DOCSLIB.ORG

Historical Earthquakes in Jerusalem – a Methodological Discussion

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Historical Earthquakes in Jerusalem – a Methodological Discussion Journal of Seismology (2005) 9: 329–340 C Springer 2005 Historical earthquakes in Jerusalem–Amethodological discussion N. Ambraseys Department of Environmental Engineering, Imperial College, London SW7 2BU, UK, E-mail: [email protected] Received 14 March 2005; accepted in revised form 26 May 2005 Key words: earthquakes, historical seismicity, Jerusalem Abstract This article is of an inter-disciplinary nature, relevant to the fields of both earth sciences and historiography, which come together in the investigation of long-term earthquake hazard. The paper emphasises the need for systematic and consistent analysis of historical earthquake data and sets out an example for such a task. The results from the historical study of earthquakes will be of value to earth scientists and engineers only when historical information is converted into “numbers” representing epicentral location and magnitude of the events, accompanied by an estimate of the reliability of their assessment. However, as we go further back in time before our era, the historical record gradually disappears and the archaeological record takes over. Unfortunately, the archaeological record is too coarse and ambiguous, without any precise internal archaeological indicators. Dating is based on, or influenced by the very few historical records, such as in the Bible and inscriptions, which provide an example of how their assumed accuracy may influence archaeologists’ interpretation and dating. Quite often this develops into a circular process in which archaeological assumptions or theories are transformed into facts and used by earth scientists to confirm the dates and size of their proposed events. In this article we discuss the problems that arise when Biblical and archaeological information is used at face value to assess earthquakes in the Holy Land. This combination may produce earthquakes of hypothetical location and of grossly exaggerated magnitude with consequences for the assessment of seismic hazard. Introduction events, accompanied by an estimate of the reliability of their assessment. Having completed the retrieval and analysis of data As an example we chose to reappraise the effect from earthquakes of the last 20 centuries in the East- of three earthquakes in Old Jerusalem, a city with a ern Mediterranean region, and as matter of curiosity, long and well-documented history, not only because not knowing what the outcome would be, we extended it is situated relatively close to the active Dead Sea our studies into a much longer and little known period Fault zone but also because it is singular how, sur- that goes back to the times before our era for which rounded by all the destructive earthquakes with which there is relatively little or no textual information about old Syria and Palestine have suffered for so many cen- earthquakes, the data coming chiefly from the Bible turies, Old Jerusalem, considering its ancient construc- and from the fields of archaeology and indirectly from tion and its foundation mostly on caltural debris, has tectonics. been comparatively spared. We realised that the results from a historical study In later historians of the Byzantine, Muslim and will be of value to earth scientists and engineers only Crusade periods and of more recent times, in which when this information is converted into “numbers” Jerusalem was the central point of interest, we find representing epicentral location and magnitude of the again that of all the destruction of cities recorded in the 330 region, Jerusalem remained comparatively immune, stopped up, for the valley shall touch the side of it (of in spite of the fact that an earthquake in the Holy the mountain) [4, 5]. Land would have been classed as one of those which The source of this difference lies perhaps in the con- excites widespread interest rather on account of the fused reading of the Hebrew words for “shall be stopped geographical location than because of its special vio- up” (ve-nistam), and “you shall flee” (ve-nastem). The lence or large magnitude. consonants in both words are identical, but when at a later period the diacritical points were added to the Hebrew Bible to facilitate reading the text was Zechariah’s earthquake apparently misunderstood and the meaning changed, in this case (viz. editor’s note in Wachs and Levite, Among Biblical earthquakes we chose to reappraise 1984). the mid-8th century B.C. earthquake, known as the By adopting the latter reading as more plausible “Amos’s”, “Zechariah’s” or “Uzziah’s” earthquake, in relation to the natural phenomenon described, it is because of its importance. Modern writers date the obvious that there is no other explanation than a large earthquake to 759 BC and assign to it a magnitude of landslide, which may or may not had been triggered by ML(sic.) 8.2, with an intensity in Jerusalem between this or by another earthquake. VIII and IX (Ben-Menahem, 1979.262; Austin et al., Also, Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews (93 2000). In addition the event is associated with a AD), a book written about six centuries later, refers coseismic left-lateral offset of the Jericho fault which to an earthquake that happened in the last months of is a segment of the north-south trending strike-slip King Uzziah’s life, which made a rent in the Temple Dead Sea Fault (Nur and Ron, 1996). Obviously, such at Jerusalem. Josephus adds that at a place called En- an important earthquake deserves authentication and rogel, outside the city, half of the mountain in the west its effects reappraisal. broke off from the rest and slid 800 metres up to the The earliest reference to a mid-8th century B.C. mountain on the east, spoiling the king’s gardens [6]. earthquake in Judea can be found in the opening verse Assuming that the two authors refer to the same event, of the Book of Amos who, without giving any details, this passage in Josephus seems to suggest that in all mentions in passing an earthquake in his days, some- probability what Zechariah describes is a landslide, per- where in Judea, in the reign of Uzziah (791–752 BC) haps triggered by an earthquake rather than a graben [for quotations see Appendix 1, 1], perhaps the same formed by normal faulting. event alluded to by Isaiah (c. 700 BC) [2]. Regarding the location of Azal, the name may de- About three centuries later, early in the 6th cen- note some place near the western extremity of the tury, Zechariah (c. 520 BC) mentions an earthquake in valley near Jerusalem or a hamlet on the outskirts of Judea, again in the days of King Uzziah and probably Jerusalem, but this is not certain. As for the location of the same event mentioned by Isaiah, which he says af- Er-rogel it has been suggested to be the fountain of the fected Jerusalem and caused Mount of Olives, east of Virgin, the modern Ain Umm al-Daraj. Others identify Jerusalem, to split and form a valley [3]. it with Bir Eyub, to the south of the Pool of Siloam, The interpretation of this passage in Zechariah and below the junction of the valleys of Kidron and [14.4–5], which seems to be a 5th or 4th century B.C. Hinnom, which seems to be a more probable location, insertion, is not clear. Other versions of the same pas- butagain this is not certain. sage say that the Mount of Olives will split in two and There is one more reference to these events in create a valley that will reach Azel. This valley will Uzziah’s days by Nathan ha-Bavli, who was writing run from east to west with half of the Mount of Olives in the middle of the second century A.D. He does not moving to the north, away from the position it occu- mention the earthquake but he says that at the time of pied, while the other half will move to the south. The the desecration of the temple by Uzziah, the temple valley will stop where the mountains will touch each split open and the fissure extended for twelve ‘miles’ other [3.1, 3–7]. in each direction [6a]. A somewhat different reading we find in the There remains the question of whether there is Masoretic Version, where following the mention of the any evidence today for active faulting in the immedi- splitting of the Mount of Olives, says that the valley ate vicinity of Old Jerusalem which can be associated shall reach unto Azal, as compared to the Revised Stan- with the ground deformations mentioned by Zechariah, dard Version which says instead that the valley shall be Josephus and Nathan. 331 Old aerial photographs of the chalky geological for- remain silent about damage anywhere in Judea and mations of region show only landslides on steep slopes Israel [7]. butnothrough-going faults. A relatively large slide Amos’ earthquake may be dated vaguely from the can be recognised on the Mount of Olives which is lo- line of Jewish kings chronicled in the Old Testament, cated on the slope which faces west towards the Old which provides us with 756 or 759 BC as a ter- City, the scarp of which can be seen halfway up the minus ante quem (Soggin, 1970, p. 120) or perhaps Mount of Olives, but which, according to the Geolog- earlier. ical Survey of Israel, is probably much more ancient Courville dates this earthquake to 751–750 B.C., than the Biblical times (viz. Wachs and Levite, 1984; based on the Jewish legend reported by Josephus in Frydman, 1997). The multitude of short scarps shown which the prophet Zechariah is quoted as a source in- in relatively recent geological maps of Jerusalem all dicating the severity of the earthquake.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Israel and Judah: 18. Temple Interior and Dedication
    Associates for Scriptural Knowledge • P.O. Box 25000, Portland, OR 97298-0990 USA © ASK, March 2019 • All rights reserved • Number 3/19 Telephone: 503 292 4352 • Internet: www.askelm.com • E-Mail: [email protected] How the Siege of Titus Locates the Temple Mount in the City of David by Marilyn Sams, July 2016 Formatted and annotated by David Sielaff, March 2019 This detailed research paper by independent author Marilyn Sams is one of several to follow her 2015 book, The Jerusalem Temple Mount Myth. Her book was inspired by a desire to prove (or disprove) Dr. Ernest Martin’s research in The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot. Ms. Sams wrote a second book in 2017, The Jerusalem Temple Mount: A Compendium of Ancient Descriptions expanding the argument in her first book, itemizing and analyzing 375 ancient descriptions of the Temple, Fort Antonia, and environs, all confirming a Gihon location for God’s Temples.1 Her books and articles greatly advance Dr. Martin’s arguments. David Sielaff, ASK Editor Marilyn Sams: The siege of Titus has been the subject of many books and papers, but always from the false perspective of the Jerusalem Temple Mount’s misidentification.2 The purpose of this paper is to illuminate additional aspects of the siege, in order to show how they cannot reasonably be applied to the current models of the temple and Fort Antonia, but can when the “Temple Mount” is identified as Fort Antonia. Conflicts Between the Rebellious Leaders Prior to the Siege of Titus A clarification of the definition of “Acra” is crucial to understanding the conflicts between John of Gischala and Simon of Giora, two of the rebellious [Jewish] faction leaders, who divided parts of Jerusalem 1 Her second book shows the impossibility of the so-called “Temple Mount” and demonstrate the necessity of a Gihon site of the Temples.
    [Show full text]
  • Boundaries, Barriers, Walls
    1 Boundaries, Barriers, Walls Jerusalem’s unique landscape generates a vibrant interplay between natural and built features where continuity and segmentation align with the complexity and volubility that have characterized most of the city’s history. The softness of its hilly contours and the harmony of the gentle colors stand in contrast with its boundar- ies, which serve to define, separate, and segregate buildings, quarters, people, and nations. The Ottoman city walls (seefigure )2 separate the old from the new; the Barrier Wall (see figure 3), Israelis from Palestinians.1 The former serves as a visual reminder of the past, the latter as a concrete expression of the current political conflict. This chapter seeks to examine and better understand the physical realities of the present: how they reflect the past, and how the ancient material remains stimulate memory, conscious knowledge, and unconscious perception. The his- tory of Jerusalem, as it unfolds in its physical forms and multiple temporalities, brings to the surface periods of flourish and decline, of creation and destruction. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY The topographical features of Jerusalem’s Old City have remained relatively con- stant since antiquity (see figure ).4 Other than the Central Valley (from the time of the first-century historian Josephus also known as the Tyropoeon Valley), which has been largely leveled and developed, most of the city’s elevations, protrusions, and declivities have maintained their approximate proportions from the time the city was first settled. In contrast, the urban fabric and its boundaries have shifted constantly, adjusting to ever-changing demographic, socioeconomic, and political conditions.2 15 Figure 2.
    [Show full text]
  • A Proposed Chronology of Armageddon and Christ's Second Coming Pastor Kelly Sensenig on September 2, 1945, Aboard the Battle
    A Proposed Chronology of Armageddon And Christ’s Second Coming Pastor Kelly Sensenig On September 2, 1945, aboard the battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese government formally surrendered to the Allied forces, thus ending WWII. After the instrument of surrender had been signed by all the representatives, General Douglas Macarthur, the supreme commander of the allied force in the Pacific, made a powerful announcement: “Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. We have had our last chance. Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blots out this alternative. If we do not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door.” MacArthur’s words are truer today than ever before. The world is not getting safer or more peaceful. The 20th century ended with a third of the world’s 193 nations embroiled in conflict. The Bible has something to say about a final battle that will occur in the land of Palestine. In this study we want to propose a chronology of events that will transpire in connection with the place called Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. In the final battle, or series of battles which occur within the land of Palestine, there will be a large representation of troops from all nations of planet earth (Zech 14:2; Rev. 19:15; Joel 3:9-13). Millions upon millions of troops representing the leaders and nations “of the whole world” (Rev.
    [Show full text]
  • 12. BIBLICAL EPIC: 2 Kings Notes
    12. BIBLICAL EPIC: 2 Kings Notes rown 2 Kings 1: Ahaziah consulted Baal-zebub. Elijah said that he would die. Ahaziah sent men to Elijah but they were consumed by fire. Ahaziah died. • 1:1-18. Elijah Denounces Ahaziah. Like his father Ahab, Ahaziah is destined to meet Elijah. The occasion for their confrontation is an injury sustained by the king when falling out of a window of his upper chamber in Samaria. Ahaziah seeks not the God of Israel but a deity of one of the Philistine cities 40 miles southwest of Samaria. The author probably changes Baal-Zebul (“Baal the prince”) to Baal-Zebub (“lord of the flies”) to express scorn for this false deity. By NT times, the name of this god is associated with Satan (Mark 3:22). As is common throughout 1-2 Kings, the LORD sends His prophet to confront the king for idolatry and Elijah announces that Ahaziah will die. Ahaziah showed the same unbelieving pragmatism his father Ahab had when Ahab looked for a prophet who would give him the answer he wanted. The prophetic word, however, cannot be brought under human control, and the God of Mount Carmel sends fire from heaven to underline this fact. Two “lords” vie for worship throughout the Elijah story (Baal and Yahweh), both of them identified with fire—and Ahaziah has chosen the wrong one. Here 100 soldiers die as a result of Ahaziah’s choice to turn from God, again showing that the sins of leaders often lead to tragic consequences for those whom they lead.
    [Show full text]
  • The Upper Kidron Valley
    Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies Founded by the Charles H. Revson Foundation The Upper Kidron Valley Conservation and Development in the Visual Basin of the Old City of Jerusalem Editor: Israel Kimhi Jerusalem 2010 Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies – Study No. 398 The Upper Kidron Valley Conservation and Development in the Visual Basin of the Old City of Jerusalem Editor: Israel Kimhi This publication was made possible thanks to the assistance of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, San Francisco. 7KHFRQWHQWRIWKLVGRFXPHQWUHÀHFWVWKHDXWKRUV¶RSLQLRQRQO\ Photographs: Maya Choshen, Israel Kimhi, and Flash 90 Linguistic editing (Hebrew): Shlomo Arad Production and printing: Hamutal Appel Pagination and design: Esti Boehm Translation: Sagir International Translations Ltd. © 2010, The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies Hay Elyachar House 20 Radak St., Jerusalem 92186 http://www.jiis.org E-mail: [email protected] Research Team Israel Kimhi – head of the team and editor of the report Eran Avni – infrastructures, public participation, tourism sites Amir Eidelman – geology Yair Assaf-Shapira – research, mapping, and geographical information systems Malka Greenberg-Raanan – physical planning, development of construction Maya Choshen – population and society Mike Turner – physical planning, development of construction, visual analysis, future development trends Muhamad Nakhal ±UHVLGHQWSDUWLFLSDWLRQKLVWRU\SUR¿OHRIWKH$UDEQHLJKERU- hoods Michal Korach – population and society Israel Kimhi – recommendations for future development, land uses, transport, planning Amnon Ramon – history, religions, sites for conservation Acknowledgments The research team thanks the residents of the Upper Kidron Valley and the Visual Basin of the Old City, and their representatives, for cooperating with the researchers during the course of the study and for their willingness to meet frequently with the team.
    [Show full text]
  • The Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif – Archaeology in a Political Context
    The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif – Archaeology in a Political Context 2017 March 2017 Table of contents >> Introduction 3 Written by: Yonathan Mizrachi >> Part I | The history of the Site: How the Temple Mount became the 0 Researchers: Emek Shaveh Haram al-Sharif 4 Edited by: Talya Ezrahi >> Part II | Changes in the Status of the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif 0 Proof-editing: Noa Granot from the 19th century to the Present Day 7 Graphic Design: Lior Cohen Photographs: Emek Shaveh, Yael Ilan >> Part III | Changes around the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and the 0 Mapping: Lior Cohen, Shai Efrati, Slava Pirsky impact on the Status Quo 11 >> Conclusion and Lessons 19 >> Maps 20 Emek Shaveh (cc) | Email: [email protected] | website www.alt-arch.org Emek Shaveh is an Israeli NGO working to prevent the politicization of archaeology in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to protect ancient sites as public assets that belong to members of all communities, faiths and peoples. We view archaeology as a resource for building bridges and strengthening bonds between peoples and cultures. This publication was produced by Emek Shaveh (A public benefit corporation) with the support of the IHL Secretariat, the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs Switzerland (FDFA) the New Israeli Fund and CCFD. Responsibility for the information contained in this report belongs exclu- sively to Emek Shaveh. This information does not represent the opinions of the above mentioned donors. 2 Introduction Immediately after the 1967 War, Israel’s then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared that the Islamic Waqf would retain their authority over the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif compound.
    [Show full text]
  • The Marwani Musalla in Jerusalem
    Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Art Faculty Publications Art Department 2013 The aM rwani Musalla in Jerusalem: New Findings Beatrice St. Laurent Bridgewater State University, [email protected] Isam Awwad Virtual Commons Citation St. Laurent, Beatrice and Awwad, Isam (2013). The aM rwani Musalla in Jerusalem: New Findings. In Art Faculty Publications. Paper 8. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/art_fac/8 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The Marwani Shortly after Caliph ‘Umar ibn al- Khattab’s (579-644, caliph 634-644) Musalla in arrival in Jerusalem in 638, he is said to Jerusalem: have constructed a rudimentary mosque 1 or prayer space south of the historical New Findings Rock now contained within the Dome of Beatrice St. Laurent the Rock (completed 691) on the former and Isam Awwad Temple Mount or Bayt al-Maqdis known popularly since Mamluk and Ottoman times as the Haram al-Sharif.2 (Fig.1) Though later textual evidence indicates that ‘Umar prayed somewhere south of the “rock” and later scholars suggest that he constructed a rudimentary prayer space on the site, there is no surviving physical evidence of that initial structure. After his appointment as Governor of Syria (bilad al-sham) by ‘Umar in 639/40, Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (602-680, caliph Figure 1: Air view of the Haram al-Sharif from 660-680)3 either expanded upon the Mosque the north showing the eastern area of the Haram al-Sharif. Source: Matson Collection, Library of of ‘Umar or constructed an entirely new Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reserved Place Prepared by God
    Petra A reserved place prepared by God "Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days." (Revelation 12 : 6) Ab Klein Haneveld Contents Introduction 3 Desolation until the end 3 Return of the Lord, gathering of the people and return to their land 4 Into the wilderness 6 Grace and rest in the wilderness 7 Flight from the tribulation 8 A place prepared by God 10 From Jerusalem to Petra 13 Azal? 16 Ezel? 17 William E. Blackstone 18 Teman, Hor, Paran and Selah 19 He comes from Bozrah 20 Selah, Petra or Bozrah? 21 The flock in the sheepfold 22 From Petra to Jerusalem 23 Some further arguments 25 © 1995 Ab Klein Haneveld Original title: Petra - een gereserveerde plaats in Edom. In Selah. In the place prepared by God. Could it be that the statement: Introduction "On this rock (Petra) I will build My church" (Matthew 16 : 18) may yet get another, prophetic, significance? Years ago I discovered the location of the "place in the wilderness" where the believing remnant will be gathered in order to hide from the "great tribulation". The ancient Edomite and Nabataean capital city Petra was only known by a few. In the past it was highly dangerous and nearly impossible to visit this mysterious city. But since the borders of Jordan have opened up to tourism, this area can nowadays be visited quite easily. What we could not achieve ten years ago, became reality: we were allowed access to the place "prepared by God" where in the near future the earthly foundation will be laid for the coming Kingdom of Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11 the KING WHO EXALTS HIMSELF, Part 2 of 2 Lesson 16 Daniel 11:36-45
    R2 The Wise Shall Understand Daniel – Chapter 11 THE KING WHO EXALTS HIMSELF, Part 2 of 2 Lesson 16 Daniel 11:36-45 Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Plato's Tyrant1 As soon as [a tyrant] disposes of his enemies without the city, coming to a compromise with some and killing others, and when he is no longer troubled by them, then, I fancy, he begins to stir up one after another in order to keep the public in need of a [leader]? Plato - The Republic Social Conflict2 Social conflict is a means to an end... [used by the ruling elite] to instill in the population an unqualified dislike for any other group of citizens... to successfully maintain an unbalanced society in need of "controls" and thus introduce their "New World Order." A. H. Krieg - The Satori and the New Mandarins A Man with the Answers Today we see that our nation is polarized by many crises: Abortion, racism, political (right/left, black/white, Republican/Democrat, etc.), gun control, global warming, and terrorist threat, just to name a few. As this world advances closer to the end time we can expect this confusion to result in a demand for a leader. The current political situation is somewhat similar to that which gave rise to Adolph Hitler in Germany during the 1930s. In order to control the mass of people, a particular process is used which is called Hegelian Dialectics.
    [Show full text]
  • The Historical Earthquakes of Syria: an Analysis of Large and Moderate Earthquakes from 1365 B.C
    ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS, VOL. 48, N. 3, June 2005 The historical earthquakes of Syria: an analysis of large and moderate earthquakes from 1365 B.C. to 1900 A.D. Mohamed Reda Sbeinati (1), Ryad Darawcheh (1) and Mikhail Mouty (2) (1) Department of Geology, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, Syria (2) Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria Abstract The historical sources of large and moderate earthquakes, earthquake catalogues and monographs exist in many depositories in Syria and European centers. They have been studied, and the detailed review and analysis re- sulted in a catalogue with 181 historical earthquakes from 1365 B.C. to 1900 A.D. Numerous original documents in Arabic, Latin, Byzantine and Assyrian allowed us to identify seismic events not mentioned in previous works. In particular, detailed descriptions of damage in Arabic sources provided quantitative information necessary to re-evaluate past seismic events. These large earthquakes (I0>VIII) caused considerable damage in cities, towns and villages located along the northern section of the Dead Sea fault system. Fewer large events also occurred along the Palmyra, Ar-Rassafeh and the Euphrates faults in Eastern Syria. Descriptions in original sources doc- ument foreshocks, aftershocks, fault ruptures, liquefaction, landslides, tsunamis, fires and other damages. We present here an updated historical catalogue of 181 historical earthquakes distributed in 4 categories regarding the originality and other considerations, we also present a table of the parametric catalogue of 36 historical earth- quakes (table I) and a table of the complete list of all historical earthquakes (181 events) with the affected lo- cality names and parameters of information quality and completeness (table II) using methods already applied in other regions (Italy, England, Iran, Russia) with a completeness test using EMS-92.
    [Show full text]
  • Bible Class Notes on Zechariah
    Bible Class Notes On Zechariah “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet…” (Zechariah 1:1) © 2010 Jeff Asher www.BibleTalk.net A Timeline of Events Relevant to the Exilic & Post-exilic Prophets 614 B.C. Nabopolassar begins the siege of Nineveh 612 B.C. Nineveh falls as prophesied (Nahum 1:8; 2:6) 610 B.C. Ashurbanipal defeated at Haran 610 B.C. Josiah slain at Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho (II Kings 23:29) 609 B.C Assyrian counter-attack at Carchemish repulsed 606 B.C. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah taken to “Shinar” (Daniel 1:1; about 17 years old) 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar defeats Assyria and Egypt at Carchemish (II Kings 24:7) 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar ascends to the throne of Babylon (Jeremiah 25:1; 46:2) 604 B.C. First full year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. 603 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the Great Image (Daniel 2:1; cf. 1:1, 5) 597 B.C. Jehoiachin taken captive of Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 24:10-12; Ezekiel about 25 years old, cf. 1:1-2; II Kings 24:14-15; Jeremiah 52:28) 597 B.C. Zedekiah ascends to the throne of David (II Kings 24:17) 587 B.C. Jerusalem besieged (Jeremiah 32:1-2; 52:1 ff.; II Kings 25:1; Ezekiel 24:1) 586 B.C. Jerusalem is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 25:2-9; Jeremiah 39:1-10) 585 B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Council in Late Canonical And
    THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN LATE CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH LITERATURE by Michael S. Heiser A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Hebrew and Semitic Studies) at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2004 Copyright by Michael S. Heiser 2004 All Rights Reserved THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN LATE CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH LITERATURE Table of Contents Abstract Abbreviations Chapter One: Introduction to the Study . 1 1.1 Previous Divine Council Scholarship and the Need for This Study 1.2 Divine Plurality in Late Canonical Texts and Assumptions About Israelite Monotheism 1.3 The Problem of Divine Plurality in Second Temple Non-Canonical Jewish Literature 1.4 Comments on Metaphor and Divine Imagery 1.5 Overview of Ensuing Chapters Chapter Two: The Divine Council of Pre-Exilic Israelite Religion as the Backdrop for Divine Plurality in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Texts . 34 2.1 Terminology for the Divine Council 2.2 The Meeting Place of the Divine Council 2.3 The Members of the Divine Council 2.4 The Structure and Operation of the Divine Council’s Bureaucracy 2.5 The Status and Role of the Vice-Regent 2.6 Interpretation of Divine Hypostases and the Vice-Regent in Second Temple Texts Chapter Three: Assumptions of Exilic Redaction and the Progression From Polytheism to Monotheism: The Argument from Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82 . 68 3.1 Text-Historical Assumptions and Late Israelite Religion 3.2 The Argument for Exilic Alteration or Elimination of the Divine Council 3.3 Psalm 82: Yahweh-El or Yahweh and El? 3.4 The Relationship of Deuteronomy 32:8-9 to Psalm 82 3.5 Summation Chapter Four: The Divine Council and Monolatry in Deuteronomy and Deutero-Isaiah .
    [Show full text]