Vidqun
Scholar, let me get this straight. You believe 607 BCE to be the date for the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people? I gather this would happen at the start of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. So Jerusalem and surroundings would be desolate for seventy years. Afterwards the Jews would be freed by Cyrus, to be back in Jerusalem by 537 BCE.
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No. The exile, servitude to Babylon and the desolation of the Land al are elements of the 70 years and could only have begun as one singular event which began in Neb's 18/19th with the Fall of Jerusalem.It could not have begun any earlier as those primary elements did not exist for the land was occupied and the Jerusalem and its Temple had not been destroyed.
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So how is it that Nebuchadnezzar could exile people from Jerusalem in his 18th year and destroy Jerusalem in his 19th year? According to Watchtower theology, Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 607 BCE. As I said, this is impossible.
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The most likely explanation is that the two different dating formulas simply represent the fact that reigns consisted of both regnal and accession years which was the common practice in the ancient world.
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Now let’s look at it from a secular chronology perspective. Nebuchadnezzar became king in 605 BCE. In his 19th year he destroyed Jerusalem and took the majority of the people into exile.
That means 605 – 19 = 586 BCE (give or take a few months).
And according to the Israelite kings: First year of Jehoiakim, Tishri 608 (Sept–Oct) to Elul 607 (Aug–Sept). Third year of Jehoiakim, Tishri 606 (Sept–Oct) to last of Elul, 605 (Oct 6). Next followed Jehoiachin’s appointment, lasting only three months. Nebuchadrezzar, in his 8th year, would take 800 into exile, including Jehoiachin.
Zed·e·kiʹah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem. It was because of Jehovah’s anger that these things took place in Jerusalem and in Judah, until he cast them out of his sight. And Zed·e·kiʹah rebelled against the king of Babylon. In the ninth year of Zed·e·kiʹah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem. They camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. And the city was under siege until the 11th year of King Zed·e·kiʹah (2 Chron. 36:5-20).
Again: 608 – 11 – 11 = 586 BCE (give or take a few months).
Two things here. First, your methodology does not account for the historical 70 years which would properly fix the beginning of Neb's reign as it ignores the gap of 20 years between secular and Bible chronology and second, scholar notes that you prefer 586 rather than 587 which would upset Jeffro..
scholar JW