Expert: Maria - 1/12/2010

Question
Hallo
My name is Henrik Andersen and i come from Copenhagen, Denmark.
(Sorry for my bad english and spelling)

I am very interested in bible and historical chronology. I am also a Jehovah´s Witnesses and im aware of the different view on how we think the bible chronology goes comparing  with  the secular chronology. One of the places where the is a differens, is JW have 20 years more in the babylonian kings rules, than the secular historians. We als think that the bibles 70 years goes from 607 BC, Jerusalem destruction and the jews exile to Babylon and to 537 bc, the jews is back in Judah. Secular historians think that jerusalems destuction is 587 bc and from there to 537 bc is there only 50 years. So secular view is the 70 years is from 609 bc to 539 or 605 to 535 bc or from 539/537 to 519/517 bc.

I know that in my look after historical evidence that kan confirm JW view ,the score is 10 - 1 to secular view on the chronology. A lot of proof that seem to confirm that JW is wrong. I can see that my self even I am a JW.

But my questions is:
If we just for a moment think that there was found a big proof that JW 70 years was right, is there a way to explain it? I

Historians evidence:    Table and scipture - Will all this evidence fit other years?
        
        Evidence from other historians - Is chronology build up on wary few          people from old time. I mena historians go back to other historians.
        Ex. Ptolemy. Is it so that a lot of the Babylonian chronology come          from him? If  he ex. Was wrong and other chronologys is build on          him, then it will also be wrong?  
        
        Astronomy dating. Sometime I see that it can fit many different years?
        Ex. V at 4956 fit better to 588 bc than 568 bc secular view.   

        Historians also say ex. The Babylonian chronology is build up on             other chonlogys. But is that true. Ex. The assyraisn chronology don’t          fit wery well to bible chronology.

But my big questions is: If we just for a moment think that we JW. Is right and your answer must relay on that, is there a way to explain how so much evidence is wrong?

I mean is the just a little opening that show what was happening? Is there just something that explain 20 years more in the Babylonian kings time?  

I hope a clear head answer. Not relay on JW view or secular view. Just a answer on what evidence do we have.

Questions 2 is: some there call the chronology for archeology chronology set Cyrus reign in 538 bc to 455 bc because of the bible show there is to much time between the Persian kings and people on nemiah an ezras time would livt to long time els. But can astronomy observations just change to fit around 82 years before?


I hope you can help me
Henrik

If you can give me other links or email were I can have and answer on Babylonian history I will be happy

Answer
Hello,

First of all  please note that this question refers to Babylonian history which is not my field of expertise, as you can read in my profile where I wrote: “My field of expertise is Ancient Greek and Roman History”.

Anyway, as far as I know, I can tell you that:

1-Jerusalem’s complete destruction by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (aka Nabuchodonosor), who reigned c. 605 BC – 562 BC,  should have taken  place in 587/586 BC, according to what we read in a primary source like the  first-century AD Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who in his 'Against Apion', Book I, Chapter 21, says : "Nebuchadnezzar, in the eighteenth year of his reign, laid our temple desolate, and so it lay in that state of obscurity for fifty years”.
So,  the eighteenth year of this reign is just 587/586 B.C, since 605-18=587.
See also Josephus “Antiquities of the Jews”, book X, passim.

2- In 538 BC, after fifty years of Babylonian captivity, Persian King Cyrus the Great invited the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem.
See Josephus “Antiquities of the Jews”, book X, chapter 8.

No other information I can give you, apart from the  suggestion  that you should look for an expert in Babylonian history.

Best regards,
Maria