Classes 3 and 4 From the Last Kings

Classes 3 and 4 From the Last Kings to the Persian Period: Prophecy and Archaeology The Foundations of Jewish Survival 5 Stages of Galut, 5 Stages of Geulah

, לכלותינו עלינו עומדים ודור שבכל . מידם מצילנו הוא ברוך והקדוש The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality? ” - Mark Twain “Concerning The Jews, ” Harper’s Magazine, 1899

Babylonian Empire

5 Stages of Galut Stage 1 – Judah becomes a vassal state ► Jehoiakim (608 -597 BCE) ► Three years is vassal to Egypt ► Changes sides in 605 and Becomes vassal to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia ► After 3 more years switches back to Egypt ► Nebuchadnezzar attacks and conquers Jerusalem in 597 BCE

Babylonian Kings ► Nabopolassar (r. 626 – 605) ► Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605 -562) ► Amel-Marduk (r. 562 -560) § a. k. a מרדך אויל Nergal-sharezer (r. 560 – 556) ► Labashi-Marduk (r. 556) ► ► Nabonidus (r. 556 – 539)

Sources of Chronology ► Ptolemy’s Canon § Ptolemy of Alexandria (85 -165) § Famous geographer and astronomer § Passed on a canon of kings covering 900 years ► Uruk King List § In Baghdad Museum (unless looted in 2003) § Lists kings and years reigned from 647 -226

Cuneiform VAT 4956 An Astronomical Diary

Absolute Dating From VAT 4956: “Year 37 of Nebuchadnezar, king of Babylon. Month I (the first of which was identical with) the 30 th (of the preceding month), the moon became visible behind the Bull of heaven…Saturn was in front of the Swallow…Night of the 3 rd, the moon was two cubits if front of…” This accurately describes 568 BCE and no other year.

“Chronology Papers” by W. Dolen “But not only did these tablets report on lunar eclipses, and one planet position with specific dates (month and day), these tablets report on many planet positions. By ascertaining through retro-calculation the position of these planets on certain dates, we narrow the dates down to the exact year in the Christian Era system. “For example the 523 -522 BC tablet contains several positions of the planets Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars during this time period. Jupiter repeats its synodic period every 71 (70. 987) or 83 solar years. Venus repeats itself every eight years. Saturn repeats itself every 59 years. And Mars repeats itself every 47 (46. 979) years. These four planets will all be in the same position in relation to themselves and the stars on the same solar date approximately every 1, 575, 064 years. ” (vol. 5 p. 112)

Summary of Methodology We find relative dates in Tanakh and Cuneiform documents. 2. We can correlate those relative dates with an absolute calendar through king lists or astronomical data. 1.

Stage 2 – Exile of Yehoiachin ► Yehoiachin 597 BCE § Reigns for three months § Captured by Nebuchandezzar in a siege § Imprisoned in Babylonia § Craftsman and elite of Judea is exiled with him § Freed in 562 BCE by Amel-Marduk

Destruction Dates Kings Jeremiah “ 8 th of his “in the 7 th Exile of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] year” Yehoyachin reign. (Jer 52: 28) (2 Kings 24: 12)

ביניהם ויכריע השלישי הכתוב שיבא עד ►The Jerusalem Chronicle (ABC 5) A. K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles 11. In the seventh year, the month of Kislîmu, the king of Akkad mustered his troops, marched to the Hatti-land, 12. and besieged the city of Judah and on the second day of the month of Addaru he seized the city and captured the king. 13. He appointed there a king of his own choice, received its heavy tribute and sent to Babylon.

How to count to 7 ► Nebuchadnezzar begins reign in Elul/September 605 = year 0 ► Nissan/April 604 – Adar/March 603 = year 1 ► Nissan/April 603 – Adar/March 602 = year 2 ► Nissan/April 602 – Adar/March 601 = year 3 ► Nissan/April 601 – Adar/March 600 = year 4 ► Nissan/April 600 – Adar/March 599 = year 5 ► Nissan/April 599 – Adar/March 598 = year 6 ► Nissan/April 598 – Adar/March 597 = year 7

Stage 3 – Breach of Jerusalem Walls ► Zedekiah 597 -587 BCE § Placed on throne by Nebuchadnezzar § Rebelled and entered alliance with Egypt § Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem on 10 th of Tevet 589 BCE § Walls are breached in Tamuz 587 BCE § Watched children murdered before being blinded http: //www. diggingjerusalem. org/

th 17 of Tammuz? Jer 52: 6 -7 (=2 Kings 25: 3 -4) By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine had become acute in the city; there was no food left for the common people. Then [the wall of] the city was breached. All the soldiers fled…

5 Stages of Destruction ► Stage 1 – Judah becomes a vassal state in 605 BCE ► Stage 2 – Exile of Yehoiachin in 597 BCE ► Stage 3 – Breach of Jerusalem Walls in 587 BCE ► Stage 4 – Beth Hamikdash Destroyed in 587 BCE

Destruction Dates Kings “ 8 th of his Exile of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] Yehoyachin reign. (2 Kings 24: 12) Jeremiah “in the 7 th year” (Jer 52: 28) “On the 10 th “On the 7 th day of the 5 th month in the Destruction 19 th year of King 19 th year…” of the Nebuchadnezzar…” (Jer 52: 12) Temple (2 Kings 25: 8) “ 18 th year” (Jer 52: 29)

Last Kings of Judah ► Jehoiakim 609 -598 BCE § Vassal to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia ► Jehoiachin 597 BCE § Captured by Nebuchandezzar in a siege § Imprisoned in Babylonia § Freed in 562 BCE by Amel-Marduk ► Zedekiah 597 -586 BCE § Placed on throne by Nebucahdnezzar § Rebelled and entered alliance with Egypt § Watched children murdered before being blinded

5 Stages of Destruction ► Stage 1 – Judah becomes vassal to Babylonia in 605 BCE ► Stage 2 – Exile of Yehoiachin in 597 BCE ► Stage 3 – Breach of Jerusalem Walls in 587 BCE ► Stage 4 – Beth Hamikdash Destroyed in 587 BCE ► Stage 5 – Gedaliah murdered on 1 st of Tishre 587 BCE

Class 3 The Persian Period Cyrus Returns Exiles Rebuilding the Temple

Stage 1 of Redemption Yehoyachin Freed and Given Daily Allowance And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin (562 BCE) king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; and he spoke kindly jto him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table; and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, every day a portion, as long as he lived. (2 Kings 25: 27 -30)

ANET 308 – Lists of Food Deliveries to Important People 1. . . to Ia-'-u-kin, king. . . to the qîpûtu-house of. . . for Shalamiamu, the. . . for 126 men from Tyre. . . for Zabiruam the Ly[dian]. . . ► 2 10 sila of oil to. . . [Ia]-'-kin, king of Ia-[a-hu-du] 2½ sila of oil to the [five so]ns of the king of Ia-a-hu-du 4 sila to eight men from Ia-a-hu-da-a-a. . . ► 3 1½ sila for three carpenters from Arvad, ½ sila each 11½ sila for eight ditto from Byblus, 1 sila each. . . 3½ sila for seven ditto, ½ sila each ½ sila for Nabû-êtir the carpenter 10 sila to Ia-ku-ú-ki-nu, the son of the king of Ia-ku-du (Yehudah) 2½ sila for the five sons of the king of Ia-ku-du through Qana'a ►

Cyrus Cylinder ► Now in the British Museum

Cyrus Cylinder in British Museum, London

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Cyrus Cylinder [28 -33] By his exalted word, all the kings who sit upon thrones throughout the world, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea [ i. e. , from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf], who live in the districts faroff, the kings of the West, who dwell in tents, all of them, brought their heavy tribute before me and in Babylon they kissed my feet. From Babylon to Aššur and from Susa, Agade, Ešnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers on the other side of the Tigris, whose sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [i. e. , in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings. In addition, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, I settled in their habitations, in pleasing abodes, the gods of Sumer and Akkad, whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon. ► [34 -36] May all the gods whom I settled in their sacred centers ask daily of Bêl and Nâbu that my days be long and may they intercede for my welfare. May they say to Marduk, my lord: "As for Cyrus, the king who reveres you, and Cambyses, his son, [lacuna]. " The people of Babylon blessed my kingship, and I settled all the lands in peaceful abodes. ►

Replica of Cyrus Cylinder in UN, New York

th A seal from the 6 cent. BCE “Belonging to Yehoyishma, daughter of Sawas-sar-usur. ” Sawas-sar-usur is a well-known neo -Babylonian name that means "Shamash [the Babylonian sungod] protect the king

Stage 3 Rebuilding of Second Bet Hamikdash in 520 -516 BCE ► Texts: Ezra 1 -6, Haggai 1 ► People Involved § Sheshbazzar – Yehoyachin’s son § Zerubabel – Yehoyachin’s grandson § Haggai § Zechariah ► Dates § Commences in Darius I’s 2 nd year = 520 § Finished on Adar 3 of Darius’ 6 th year = March 516

Achaemenid Dynasty ► ► ► ► Cyrus II, the Great ruled from c. 550 -530 BCE Cambyses II ruled 529 -522 BCE Smerdis (Bardiya), ruled 522 BCE Darius I, the Great ruled 521 -486 BCE Xerxes I ruled 485 -465 BCE Artaxerxes I Longimanus ruled 465 -424 BCE Xerxes II ruled 424 BCE Sogdianus ruled 424 -423 BCE Darius II Nothus ruled 423 -405 BCE Artaxerxes II Mnemon ruled 404 -359 BCE Artaxerxes III Ochus ruled 358 -338 BCE Artaxerxes IV Arses ruled 338 -336 BCE Darius III Codomannus ruled 336 -330 BCE

Greek Historians Herodotus 484 -425 BCE Thucydides 460 -395 BCE

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 2 Ch. 6 “The same summer, at the beginning of a new lunar month, the only time by the way at which it appears possible, the sun was eclipsed after noon. After it had assumed the form of a crescent and some of the stars had come out, it returned to its natural shape. ” This text describes a lunar eclipse in the first year of the Peloponnesian war = 431 BCE

Thucydides Chapter 13 – eighth year of the war “In first days of the next summer there was an eclipse of the sun at the time of new moon, and in the early part of the same month an earthquake. ” This text describes another lunar eclipse in the eight year of the war = 424 BCE

http: //eclipse. gsfc. nasa. gov/SEhistor y/SEhistory. html -0479 Oct 02 (480 BCE)Annular 0. 93207 m 58 s. Xerxes' Eclipse ". . . while he was offering sacrifice to know if he should march out against the Persian, the sun was suddenly darkened in mid sky" from Herodotus, History, IX, 10 Wikipedia -0430 Aug 03 (431 BCE)Annular 0. 98401 m 04 s. Peloponnesian War ". . . the sun assumed the shape of a crescent and became full again, and during the eclipse some stars became visible. " - Thucydides Wikipedia -0423 Mar 21 (424 BCE)Annular 0. 94304 m 38 s 8 th Year of Peloponnesian War "In first days of the next summer there was an eclipse of the sun at the time of new moon, and in the early part of the same month an earthquake. " from The History of the Peloponnesian War Wikipedia

Thucydides Book 8 Chap. 26 the twentieth year of the war “In the thirteenth year of the reign of Darius, while Alexippidas was ephor at Lacedaemon, a convention was concluded in the plain of the Maeander…” 8 th year of war=424 BCE= 1 st year of Darius II Tomb of Darius II Ruled 423 -404 BCE

Stage 4 - Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah ► Ez 7 -8 Sent by Artexerxes (I? in 458 BCE) ► Ez 9 -10 Mixed Marriages

Book of Nehemiah ► Arrived in 455 BCE ► Ch 1 -7: 3 Rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem ► 7: 4 -73 Census of returned exiles ► 8: 1 -12 Ezra reads the Torah in public ► 8: 13 -17 Celebrate Sukkoth ► 9 -10 A new covenant ► 11 -12: 26 Repopulation, lists of people ► 12: 27 -13: 3 Dedication of city walls ► 13: 4 -31 Legislation of laws

Early Midrash in Nehamiah Ch 10 § 10: 1 -28 List of Signatories § 29 -30 Pledge to keep Hashem’s law in general § 31 -40 pledge to keep a set of particular laws ► 10: 31 prohibition to intermarry all people in land from Exodus 34: 11 -16 and Devarim 7: 1 -3 ► 10: 32 buying is prohibited on Shabbat extending Ex 34: 21 (farm work), 35: 3 (fire), Jer 17: 21 (burden), Amos 8: 5 (selling), Neh 13: 5 (selling and pressing wine) ► 10: 33 extends Ex 30: 11 -16 to be an annual tax ► 10: 35 enables law of Vayikra 6: 1 -6, wood to burn continually ► 10: 36 extends Devarim 26: 2 to fruit trees

Stage 5 of Redemption and yet a third interpretation of Jeremiah’s 70 ► Read Daniel 9 לי תשמעו לא אלה עד יח ואם : ► ויקרא פרק כו : חטאתיכם על שבע אתכם ליסרה ויספתי ► 70 = 70 x 7 = § 7 x 7 + 62 x 7 (434) + ½ x 7 = 490 § From Nebuchadnezzar to Hashmonaim § From Destruction I to Destruction II (Seder Olam)

Bavli Avodah Zarah 9 a R. Yose ben Halafta taught: ► Persian rule lasted 34 years after the building of the Temple, ► Greece ruled 180 years during the existence of the Temple, ► the Hasmonean rule lasted 103 years during temple times, ► the House of Herod ruled 103. Thence onward, one should go on counting the years as from the Destruction of the Temple.

Comparing Chronologies ► Seder Olam Chronology § 421 Destruction of Temple I § 369 Darius the Mede received kingdom § 368 BCE Koresh reigns, decree of return § 366 -352 Purim during Ahashverosh § 352 - 317 Daryavesh reigns § 351 Begin rebuilding Temple ► Historians’ Chronology § 586 Destruction of Temple I § 539 Cyrus takes Babylonia § 538 Cyrus decrees return § 521 -486 Darius I reigns § 520 Begin rebuilding Temple § 484 Purim during Artexerxes I

Purim ► Who is Ahashverosh? § Xerxes I 486 -465 BCE or Artexerxes II 405 -439 § But, Herodotus (9. 109): “Amastris the wife of Xerxes. ” ► Read Ezra 1 -6 , Zechariah 7 and 8: 16 -19 ► Menachem Leibtag article ► Compare Esther 2: 5 and Zech 8: 23 ► And Esther 9: 30 and Zech 8: 19

והבאתי , ולקחתי וגאלתי והצלתי והוצאתי ► ► ► 5 Stages of Galut Judah becomes vassal to Babylonia in 605 BCE Exile of Yehoiachin in 597 BCE Breach of Jerusalem Walls in 587 BCE Beth Hamikdash Destroyed in 587 BCE Gedaliah murdered on 1 st of Tishre 587 BCE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5 Stages of Geulah Yehoyachin Freed and Given Daily Allowance Cyrus Grants Permission to Return and Rebuild in 539 BCE Rebuilding of Second Bet Hamikdash in 520 -516 BCE Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah Hasmonean Independence

Important Dates ► 605 Nebuchadnezzar comes to power ► 597 Galut Yehoyachin ► 587 Destruction of Bet ha. Mikdash I ► 562 Yehoyachin taken out of prison ► 539 Cyrus destroys Babylonia, decree ► 520 -516 Rebuilding of Bet ha. Mikdash