NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27

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Internet Message Format | 1992-11-23 | 29.8 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!olivea!charnel!rat!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!att-out!cbfsb!maverick!hem From: hem@maverick.col400.att.com (Hillel E. Markowitz) Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish Subject: Biblical Timeline Message-ID: <1992Nov23.191851.14941@cbfsb.cb.att.com> Date: 23 Nov 92 19:18:51 GMT References: <1eh4cjINNmom@morrow.stanford.edu> <1992Nov22.054749.7481@cis.ohio-state.edu> <FAIGIN.92Nov23074606@soldan.aero.org> Sender: news@cbfsb.cb.att.com Organization: AT&T Federal Systems Lines: 519 Originator: news@cbnewsf.cb.att.com Nntp-Posting-Host: gmav The development of the time-line written below is based on a lecture by Rav Schwab of Kahal Adath Yeshurun (Rav Breuer's schul) given in the year 5729 (1968/69 C.E.) according to the count we currently use from the creation of the world. The lecture dealt with the problem of dating the destruction of the two Temples and reconciling the dates with the Xian dating system currently in use. There are three methods of dating the beginning of the Creation era counting from the creation. They are: 1. Year 1 begins with the actual creation of the Universe. 2. Year "0" is the creation of the Universe, while we count year 1 from the creation of man 3. The dating of the years is based on the ages shown in the Torah, thus Adam's creation began Year 0 and Year 1 began on his first birthday. This method allows the calendar to be set up by just adding the ages we find in Bereishis. Rabbi Schwab stated that we use method 1 in our current calendar. The difference in the three dating schemes is shown in the following table. _______________________________________________________________ | Summary Event | Creation Era Dating | | Writeup | 1 2 3 | |________________________________|_____________________________| | | | | 1. Earth without form and void | 1 | |________________________________|_____________________________| | | | | 2. Creation of Adam | 2 1 | |________________________________|_____________________________| | | | | 3. Adam one year old | 3 2 1 | |________________________________|_____________________________| | | | | 4. Flood | 1658 1657 1656 | |________________________________|_____________________________| The following tables show the dating of events from the Chumash, TaNaCh, Talmud, and secular history through the destruction of the second Temple. I. 10 generations from Adam to Noach Date | Event ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1 | The universe is created ________|_____________________________________________________________ 2 | Adam is created ________|_____________________________________________________________ 3 | Adam is 1 year old ________|_____________________________________________________________ 132 | Adam fathers Shes (at 130 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 237 | Shes fathers Enosh (at 105 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 327 | Enosh fathers Kainan (at 90 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 397 | Kainan fathers Mehalalel (at 70 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 462 | Mehalalel fathers Yared (at 65 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 624 | Yared fathers Chanoch (at 162 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 689 | Chanoch fathers Mesushelach (at 65 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 876 | Mesushelach fathers Lamech (at 187 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 932 | Adam dies (930 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 989 | Chanoch ends (365 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1044 | Shes dies (912 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1058 | Lamech fathers Noach (at 182 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1142 | Enosh dies (905 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1237 | Kainan dies (910 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1292 | Mehalalel dies (895 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1424 | Yared dies (962 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1560 | Noach fathers Shem (98 years before the flood) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1653 | Lamech dies (777 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1658 | Mesushelach dies (969 years old) ________|_____________________________________________________________ ________|_____________________________________________________________ | 1658 | FLOOD ________|____________________________________________________________ ________|____________________________________________________________ II. 10 Generations from Noach to Avraham Date | Event ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1660 | Shem fathers Arpachshad (at 100 years old) | 2 years after flood ________|____________________________________________________________ 1695 | Arpachshad fathers Shelach (at 35 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1725 | Shelach fathers Aiver (at 30 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1759 | Aiver fathers Peleg (at 34 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1789 | Peleg fathers Reu (at 30 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1821 | Reu fathers Srug (at 32 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1851 | Srug fathers Nachor (at 30 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1880 | Nachor fathers Terach (at 29 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1950 | Terach fathers Avram (100 years before Yitzchak is born) ________|____________________________________________________________ ________|____________________________________________________________ III. The Patriarchs - Avrahom through Yaakov Date | Event ________|_____________________________________________________________ 1998 | Peleg dies (239 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 1999 | Nachor dies (230 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2020 | Terach leaves Ur Kasdim for Canaan. Settles in Charan | Avram is 70 years old. Based on figure of 430 years | mentione in Exodus. ________|____________________________________________________________ 2025 | Avram told to leave Charan (Lech Lecha) (at 75 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2028 | Reu dies (239 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2036 | Avraham fathers Yishmael (at 86 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2049 | Avraham performs Bris Milah (at 99 years old) | Yishmael is 13 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2050 | Avraham fathers Yitzchak (at 100 years old) | Yishmael is 14 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2051 | Srug dies (230 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2085 | Terach dies (205 years old) in Charan ________|____________________________________________________________ 2087 | Avraham performs Akeidas Yitzchak (at 137 years old) | Yitzchak is 37 years old | Sarah dies (127 years old) | Yitzchak marries Rivka ________|____________________________________________________________ 2110 | Yitzchak fathers Eisav and Yaakov (at 60 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2125 | Avraham dies (175 years old) | Yishmael & Yitzchak are reconciled | Eisav & Yaakov are 15 | Eisav sells birthright to Yaakov ________|____________________________________________________________ 2125 | Arpachshad dies (465 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2128 | Shelach dies (433 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2150 | Eisav marries Yehudis bas Beairi Hachiti (at 40 years old) | Eisav also marries Basmas bas Ailon Hachiti ________|____________________________________________________________ 2160 | Shem dies (600 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2189 | Aiver dies (464 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2173 | Yitzchak gives Brocho to Yaakov (at 123 years old - Rashi) | Yaakov leaves home (at 63 years old) | for Yeshiva of Shem & Aiver | Eisav marries Machalas bas Yishmael (at 63 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2173 | Yishmael dies (137 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2187 | Yaakov leaves Yeshiva for Padan Aram (at 77 years old) | meet Rachel at the well, agress to work for 7 years ________|____________________________________________________________ 2194 | Yaakov marries Leah (at 84 years old) | marries Rachel on promise to work 7 more years ________|____________________________________________________________ 2201 | Yaakov fathers Yosef (at 91 years old) | makes deal with Lavan to begin earning his own flock ________|____________________________________________________________ 2207 | Yaakov completes work for himself | begins traveling to Canaan (at 97 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2209 | Yaakov reaches Cannan, settles down (at 99 years old) | Yosef is 8 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2218 | Yosef is sold and ends up in Mitzrayim (at 17 years old) | Yaakov is 108 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2231 | Yosef interprets Paroah's dream (at 30 years old) | Yaakov is 121 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2240 | Yaakov goes down to Mitzrayim (at 130 years old) | after 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine. | Yosef is 39 years old ________|____________________________________________________________ 2257 | Yaakov dies in Mitzrayim (147 years old) | Eisav is killed at the Mearas Hamachpeilah ________|____________________________________________________________ IV. From Exile to Exile - Mitzraim to Bavel Date | Event ________|_____________________________________________________________ 2311 | Yosef dies (110 years old) ________|____________________________________________________________ 2370 | Moshe Rabbeinu is born in Mitzraim ________|____________________________________________________________ 2450 | Exodus from Mitzrayim | Moshe Rabbeinu is 80 years old | Melachim I 6:1 states that this is 480 years before the | dedication of the First Temple by Shlomo Hamelech ________|____________________________________________________________ 2490 | Moshe Rabbeinu dies (120 years old) | Entry into Canaan ________|____________________________________________________________ 2930 | Dedication of the First Temple by Shlomo Hamelech | Temple lasts 410 years according to the Talmud ________|____________________________________________________________ 3340 | Destruction of the First Temple | Babylonian exile lasts 70 years ________|____________________________________________________________ ________|____________________________________________________________ V. The Building of the Second Temple Rabbi Schwab pointed out that the historical evidence dates the destruction of the first Temple at 586 BCE and the destruction of the Second Temple at 70 CE. This seems to cause a conflict with the Talmud which lists the Second Temple as having lasted 420 years and the exile as 70 years. This 490 year span would put the destruction of the First temple at 420 BCE. The dating scheme used below is AM (Anno Mundi) for the dates from the creation as in the tables above, TCE for the Temple Construction Era, BCE for Before the Common (or Xian) Era, and CE for the Common (or Xian Era). Rabbi Schwab deals with this by postulating that the period of the building of the Second Temple lasted 168 years and was not counted in the calendar we use today. That is, the era he refers to as the "Temple Construction Era" was numbered seperately and was identical with the era of "Anshei Kneses Hagdola" (Men of the Great Assembly). One reason for this is to prevent the attempt to calculate the exact date that the moshiach will come. An appendix giving Rabbi Schwab's dates for the events of the end of the First Temple Era will be added later. Rabbi Schwab dated the Destruction of the First Temple in 3340 as 590/89 BCE. The end of the Babylonian exile in 3409 is dated 521/20 BCE with the reign of Darius I. The era of the Anshei Knesses Hagdola is shown in the following table. Note that this would date the creation of the world (Year 1 AM) as 3929/28 BCE. Date TCE | Date BCE | Event _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 1 | 520/19 | Temple building is resumed. Hagai, Zechariah _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 5 | 516/15 | Dedication of (incomplete) Temple celebrated. | | Rebuilding of Jerusalem wall is begun _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 6 | 515/14 | Ezra arrives. First (prophetic) period of | | "Knesses Hagdola" begins. After death of Joshua | | Ezra become High Priest. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 34 | 487/86 | Darius I dies. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 35 | 486/85 | Xerxes (Artachshasstra of Ezra). Messianic | | redemption expected no later than 3450 from the | | creation (1,000 years after the Exodus). Ezra | | travels to Bavel to organize the Ingathering of the | | Exiles. He appoints Yoyakim as High Priest. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 40 | 481/80 | Xerxes appoints Ezrah as Pasha of Yehuda, encourages | | total immigration. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 41 | 480/79 | Second coming of Ezra with only 1500 immigrants. | | Refusal of majority to leave exile causes indefinite | | postponement of messianic redemption. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 42 | 479/78 | Mixed Marriages Dissolved. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 54 | 466/65 | Xerxes dies. Artaxerxes I (Longimanus = Artachashassta | | of Nechemiah). Through change of government, Ezra | | loses his political power. Deterioration sets in. | | Ezra (= Malachi) admonishes his contemporaries. | | Persecution under new governors. Sanballat in | | Samaria, Tobias the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab | | are main antagonists. Enemies burn walls of Jerusalem | | many Jews flee country/ Poverty and corruption reign. | | Eliashev is the High Priest. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 75 | 446/45 | Nechemiah becomes governor. Walls of Jerusalem | | are repaired. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 76 | 445/44 | Spiritual restoration of Jewish community. | | "Covenant of the Faith". Second period of "Knesses | | Hagdola" (Soferim) begins. Yoyada is High Priest. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 86 | 435/34 | Nehemiah leaves for Shushan. Partial deterioration | | sets in again. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 88 | 433/32 | Nehemiah returns. festive dedication of Jerusalem | (ca) | wall. Ezra dies. Yochanan (= Jonathan) becomes | | High Priest. Biblical canon closed. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 97 | 424/23 | Darius II (Nothus) _________|__________|__________________________________________________ | 410 | Yeb temple in Egypt destroyed. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ | 406 | Bagoas governor of Yehuda. Delaiah, son of | | Sanballat in Samaria. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 116 | 405/04 | Artaxerxes II (Mnemon) _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 161 | 360/59 | Artaxerxes III (Ochus) _________|__________|__________________________________________________ 168 | 353/52 | Final temple restoration completed by Shimon Hatzadik | | (Simon "The Just"). End of the Temple Construction | | Era. Resumption of Anno Mundi numbering. _________|__________|__________________________________________________ _________|__________|__________________________________________________ VI. The Second Temple Era Date AM | Date BCE | Event ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3410 | 352/51 | First year of second Temple Era ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3423 | 339/38 | Darius III (Codomanus) ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3428 | 334/33 | Alexander - Battle of Issus ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3430 | 332/31 | Alexander welcomed in Jerusalem by Shimon Hatzadik. | | Jewish social and cultural autonomy, granted under | | the Persian rulers, remains unimpaired for another | | 20 years until the battle of Gaza. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3438 | 324/23 | Alexander dies. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3442 | 320/19 | Ptolemy conquers Jerusalem ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3444 | 318/17 | Greek domination of Jewish life starts in Elam | | (Media). Spreads all over the Jewish world within | | the next 6 years and lasts for 180 years. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3446 | 316/315 | Antifones conquers Jerusalem. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3449 | 313/312 | Ptolemy reconquers Jerusalem. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3450 | 312/11 | Battle of Gaza. Ptolemy (="King of the South") and | | Seleucis (="King of the North") are in control of | | most of Alexander's empire. | | Greek Era begins. This year is identical with the | | first year of the Seleucid Era alos called "Minyan | | Shtaros". Since the 168 years of the Temple | | Construction Era are numbered seperately, follows | | the year "1000 after the Exodus" according to AM. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3624 | 133/37 | Commencement of the Chashmonaim Era (103 years) ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3727 | 35/34 | Commencement of the Herodian Era (103 years) ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3760 | 2/1 | 3761 | 1BCE/1CE | Beginning of the Common (Xian) Era dating 3762 | 1/2 CE | ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3830 | 69/70 CE | Destruction of the Second temple 420 years after | | its completion by Shimon Hatzadik. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ ________|____________________________________________________________ VII. The End of the First Temple Era. The following table goes back and gives the details of Rabbi Schwab's time-line of the end of the First Temple with the connection to the secular dating based on the 168 year gap in the AM dating shown above. Date AM | Date BCE | Event ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3304 | 626/25 | Yoval count restarted after Yirmiyahu bring back the | | ten tribes. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3318 | 612/11 | Yoshiah killed by Pharoah Necho. Yehoachaz reigns | | for three months ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3319 | 611/10 | First year of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. | | Battle of Carchemish liquidates teh last remnant of | | "Ninive" (the former Assyrian Empire). | | Nevuchadnetzar's father dies on 8 Av and Nevuchadnetzar | | becomes emperor on 1 Elul. The Babylonians count this | | year as the "accesion year" ("rishonis") and the next | | year as year 1. According to Jewish counting, the | | year of his victory over "Ninive" is year 1 of his | | reign. Yoyakim kills Uriah and threatens | | Yirmiyahu's life. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3323 | 607/06 | In his second year, Nevuchadnetzar invades Yehuda. | | Yoyakim becomes his vassal for 3 years. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3326 | 604/03 | Yoyakim rebels. First year of regained independence. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3328 | 602/01 | In Adar (3rd year of independence) Nevuchadnetzar's | | troops capture Yoyakim and many nobles. Daniel and | | his three friends are among the captives brought to | | to Bavel. Yoyakim dies in his chains while being | | dragged out of Jerusalem. No king in Yehuda for | | about eight months. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3329 | 601/00 | Yoyachin (Yechoniah) becomes king for 3 months and | | 10 days. Babylonian troops lay siege to Jerusalem | | to capture him. In Adar, Nevuchadnetzar arrives, | | Jerusalem capitulates, Yechoniah goes into exile with | | almost all the leading and learned citizens. | | | | Daryavesh, son of Achashverosh, also called Subarru | | (Gobrias) is born in Media. | | Nevuchadnetzar appoints Tzidkiyahu king who swears | | allegiance to him. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3332 | 598/97 | Tzidkiyahu travels to Bavel to pay homage to | | Nevuchadnetzar and returns. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3334 | 596/95 | Tzidkiyahu conspires with Egypt against Bavel. | | Vision of Yechezkel in the 30th year after the Yovel. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3336 | 594/93 | Pharoah Hophra (Apries) captures Gaza while returning | | from an attempt to help Yehuda against the Babylonian | | army on the march. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3339 | 591/90 | Siege of Yerushalayim (10 Teves). This is the 410th | | year of the First temple Era ________|____________________________________________________________ ________|__________|__________________________________________________ VIII. The Galus Bavel The following table goes back and gives the details of Rabbi Schwab's time-line of the Galus Bavel (Babylonian Exile) with the connection to the secular dating based on the 168 year gap in the AM dating shown above. Date AM | Date BCE | Event ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3340 | 590/89 | On 9 Tamuz Yerushalayim is captured. Tzidkiyahu is | | taken to Nevuchadnetzar in Rivlah and blinded. | | 7th - 10th Av, Temple is destroyed. This is Year 1 | | of the "Galus Bavel" Era. | | Gedaliah is appointed governor. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3341 | 589/88 | Gedaliah is assassinated. Yirmiyah is taken to | | Egypt with the refugees. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3342 | 588/87 | Daniel interprets dreams of Nevuchadnetzar. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3345 | 585/84 | Conquest ot Tyre. Many Jewish refugees taken to | | Bavel. Astyages becomes king of Media ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3349 | 581/80 | Nevuchadnetzar conquers Egypt. | | Yirmiyahu goes to Bavel. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3366 | 564/63 | 25 Adar, Nevuchadnetzar dies. Exiled king Yechoniah | | released from prison. Also Tzidkiyahu, who dies on | | regaining his freedom and is buried with royal honors ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3367 | 563/62 | Era of Evil-Merodach lasts 22 years. | | Jews are honored and favored. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3371 | 559/58 | Nirgal Sharetzar (Neriglasser) son-in-law of | | Nevuchadnetzar. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3375 | 555/54 | Nabunaid (also calls himself Nevuchadnetzar) adopts | | Nevuchadnetzr's grandson Belshatzar and grants him | | royal powers. Nabunaid kills king of Edom, captures | | Gaza, and lives for about 7 years in seclusion | | in Tema. | | ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3389 | 541/40 | Reign of Belshatzar lasts about 3 years. During this | | period Jews are humiliated by Belshatzar who is | | acting king. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3391 | 539/38 | Belshatzar killed (Nabunaid captured). | | Cyrus apponts Gubarru (Daryavesh the Mede) as acting | | king of the Chaldees. He rules for less than 1 year. | | Daniel in the lions' den. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3392 | 538/37 | Cyrus: Proclamation of Return. Sheshbatzar, | | Zerubavel. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3393 | 537/36 | Rebuilding of the Temple is started. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3394 | 536/35 | Samaritans and other "enemies of Yehuda" conspiring. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3395 | 535/34 | Cambyses (Ahashverosh) appointed coregent by his | | father Cyrus. He establishes his own capital in | | Shushan. Temple building stopped. Cyrus now also | | called Artachshashta (Emperor) revokes proclamation. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3401 | 529/28 | Cyrus dies, Cambyses becomes sole emperor. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ | 525 | Cambyses conquers Egypt. He is ruling "Mehodu Vead | | Kush" (from India to Ethiopia). Esther becomes queen ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3406 | 524/23 | Haman's fall ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3407 | 523/22 | Purim ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3408 | 522/21 | Cambyses dies. Persian empire revolts. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ 3409 | 521/20 | Darius I. This is the last year of the | | "Galus Bavel" Era. ________|__________|__________________________________________________ ________|__________|__________________________________________________