Changes

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[N]o dates were used in the early pattern that I produced. In this way I eliminated the inclination, as certain fairly well established dates in Hebrew history were being approached, to endeavor to modify the pattern one way or another to cause it to conform to preconceived ideas of what it ought to be at those points. . . . The aim was to produce a system, if possible, in which the reigns of the kings were arranged in harmony with the data on both the synchronisms and the lengths of reign. Then, on the completion of such a pattern, I meant to test the results by a comparison with the established dates of contemporary history. <ref> Edwin R. Thiele, ''The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings'', rev. edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983), pp. 16, 17.</ref></blockquote>

[N]o dates were used in the early pattern that I produced. In this way I eliminated the inclination, as certain fairly well established dates in Hebrew history were being approached, to endeavor to modify the pattern one way or another to cause it to conform to preconceived ideas of what it ought to be at those points. . . . The aim was to produce a system, if possible, in which the reigns of the kings were arranged in harmony with the data on both the synchronisms and the lengths of reign. Then, on the completion of such a pattern, I meant to test the results by a comparison with the established dates of contemporary history.<ref>Edwin R. Thiele, ''The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings'', rev. edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983), pp. 16, 17.</ref></blockquote>

Unknown to Thiele when he first published his results in 1944,<ref>Edwin R. Thiele, “The Chronology of the Kings of Judah and Israel,” ''Journal of Near Eastern Studies'' 3 (1944), pp. 137–86.</ref> the basic patterns that Thiele discovered in the Biblical data were found earlier by a Belgian scholar, [[Valerius Coucke]].<ref> Valerius Coucke, “Chronologie biblique,” in ''Supplément au Dictionnaire de la Bible'', ed. Louis Pirot, vol. 1 (Paris: Librarie Letouze et Ané. 1928), cols. 1245–79. English translation at http://www.rcyoung.org/articles/coucke.pdf.</ref> These were  

Unknown to Thiele when he first published his results in 1944,<ref>Edwin R. Thiele, “The Chronology of the Kings of Judah and Israel,” ''Journal of Near Eastern Studies'' 3 (1944), pp. 137–86.</ref> the basic patterns that Thiele discovered in the Biblical data were found earlier by a Belgian scholar, [[Valerius Coucke]].<ref>Valerius Coucke, “Chronologie biblique,” in ''Supplément au Dictionnaire de la Bible'', ed. Louis Pirot, vol. 1 (Paris: Librarie Letouze et Ané. 1928), cols. 1245–79. English translation at http://www.rcyoung.org/articles/coucke.pdf.</ref> These were  

# At the beginning of the divided monarchy, the northern kingdom (Israel) used non-accession reckoning for their kings, while the southern kingdom (Judah) used accession reckoning.  

# At the beginning of the divided monarchy, the northern kingdom (Israel) used non-accession reckoning for their kings, while the southern kingdom (Judah) used accession reckoning.  

# In the ninth century BC, during the rapprochement and intermarriage between the two kingdoms, Judah switched to Israel’s non-accession reckoning for a time.  

# In the ninth century BC, during the rapprochement and intermarriage between the two kingdoms, Judah switched to Israel’s non-accession reckoning for a time.  

==Thiele’s reception in the scholarly community==

==Thiele’s reception in the scholarly community==

The noted Assyriologist D. J. Wiseman wrote “The chronology most widely accepted today is one based on the meticulous study by Thiele.”<ref>Donald J. Wiseman, ''1 and 2 Kings'' in ''Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries'' (Intervarsity, 1993), p. 27.</ref> Biblical chronologist Leslie McFall, who corrected Thiele’s error for the reign of Hezekiah, asserted, “Thiele’s chronology is fast becoming the consensus view among Old Testament scholars, if it has not already reached that point.”<ref>Leslie McFall, “The Chronology of Saul and David,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 53 (2010) 215, n. 101.</ref> Among the many scholars who have accepted Thiele’s date of 931 BC for the beginning of the divided monarchies are T. C. Mitchell in the Cambridge Ancient History series,<ref>“Israel and Judah until the Revolt of Jehu (931–841 B.C.),” ''Cambridge Ancient History'' (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982) III, Part 1, 445–46;</ref> Walvoord and Zuck in ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary'',<ref>John H. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, editors, ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament'' (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1983), p. 632.</ref> Leslie McFall,<ref>Leslie McFall, “A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles,” ''Bibliotheca Sacra'' 148 (1991), p. 12.</ref> Gershon Galil,<ref>Gershon Galil, ''The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah'' (Leiden: Brill, 1996), p. 14. </ref> Jack Finegan in his influential handbook on ancient chronological systems and the Bible,<ref>Jack Finegan, ''Handbook of Biblical Chronology'', rev. ed. (Peabody MA: Hendrickson, 1998)pp. 246, 249;</ref> and Andrew E. Steinmann.<ref>Andrew Steinmann, ''From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology'' (St. Louis: Concordia, 2011), pp. 39,40.</ref>

The noted Assyriologist D. J. Wiseman wrote “The chronology most widely accepted today is one based on the meticulous study by Thiele.”<ref>Donald J. Wiseman, ''1 and 2 Kings'' in ''Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries'' (Intervarsity, 1993), p. 27.</ref> Biblical chronologist Leslie McFall, who corrected Thiele’s error for the reign of Hezekiah, asserted, “Thiele’s chronology is fast becoming the consensus view among Old Testament scholars, if it has not already reached that point.”<ref>Leslie McFall, “The Chronology of Saul and David,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 53 (2010) 215, n. 101.</ref> Among the many scholars who have accepted Thiele’s date of 931 BC for the beginning of the divided monarchies are T. C. Mitchell in the Cambridge Ancient History series,<ref>“Israel and Judah until the Revolt of Jehu (931–841 B.C.),” ''Cambridge Ancient History'' (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982) III, Part 1, 445–46;</ref> Walvoord and Zuck in ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary'',<ref>John H. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, editors, ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament'' (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1983), p. 632.</ref> Leslie McFall,<ref>Leslie McFall, “A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles,” ''Bibliotheca Sacra'' 148 (1991), p. 12.</ref> Gershon Galil,<ref>Gershon Galil, ''The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah'' (Leiden: Brill, 1996), p. 14.</ref> Jack Finegan in his influential handbook on ancient chronological systems and the Bible,<ref>Jack Finegan, ''Handbook of Biblical Chronology'', rev. ed. (Peabody MA: Hendrickson, 1998)pp. 246, 249;</ref> and Andrew E. Steinmann.<ref>Andrew Steinmann, ''From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology'' (St. Louis: Concordia, 2011), pp. 39,40.</ref>

Not only Assyriologists, but also Egyptologists, have profited from the work of Christian scholars who have followed in this line of research. Kenneth Kitchen is recognized by other Egyptologists as one of, if not the, world’s main authority on ancient Egyptian chronology. Kitchen used Thiele’s dates for the division of the kingdom, along with the synchronism between Rehoboam and Shishaq/Shoshenq of Egypt in 2 Chronicles 12:2, to refine the dates of Egypt’s 21st and 22nd Dynasties.<ref>Kenneth A. Kitchen, ''The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100 – 650 B.C.) '' (Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1973), p. 72.</ref> Subsequent studies by Egyptologists have accepted Kitchen’s use of Thiele’s date for the invasion of Shishak/Shoshenq, differing only on which year it was in the pharaoh’s reign his invasion took place. Both Assyriologists and Egyptologists have recognized the Bible gives very reliable historical data, data that they can use to advance their own studies.

Not only Assyriologists, but also Egyptologists, have profited from the work of Christian scholars who have followed in this line of research. Kenneth Kitchen is recognized by other Egyptologists as one of, if not the, world’s main authority on ancient Egyptian chronology. Kitchen used Thiele’s dates for the division of the kingdom, along with the synchronism between Rehoboam and Shishaq/Shoshenq of Egypt in 2 Chronicles 12:2, to refine the dates of Egypt’s 21st and 22nd Dynasties.<ref>Kenneth A. Kitchen, ''The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100 – 650 B.C.) '' (Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1973), p. 72.</ref> Subsequent studies by Egyptologists have accepted Kitchen’s use of Thiele’s date for the invasion of Shishak/Shoshenq, differing only on which year it was in the pharaoh’s reign his invasion took place. Both Assyriologists and Egyptologists have recognized the Bible gives very reliable historical data, data that they can use to advance their own studies.