| Bible Studies can be very difficult, especially when it comes to Biblical
History, and especially the Chronological History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Biblical Chronology can tax anyone's patience, as is evident in the works of
Josephus. He had a lot of problems understanding the Chronology of Israel. It was because Bible History and Chronology for the Divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah was so difficult to fathom, that BenDedek embarked on his 10 year journey. This Opening Page, tells the story of Bendedek's journey on that road to discovering the 'Secret of Qumran', and the 'artificial calendar' which was inserted into Nehemiah's History of Israel. This artificial Bible calendar has been described by some as a secret of God, like Daniel's vision, 'sealed until the end of time'. This opening account will help the 'unskilled' to understand what the 'King's Calendar' is all about. |
Succinctly, this site represents ten years of research into the failure of the Bible's alleged 'Synchronous Chronological Historical Details' particularly as they are found in the books of 'Kings' and 'Chronicles'. This is a problem that both secular and religious researchers have failed to solve.
The results of this research have bearing upon our current theological, historical and archaeological understanding of times and events pertinent to the history of Ancient Israel, and the Ancient Near East, and will be of interest to those with a particular interest in or knowledge of the Bible, Archaeology or Ancient History (Israelite, Egyptian, Babylonian, Syrian and Assyrian).
Defining
The Problem
As documents, the books of the bible constitute in a legal sense, 'direct
documentary evidence', of historical matters. Specifically, the books of
'King's' and 'Chronicles', which were collated and edited between the fifth and third
centuries before the common era, ought to be regarded as 'historical
records'. As 'historical documents', they contain a great deal of
chronological data relating to historical events, much of which purports
to be 'synchronous' in relation to not only the reigns of the kings of the Northern and
Southern Kingdoms of Ancient Israel, but in relation to the kings of Assyria and
Babylon.
Unfortunately, simple mathematics demonstrates these synchronisms to be
wrong.
These apparently erroneous synchronisms are the focus of the 'King's Calendar' research.
The 'King's Calendar' Premise:
The 'King's Calendar' premise is that biblical references to 'years' refer to periods of 336 days.
Research revealed that almost all of the Biblical chronological material, especially the 'alleged' synchronistic material between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Ancient Israel; most of Josephus' material (First Century Common Era), and the Dead Sea Sect's 'Age of Wrath' chronological material (c.200 BCE - 70 CE), were recorded in an artificial construct of years consisting of 336 days (12 months of 4 weeks of 7 days), transcribed from genuine historical data that was believed to have been recorded in years that consisted of 364 days (13 months of 4 weeks of 7 days).
Almost all of the transcription occurred between the mid-fifth century BCE. (when the books of the Old Testament were collated), and the mid-third century BCE. (when the first Greek translation of the Old Testament took place).
The chronological scope of this volume covers a period from the twentieth century BCE. to 104 BCE.
PREFACE
The most perplexing problem in understanding Jewish history, concerns the matter of the chronological synchronisms found in the Biblical writings, most particularly in the books of Kings and Chronicles. When one attempts to reconstruct Jewish history, the data provided is not only excessive of what is believed to be 'true history', but is self conflicting.
If one calculates the data provided for the kings of the Northern Kingdom to the time of the fall of Samaria in 722 BCE., it will be found to be at variance with the data provided for the kings of the Southern Kingdom, for exactly the same period. If one attempts to synchronise the reigns of the kings of these two kingdoms, it becomes painfully obvious that there is some serious flaw in the material provided.
In short, the biblical chronological data, cannot be treated seriously. It is painfully obvious that the data has been communicated in a contaminated form. And yet, from what we know of the historical process of the transmission of biblical documents, it ought not to be so, for they have, to all intents and purposes, been painstakingly reproduced time and again, with the utmost care and accuracy.
Why then are we unable to synchronise the biblical chronological history, with the 'facts and evidence' of archaeological history? The answer is simple, yet polemical. To some it will be a blasphemy, to others, an absurdity. The contents of this book however, will nonetheless demonstrate it to be true. The reason we have failed, is that biblical history has been tampered with, for apparently no other reason, than to inflate or extend Jewish history.
The process was quite simple, but remained a closely guarded secret. In general, Jewish history was inflated by approximately eight percent (8%), using a very simple technique based upon the belief that the solar year was comprised of 364 days. History's (supposed) 364 day solar years were multiplied by the number of years of that history, then artificially divided into periods of seven (7) day weeks, four (4) week months, and twelve (12) month years. Each year created, then totalled only 336 days.
Those with whom the secret was shared, were able to 'know' the past, present and presumably the future, in a way that was concealed from those who were not admitted to the secret.
The purpose of this book, is to reconstruct an accurate solar history of the Jews, by presenting the biblical chronological synchronisms, in the fashion in which they were created. This is by no means a simple task, nor is it fanciful or ludicrous. It is however, a most astonishing insight, into the minds and mathematical genius, of those who, for their own purposes, chose to transform what they considered to be 'secular' material, into a 'secret' history of their race.
Author's Prologue
In 1992 during a period of unemployment, I decided to fill in my spare time, by doing a private study of the Monarchal History of Ancient Israel. Within a very short time, I became frustrated with the lack of conformity in chronological placements of various reigns, and so set about to construct a time line of my own, based upon the chronological synchronisms provided in the Biblical narratives.
From this venture, I was to learn the awful truth, that the historical documents of the Bible were completely untrustworthy. This however did not sit well with what I had been brought up to believe in relation to the Divine inspiration of Scripture. I was forced to wonder if G-d had not stuffed up somewhere along the line, or perhaps that his 'servants' were totally unskilled. Worse perhaps, was the realisation that if one could not trust the mundane historical records, then one could surely not trust the more ethereal, spiritual, intangible or supernatural elements contained therein. And so it was that I embarked upon a journey (now in its tenth year), of trying to find the answer to these most perplexing problems.
The very first determination I made, was to accept as truth, all contradictions. That is to say, to accept that 'contradictions' are only 'apparent' not 'real'. To accept this anomaly, is to accept that two contradictory testimonies, may both in fact be correct. As a former policeman, I frequently encountered this 'testimonial' phenomenon.
To accept this in relation to chronological data however, required the premise that those providing testimony, did so from differing chronological realities. Thus began my search for the true value of the Biblical chronological data.
About fifteen months later, I made a rather ignorant mistake, which was to have profound effects. Too embarrassed here to reveal the process, I will say that I experimented with the concept that the biblical 'year' consisted of twelve months of twenty-eight days. I spent about six months hand calculating the necessary reconstruction, and was amazed to discover how many chronological problems disappeared.
My next step was to organise a computer generated calendar which had as its starting point, the year 934 BCE. as the commencement of the divided kingdom. That particular year (934 BCE) was chosen at random from a variety of options, and the calendar was commenced from July 1st.
Presenting my findings to Mr. Piers Crocker, then the director of the Melbourne Institute of Archaeology, I was highly encouraged to continue, and sensitively advised that one cannot merely 'claim' that one is right, or that everyone else is wrong, but must prove not only that they are right, but opposing views are wrong. With these parameters in mind, I set out to learn everything I could about the issues involved.
During the next 3 years, I was conscious of two points in particular. Firstly, I had no understanding of the origins or purpose of this artificial construct. Secondly, in accepting that it was artificial, I had no clue as to when it had been introduced, or what point in history had been used to launch it. Nevertheless I continued to research, and constantly work on those areas at variance with currently accepted history.
My first real clue to the artificial constructs origins occurred by chance in 1996, when I happened across a reference to the 'Damascus Document' of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and its' reference to the 'Age of Wrath' (a 390 year period of Judgement, and a twenty year period of 'groping', waiting for the Teacher of Righteousness). For no particular reason, I checked these chronological datum against the 'King's Calendar' to see how they fitted. I was amazed! They appeared to identify Onias III as the Teacher of Righteousness.
This then became my first clue to the source of the artificial calendar. It also resulted in a re-examination of Josephus' chronological data, upon which I had previously given up in despair. I was able to reasonably conclude three points from these examinations. Firstly, that the 336 day (12 months x 4 weeks x 7 days) artificial construct was a very simple method of extending history, given that the solar year was accepted as being 364 days in duration, or 13 months x 4 weeks x 7 days. Secondly; that the practice of transcribing chronological history into an artificial construct continued until at least 104 BCE. (This determined by reason of the artificial nature of Josephus' reference to a period of 471 years elapsing between Cyrus and Aristobolus); and thirdly; that the bulk of the transcription from true history into an artificial construct, was completed by the 3rd century BCE. (This determined by reason of the discrepancies between the Masorete and Septuagint translations of Scripture).
Having thus far reasonably assumed who instigated the change, and having determined that it principally occurred between the time of Nehemiah's compilation of the books, in the 5th Century BCE. and the compilation of the Septuagint in the 3rd Century BCE., it was still left to me to determine the historical chronological date used to commence the artificial construct. Furthermore, I was already aware that when that was determined, I was faced with not only marrying the 336 day calendar with the 364 day one, but both needed to be married to the true 365.25 day solar year.
What follows in this book, is the result, not the process of ten years research and mathematical experimentation. It has been written as best I can, and it is hoped that it will prove inspirational to all.
1. Follow this Link to Chapter One.
2. Follow this Link to the Research Proposal (Appendix Two)
3. Follow this Link to the Chapter Précis Page (Table of Contents is listed below)
Part One
Chapter One.......................................................The Dead Sea Scrolls
Chapter Two.......................................................The Starting Point
Chapter Three....................................................Jehoiakim 606 BCE. to 596 BCE.
Chapter Four......................................................From the Death of Josiah to the Fall of Jerusalem
Epilogue Part One...............................................Introduction to Part Two.
Part Two
Chapter Five.....................................................936 BCE. to 883 BCE. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Six.......................................................Ahab to Jehu. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Seven..................................................The Battle of Qarqar: 853 BCE. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Eight....................................................Jehoshaphat to Ahaziah & Ahab to Jehoram: 883 BCE to 849 BCE. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Nine.....................................................883 BCE. to 756 BCE. The Ancient Near East. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Ten......................................................849 BCE to 756 BCE Athaliah to Uzziah & Jehu to Jeroboam II. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Eleven..................................................756 BCE. to 701 BCE. Uzziah to Hezekiah (Apologetic). [Available in the full version]
Chapter Twelve.................................................756 BCE. to 701 BCE. Uzziah to Hezekiah (Narrative). [Available in the full version]
Chapter Thirteen...............................................Manasseh to Zedekiah 687 BCE. to 586 BCE. [Available in the full version]
Epilogue Part Two.............................................Introduction to Part Three. [Available in the full version]
Part Three
Chapter Fourteen.............................................Abraham to Moses. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Fifteen.................................................Polemical introduction to Moses. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Sixteen................................................Moses and the Exodus. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Seventeen...........................................Period of the Judges. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Eighteen..............................................Pharaoh Merneptah. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Nineteen ............................................Saul to Solomon. [Available in the full version]
Epilogue Part Three..........................................Introduction to Part Four. [Available in the full version]
Part Four
Chapter Twenty...............................................Josephus. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Twenty-One........................................The Prophetic Seventy Years of Jeremiah. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Twenty-Two........................................Ezekiel. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Twenty-Three......................................Daniel. [Available in the full version]
Chapter Twenty-Four........................................Epilogue. [Available in the full version]
Appendices
1. Bibliography
3. Research Proposal Calendar 586 BCE to 33 BCE
4. Two Solar Year Time Line Charts.
5. 'King's Calendar' Synchronous Chronological Reconstruction Chart 936 BCE - 586 BCE
7. 'Kings Calendar' : Time Line Chart of the Patriarchs 936 BCE to 1940 BCE [Available in the full version]
8. Time Line Chart of the Judges [Available in the full version]
9. Deductive Reasoning. [Available in the full version]
10. Methodology for the Generation of The 'King's Calendar'. [Available in the full version]
11. 'King's Calendar' : 586 BCE to 936 BCE. [Available in the full version]
12. Chronologies of Josephus 104 BCE to 1940 BCE. [Available in the full version]
13. Synchronous Scriptural References.
14. Current Chronology of Assyrian and Babylonian Kings. [Available in the full version]
15. 430 year Sojourn. [Available in the full version]
16. Experiment in Daniel. [Available in the full version]
17. From the Flood to Moses. [Available in the full version]
18. New Egyptian Chronology. [Available in the full version]
19. Justification for 17th April 586 BCE. [Available in the full version]