The Restoration of all Things

  Ussher placed the creation of Adam in 4004 BCE. However, he calculated this with Arpachshad being born 2 years after the start of the Flood instead of 2 years after it ended, which is a difference of 1 year. If he was wrong about that it pushes his creation date back to 4005 BCE, right? Yes, adjusting that single assumption shifts Ussher’s chronology by one year, but the direction of the shift depends on how the “two years after the Flood” phrase is interpreted. Core point  If Arpachshad was actually born two years after the Flood ended, not two years after it began, then Ussher’s timeline gains one extra year. That pushes the creation date from 4004 BCE to 4005 BCE. --- Why the difference is exactly one year Ussher followed the Masoretic text, which says in Genesis 11:10: > “Arphaxad was born two years after the Flood.” Ussher interpreted this as two years after the Flood began.   But most chronologists interpret it as two years after the Flood ended. The Flood...

  What month do they put the start of Tiberius' co-regency? The month most commonly assigned to the start of Tiberius’ co‑regency is AD 11, and more precisely late AD 11, though ancient sources do not give an exact month. Modern chronologists reconstruct the timing based on political events and administrative changes under Augustus. 🏛️ What we actually know from ancient and modern sources Several key points shape the reconstruction: - Augustus granted Tiberius imperium maius (equal authority with himself) in AD 11/12, effectively making him co‑regent.   - Modern chronologists such as Jack Finegan place the beginning of this joint rule in AD 11/12, with the co‑regency clearly in place by AD 12.   - One source summarizing Finegan’s work states that Tiberius “was co‑regent with Augustus Caesar starting earlier in A.D. 11/12” . Because the Roman system did not mark co‑regencies with a formal “start date,” scholars infer the timing from when Tiberius began exercisin...

Compare the historical reigns of Persian kings with the Watchtower Society version from the Watchtower Library. Looking at the text, the dates for the Persian kings—Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius I, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes Longimanus—are generally consistent with historical and archaeological sources, with some JW-specific adjustments. Here’s a breakdown and comparison: 1. Cyrus the Great Text: Takes Babylon in 539 B.C.E., allows Jews to return in 537 B.C.E. Accepted history: Very close; Babylon fell to Cyrus in October 539 B.C.E., and the decree allowing exiles to return is usually dated 538–537 B.C.E. ✅ Matches historical consensus. 2. Cambyses Text: Succeeds Cyrus, conquers Egypt; referred to indirectly as Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6; reign ends 522 B.C.E. Accepted history: Cambyses II ruled 530–522 B.C.E., conquered Egypt in 525 B.C.E. ✅ Accurate. 3. Darius I (the Great) Text: Reign 522–486 B.C.E.; temple work in Jerusalem resumes during his rule, completed in 515 B.C.E. ...

  Is 465 BCE fixed for Artaxerxes? Short answer: No, 465 BCE is not speculative in mainstream scholarship. It is one of the most firmly anchored dates in Achaemenid chronology. Why 465 BCE Is Considered Secure 1. Death of Xerxes I Xerxes was assassinated in August 465 BCE . This is attested in: Greek historians (especially Thucydides and Diodorus Siculus) Babylonian astronomical tablets 2. Accession of Artaxerxes I Artaxerxes I Longimanus immediately succeeded Xerxes in 465 BCE . His regnal years are documented in: Babylonian business tablets dated by regnal year Egyptian documents Later classical historians The Babylonians recorded lunar eclipses and other astronomical events tied to specific regnal years. These can be retro-calculated astronomically, locking the timeline into place with high precision. 3. Canon of Kings (Ptolemaic King List) The Canon of Kings , preserved by Claudius Ptolemy, lists: Xerxes: 21 years Artaxerxes I: 41 years When synchronized with fi...