by Doug Mason 42 Replies latest watchtower bible
I have produced a Critique of the November 1, 2011 Watchtower article, “When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed? Part 2: What the clay documents really show”.
This Critique is designed to be read on a computer screen.
The file is available at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Onscreen_Critique__November_Watchtower__Jerusalem_Destroyed.pdf
Doug
thanks Doug thats great. very easy to follow.
just one point if i may, whenever i read anything about this subject i seem to always be confused when i see the the date 568. i feel maybe i am not the only one.
568 would be the dating of NebII's 37th year from VAT4956? is this correct?
and from this we count back to his 19th year? this gives the Regnal year of Jerusalem destruction? (as per Jeremiah: "In the 19th year of Neb")
NebII's 37th year (minus) 19th year = 18yrs
so 18yrs before NebII's 37th year = 586.BCE Jerusalem destroyed by NebII's Babylonians.
the Key date really then is 568?
Thanks again for this and the time you have spent putting it all together in such an easy format.
BroMac
NebII's 37th year (minus) 19th year = 18yrs
so 18yrs before NebII's 37th year = 586.BCE Jerusalem destroyed by NebII's Babylonians.
Almost, except you're mixing up dating systems.
The '37th year' (Babylonian reckoning) you're referring to isn't counting his accession year (605BCE), but his 19th year (from Kings 25:8 & Jeremiah 52:12) is. This was his 18th year in the Babylonian reckoning - compare the Babylonian interpolation at Jeremiah 52:29 with 2 Kings 25:8.
So... the correct calculation is 37th minus 18th = 19 yrs
19 yrs before Neb's 37th regnal year is 587BCE.
Jeffro thanks. i think i get it.
i'll look at it again when i have more time
BroMac
why is often stated as 586/587?
which one is it?
BroMac
It is mainly theological sources that say 586, and this is largely based on confusion surrounding the Babylonian interpolation at Jermiah 52:28-30. I have considered all of this in some detail and determined that 587 is the correct year. 586 does not work.
2 Kings 25:1 indicates that the siege began in the 10th month of Zedekiah's 9th year (around January); 2 Kings 32:1 refers to the siege beginning in Nebuchadnezzar's 18th year, which was 588 BCE. Jeremiah 52:12-14 places the destruction of the temple on or shortly after the 10th day of the 5th month (corelating to the beginning of August) of 587 BCE, being the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Nebuchadnezzar's reign began in 605 BCE (Jeremiah did not use the accession-year system), making his 19th year 587 BCE, not 586.
Jeremiah, in Jerusalem, did not use the accession-year system, meaning that by his reckoning, the years of Nebuchadnezzar's reign start from 605BC, not 604BC. This is confirmed by the fact that Daniel 1:1 refers to Jehoiakim's third year, whereas Jeremiah 25:1 refers to the same year as Jehoiakim's fourth year.
Some have been confused by ambiguity of Jeremiah chapter 52:28-30 which does refer to years of Nebuchadnezzar using the accession-year system as per Babylonian custom. The key to resolving this ambiguity is that Jeremiah 51:64 indicates that Jeremiah didn't actually write those verses. (The rest of Jeremiah chapter 52 is a copy of 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:21,27-30, but verses 28-30 are an interpolation from Babylonian sources.) This completely harmonizes chapter 52's references to 7th and 18th years with other references to 8th and 19th years mentioned elsewhere in 2 Kings and Jeremiah.
Thanks DOUG! Just downloaded it to my iPad to read later. Awesome.
Doug ... superb! Thank you.
Jeffro, thanks for the explanation. i'm going to come back to this in a few days and follow your pdf with the bible. there is a lot to take in.
BroMac
