OLDTIDSHISTORIKEREN JOSEFUS

Hvis man læser siderne 215 - 227 af Josefus´ bog :"The life against Apion", ser man, at han i første omgang skriver, at Jerusalem lå ødelagt i 70 år. Men det må have været en fejl, for kort herefter citerer han direkte oldtidshistorikeren Berosus, som beretter mere detaljeret om den samme tidsperiode, og han angiver perioden til 50 år, vel at mærke efter at have nævnt årene på kongerne og deres regeringstider fra Nebukadnezar til Nabonid. Man skal også lægge mærke til, at Josefus er begejstret for Berosos, fordi hans tal og beretninger stemmer overens med jødernes egne skrifter. Josefus citerer altså oldtidshistorikeren Berosus som sin kilde og beretter, at da Nabopalassar dør, bliver hans søn Nebukadnezar (Nabuchodonosor) sendt hjem under slaget mod Ægypten for at overtage tronen ( I Jojakims 4. år: Se Jeremias 46:2, 25:1), og det var ifølge Bibelen 18 år før Jerusalems ødelæggelse (Jeremias 52:12). I den forbindelse (Sikkert i Jojakims 3. år efter babylonisk tidsregning og 4. efter jødisk tidsregning, da babylonierne regner det 1. år som tiltrædelsesåret) blev en del fanger, deriblandt jøder, sendt som fanger til Babylon, hvilket stemmer med Daniel kap. 1

CITAT AF JOSEFUS: AGAINST APION 1:21, SIDE 225:

"This statement is both correct and in accordance with our books. For in latter it is recorded that Nebukadnezar in the eighteenth year of his reign devastated our temple, that for fifty years it ceased to exist, that in the second year of the reign of Cyros the foundations were laid, and lastly that in the second year of reign of Darius it was completed. CITAT SLUT

Vagttårnet skriver i tillægget til bogen: "Lad dit rige komme", at Josefus nævner, at templet lå ødelagt i 70 år. Men man skriver ikke, at han i sit sidste skrift om emnet har rettet det til 50 år. Man skal også lægge mærke til, at Josefus nævner færdiggørelsen af templets grundvold som den begivenhed, der afslutter de 50 år, og ikke hjemkomsten til Jerusalem. Dette er interessant, fordi man ifølge Ezra (Ezra 3:8) begyndte arbejdet med at lægge grundvolden til templet i det 2. år efter hjemkomsten. Grundvolden har da været færdig omkring 535 fvt. Ezra 3:13 beretter om denne begivenhed: "Og man kunne ikke skelne glædesjubelen fra folkets gråd, for så høj var folkets jubelråb, at det hørtes langt bort"

Året 535 fvt. er 70 år efter, at Nebukadnezar belejrede Jerusalem i 605 fvt. og førte fanger af adelig slægt til Babylon ifølge Daniel kap.1. Det skete under Jojakims regeringstid, hvor der også kom ødelæggelser ind over landet (2. kongebog 24:1-2)

Derfor: hvad enten man hæfter sig ved Daniels ord om en 70'årig ødelæggelsesperiode for Jerusalem og dets tempel, eller man hæfter sig ved Jeremias' ord om 70 års trældom for ALLE nationerne i Mellemøsten under Babylon, så kan man få regnestykket til at gå op, således at det stemmer med de arkæologiske og historiske vidnesbyrd, HVIS DET ER DET, MAN VIL.

DET FULDE CITAT FRA AGAINST APION

1,20 OG 1,21:

JOSEFUS: AGAINST APION 1:20 (side 221):

"The assertions which were made above concerning the temple at Jerusalem, that it was burnt down by Babylonian invaders and that its re-erection began on succession of Cyros to the throne of Asia, will be clearly proved by further quotation from Berosus: His words in his third book are as follows:

JOSEFUS CITERER BEROSOS:

(CITAT) "After beginning the wall of which I have spoken, Nabuchodonosor (Nebukadnezar) fell sick and died, after a reign of forty-three years (43 ÅR), and the realm passed to his son Evilmaraduch (Amel-Marduk). This prince, whose goverment was arbitrary and licentious, fell a victim to a plot, being assassinated by his sister's husband, Neriglisar (Nergal-Sjar-Usur), after a reign of two years (2ÅR).

On his death Neriglisar, his murderer, succecded to the throne and reigned four years (4 ÅR).

His son, Laborosoardoch (Labasj-Marduk), a mere boy, occupied it for nine months (9 MÅNEDER), when, owing to the depraved disposition which he showed, a conspiracy was formed against him, and he was beaten to death by his friends. After his murder the conspirators held a meeting, and by common consent conferred the kingdom upon Nabonnedus (Nabonid), a Babylonian and one of their gang. In his reign the walls of Babylolonian abutting on the river were magnificently built with baked brick and bitumen. In the seventeenth year (17. år) of his reign Cyros advanced from Persia with a large army, and, after subjugating the rest of the kingdom, marched ypon Babylonia. Apprised of his coming. Nabonnedus led hisy to meet him, fought and was defeated, whereupon he fled with a few followers and shut himself up in the town of Borsippa. Cyros took Babylon, and after giving orders to raze the outher walls of the city, becaurse it presented a very redoubtable and formidable appearance, proceeded to Borsippa to brsiege Nabonnedus. The latter surrendering, without waiting for investment, was humanely treated by Cyros, who dismissed him from Babylonia, but gave him Carmania for his residence. There Nabonnedus spent the remainder of his life, and there he died." (CITAT SLUT)

JOSEFUS FORTSÆTTER:

Against Apion 1:21 (side 225): "The statement is both correct and in accordance with our books. For in latter it is recorded that Nebuchodonosor in the eighteenth year of his reign devastated our temple, that for fifty years (50 ÅR) it ceased to exist, that in the second year of the reign of Cyros the founations were laid, and lastly that in the second year of reign of Darius it was completed."