An apparent drift in WTS dates

by Doug Mason 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Doug Mason

  According to the WTS Library CDROM, the Watchtower, August 1 2005, page 12 provides a Table of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

  I decided to reproduce the Table and add two columns. My first additional column shows the conventionally accepted date and the second additional column shows the difference between the WTS’s date and the conventional date for each listed king.

  As expected, since the final event listed is the destruction of Jerusalem, that difference is about 20 years. I had expected this difference would be maintained throughout the Table. But I was wrong.

  At about Azariah (Uzziah), king of Judah, the difference increases to about 40 years. At about Jeroboam II (Israel), the difference increases to about 50 years. The difference exceeds 60 years with Jehoash (Judah), and it is almost 70 years by the time of Rehoboam (Judah) and Jeroboam.

  Could someone else please produce a similar Table, and tell me if I a wrong?

  If I am correct, could someone please explain the WTS’s apparent drift in dates?

  I have provided my Word file at the following address:
  http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=93e4de20004adff6fe4017bf9e00766a

  Doug
• 

  Gerard

  How dare you verify the WhitchTower's calculations?
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  Must obey!

  Egad, some people need to take up a new hobby methinks lol
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  penny2

  Doug

  I'll have a look at this. Might take me a few days though.

  penny
• 

  belbab

  I copied your table and I too will study it out. I will also pass it on to others who may have missed your post.

  belbab
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  MissingLink

  Had problem downloading it. Can you convert to html and post here?
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  scholar

  Doug Mason

  At first glance there is no apparent drift in the chart of dates which simply reproduces the chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah presented in the Insight vol 1, pp.464-466. If you are comparing such a chart with other secular charts then there would be many conflicting differences. Your Word file is inaccessible.

  scholar JW
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  IWillBeDubbedNoMore

  ***

  w058/1p.12HighlightsFromtheBookofSecondKings***

  [Chart/Pictures

  onpage12]

  KINGS

  OFJUDAHANDOFISRAEL

  Saul/David/Solomon: 1117/1077/1037 B.C.E.

  KINGDOM OFJUDAH	WTS DATE (B.C.E.)	ACCEPTEDDATE	DIFFER- ENCE	KINGDOM OFISRAEL
  Rehoboam	997	930	67	Jeroboam
  Abijah/Asa	980/978	/910	68
  	976/975/952	/908/	67	Nadab/Baasha/ Elah
  	951/951/951	/885/	66	Zimri/Omri/Tibni
  	940	874	66	Ahab
  Jehoshaphat	937	872	63
  	920/917	/852	65	Ahaziah/Jehoram
  Jehoram	913	853	60
  Ahaziah	906
  (Athaliah)	905	841	64	Jehu
  Jehoash	898	835	63
  	876/859			Jehoahaz/Jehoash
  Amaziah	858	796	62
  	844	793	51	Jeroboam II
  Azariah (Uzziah)	829	792	37
  	803/791/791 (see below)	/ /752	53/ /39	Zechariah/Shallum/Menahem
  	780/778	752	26	Pekahiah/Pekah
  Jotham/Ahaz	777/762	750/735	27
  	758	732	26	Hoshea
  Hezekiah	746	715	31
  	740	722	18	Samaria captured
  Manasseh/ Amon/Josiah	716/661/659	697/642/640	19
  Jehoahaz/ Jehoiakim	628/628	/609	19
  Jehoiachin/ Zedekiah	618/617	/597	20
  Jerusalem destroyed	607	587	20

  ***

  it-2pp.1223-1224Zechariah***

  14.

  King of Israel. Zechariah was a son of Jeroboam II and the last of Jehu’s dynasty to rule. His recorded reign of six months was terminated when he was murdered by Shallum. (2Ki 15:8-12) Zechariah’s father died in about 803 B.C.E., in the 27th year of Uzziah’s reign (2Ki 14:29), but some 11 years passed before Zechariah’s stated rule of six months’ duration occurred starting in Uzziah’s 38th year (c. 792 B.C.E.). (2Ki 15:8, 13) This may have been because he was very young when his father died, or it may have been due to considerable opposition (typical of the northern kingdom of Israel) that had to be overcome before he was firmly established in the kingdom.

  ***

  jdchap.2p.26par.19ProphetsWhoseMessagesCanAffectUs***

  Haggai’s four straightforward messages, given in 520 B.C.E.,

  ***

  it-2p.38Jeroboam***

  After Jeroboam’s death, his son Zechariah ascended the throne. (2Ki 14:29) However, there was a gap of 11 years between Jeroboam’s death and the six-month rule credited to Zechariah, the last of Jehu’s dynasty. Possibly because Zechariah was very young or for some other reason, his kingship was not fully established or confirmed as his until about 792 B.C.E.
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  IWillBeDubbedNoMore

  Yeaaaa It worked .. I didn't know if it would. That is Doug Mason's hard work
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  Doug Mason

  IWillBeDubbedNoMore,
  
  Thank you for your work. I will have to learn how to do that.
  
  Doug