Pastor Chui: Doesn’t Egyptian Chronology Prove That the Bible Is Unreliable? -2

• published: 27 May 2015
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“1. Hezekiah and Taharka The biblical synchronism in this period involves Hezekiah. The imminent arrival of Assyria’s enemy Taharka, the last pharaoh of the 25th dynasty, helped Hezekiah by putting Sennacherib to flight in 709 B.C. Taharka later rebelled against the Assyrian domination of Egypt, dying in 664 B.C. when Ashurbanipal sacked Thebes. “2. Josiah and Necho After Ninevah’s destruction, Pharaoh Necho II of the 26th dynasty marched to Carchemish, where the Assyrian remnant was making its last stand. On the way, according to 2 Chronicles 35, Necho killed Judah’s king Josiah at Megiddo. Returning from his 605 B.C. defeat at Carchemish, Necho took Jehoahaz as a hostage and placed Jehoiakim on the throne of Judah. “3. Jeremiah and Hophra One final biblical synchronism occurs in connection with the fate of 26th dynasty pharaoh, Hophra. Following a coup, Hophra fled to Babylon. There, he acquired an army and returned to reclaim his throne. Jeremiah predicted his defeat, and the prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 44:30 was fulfilled. “Table of Biblical and Egyptian Synchronisms Date B.C. Bible Egyptians Dynasty 4004 Adam 2348 Noah’s flood post-Babel Mizraim late 1900s Abraham Khufu 4 1706 Joseph; Jacob to Egypt Sesostris I 12 1635 Joseph dies after 1635 enslavement Sesostris III 12 1571 Moses born Amenemhet III 12 1491 Exodus Neferhotep I 13   Judges Hyksos 15-17 late 1000s David (1 Kings 11:19) Ahmosis or Amenhotep I 18 1012 Solomon starts temple Thutmosis I 18   Queen of Sheba Hatshepsut 18 Date B.C. Bible Egyptians Dynasty 971 Rehoboam; Shishak invades Thutmosis III 18 late 900s Asa; Zerah the Ethiopian Amenhotep II 18 late 900s Ahab; Elijah Akhenaton 18 uncertain Raamses II 19 722 Assyria destroys Israel Merneptah 19 709 Hezekiah; Assyrian invasion Taharka 25 664 Manasseh Taharka dies 25 609 Josiah dies Necho 26 605 Necho; Carchemish 26 589 Jeremiah Hophra 26 586 Temple destroyed 525 Cambyses of Persia “Conclusion “Viewing the evidence from a biblical framework makes the histories of Egypt and the Old Testament fit together like two sides of a zipper. “Isaiah warned against going down to Egypt for help (Isaiah 31:1). This phrase has come to symbolize a warning not to go to the world for truth. God determines truth. Historians examine fragmentary clues and fill in the gaps based on their presuppositions. Those presuppositions may be biblical or traditional. Accepting traditional Egyptian chronology necessitates rejection of biblical truth. Accepting biblical chronology allows a reconstruction of ancient chronology on a foundation of truth. Viewing the evidence from a biblical framework makes the histories of Egypt and the Old Testament fit together like two sides of a zipper. “Since the original publication of this chapter, Isaac Newton’s work on revised chronologies has become available in English. Newton’s Revised History of Ancient Kingdoms makes available much additional information and insight about the history of ancient Egypt as well as the history of other ancient kingdoms. For further studies of revised chronologies, because the Bible is the ultimate standard, I suggest consulting Dr. Floyd Jones’ book The Chronology of the Old Testament.” Thank God for the contribution of Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell.