I'm intrigued by the whole "bible chronology" topic, but have never really dug into it because to put any of it together you need a historically reliable starting point. This wasn't a problem as a practicing jw because you just assumed their dates were right. I would like for someone to give me one event described in the bible that is universally established and accepted historically that I can use as a reliable starting point. Can someone please either provide that or point me in the right direction? Thank you.
is there any biblical event that has a universally accepted date on which it occurred?
by jeremiah18:5-10 24 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
eyeuse2badub
There ain't none. History belongs to him who writes it!
Just saying!
eyeuse2badub
-
DesirousOfChange
Try researching the destruction of Babylon.
My recollection is that it is well documented in secular history. 537 BC
Also, perhaps destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st Century. 70 CE.
.
There really is no debate about destruction of Jerusalem in 586/587 except with JWs.
Doc
-
InChristAlone
I believe 539 B.C. is the accepted date for Cyrus conquering Babylon. I think 537 was an assumption that it took a couple years for the Israelites to return and is really meaningless. Someone more knowledgable please feel free to correct me.
-
Phizzy
There are a number of dates that are more or less undisputed, at least by Scholars.
587BCE for the destruction of Jerusalem by King Neb. (Some will say 586BCE, this does not matter, the WT/JW's are off by 20 years whatever.)
539BCE for Cyrus taking Babylon. (The WT says it took 2years for the Israelites to get from Babylon to Jerusalem, giving them 537, 70 years after their fictional 607 for the return, the Jews must have travelled by British Rail to take that long).)
The reign of Tiberius Caesar is well documented, helpful for dating when the mainly fictional events in Luke's Gospel are supposed to have happened.
And as said above, 70 C.E for the last Temple destruction is a cert.
The thing is that there simply is no such thing as the WT keeps banging on about "Bible Chronology". They do so in a recent article on JW.Org, spewing out the nonsense again about 2520 years.
The only Chronolgy we have comes from secular Historians and Scholars.
It is possible then, using established pivotal dates, established by "worldly" Scholars JW's please note, to date some of the events in the Bible, but the years in between these events are not dealt with accurately by the Bible.
We cannot actually trust its dating even of the Kings who ruled in Jerusalem and in the Northern Kingdom, though it really doesn't matter too much about that. Certainly the counting back to Abraham, and laughably Adam has to be a joke.
Just remember, there is no such thing as Bible Chronology.
-
jeremiah18:5-10
Ok thank you for some starting points. Btw when I refer to "bible chronology" I do so tongue-in-cheek, much like many of us refer to "the truth", its just the residue of the "pure language" remaining, lol.
Anyway,I just want to better comprehend the dating mistakes made by wt and to further increase my knowledge of the topic, so thanks again.
-
Phizzy
I wasn't getting at your use of the expression, Bible Chronology, Jer, but the WT's.
They really annoy me with their constant referring to it, as though it exists, and if shown they are way out on their dates, they smugly say "we prefer Bible Chronology".
As there is no such thing, this really means "WE smugly and ignorantly cling to our wacky dates".
-
Ultimate Axiom
It could be worse Phizzy, Rutherford used to refer to it as “present-truth chronology” and said, “It is … in accordance with the soundest laws known to science - that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt.” (Watchtower, June 15, 1922, page 187). Now that really would be annoying if it wasn’t so funny.
-
Over%forme
My Encyciopedia "Funk and Wagnalls" says 609
marked the end of the Assyrian Empire.
Babylon ruled 70 years. 609-70=539.
609 is the only year you can get 539.
-
DATA-DOG
The FDS chosen in 1919?!??
DD