Second post... same syntax...
Using Josephus' sequence of kings from his last synchronism between a high priest and Persian king, i.e. Eliasib and Xerxes (though Josephus' reference should really be Artaxerxes, but can count from Xerxes for this purpose) (let's use his last year, 21 - 465/4 BCE), until the next synchronism in Ant. XI.7 & 8, i.e. Jaddua and the last Darius (Darius Yr. 5 - 331/0 BCE), there are 134 years.
Artaxerxes I - 41 yearsexcluding accession;
Darius II - 19 years; excluding accession
Artaxerxes II - 46 years;excluding accession
Artaxerxes III - 21 years; including accession
Arses - 2 years; excluding accession
Darius III - 56 years. excluding accession
Unfortunately, Jos. omits mention of Darius II, Artaxerxes II or III (except in passing) and Arses, so there's a huge chunk of history missing before he takes up the stories of Johanan and Bagoses, Jaddua, Darius III and Alexander.
Using the Bible's last synchronism between high priest and king, i.e. Eliashib and Artaxerxes' 20th year (445/4 BCE) up to Darius III, Yr. 5 (331/0 BCE), there are 114 years:
Artaxerxes I - (remaining) 21 years;
The rest, as above.
If we only go up to the end of Darius II (Yr. 19 - 405/4 BCE), there are only 40 years. On the face of it, it would be hard to cram in 3 generations of high priests in so short a time-frame. However, we do not know how old Eliashib was when he became high priest in Artaxerxes' reign or exactly when in Artaxerxes' reign he took office. We do know his grandson Johanan was old enough to have responsibilities in the temple (with his own chamber!) by the 7th year of Artaxerxes(II). It's interesting that both Josephus and the Bible omit mention of Johanan's father Joiada/Judas here Joiada is mentioned in passing at Nehemiah 12:10, 11, 22; 13:28. It's suggestive that Joiada's tenure as high priest (if indeed he ever did become high priest - we only have Josephus' word for it) was short-lived or uneventful.
Even if we take Josephus at his word on this point, that Eliasib's (grand)son Johanan was officiating at the temple around Xerxes' Artaxerxes II's7th year, he would be about 2 decades further removed from both Darius II and Darius III. If he was about 30 in Xerxes' yr. 7 (479/8 BCE), he would have been about 70 years old in Darius II's yr. 14 (410/9 BCE - Elephantine Papyrus - yes, 14th year - we'll get to that in a minute.) It is within the realms of possibility that Jaddua his son succeeded him before Darius' last regnal year (19).
The Elephantine Papyrus gives a synchronism between high priest Johanan, Bagoas, governor of Judea and Sanballat, governor of Samaria. The letter is addressed to Bagoas with mention of further letters being sent about the same matter to the sons of Sanballat. Although it was written in Darius II's 17th year, it does not say Johanan was still high priest thennor that he wasn't. All it says is that a letter was sent to Johanan the high priest in Darius' 14th year and there had been no reply. So the 14th year is the last certain year of Johanan as high priest, as far as I can see.
You said you found it special pleading to assume two 'Jadduas' and 'Bagoases' - one set occuring in Darius II's time and another set occurring in Darius III's time. In that case, there is an additional problem: Sanballat. How many Sanballats were there? He is a key figure in Josephus' account in Ant. XI, chs 7 and 8. It is considerably more likely that two people were named Sanballat than that there were two sequences of people with the same names.
According to Josephus, Jaddua's brother (Eliashib's great-grandson) was Sanballat's son-in-law - Ant. XI.7 (302); 8 (322). According to Nehemiah (13:28), one of Eliashib's grandsons (and thus Johanan's brother) was Sanballat's son-in-law. Sanballat was around causing havoc for the Jews from Artaxerxes' 20th year (445/4 BCE) onward. It's also of note that the writer of Nehemiah still calls Eliashib "the high priest" when his grandson married into Sanballat's family. Thus the 'Sanballat' from Nehemiah's time and the one Jos. puts in Darius III's time are well over a century apart! Sanballat is said to have died after the sieges of Tyre and Gaza which would date it to late 332 BCE - Ant. XI.8 (325). The same Sanballat? Almost certainly not the same person. Is it really less likely that there were two 'Sanballats' in over a century, rather than a repeated sequence of people with the same names??
Also of interest, Jos. has the high priest (Jaddua) and priests showing Alexander the book of Daniel almost certainly spurious. This would mean that the book of Daniel was circulating and canonical by the 4th c. BCE, no? Or is Josephus mistaken here too? Might a Jewish historian believe a Jewish story purported as historical that had been circulating for over 200 years? Sure.
So what do you think? Are you still going to stick with your chart on priestly succession? Yep Do you still think the WTS and others who favor the Darius II identification are 'moronic'? The WTS is also moronic for other reasons. Or do you think they have some grounds for their preference and their distrust of Josephus here? As stated earlier, we all know that Josephus has errors, but most for the period in question involve simple errors of reporting the wrong Xerxes or Artaxerxes.
