I don't have my research material in front of me, but here is what I remember. The 1914 date has an interesting history. The basic idea (the year for a day thing) was first formulated by a Catholic Abbot (I'd like to tell that to a witness) some time in the middle ages. Playing with starting dates and the number of days involved lead to a myriad of dates. William Millers Adventist movement came with a couple of dates in the mid-1840's. When that fell apart various adventist groups came up with a number of date setting schemes. Russell picked 1914 (I don't know why)and ran with it. He did not to the original calculation, and I don't know who did, but I do know he got it from somebody else.
Jeopardy! 587/586 B.C. Answer
by Jourles 19 Replies latest jw friends
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Swan
Didn't Russell go with 1914 because it was the result of some measurement of the Great Pyramid of Giza? I seem to remember that was part of it. Correct me please if my memory is faulty.
Tammy
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NameWithheld
Russell also went with a couple of those late 1800's dates too. Jesus returned invisibly in the late 1800s. 1914 was armageddon. It wasn't until the mid-late 1920's that Joe 'Iron Fisted - where's my cigar?' Ruthford changed that stuff around.
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orangefatcat
Yes last night we watched Jeopardy and yes under the catagory of Nebuchadnezzer I noticed that and I yelled out the answer, however my hubby was never a witness and yet funny thing I knew it was the destruction of Jerusalem and not 607. Why do these people know the answers but the JWs won't except it?. How long will they the GB> keep the witnesses in the dark? Will they ever tell them the truth? I guess not they are liars so why would they change now.
just thinking, Orangefatcat.
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UnConfused
Yes, I was watching that and I was offended by the answer not being 607.
I spent a year researching this and then several other topics which left me upset, depressed and finally out of the JW's.
But it was this very show and question/answer that lead to my leaving the JW's.
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Crazyguy
Amazing what will wake someone up.
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JustVisting
You owe Alex Trebeck a beer. 🍺
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JustVisting
Canadian beer
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Rattigan350
"where the hell DID they ever get the 607 BCE date in the first place?"
From Nelson Barbour, Russell's mentor.
The prophesy was for them to be in captivity for 70 years which ended in 537, so it must have started in 607 and Barbour concluded that is when Zedikiah was attacked and captured and killed.
He was part right. The 70 years of captivity ended in 537 and began in 607 but not with the destruction of the temple but with the first invasion and capture of Daniel. He knew when the 70 years ended because he was there when it started. As he wrote in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim captives were taken. He was among them taken captive in 607.
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Phizzy
The Book of Daniel was written around 170 to 164BCE, not centuries earlier.