Posts by scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

LeeT

I wish to inform you and all other posters that scholar has done this course a couple of years ago when it was first introduced on this forum. I recommend that all critics do that course and purchase the main textbook, The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem by Obed Lipschits, 2005, Eisenbrauns.

I found the course most interesting especially the many visuals as these gave a good overview of the geopolitical reality especially during the time when Babylon came to power. What struck me was the simple fact that the seventy years could not have begun in either 606 or 609 BCE. The text book gives 586 BCE for the Fall and makes very little mention of the seventy years almost complete silence

In order to obtain a Certificate, one has to complete online quizzes and assessment, in my short essays I argued for our understanding of the 70 years and the fact that the Judah was totally desolate.

I strongly recommend that all critics of WT Chronology do this course and should a requisite for anyone who wants to say something about the Chronology of the that Period-the last days of Judah. Doug are you paying attention to this?

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

Finkelstein

The historical, biblical and archaeological proves that Judah was depopulated and desolated for 70 years as foretold by Jeremiah, witnessed by Daniel and confirmed by Ezra and the later historian Josephus.

Current archaeology accepts 586 BCE rather than 587 BCE and does not accept 607 BCE at this stage.

The Bible does not support Mythology and neither does the celebrated WT scholars and the said scholar.

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

johnamos

Agreed. Jeremiah's prophecy herein is addressed to five surrounding nations of Judah and including the nation of Judah that they could escape Jehovah's judgement by submitting in servitude to the then reigning king, Nebuchadnezzer. In this chapter, there is no connection of the 'seventy years as such as in the case of the preceding chapter 25 which was also addressed to the nations including Judah which altogether had to serve Babylon 70 years. When one considers the duration of the Babylonian monarchy from Nebuchadnezzer to Belshazzar you get an overall period of 66 years which could be rounded up to 70 years representing the Babylonian Dynasty. This scenario would easily account for the 70 years ascribed to Tyre's servitude as a round number.

However, Jeremiah's texts of the seventy years are applicable to Judah alone giving precise details as to its chronology and its nature that of not only being one of servitude but of exile and desolation with a precise beginning and end. These factors are not present with those oracles given to the Nations roundabout.

There is simply no basis, in fact, to claim that the 70 years for Judah ended in 539 BCE or began in the fuzzy date of 609 BCE. How you apply to the other nations the servitude to Babylon for 70 years is a matter of speculation for the Bible provides no details on that subject.

Current scholarship of late 2018 dismisses the 539 BCE interpretation of Babylonian domination solely applicable to the seventy years of Jeremiah arguing rather that this period refers to the Exile ending ith the Return under Cyrus in 537 BCE

Again I repeat in the light of the 70 years' textual corpus, the theory that the 70 years ended in 539 BCE is impossible and is simply bunkum!!!!

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

johnamos

Your last post refers back to Jeremiah 27:6-14 so What is your point?

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

Finkelstein

It is correct to say that Judah came under Babylonian domination for a period of 70 years as foretold by Jeremiah, confirmed by Ezra and witnessed firsthand by Daniel. All of the historical, archaeological and biblical evidence validates 607 BCE as the only possible date for the Fall of Jerusalem. The date 586 or 587 BCE cannot account for the full period of 70 years so it is falsified on the basis of evidence because it comes up short this you have a BIG poblem(misspelling intentional).

To argue that the period of desolation was 49 years is utter nonsense because the Bible states emphatically that this was to be a full period of 70 years and to say anything else simply amounts to revisionism and is dishonest.

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

johnamos

Indeed Jer.25:11 states that 'all these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years' which included Judah whereupon we have definite historical and biblical facts to show how that proved true chronologically. The Bible simply does not provide the historical details for those other nations even as in the case of Tyre as foretold earlier by Isaiah. In the case of Judah as outlined in the previous pericope as proved by 'this land and its inhabitants',;vs.11'And all this land' there are definitive historical markers which define the 70 period of Babylonish domination from the Fall in 607 until the Return in 537 BCE. In short, these nations all would fall under the 'umbrella 'of Babylonian domination of 70 years.

It is impossible for the Fall of Babylon in 539 BCE to be the event that ended the 70 years because both Daniel and Ezra stated that it was not until the reign of Cyrus had begun and that it was only in the 1st year of Darius that the 70 year period had not then been completed.

Further, the choice of 609BCE for the Fall of Assyria to begin the seventy years fails also because the principal features of Jeremiah's seventy years are not applicable. Such features as described by Jeremiah are 1. The land would become desolate 2. The Jewish people would be exiled to Babylon and 3. That Judah would have to serve Babylon. The date 609 BCE's only claim to fame is the arithmetic in that if you subtract 7o years you arrive at 539 BCE which is meaningless. Nothing of historical significance occurred in 609 BCE and that is why COJ considered 605 BCE as a more meaningful candidate for the beginning of the 70 years.

I recognize the fact that most Bible translations render 'for' rather than at' in Jer. 29:10 but it really makes no difference to the history, chronology or theology of the Period under discussion.

Yes, Tyre was one of the nations listed by Jeremiah that would come under judgement but its specifics are unknown as with all other nations listed with the exception of Judah singled out for special attention by Jehovah God.

We cannot say with certainty how Jeremiah's oracles against the other nations applied historically and chronologically except in the case of Judah. However, all of the nations thus specified by Jeremiah fell within the 70 year period of Babylonian domination. In the case of Judah it was foretold and confirmed that a period of 70 years from the Fall of Jerusalem in 607 BCE until the Return in 537 BCE was a period of Servitude to/for Babylon, and Exile in Babylon leaving a totally Desolated Land of Judah'

QED

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

Finkelstein

The celebrated WT scholars are not happy with your comments and neither is the said scholar!!!!!

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

johnamos

Regarding Jer. 29:10 there are other translations that agree with the NWT's rendering of this passage such as the King James Version , Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint LXX. In the reply to Lonsto from the Society it stated that "However, use of the word 'at' or 'in' does not change the number of years given, nor the fact that Babylon took Israelites captive" Further, all that is meant by the use of the preposition 'for' is that the Jewish Exiles were under Babylon's domination or in servitude to Babylon which is what I stated in my initial post.

Yes, WTS and scholar agree that the 70 years are for Babylon namely in SERVITUDE to Babylon in addition also to being a period of EXILE in Babylon whilst the Land of Judah was DESOLATE in combination for 70 years.

The 70 years for Tyre only represent a period of Babylon's domination also we do not know the chronology for the domination of Tyre domination and is not identical with the 70 years of Jeremiah.

Q: When did Jehovah say he would call Babylon to account?

Jer. 25:12 which you only quoted in part states that it was only after the 70 years have been fulfilled. Thus it could not have been in 539 BCE with the Fall of Babylon because Daniel the Prophet who was in Babylon at that time wrote in the 1st year of Darius the Mede who took the kingship of Babylon after its Fall in 539BCE that he then discerned the continuation of the 70 years This fact alone proves that at the time of Babylon's Fall in 539 BCE that the 70 years had not then expired.

Q: What year did Jehovah call Babylon to account? The Bible does not say because nowhere does it state any specific year so that rules out 539 BCE but rather Jer.25:12 describes it rather as a period of judgement over time such as the punishment would be for the king, the nation and the land of the Chaldeans. All of these things occurred after 539 BCE further Jeremiah in the nest verse shows that the land would become desolate and that did not happen in 539 BCE.

The evidence indicates that the 70 years was a period of time of Babylon's domination over Judah with the Jews being deported to Babylon as Exiles leaving the land of Judah totally desolate from 607 BCE with the Fall of Jerusalem until the Return of the Exiles in 537 BCE.

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

Doug Mason

Your answers as follows:

1. The Bible does not provide for the 'moment' the 70 years ended but does provide historical and chronological for its ending: 2 Chron.36:20-23; Ezra 1:1, 3:1. The 'first year of Cyrus and the 'seventh month are described for the end of the period with the Decree of Cyrus and the Return of the Exiles. However, we can express the matter in terms of the Gregorian Calendar as September 29, 537 BCE for the beginning of Tishri, the seventh month or in terms of the Julian Calendar would be October 5. I can consult the tables and get down to the very time of day in hours and minutes based on the Vernal Equinox and Lunations of the Moon for 537 BCE if you so require.

2. The Bible or ancient history does not provide guarantees but simply sufficient facts and historical data which enables the historian and Chronologist to determine and secure 537 BCE as the date for the Return.

3. Celebrated WT scholars along with my good self declare 539 CE as a Pivotal Date for dating the OT and is universally supported by scholarship as the correct date for the Fall of Babylon.

I agree with Thiele that the Bible does not present dates in a BCE format.

If the Jews had followed Jeremiah's warning and repented then they would not have lost their Temple, City and Land for their judgement was provisional but as we know the rest is history.

The two months after the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE in the fifth month indeed provide adequate time for the Jews to flee and leave the Land totally desolate by the beginning of the seventh month, 607 BCE. With Jehovah nothing is impossible for he is the Great Timekeeper.

scholar

154

Need Help: My Correspondence with the Headquarters

by Lobsto in

a month ago i sent a letter to the us branch about 607. my purpose for sending it was because i wanted to show to my parents through the letters the truth behind the date system.

two days ago, i received a response from them.

i think this is gonna be the first of many.

scholar

Doug Mason

Hi Doug

Edwin Thiele in his MNHK, 1983, p.67 states "In the Old Testament no absolute dates are given and it becomes our task to establish. if we can, some absolute date in the history of Israel that can be used as a starting point to establish other dates in the desired chronological scheme". WT scholars have selected the Fall of Babylon universally accepted in the year of 539 BCE. Such date in current WT literature is classed as a pivotal date rather than considered to be an Absolute Date but tatter term is my preferent.

Scholars seem to prefer 537BCE for the Return rather than 538 or 535 BCE and WT publications have carefully constructed the facts underlying the determination of 537 BCE.

2 Chronicles 36 in connection with the 70 years omits any reference to Babylon's Fall but only the ist year of Cyrus which is the Return of the Exiles. This means that the 70 years could not have ended in 539 but in 537 BCE. Judah alone was to serve Babylon for 70 years marked by their deportation and the desolation of the land. Other nations also were brought into servitude to Babylon

That is simply your interpretation that the 70 years has symbolic meaning but other authorities who wrote after the event stated that these years were literal a definite historical period.

The 70 years began in the same year as the Fall namely 607 BCE beginning in the seventh month of that year.

scholar