J.-9 Bible Chronology

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J.-9 English

Ussher's Overlap

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85

<  The life of Daniel
1.  James Ussher  (parallel)

Nebuchadnezzar

454 BC  >

<  454 BC
<  Daniel taken in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim, Dan.1:1 (at the age of 10?)

Cyrus

Cambyses

Darius I

Xerxes

Artaxerxes

Darius II

Artax.II

Babylonian Captivity of 70 years

<  Beginning of Daniel's 70 sevens, Dan.9:25

Jer.25:1  >

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70

<  Decree of Cyrus, Ezra 1:1-4

20th year of Artaxerxes, Neh.2:1-8  >

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50

Josiah-31

¼

Jehoiakim-11

¼

Zedekiah-11

^                  50 years remain linear                 ^

1 x 7

2 x 7

3 x 7

4 x 7

5 x 7

6 x 7

7 x 7

End of the Southern Kingdom of Judah  >

<  Temple burned

Ussher's gap of 83 years

^     In parallel for 20      ^.

Ussher's Persian king's list is from Claudius Ptolemy

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20

<  This is the OVERLAP

^   20-year overlap   ^  

 

Hansen's Persian king's list is from the Bible

2.  Paul Albert Hansen (series)

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<  The life of Daniel

Est.1:1, Dan.9:1, 11:1

Dan.6:28

Hag.1:1

Neh.2:1, 13:6

Jer.25.1  >

Nebuchadnezzar

Ahasuerus

Darius M.

Cyrus

Darius

Artaxerxes

<  Daniel taken in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim, Dan.1:1 (at the age of 10?)

20th year of Artaxerxes, Neh.2:1-8  >

Manasseh-55

2

Josiah-31

¼

Jehoiakim-11

¼

Zedekiah-11

<  Temple burned<  Decree of Cyrus, Ezra 1:1-4, Dan.9:25

Babylonian Captivity, 70 años

<  Beginning of Daniel's 70 sevens, Dan.9:25

End of the Southern Kingdom of Judah  >

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In series

^                  "troublous times", Dan.9:25                  ^


9.  The start of the Babylonian Captivity:  Parallel, or in series?
                         Overlapping by 20 years = Ussher’s view #1 above
                         In series (linear) = Hansen’s view #2 above
 
Did the Babylonian Captivity begin in the 3rd or 4th year of Jehoiakim when Daniel was taken captive (2 Chronicles 36:5-10, Jeremiah 25:1, Daniel 1:1-2) which was about 20 years before the burning of the Temple, or did the Captivity begin when the Temple was burned in the 11th year of Zedekiah (2 Chronicles 36:19-21, Jeremiah 1:3, Jeremiah 25:1-12)?

My view

a.  This chart and the next may seem identical, but they are not.  This one has to do with Ussher’s overlap of 20 years for the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.  The next one has to do with Ussher’s gap of 83 years wherein he defends Artaxerxes as the beginning of Daniel’s 70 x 7.  But this present chart is about Ussher’s overlap.  In addition, I have included how Daniel fits into the two scenarios given.

b.  I personally favor the linear approach that starts the Babylonian Captivity with the burning of the Temple.  However, I believe that the other view is potentially biblically possible, and I think we have to allow latitude to others who want to go with this overlapping view.  The overlapping view would make Daniel 81 instead 101 at the first year of Cyrus.  That seems to be an advantage for the overlapping view, but for me 101 is still within the range of possibility, so I can live more easily with 101 for Daniel than I can with the overlapping idea.

c.  However concerning the other subject of an 83-year gap (shown more clearly in the following page), I firmly believe that Ussher was in error here, but I can see how he got into this mess.  I suppose that he expected secular history to naturally align itself with the Bible.  When he saw that they did not tell the same story, and since he was determined to reconcile the two, he was left with the choice of either leaving the matter unresolved—which is what I would have done—or made the Bible coincide with secular history (since secular history would not coincide with the Bible).

d.  In doing this, he not only eliminated the clear portion of 49 years (7 sevens) of “troublous times” of general reconstruction from Gabriel’s prophecy, but the clear beginning of the prophecy of 70 sevens was now—on the basis of secular history—posponed by Ussher to chose Artaxerxes instead of Cyrus (because Artaxerxes was in a better position due to incorrect secular dating) as the beginning of the 70 x 7, all while the following salient items were mounting evidence that arose not only almost simultaneously but in an organized fashion:

1.  The prophecy in Isaiah 44:26-28 wherein God chose Cyrus two hundred years earlier, and wherein God had said of Cyrus two things:  1.  That Jerusalem would be built and 2.  That the foundation of the temple would be laid (Isaiah 44:28):

     “...who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my Shepherd!
     And He will perform all My desire.’
     And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’
     And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.'”

2.  Daniel’s observation that the 70 years were almost finished (Daniel 9:1-2)

3.  Gabriel’s immediate prophecy to Daniel of a coming decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25) which was followed immediately by

4.  The decree of Cyrus to begin work on the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4) which was immediately acted upon by

5.  The return of the exiles to begin this work (Ezra 2 and following)

e.  It is beyond all my comprehension to pass over Cyrus at this point simply because man’s account of history does not agree with God’s account of it.  This being the case, Ussher’s creation date of 4004 BC needs to be revised to 4004 – 83 = 3921 BC, and if Ussher’s overlap were discarded, then his creation date would look like this:  4004 – 83 + 20 = 3941 BC!


http://www.box.net/shared/03pt6lni9y
- 2010E--Paul's updated 3942 BC--English version--Rev.01--8.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/bvvqoxmqb8
- 2006E--Paul's post-Ussher 3942 BC--English version--Rev01.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/s4gvmfjk81
- 2005E--Ussher's 4004 BC--English version--Rev06--With Luke's List.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/etkhpuubb9
- 1980E--Paul's original 4100 BC--English version--Rev07.pdf