In the matters of Religion and Science, the west has undergone a tremendous upheaval during the last one hundred years or so, and if the rise of various religious fundamentalisms is any indication, despite our reliance upon science, as human creatures, we seem to need an inherent 'Reliance' on the 'scientifically dubious' Divine Power.
Many folk wonder why it is that their children have turned from their religious traditions to new or exotic forms of religious observance, and it is not at all unreasonable to suggest that this is because our materialistic, logical, and science driven society, has robbed us of the inner emotional stability which comes through 'trusting in a higher power'.
As far as Christianity in all its forms is concerned, fundamentalism has as its catchcry, 'God says!', or 'The Bible says!' or other such foundations of authority. This willingness to 'Rely on God', often flies in the face of the 'scientifically' demonstrable. But we don't worry about that because 'Faith is all we need'.
Now on the matter of 'Faith' versus 'Science', I personally prefer 'faith'. I have seen enough 'dubious' scientific results and pressures on society which were ultimately overthrown, never to blindly trust in science, or any person irrespective of their qualifications.
But in the matter of the historical content of the Bible, it is in fact a very difficult thing to ignore the evidence of archaeology and history, which demonstrates that the chronology of the Bible is incorrect, and of course, this is what 'The King's Calendar:The Secret of Qumran' is all about; demonstrating that while the Biblical data appears to be erroneous, it is in fact quite reliable.
But what facinates me, is that many 'fundamentalists', while publicly preaching the Bible to be the Word of God, will, when confronted by anomolous situations between the chronological facts of history and the chronological records of the Bible, maintain that biblical chronology is not important, saying "we don't feel that the historical information is important".
To put it in the Australian vernacular: 'What a Crock!'
If the Bible was inspired and ordained by God, how dare anyone who holds to this position then maintain that God couldn't get the factual details recorded correctly. It is a blatant contradiction to that persons 'foundational faith', and in terms of psychology, is explained as 'compartmentalisation'.
Now while we have this type of person maintaining that the Bible is actually the Word of God whilst ignoring the facts of history, we also have others who while maintaining that the Bible is inspired of God, have so sold out to 'academia', that they just accept as gospel everything that they are told, and have given up even bothering to find the answer to chronological problems, or worse, have allowed themselves to be convinced that God does not exist at all.
When I first put the results of my research on the internet, I fully expected to become known as a 'crackpot'. In a telephonic conversation (circa 1996) with Professor D.J. Wiseman of the British Academy, he kindly pointed out that my task would be difficult, for over two dozen 'crackpots' each year claim to have solved the problem.
So I expected to be called a crackpot, or to be ignored, but I never expected that the religious communities would have so completely sold out to academia, or so completely retreated from reality, as to tell me that it doesn't matter that the historical details of the Bible are wrong.
As an example of how the religious communities have blindly accepted academic opinion, allow me to draw your attention to the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BCE.
The Battle of Qarqar - 853 BCE
The Battle of Qarqar involved a coalition of 12 kings of Syria/Palestine who banded together to repel an attempted invasion by King Shalmaneser III of Assyria.
The date for this battle, 853 BCE, is apparently fixed beyond question, and I certainly would not gainsay it. However this event and this date severely interferes with Biblical Chronology.
The 'King's Calendar' indicates that King Ahab of Israel died in 863 BCE, a decade prior to the Battle of Qarqar (853 BCE), in which, according to the Kurkh Stele of Shalmaneser III, Ahab participated.
Biblical Data for the Northern Kingdom of Israel, indicates that Ahaziah and Jehoram of Israel, ruled after King Ahab, for a total of 14 years. But according to modern scholarship, their reigns terminated in 841 BCE, thus requiring Ahab to have died in 856 BCE, three years before the Battle of Qarqar.
From the Southern Kingdom Perspective, if Ahaziah of Judah was dead by 841 BCE as is today assumed, then 853 BCE was Jehoshaphat's 22nd year, and as Jehoram of Israel commenced in Jehoshaphat's 18th year, Ahab was not alive in 853 BCE.
So while it appears that there is archaeological evidence that both the Biblical and 'King's Calendar' chronologies are wrong at this point in history, when you look at all the archaeological evidence provided for current academic opinions about King Ahab's involvement in the Battle of Qarqar, you can see that what the Academics claim to be 'the facts of the case', are not in fact facts of anything at all.
So misleading is the evidence provided by Academics concerning this event, that a special section was created at King's Calendar entitled: "Laws of Evidence and Archaeology" to demonstrate that there is no evidence for current academic opinion, that would be upheld in a court of law. Part 1 of that series deals specifically with the Battle of Qarqar.
When one considers that there are 'Two' records of this Battle, and that they differ, and when you consider that Academics admit that much that is recorded in these evidences is hyperbole, it becomes obvious that the academics have pulled the wool over our eyes, just so that they might manipulate 'their' versions of Biblical History.
King's Calendar Chapter Seven: The Battle of Qarqar: 853 BCE, which is currently only available to Academics who request a password to study it, argues soundly against the 'false evidence' and 'unscientific opinions' offered by academics in their pursuit to alter the History of Israel as recorded by the people of History at that time.
Like those fundamentalists who refuse to see error in the Bible, most Academics today not only refuse to accept that the Biblical record is as legitimate as any other ancient history, but also manipulate Scriptures to convince us that their pet theories are correct, and all of this is done, despite the fact that there is far more detailed sequentially chronological information for Israel, than for other ancient civilizations. In fact, at this point in time, there is even a great deal of argument in the academic community over whether currently accepted Egyptian History is incorrect by as much as 200 years.
Whilst many may wish to scoff at the King's Calendar computer generated mathematical reconstruction of Israelite History, one 'off the record' comment, is that the King's Calendar apologetics are written so forcibly, that it is hard to argue against them.
It is not necessary for you the reader, to study the King's Calendar apologetics to see what is the effect of 'popular academic' opinion on Biblical Chronology. By comparing Appendix 5 with the Scriptural references in Appendix Thirteen, you can see for yourself that to put Ahab at the Battle of Qarqar (and the Bible makes no mention of this Great Event) is to seriously change so much that the bible records about Israel and Judah at this point in History.
Academic Compartmentalism
"Compartmentalism" in psychology is the process whereby we store conflicting thoughts in different parts of the brain, so that contradictions can be ignored by separating them, while at the same time, allowing us to believe both thoughts. As an example may I suggest that many people despise 'Racists', but at the same time, they hate (Jews) Israel. Their hatred of Israel is passed off as a 'political ideology', which allows them to continue to see themselves as 'non discriminatory', ie, not racists.
Todays Academics admit that the information contained in the 'Kurkh Stela' is erroneous and exaggerated. They admit that despite the Assyrian claim that Ahab alone had more chariots than they did, that this is not possible. Had such been the case, Ahab could hardly have been the lacky of the Sryian King. Furthermore, they ignore the fact that the two different records of the Battle of Qarqar differ, in that while one mentions Ahab, the other does not.
The reason why they prefer to build their theories around obvious fraud, rather than invest in a scientific study of Biblical Chronology, is that it enables them to build a neat little history of Israel which stands in opposition to the Biblical Picture.
The reason why this is so important, is that if the Biblical History of Israel is confirmed, it inherently requires them to confront the spiritual or moral aspects of that history. If Biblical History can be denied, then no such dangerous situation arises.
As stated earlier, there are two types of people out there. One can find no error in the Biblical Record, and the other can find nothing right with it.
The Premise: Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE (but continuing down to at least 104 BCE), Sectarian redactors transcribed the legitimate 'solar year' chronological records of Israel and Judah, into an artificial form, with listed years as each comprised of 12 months of 4 weeks of 7 days, or 336 days per year, thus creating a 13th artificial year where 12 solar years existed.
When the Synchronous Chronological Data provided in the Books of Kings and Chronicles for the Divided Kingdom Period are measured in years of 336 days, the synchronisms actually align. [Refer to Appendix Five to see how it synchronises the Divided Kingdom Period]
General formula for Biblical Data conversion:
The formula for constructing the artificial calendar was:
'X' times 364 equals 'Y' days
'Y' days divided by 336 equals 'Z' artificial years.
Values are:
'X' = any given number of 'real/solar' years
364 = perceived days in the sectarian calendar
'Y' = number of days calculated
336 = number of days in an artificial year
'Z' = artificial years = 1.083'X' and represents the original number of the converted years plus 8%.
To reverse the process by hand:
'Z' years times 336 equals 'Y' divided by 364 equals the Number of 'X' years converted.
To see how effective this method is, SEE:Appendix 5:Diagrammatic Reconstruction of Israelite History from 936 to 586 BCE:
The Principle of Linear Causality
The King's Calendar is a very simple approach to Biblical Chronology. It substitutes a value of 336 days for every year listed in Scripture. As far as the Divided Kingdom is concerned, when you use this 336 day year value, the synchronisms actually work. To see how effective this method is, SEE:Appendix 5: Diagrammatic Reconstruction of Israelite History from 936 to 586 BCE
Because it is a mathematical system, the King's Calendar must abide by certain mathematical rules, the most important of which, is that if you change any date for any day, month, or year every other day, month, or year is effected and must also change. It's like a 'domino effect'. Chronological references cannot be 'forced' to fit, and nor can they simply be ignored or 'compressed' as is the usual case with historians and archaeologists.
If any King's Calendar chronological determination disagrees with anything in the history books, it must argue the case as to why the history books are wrong, or why the evidence for an assertion is untrustworthy. If the King's Calendar successfully defends its' position, then the history books cannot be treated as definitive, and if the King's Calendar is 'proven' wrong, then every other chronological reference it provides is also wrong.
Because of this, the King's Calendar Chronological Reconstruction of Israel's history is unique, in that its' methodology can be scientifically (mathematically) tested and demonstrated to be either true or false. Its' chronological predictions are able to be 'proved' or 'disproved'.
R.P.BenDedek is from Brisbane Australia and is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at http://www.kingscalendar.com His academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
He writes photographic 'Stories from China' and social editorial commentaries, both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing newspaper columnist. He currently teaches Conversational English in China and in addition to his English Lessons at KingsCalendar, he has created specific sites for Students of English.
