The October 1, 2011 Watchtower article “When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?” includes the following statement.
“There is also strong evidence from cuneiform documents that prior to the reign of Nabopolassar (the first king of the Neo-Babylonian period), another king (Ashuretel-ilani) ruled for four years in Babylonia. Also, for more than a year, there was no king in the land.[9] Yet, all of this is left out of Ptolemy’s canon.” (Watchtower, October 1, 2011, page 31)
When the Watchtower paragraph indignantly complains “all of this is left out”, it refers to endnote number 9, which includes this statement: “The Harran Inscriptions of Nabonidus, (H1B), I, line 30, has [Ashur-etelilani] listed just before Nabopolassar. (Anatolian Studies, Vol. VIII, 1958, pages 35, 47)”
Pages 35 and 36 of Anatolian Studies list “four monuments of the reign of Nabonidus … found at (or near) Harran”.
Page 46 to 53 of Anatolian Studies provide a transliteration and an English translation of that Babylonian document. It is an undamaged record by “the lady Adda-guppi, mother of Nabium-na’id, king of Babylon” (lines 1 – 2, page 47).
The Watchtower refers to line 30 at page 47 of Anatolian Studies but it “leaves out” exactly what that line states, it “leaves out” undamaged line 29, and it “leaves out” undamaged lines 31 to 33. The following are the words from lines 29 to 33 that are “left out” by the Watchtower: “From the 20th year of Assurbanipal, king of Assyria, that I was born (in) until the 42nd year of Assurbanipal, the 3rd year of Assur-etillu-ili, his son, the 21st year of Nabopolassar, the 43rd year of Nebuchadrezzar, the 2nd year of Awel-Marduk, the 4th year of Neriglissar, in 95 years of the god Sin, king of the gods of heaven and earth.” (Anatolian Studies, Vol. VIII, 1958, page 47)
Column II, lines 26 to 28 state: “From the time of Assurbanipal, king of Assyria, until the 9th year of Nabu-na’id king of Babylon, the son, offspring of my womb 104 years of happiness”. (Anatolian Studies, page 49)
Lines 40 to 43 state: “In the 21 years of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, in the 43 years of Nebuchadrezzar, son of Nabopolassar, and 4 years of Neriglissar, king of Babylon (when they exercised the kingship, for 68 years.” (Anatolian Studies, page 51)
It is pure hypocrisy for the Watchtower article to complain about information being left out when it does the same thing, leaving out directly relevant information.
Doug