Changes

The differences result from the two differing assumptions that the two camps have made. Ussher assumed:

The differences result from the two differing assumptions that the two camps have made. Ussher assumed:

# That he knew for certain the date of the death of [[Nebuchadnezzar II]]—which was 562 BC.<ref name=BritMuseum/><ref name=MNSU/><ref name=Columbia/>

# That he knew for certain the date of the death of [[Nebuchadnezzar II]]—which was 562 BC.

# That this was also the date that Nebuchadnezzar's son [[Evil-Merodach]] began to reign.

# That this was also the date that Nebuchadnezzar's son [[Evil-Merodach]] began to reign.

There is, however, a problem with Ussher’s calculation at this starting point. It is known from Ptolemy’s ''Canon'' and from contract texts that Evil-Merodach’s accession year was the year that started in Nisan (a spring month) of 562 BC. This was also the 37th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity (2 Kings 25:27), so that he would have been taken captive in (562 BC + 36) = 598 BC. Ussher assumed Nisan years for all these dates and accession reckoning for Zedekiah, so Zedekiah’s 11-year reign would have ended in 587, which agrees with some modern detailed studies,<ref>Steinmann, ''From Abraham to Paul'', pp. 162-169.</ref> instead of Ussher’s 588.

There is, however, a problem with Ussher’s calculation at this starting point. It is known from Ptolemy’s ''Canon'' and from contract texts that Evil-Merodach’s accession year was the year that started in Nisan (a spring month) of 562 BC. This was also the 37th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity (2 Kings 25:27), so that he would have been taken captive in (562 BC + 36) = 598 BC. Ussher assumed Nisan years for all these dates and accession reckoning for Zedekiah, successor to Jehoiachin, which would end Zedekiah's 11-year reign in 587, in agreement with some modern detailed studies,<ref>Steinmann, ''From Abraham to Paul'', pp. 162-169.</ref> instead of Ussher’s 588.

From his date of 588 BC, Ussher worked backward, using the meticulous dates that appear throughout I and II Kings and II Chronicles, each of which gives a date of a king's accession with references to a year of reign of another king—except that kings of the [[Southern Kingdom]] after the conquest of the [[Northern Kingdom]] are listed only with their ages and lengths of reign, and King [[Jehoiachin]] is referenced by how many years he had been a captive when Evil-Merodach acceded to his throne. Ussher’s calculations then placed the division of the kingdoms at 975 BC, and the beginning of Solomon's reign at 1015 BC. In order to arrive at these dates, Ussher had to make several assumptions about how to interpret the Biblical data, such as whether a given reign length or synchronism was measured from a coregency or from a sole reign. He postulated three coregencies for Judah. For Israel, he assumed three coregencies, one rival reign, and two interregna. For comparison, Thiele postulated six coregencies for Judah, and one coregency and two rival reigns for Israel. This is the area where the largest divergences are between the Thiele and Ussher camps, and the source of the 45 year difference in their dates of Solomon.  

From his date of 588 BC, Ussher worked backward, using the meticulous dates that appear throughout I and II Kings and II Chronicles, each of which gives a date of a king's accession with references to a year of reign of another king—except that kings of the [[Southern Kingdom]] after the conquest of the [[Northern Kingdom]] are listed only with their ages and lengths of reign, and King [[Jehoiachin]] is referenced by how many years he had been a captive when Evil-Merodach acceded to his throne. Ussher’s calculations then placed the division of the kingdoms at 975 BC, and the beginning of Solomon's reign at 1015 BC. In order to arrive at these dates, Ussher had to make several assumptions about how to interpret the Biblical data, such as whether a given reign length or synchronism was measured from a coregency or from a sole reign. He postulated three coregencies for Judah. For Israel, he assumed three coregencies, one rival reign, and two interregna. For comparison, Thiele postulated six coregencies for Judah, and one coregency and two rival reigns for Israel. This is the area where the largest divergences are between the Thiele and Ussher camps, and the source of the 45 year difference in their dates of Solomon.  

In studying Ussher’s reasoning, it becomes clear that one of the major features contributing to the difference is the interregna, since both scholars used basically the same method in determining when the Biblical data called for a coregency. Ussher began an eleven-year interregnum at the death of Jeroboam II of Israel and an eight-year interregnum between Pekah and Hoshea, the last two kings of Israel. In the two scriptures involved, 2 Kings 15:8 and 2 Kings 15:30, the Hebrew original says that the successor was actually reigning in the same year that the predecessor died. The Hebrew verb used cannot honestly be interpreted in any other way, and so this issue of the interregna has become problematic for Ussher’s chronology. As mentioned before, Thiele had no need of interregna; his interpretation of the Biblical texts does no violence to 2 Kings 15:8 and 2 Kings 15:30, whereas Ussher’s interpretation is not consistent with the meaning of these texts.

In studying Ussher’s reasoning, it becomes clear that one of the major features contributing to the difference is the interregna, since both scholars used basically the same method in determining when the Biblical data called for a coregency. Ussher began an eleven-year interregnum at the death of Jeroboam II of Israel and an eight-year interregnum between Pekah and Hoshea, the last two kings of Israel. In 2 Kings 15:30, the Hebrew original says that Hoshea was actually reigning in the same year that the he killed Pekah; there was no interregnum. The Hebrew verb used cannot honestly be interpreted in any other way, and so this issue of the interregna has become problematic for Ussher’s chronology. As mentioned before, Thiele had no need of interregna; his interpretation of the Biblical texts does no violence to 2 Kings 15:8 and 2 Kings 15:30.

{{Bible ref|book=I_Kings|chap=6|verses=1}} states that Solomon broke ground on the Temple in the fourth year of his reign—and that this event took place in the ''four hundred eightieth year since the [[Exodus of Israel]].'' This places the Exodus at 1491 BC when using Ussher’s dates for Solomon.

{{Bible ref|book=I_Kings|chap=6|verses=1}} states that Solomon broke ground on the Temple in the fourth year of his reign—and that this event took place in the ''four hundred eightieth year since the [[Exodus of Israel]].'' This places the Exodus at 1491 BC when using Ussher’s dates for Solomon.

Other areas contributing to the 45-year difference are as follows.

Other areas contributing to the 45-year difference are as follows.

# Thiele calculated that the 41-year reign of Jeroboam II was measured from his appointment as coregent, while Ussher preceded these 41 years with an 11-year coregency, thus making a total of 52 years for Jeroboam.

# Thiele calculated that the 41-year reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23) was measured from his appointment as coregent, while Ussher preceded these 41 years with an 11-year coregency, thus making a total of 52 years for Jeroboam in Ussher's system.

# Thiele’s chronology has no need of the two interregna immediately following the deaths of Jeroboam II and [[Pekah]]. These interregna cannot be supported by a literal and faithful reading of the two Scriptures involved, as mentioned above.

# Thiele’s chronology has no need of the two interregna immediately following the deaths of Jeroboam II and [[Pekah]]. The first of Ussher's interregna is unnecessary and the second is in conflict with 2 Kings 15:30, as described above.

 

These interregna cannot be supported by a literal and faithful reading of the two Scriptures involved, as mentioned above.

# Thiele determined, following some previous scholarship, that Pekah and [[Menahem]] began their reigns together and that Pekah simply wiped out the short-lived "House" of Menahem after building a rebel power base for twelve of the twenty years he is supposed to have reigned.

# Thiele determined, following some previous scholarship, that Pekah and [[Menahem]] began their reigns together and that Pekah simply wiped out the short-lived "House" of Menahem after building a rebel power base for twelve of the twenty years he is supposed to have reigned.