About Brandon Harper Expertise I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and was baptized for 21 years. I was a 4th generation Jehovah's Witness both paternally and maternally and am qualified to answer many questions regarding doctrine, doctrinal changes, historical basis for various doctrines, as well as offer rebuttal responses from the perspective of a former Jehovah's Witness. I can also answer questions from the perspective of an ardent Jehovah's Witness.
Experience I am 33 years old, became a publisher and gave my first public talk at age 4, was baptized at age 12, became an inactive publisher at age 32, and disassociated myself at age 33. My father has served as a congregation servant/elder continuously from the age of 17 on. Of my 9 uncles, 6 are elders. Of my 9 aunts, four are regular pioneers. My father is the presiding overseer of a congregation. When I began seriously investigating this religion I had to prepare for conversations with a very large extended family steeped in the history and doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have thoroughly studied many Watchtower Society publications that most Jehovah's Witnesses have never even read, if they have heard of them at all, seeking the origins of various doctrinal points. I knew I would need to have this knowledge to discuss the issues in detail with my family when I decided to disassociate myself.
Education/Credentials I read every Watchtower and Awake! magazine from at least age 8 through age 32. According to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society I have the equivalent of several four-year degrees (Reference available on request). I would hope that education would qualify me as an expert.
Question Hi Brandon, I have read about your history and hope that you might be able to help me with something.
I was raised and baptised as a JW but faded away about 3 years ago. My mother is a very dedicated JW and I would like to know how to approach her on the subject regarding the destruction of Jeresuelem.
As you are aware the WTBTS teaches that Jeresuleum was destroyed in 607BCE and use this date as a basis for many other beliefs. (Like Jesus returning invisibly in 1914). From what I can tell Jeresuleum was actually destroyed in 587BCE. I have found this information in my mothers encylopedia and showed it to her but she came back with a response that her bookstudy conductor had given her. That it took 20 years for the destruction to take place and it was finally destroyed in 607BCE.
Can you tell me is this true? If not can you please suggest any ways that I could reason on this with her?
Many thanks,
Pam.
Answer Pamela,
This is a very confusing issue for many Jehovah's Witnesses. It is also a scary thing to open an encyclopedia and find out that the date published by the Watchtower Society does not agree with secular history.
I would like to answer your question in two parts. The first part will be the official response from the Watchtower Society, and the second answer will contain the rationale from the standpoint of secular history regarding the timing of the destruction of Jerusalem's temple.
The short answer to your question is that if your mother's bookstudy conductor told her that then he disagrees rather sharply with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses on that point. The destruction of Jerusalem's Temple (Solomon's Temple) occurred swiftly and utterly, and this is agreed to by both the Watchtower Society and by secular historians.
** Part I — Official Watchtower Society Answer **
Watchtower Society publications agree with secular history regarding the timing of the fall of Babylon. Both Nabonidus and his son were slain in 539 BC thus ending the period of Babylonian ascendancy.
The Watchtower Society does not state why they agree with secular history on this date, nor do they explain the viewpoint of secular history regarding this date, so I will reserve that discussion for the second part.
Since the writings of Ezra hold that the seventy years of Jeremiah meant seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem spanning from the exile to the release from captivity, Jehovah's Witnesses count backward 70 years from 537 BC to arrive at 607 BC. They interpret the Scriptures to indicate 537 BC as the year for release from exile (i.e. two years after the fall of Babylon; 539 BC + two years = 537 BC).
** Part II — The View of Secular History **
A few recent finds have cleared up many gaps in Ancient Near-East (ANE) chronology. I will cite some of these and their import to the chronology of the region as it relates to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.
It is important to note at the outset that there was only one way to date events with any degree of precision in that period of history. Namely, by means of astronomical observations. Fortunately, the period of the Babylonian empire is probably the best chronicled and most clearly confirmed period of all ANE history.
Events in the Bible are dated by regnal years, so only by first starting from some year that is established by astronomical observation and that also references the regnal year of a king can we hope to begin to piece together the timing of various events as described by writers of the Bible.
555 BC is such a year. The Watchtower Society and secular historians agree on this year, although only secular history gives us understanding of why this year can be fixed with confidence. It was a very important year in ANE history.
The Hillah Stele (Nabon. No. 8) notes repairs to a temple in Harran that had been devastated by Umman-manda (Medes) some 54 years earlier. This event is the sack of Harran known from B.M. 21901, and the Hillah Stele fixes 609 BC (i.e. 555 BC - 54 year = 609 BC) as the 16th year of Nabopolassar when the temple was destroyed.
This notation of an order to repair the temple at Harran is one of the most certain dates in Near East history, as its astronmical observation was so detailed that it can be fixed to within 1 week. This notation occurred between 31 May and 4 June in the year 555 BC. It also specifies that this was during Nabonidus' first regnal year. This proof (a fixed date within one week) is used for fixing the date for Babylon's downfall (we know how many years Nabonidus reigned from many different sources), working forward from 555 as a fixed point in history. It is equally useful for working backward.
VAT 4956 dates astronomical observations from Nisan 1 of the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzer to Nisan 1 of the 38th year of Nebuchadnezzer. These observations could only have been made in 568/567 BC within a span of several thousand years. This fixes 568 BC as the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzer, placing his first year in 604 BC (568 + 65 = 604) and the 16th year of Nabopolassar in 609 BC.
Since VAT 4956 likewise agrees where the dates of the Adda-Guppi Stele (Nabon. H 1, B) and the Egibi documents coincide, VAT 4956 is provably accurate by crossreference.
By working from these astronomically confirmed dates and using the regnal years given from many different sources, it can be demonstrated that Solomon's Temple was destroyed in either late 587 BC or early 586 BC.
It took nowhere near 20 years to destroy the temple, the temple's destruction was the last in a series of attempts toward Jerusalem on the part of Babylon. Babylon first tried to preserve the ruling authority intact. Then set up a vassal king. Then installed a governor. It was only after all these efforts failed that they attacked the city outright and destroyed the temple.
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With regard to ways of reasoning with her, I wish I could offer more individual help, but if she believed her bookstudy conductor's word over the statements in the Encyclopedia it seems your only option would be to first prove from the Watchtower Society publications that the destruction of Jerusalem did not require 20 years. If you have or have access to the Watchtower Library CD-ROM, you can research these articles:
*** it-2 pp. 43-44 Jerusalem ***
*** w01 3/1 p. 17 par. 2 Salvation for Those Who Choose the Light ***
You will find two plain statements that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 BC. While this date disagrees with secular history by a difference of 20 years and a timeline for the Babylonian kings has never been forthcoming from the Watchtower Society that accounted for all the years asserted, it certainly should answer whether the destruction itself required 20 years.
