganda. They were not going to stop but were going to move full speed ahead. So dumping the WTS as the "evil slave" and the "man of lawlessness" was just part of the process for me. But if you haven't been critical of them and their false teachings. It's painful to let go. But you must! You must prove a "wise virgin" and go down the narrow path. The broad road of going along with big-time religion will not get you to life. You must love Jehovah and yourself more than an organization which Jehovah has abandoned.
So if you want ANSWERS, your own personal ANSWERS to the Bible's truth, you have to dump 607 BCE, ignore Leo and Ann and Olof, and follow your own instincts after looking at ALL the research. In the end, you will have to date the 1st of Cyrus to 455 BCE. There is no other alternative. When you do, everything else will work out. But note that Darius the Mede ruled for 6 years before Cyrus came to the throne to release the Jews and Darius the Mede was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar so the Babylonian empire continued 6 years after the overthrow. That's a technicality you are having problems with. The Bible is accurate. The 70 years ended when the "royalty of Persia" came, which is Cyrus, but not Darius!
Anyway, keep posting!!! The more light the better!!
LS
