Since the fixed Assyrian Period timeline is used by archaeologists, the
Greek Period revisions are pertinent to archaeologists, since the
distortion
of the Greek Period impacted on the choice of eclipses used to align the
Assyrian Period. Basically 56 years of extra Greek history was
introduced
by Xenophon that pushed the dating of the Assyrian Period back 54 years,
originally dated to the eclipse of 709 BCE occurring in the natural third
month of Simanu, to 763 BCE which is an alternative though not customary
dating for month 3. As a result all dates from the Assyrian Period back
to
the Exodus are 54 years too early. RC14 dating now substantiates this.
Here is how to correct the Greek timeline:
CORRECTING THE GREEK TIMELINE:
A piece of cake. Xenphon simply added 30 extra years between the Persian
War (Battle of Salamis) and the Peloponnesian War (PPW), increasing it
from
20 to 50 years. This was later adjusted because of the Olympic cycle to
just 48 years.
An eclipse that took place in the first year of the PPW originally
occurring
on January 18, 402 BCE, which dated the first year of the war that
previous
summer in 403 BCE, was moved to a substitute eclipse in 431 BCE. This
pushed events back in time 28 years. Thus the initial addition of
years,
as noted, was 30 plus 28, which is 58. But because of the Olympic cycle,
which requires the Battle of Salamis at the time of Xerxes' invasion to
occur during an Olympic year, this was adjusted down 2 years, so that the
net distortion is only 56 years.
In other words, after the PPW was moved to 431 BCE, there was supposed to
be
a 50-year interval between that event and the Battle of Salamis. 51 plus
431 is 482 BCE. 482 BCE is not an Olympic year, however. So the Battle
of
Salamis was moved down to 480 BCE, so that there currently is only a
48-year
interval between the wars, which is a technical historical discrepancy:
431
+49=480 BCE.
MATCHING TO BIBLICAL TIMELINE:
As you can see, the adjustments are simple. This timing adjusts perfectly
x
2 to the corrected Biblical timeline.
1. Death of Artaxerxes. The 1st of Cyrus falls in 455 BCE per the
corrected Biblical and secular timeline, confirmed by the VAT4956 which
dates year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar to 511 BCE. The death of Artaxerxes
occurs
in the 8th year of the PPW, which falls in 396 BCE. Artaxerxes ruled for
41
years which dates the beginning of his rule to 437 BCE. Artaxerxes and
Xerxes were the same king and thus was 18 year of age when he came to the
throne. How do we know that? Because he was 59 years old when he died
after 41 years of rule (59-41=18). Legend has it that Xerxes was born
the
same year his "father" became king. It is clear that Xerxes was already a
young man at the time Persepolis began to be built in the 4th year of
Darius, so that legend doesn't fit his immediate father. However, he was
the grandson of Cyrus, since Darius was married to the daughter of Cyrus,
Atossa. If Xerxes/Artaxerxes was 18 in 437BCE, he was born in 455 BCE,
which is the 1st of Cyrus.
From an ARCHAEOLOGICAL point of view, the 6-year rule of Darius would have
occurred from 439-433 BCE (Ezra 6:14,15). This means, however, that there
would have been a 4-year co-ruler****p between Xerxes and Darius from
437-433
BCE. The bas-reliefs at Persepolis indeed demonstrate the short-lived
co-ruler****p between Darius and Xerxes. Darius was only able to finish
his
palace that he begun with 10 other buildings, which only took two years,
forcing Xerxes/Artaxerxes to finish the other buildings started during the
co-ruler****p, where Xerxes/Artaxerxes depicts himself as sole ruler. So
the
archaeological facts sup****t the short co-ruler****p and short rule of
Darius
I. Furthermore, Artaxerxes had a physical anomaly of a longer right
hand,
and Persepolis shows Xerxes changing his hand position to show off that
longer right hand from both sides in two of the bas-reliefs, whereas, he
is
shown elsewhere simply to hold onto the back of the throne where Darius is
sitting, indicating the co-ruler****p.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/xerxeshand.html
Also, there is the issue of Nehemiah, who is present as cupbearer during
the
co-ruler****p. Nehemiah was at least 30 years of age when returning from
Babylon in the 1st of Cyrus and lives down into the time of Darius II. He
would have been over 143 years of age to do this. If Xerxes/Artaxerxes
was
born in 455 BCE, Nehemiah could have outlived him into the rule of Darius
II, being only about 89 years of age at the time of the death of
Artaxerxes.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/nehemiah.html
2. The second check is via the Battle of Marathon. Darius died at the
Battle of Marathon. We know this from a cryptic reference in Herodotus
about the vision of a man who was blinded and saw a warrior with a huge
beard, which is a reference to the king of Persia, who had an extensively
long beard:
From Herodus, Persian Wars: "There fell in this battle of Marathon, on
the
side of the barbarians, about six thousand and four hundred men; on that
of
the Athenians, one hundred and ninety-two. Such was the number of the
slain
on the one side and the other. A strange prodigy likewise happened at this
fight. Epizelus, the son of Cuphagoras, an Athenian, was in the thick of
the
fray, and behaving himself as a brave man should, when suddenly he was
stricken with blindness, without blow of sword or dart; and this blindness
continued thenceforth during the whole of his after life. The following is
the account which he himself, as I have heard, gave of the matter: he said
that a gigantic warrior, with a huge beard, which shaded all his ****eld,
stood over against him, but the ghostly semblance passed him by, and slew
the man at his side. Such, as I understand, was the tale which Epizelus
told."
This little discrepancy is due to the fact that when 30 extra years were
added to the rule of Darius I, who only ruled 6 years, only 26 years from
the Neo-Babylonian kings were removed to compensate for this. Thus Darius
historically outlived himself by four years beyond Marathon. Herodotus
depicts him dying four years after this, but makes this cryptic reference
to
link Darius's death to Marathon when it actually happened. Notice how
this
matches up perfectly in our second reference.
As noted, 30 years were added to the interval between the two wars, which
was really on 20 years. There was a 30-year peace agreement that took
place
at the time of Xerxes' invasion which ends in the 10th year of the PPW,
which now falls in 394 BCE. That means we date Xerxes' invasion in 424
BCE.
That has three checks:
1) It must be an Olympic year. Check!
2) There must be an eclipse that occurs during the spring which Herodotus
records. Check!
3) It should reflect a 20-year interval between the wars. 403 +21 = 424
BCE. Check!
The Battle of Marathon occurs 10 years earlier than the Battle of Salamis
and thus is dated to 434 BCE. This must be the 6th year of Darius as
well
as the same year the temple was completed at Jerusalem by "Artaxerxes" who
was actually Xerxes. The temple was completed the last month of the year
in
Adar the following spring. The Battle of Marathon occurs in the fall.
The
temple took 22 years to build. 22 plus 433 = 455 BCE. CHECK!
SUMMARY: It is very simple to correct the Greek Period revisions by
simply
removing the 30 years from between Xerxes invasion and the PPW, as well as
correcting the beginning of the war to 403 BCE rather than 431 BCE.
This
dating aligns perfectly with the corrected secular and Biblical timeline
that dates the 1st of Cyrus to 455 BCE, which can be linked to references
in
the 8th and 10th years of the PPW which record events related to Persian
history.
Lars
(New!) Corrected Timeline Outline:
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/709guide.html
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