The Sabbath and Jubilee CycleThe Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle Volume One of the Series on Ancient World Chronology A Historical Study by Qadesh La Yahweh Press Second Edition 1995Copyright © 1992 by Qadesh La Yahweh Press All rights reserved Published by Qadesh La Yahweh Press P.O. Box 5705 Garden Grove, Ca. 92645 Printed in the United States of America First Edition 1992 Second Edition 1995 No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations. T HIS B OOK IS N OT TO BE S OLD . Obtain the truth and do not sell wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (Proverbs, 23:23) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-066737 ISBN: 0-9623638-8-XEditorial Staff C. Runfola D. Tollefson S. Guevarra D. Deal P. Carey Researched and written by R. CloverContents N OTE TO R EADER ............................................................................ xv Preliminary Discussion L EVITICUS, 25:1–13 ........................................................................... 3 I NTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 5 I.F LAWS IN THE S YSTEM “B” R ECONSTRUCTION ....................... 9 Other Views ..................................................................................... 10 An Error in Chronology ................................................................. 10 Other Factors .................................................................................... 13 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 16 II.T HE T ISHRI 1 N EW Y EAR Q UESTION ........................................ 19 The Seventh Month and the Jubilee ............................................. 19 The Tishri Year ................................................................................ 21 The Transition to the Tishri Year ................................................. 23 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 26 SECTION I The Pre-Exile Period III.E VENTS IN H EZEKIAH’S R EIGN Part I of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 29 The Order of Events ....................................................................... 29 The Sabbath Year in Hezekiah’s Reign ....................................... 31 The Length of the Conflict ............................................................. 32 The Illness of Hezekiah .................................................................. 34 The Assyrian Army Was Destroyed Near the Beginning of the Year ................................................. 36 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 38 IV.T HE A SSYRIAN V ERSION Part II of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 39 Dating the Third Campaign ......................................................... 39 viiContents The Length of Sennacherib’s Third Campaign .......................... 43 Addressing the Opposing View ................................................... 45 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 46 V.O NE OR T WO I NVASIONS? Part III of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 51 The Siege of Lachish ....................................................................... 51 Hezekiah’s Illness ........................................................................... 53 Josephus and the Seder Olam ....................................................... 55 The Assyrian Records Reflect a Defeat ........................................ 56 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 59 VI.D EFECTS IN THE S ECOND I NVASION H YPOTHESIS Part IV of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 61 Why the Two-Invasion View? ...................................................... 61 The Lack of Evidence ..................................................................... 62 Propaganda in the Assyrian Records .......................................... 64 Why Not Invade Egypt?................................................................. 67 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 71 VII.S UPPORTIVE A RGUMENTS FOR T WO I NVASIONS Part V of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 73 The Arab Campaign ....................................................................... 73 Herodotus ........................................................................................ 75 Tribute to Nineveh ........................................................................ 77 The Number of Assyrian Dead .................................................... 78 The Death of Sennacherib ............................................................. 81 The Spelling of Hezekiah .............................................................. 82 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 84 VIII.T IRHAKAH Part VI of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ......................................................... 85 One Tirhakah? ................................................................................. 86 Khu-Re’ Nefertem Tirhakah ......................................................... 87 A Confederation of Kings ............................................................. 91 The Issue of Name .......................................................................... 97 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 98 IX.T HE I DENTITY OF T IRHAKAH Part VII of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ....................................................... 105 Tsawi Tirhakah ............................................................................ 105 Bifurcated Dynasty ...................................................................... 106 viiiContents Different Realms .......................................................................... 108 Different Kings ............................................................................. 112 The Empire of Tsawi Tirhakah .................................................. 114 Tirhakah Piankhi ........................................................................ 118 Conclusion .................................................................................... 120 X.T HE I SSUES OF C HRONOLOGY Part VIII of the Sabbath and Jubilee of 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E. ....................................................... 121 Background for the Parallel Stories ........................................... 121 The Invasion of Western Asia ..................................................... 123 The Egyptian Counterattack ....................................................... 125 The Invasion of Egypt .................................................................. 125 The Retreat .................................................................................... 126 Remaining Questions and Issues ............................................... 127 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 132 SECTION II The Post-Exile Period XI.T HE S ABBATH Y EAR OF 456/455 B.C.E. ............................... 159 The Versions of Josephus and 1 Esdras ..................................... 160 Ezra’s Version ............................................................................... 161 Nehemiah’s Version ..................................................................... 162 The Reckoning of Ezra ................................................................. 163 The Reckoning of Nehemiah ...................................................... 164 The Reckoning of Josephus ......................................................... 167 The Opposing Views .................................................................... 167 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 168 XII.T HE S ELEUCID E RA IN J UDAEA Part I of the Sabbath Year of 162/161 B.C.E. ............................... 169 The Seleucid Era Used in Judaea ............................................... 169 The Year Begins with Abib (Nisan) ........................................... 171 The Two Books of Maccabees ..................................................... 171 The Book of Josephus ................................................................... 174 Did They Count from Nisan, 312 B.C.E.? .................................. 177 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 178 XIII.T HE S IEGE OF B ETHZURA AND J ERUSALEM Part II of the Sabbath Year of 162/161 B.C.E. ............................. 181 The Sources in Harmony ............................................................. 182 The Siege during the Sabbath Year ............................................ 186 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 189 ixNext >