by Jeffro 41 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Jehoiakim refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar after 3 years (2 Kings 24:1) because Nebuchadnezzar attacked Egypt in the previous December. This is attested by both BM21946 (rows 5 to 7, reverse side) and Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, Book X, chapter 6).
In what year was this attack on Egypt?
Well, they've got to tell you 625 B.C., since that's what the Insight book says. Even Carchemish's date has to be moved back 20 years as a result of their chronology, along with pretty much all the other relevant history of that time.
--sd-7
Just a passing thought, since the WTS. uses 2520 years from 607.
What about the leap years where every fourth year February has an extra day ???
2520 dived by 4 = 630 ..... 630 days equals almost 2 years
*crickets*
Too bad all the JWs are banned.
sd-7
Well, they've got to tell you 625 B.C., since that's what the Insight book says. Even Carchemish's date has to be moved back 20 years as a result of their chronology, along with pretty much all the other relevant history of that time.
We're not talking about the Battle of Carchemish (625 BCE in JW chronology, but secularly dated to 605 BCE). That was a few years before Jehoiakim had even started paying tribute in the JW chronology.
We are talking about a later attack by Nebuchadnezzar on Egypt, which is secularly dated to December 601 BCE, and it can only be assigned after Jehoiakim had started paying tribute.
Clue: The Watch Tower Society doesn't assign a specific year for this attack. The Watchtower, 15 October 1964, page 637 said:
This “third year” of vassalage to Babylon would be the eleventh year of Jehoiakim’s entire reign and would be due to end on Adar 29, or March 19, 617 B.C.E. He died before he lived out the end of this eleventh year.
It then quotes Josephus in a footnote, including:
“But on the third year, upon hearing that the king of Babylon made an expedition against the Egyptians, he did not pay tribute; yet was he disappointed of his hope, for the Egyptians durst not fight at this time. . . .
We're after the year of that expedition.
UnapologeticLWT:
*crickets*
Crickets don't chirp when they're scared.
Too bad all the JWs are banned.
Apparently not all of them. It's okay, trolls can play too. What say you?
While any JW apologists are thinking about how to date that expedition against Egypt, here's a little more food for thought...
The following image is from the 'jehovahsjudgment' apologist website that attempts to defend 607 (used here under Fair Use provisions for criticism and review):
The caption for this chart claims:
Some have claimed that the 607-based chronology does not add up when considering the reigns of the Judean Kings. As we can see above, they fit together perfectly.
Notice from the placement of the events for 628, 625, 620, 607 and 609, confirming that the tick marks indicate Gregorian years.
But notice what they do with 617 BCE... In JW chronology, the siege begins in December 618 BCE (simply moved 20 years from the correct December 598). Because this doesn't allow time for Jehoiakim's 3 years of vassalage (not to mention the waves of marauder bands that were sent inbetween his refusal and the siege - 2 Kings 24:2), the apologists ignore even the Watch Tower Society, and just dishonestly shift those events forward by several months to allow about 3 years for Jehoiakim as a 'vassal' before refusing to pay tribute. The problem is, they have Jehoiakim rebelling after the siege had actually already ended, and after Jehoiakim had been dead for several months. What a tangled web they weave...
Notice from the placement of the events for 628, 625, 620, 607 and 609, confirming that the tick marks indicate Gregorian years.
(As a side point, it's also worth pointing out that the chart also has the wrong starting point for the siege in 609 BCE. In JW chronology, it should start in December 609 BCE.)
Notice from the placement of the events for 628, 625, 620, 607 and 609, confirming that the tick marks indicate Gregorian years.
I don't follow. Gregorian as opposed to Julian?
Along similar lines, the questions I've raised before are:
How did Jehoiakim come to be Nebuchadnezzar's vassal in the first place? If he wasn't vassal when the rest of the Hatti-land became so, what prompted him to become servant to Nebuchadnezzar a few years after everyone else (in 620 BCE, JW time) and how did it come about?
Why did Jehoiakim suddenly switch loyalties from Egypt to Babylon? Especially if the battle that had just happened between Egypt and Babylon resulted in heavy losses on both sides - nobody came out the victor and Nebuchadnezzar went straight back home, not venturing out for more than a year!
So, in this historical context, how and why did Jehoiakim become Nebuchadnezzar's servant?
One things I've wondered is, how far back does the WT go till it's dates coincide with secular history? If the date of Jerusalem's destruction is 20 years out and Jehoiakim is 20 years out, then Josiah must have been 20 years out and so on... at some point they must have chucked the 20 year discrepancy or did it go right back to the Exodus from Egypt and beyond?
