More bad chronology from the Watch Tower Society

by Jeffro 78 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Jeffro

  It seems that more often than not, when the Watch Tower Society says something about biblical chronology, they're probably wrong. This seems to be the case even for uncontroversial matters! Insight on the Scriptures volume 1, page 584 states (bold formatting added):

  Nehemiah 12:22 mentions the recording of Levitical heads of paternal houses “in the days of Eliashib, Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua . . . down till the kingship of Darius the Persian.” Since Eliashib was high priest at the time of Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem (Ne 3:1) and since by the time of Nehemiah’s second visit to that city (following the 32nd year of Artaxerxes [443 B.C.E.]) Joiada had a married son (Ne 13:28), it is likely that the “Darius” mentioned was Darius Ochus (also called Nothus), who ruled from 423 to 405 B.C.E.

  No, Watch Tower Society. The conclusion that the "Darius" mentioned here is Ochus is not "likely". It's wrong.

  Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua were priests who officiated consecutively (for 37, 23, 39 and 51 years, respectively) from 470 BCE until 321 BCE. Whilst Joiada and Johanan's periods each had some overlap with Ochus (who did indeed "rule from 423 to 405 B.C.E"), Jaddua didn't at all. The only 'Darius' contemporary with Jaddua was Darius III Artashata (336 BCE - 330 BCE, also called Codomannus).

  Morons.
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  Jeffro

  The likely reason the Watch Tower Society opts for the earlier 'Darius' is probably to reduce suspicion that the book of Nehemiah was edited by people other than the eponymous author decades after it was originally written.

  Their assignment of 443 BCE for Artexerxes 32nd year is also wrong. The correct year is 433 BCE. This error is introduced by their incorrect placement of the reigns of Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I in order to preserve the fraudulent interpretation of the 'seventy weeks' 'prophecy' as pointing to 'Jesus'.
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  Comatose

  I'm so glad I don't worry about this stuff. Trying to keep track of those people and which Darius is whom...

  It's funny though, it's so confusing and annoying that a JW would never look into it. Much easier to eat your food from the slave.
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  Jeffro

  Comatose:

  Trying to keep track of those people and which Darius is whom...

  Thing is, it's not even hard to verify. It makes me wonder what the Watch Tower Society's 'researchers' actually spend their time doing.
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  breakfast of champions

  Interesting. . .
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  DATA-DOG

  Confused, but bumping anyways.
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  Phizzy

  Good catch Jeffro, yet again my default position that "if the WT teaches it ,it must be wrong", is proved to be the safest.
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  EdenOne

  Josephus writes that Alexander the Great visited Jerusalem in 332 BCE and was met by High Priest Jaddua.

  If this is the same Jaddua mentioned in the book of Neemiah 12:22, then certainly there must have been some editing made to the book at a later stage, right...?

  Eden
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  Jeffro

  EdenOne:

  Josephus writes that Alexander the Great visited Jerusalem in 332 BCE and was met by High Priest Jaddua.

  Yes, however the story about the Jews showing Alexander the 'prophecy' is almost certainly folklore.

  If this is the same Jaddua mentioned in the book of Neemiah 12:22, then certainly there must have been some editing made to the book at a later stage, right...?

  Yes. And, yes. The original version was a combined work of 'Nehemiah' and 'Ezra', compiled in the late 4th century BCE, and then subsequent alterations were made to the text.

  
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  Phizzy

  The Book of Daniel had not in fact been written when Alexander was alive it seems, so folklore that story is.