Examination of anachronisms in biblical and Neo-Assyrian chronologies over the period 1179-539 BCE
Year: 2015
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The Assyrian chronology of the first millennium BCE is perfectly determined, as the succession of the kings is completely established for the period 1133-609 BCE and anchored on the total solar eclipse dated [30]/III/10 of Aššur-dān III (773-755), 15 June 763 BCE , which makes it possible to establish an absolute chronology from Aššur-rêš-iši I (1133-1115), Assyrian king no. 86, to Aššur-uballiṭ II (612-609), Assyrian king no. 116. The Assyrian King List (AKL) was drawn up by Babylonian scribes who transformed the number of eponyms during Assyrian reigns into the number of years of reign. Unlike Babylonian kings, who counted their reign in number of years, Assyrian kings counted their reign in number of military campaigns. As most Assyrian kings led military campaigns when they were crown princes, the dating of these campaigns was reported during their reign. This assimilation has led to chronological inconsistencies, particularly the synchronisms with the Judean and Israelite reigns. For example, Sennacherib was crown prince (715-705) with King Sargon II (722-705) and captured the city of Lachish during his 3rd military campaign. The dating of this campaign during the 3rd year of his reign (705-691) should be in 702 BCE (= 705 - 3), but this does not correspond to the eponyms which date it in 701 BCE. To resolve this paradox, Assyriologists assume that there were two similar campaigns in Judea, the first dated during the 10th campaign of Sargon II, in 712 BCE (= 722 - 10) and the second during the 3rd campaign of Sennacherib in 701 BCE (= 705 - 3 - 1), assuming that he led a first campaign during his accession (which is unlikely). On the other hand, if this 3rd campaign when he was crown prince (715-705), the capture of Lachish took place in 712 BCE (= 715 - 3) during the 10th campaign of Sargon II in Judea. In addition, this agrees exactly with the biblical account stating that all these events occurred during the 14th regnal year of Judean King Hezekiah (726-697) also dated 712 BCE (= 726 - 14). This explanation is not accepted because it implies that a crown prince was in fact a co-regent, but contrary to ideological claims on this subject, a chronological study of the Achaemenid reigns has shown that co-regencies did exist and were even frequent (Gertoux 2018: 179-206).
Source: HAL
Author: Gertoux, Gerard
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4392168169