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==== The Divided Kingdoms: How Long Was Their History? ====

==== The Divided Kingdoms: How Long Was Their History? ====

Centuries after Ussher died, [[Edwin R. Thiele]]<ref>[[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele, Edwin R.]], ''The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings''</ref> attempted a revision of the chronology of the Divided Kingdoms [[Northern Kingdom|Northern]] and [[Southern Kingdom|Southern]] to make them comport to generally accepted dates from [[Assyrian chronology]]. The effect of Thiele's proposed corrective is to shorten the history of the Divided Kingdoms by forty-five years—but that figure is actually closer than at least two other disputed figures in Ussher's calculations. Moreover, it suggests that the [[Exodus]] from [[Egypt]] took place in 1446 BC—the "Early Date"—and not 1290 BC, the "Late Date" in current widespread [[Archaeology|archaeological]] favor. Ussher calculates the Exodus as occurring in 1491 BC.

Centuries after Ussher died, [[Edwin R. Thiele]]<ref>[[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele, Edwin R.]], Zondervan/Kregel, 1983) (</ref> attempted a revision of the chronology of the Divided Kingdoms [[Northern Kingdom|Northern]] and [[Southern Kingdom|Southern]] based on his study of the Biblical chronological data. He first attempted to see if the Biblical data fit into a coherent pattern, and only after he had done that did he investigate whether the pattern he had produced matched generally accepted dates from [[Assyrian chronology]]. One effect of Thiele's study was to show Ussher’s chronology of the Divided Kingdoms was too long by forty-five years. Moreover, it suggests that the [[Exodus]] from [[Egypt]] took place in 1446 BC—the "Early Date"—and not 1290 BC, the "Late Date" in current widespread [[Archaeology|archaeological]] favor. Ussher calculates the Exodus as occurring in 1491 BC, reflecting his 45-year-too-early date for the beginning of the kingdom period. Despite the well-documented fact that Thiele’s chronology is built on the Bible, and his investigations started from the Bible, Ussher’s modern advocates repeatedly charge that Thiele forced the Bible’s dates into the mold of the chronology of the “Assyrian Academy.” This misinformation, though constantly reiterated, is the exact opposite of what really happened: Thiele’s Bible-based chronology of the kingdom period has caused Assyriologists to revise some of their key dates. The proper perspective on this is given in more detail on the [[Edwin R. Thiele]] and [[Biblical chronology dispute]] pages.

 

Pierce, since 2003, has led a counterattack against Thiele and has argued for the primacy of Scripture over any archaeological find, no matter how allegedly strong the evidence might appear to be. His primary—indeed only—quarrel with Thiele concerns the history of the Northern Kingdom and alleged synchronies between Kings [[Ahab]] and [[Jehu]] of that kingdom and King [[Sennacherib III]] of [[Assyria]]—synchronies that Ussher did not mention, because the Bible did not mention them.

== References ==

== References ==

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