THE IMPORTANCE OF OLD TESTAMENT CHRONOLOGY

"If the establishment of a correct chronology is important for any nation, then it is important for the Hebrews (Israel). Never will the manifold details of the Old Testament writings be correctly integrated into each other, never will the events of the Old Testament record be properly fitted into the events of the Near Eastern world, and never will the vital messages of the Old Testament be thoroughly or correctly understood until there has been established a sound chronology for Old Testament times." 

Edwin R. Thiele, "The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings", 1983

1. THE PERIOD OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM CONTAINS MANY ALLEGED BIBLE ERRORS. HERE ARE TWO OF MANY EXAMPLES:

1. Rehoboam (Judah) and Jeroboam I (Israel) both began to reign at the same time shortly after the death of Solomon

Several kings later, Ahaziah (Judah) was killed by Jehu in the 11th year of Joram (Israel) (II Kings 9.27-29)

However, according to the Bible, the number of years from Rehoboam to Ahaziah was 95 years, but the number of years from Jeroboam I to the 11th year of Joram was 98 years???

2. Athaliah began to reign after the death of Ahaziah (Judah) and she was contemporary with Jehu (Israel), who began to reign at the same time.

Several kings later, Hezekiah (Judah) was in his 6th year when Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom Israel in  the 9th year of Hoshea (Israel) (II Kings 18.9-10)

However, according to the Bible, the number of years from Athaliah to the 6th year of Hezekiah was 166 years, but the number of years from Jehu to the 9th year of Hoshea was only 143 years???

2. EDWIN THIELE WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN ALL OF THESE ALLEGED ERRORS BY UNDERSTANDING THREE CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT THE PERIOD OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM.

1. Israel and Judah used different systems for counting the length of the reigns of their kings.

The Southern Kingdom (Judah) used an "accession" system, i.e. the first year of the next king was counted as the next year after the final year of the preceding king (Except for a brief period while queen Athaliah ruled in Judah).

The Northern Kingdom (Israel) used a "non-accession" system, i.e. the first year of the next king was counted as the same year as the final year of the preceding king

2. Israel and Judah used different calendars.

The Southern Kingdom (Judah) began their calendar year in the fall, on the first day of the Levitical month of "Tishri".

The Northern Kingdom (Israel) began their calendar year in the spring, on the first day of the Levitical month of "Nisan".

3. Both Judah and Israel experienced numerous "co-regencies", e.g.

• Asa and Jehoshaphat (II Chronicles 16.12) 
  

• Uzziah and Jotham (II Chronicles 26.16-23) 
  

• Pekah and Menahem 

3. EDWIN THIELE THEN LINKED ISRAEL'S KINGS WITH SECULAR HISTORY OBTAINED FROM ASSYRIAN AND BABYLONIAN RECORDS IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:

1. King Ahab was killed in a battle involving Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. According to Assyrian records, that battle occurred in 853 BC.

Jeroboam I

931/30-910/09

Rehoboam

931/30-913

Abijah

913-911/10

Nadab

910/09-909/08

Asa

911/10-870/69

Baasha

Elah

Zimri

Tibni

909/08-886/85

886/85-885/84

885/84

885/84-880

Omri

885/84-880

880-874/73

Ahab

874/73-853

Jehoshaphat

872/71-870/69

870/69-848

Ahaziah

853-852

Joram

853-848

848-841

Jehoram

852-841

Ahaziah

841

Jehu

841-814/13

Athaliah

841-835

Jehoahaz

814/13-798

Joash

835-796

Jehoash

798-782/81

Amaziah

796-767

Jeroboam II

793/92-782/81

782/81-753

Uzziah

792/91-767

767-740/39

Zechariah

753-752

Shallum

752

Menahem

752-742/41

Jotham

750-740/39

740/39-732/31

Pekahiah

742/41-740/39

Pekah

752-740/39

740/39-732/31

Ahaz

735-732/31

732/31-716/15

Hoshea

732/31-723/22

Hezekiah

Manasseh

Amon

Josiah

Jehoahaz

Jehoiakim

Jeconiah

Zedekiah

729-695

695-641

640-639

638-608

607

607-597

597

597-586

These final dates assume that the Bible is correct in some disputed texts involving the duration of the reign of Hezekiah and differ from Thiele who takes an opposing view. However, they also are in agreement with the secular dates recorded by the Gentile kings.

The one year uncertainty in the start of each reign stems from the fact that the reign of Jeroboam I began when he rebelled against king Rehoboam following the death of Solomon. However, the season of the year for that rebellion is unknown, so the season of the year when Jeroboam I began to reign is also unknown, thereby causing a one year uncertainty in the calendar.

4. USING THE ABOVE CALENDAR FOR THE PERIOD OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM, WE CAN NOW ASSIGN calendar  dates TO people and events prior to the Divided Kingdom, E.G.

1. According to the calendar for the Divided Kingdom, Rehoboam began his reign of Judah, immediately after Solomon's death, in 931/30 BC.
   
   

2. Solomon reigned for 40 years (I Kings 11.42), so he must have begun his reign in 971/70 BC.
   
   

3. But according to (I Kings 6.1), Solomon began to build the Temple in the 4th year of his reign, i.e. 967/66 BC, and this was 480 years after Israel made their Exodus out of Egypt.
   
   

4. Therefore, the Exodus must have occurred in,

967/66 BC (Solomon’s 4^th year) + 479 years (inclusively) = 1446/45 BC

Using such dates, it is possible to build a calendar all the way back to Abraham.

5. USING OTHER LINKS BETWEEN EVENTS IN THE BIBLE FOLLOWING THE PERIOD OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM, AND VARIOUS SECULAR KINGS IN THE MEDO PERSIAN, GRECIAN, AND ROMAN EMPIRES, IT'S POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THE CHRONOLOGY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.