This study aims to demonstrate that the exact year of the Exodus can be attained by utilizing the foundation of the Jubilee Years as revealed in Scriptures.
Delving into the topic’s complexity, we ask: How can a Jubilee Year be connected to the Exodus when its instructions are not given until the book of Leviticus, which is dated to the second year of the Exodus Era?
Even more confounding is the fact that the first Jubilee Year was not observed until well beyond the 40 years of the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness.
And Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, Without a doubt (1a) YOU SHALL COME INTO THE LAND which I am giving to you (1b) AND THE LAND SHALL HAVE A SABBATH, A SABBATH FOR YAHWEH. (2a) YOU SHALL SOW YOUR FIELD 6 YEARS and you shall prune your vineyard 6 years and shall gather the produce. (2b) AND IN THE 7TH YEAR A SABBATH SABBATHON SHALL BE FOR THE LAND, A SABBATH FOR YAHWEH. Your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune. That which grows of itself of your harvest you shall not harvest and the grapes of your unkept vine you shall not gather. A year of sabbathon it shall be for the land. And the Sabbath of the land shall be to you for food, to you and to your male servant and your female servant, and to your hired one and to your tenant, those living among you, and to your cattle and to the beast which is on your land, shall all the produce of it be for food. (Lev. 25: 1-7)
It is essential to notice in the above citation that the Israelites would observe two Sabbath years sometime after entering the land. We shall further demonstrate this point later in our study.
And you shall count 7 Sabbaths of years, 7 years 7 times, and shall be to you the days of the 7 Sabbaths of years, 49 years. And you shall let sound a ram’s horn, a signal in the 7th moon (month), on the 10th (day) of the moon. On the Day of Atonement the ram’s horn shall sound in all your land. And you shall make sacred this year, the 50th year, and you shall proclaim liberty in the land to all its dwellers. A Jubilee it shall be for you. And you shall return a male to his possession; and each to his family you shall return him. A Jubilee it is, the 50th year. A year it is for you, not shall you sow it and not shall you harvest that which grows of itself and not gather the unkept vine, for a Jubilee it shall be. Sacred it shall be to you. Out of the field you shall eat its store in the year of this Jubilee. You shall return each one to his possession. (Lev. 25: 8-13)
After two Sabbath years, the Israelites were to begin counting 49 years. The following year, the 50th year, was recognized as a Jubilee year. One must also understand that this unique Jubilee Cycle was the Israelites’ first ever mandated Jubilee Cycle and Year.
While recognizing the seeming dilemma concerning the year Yahweh gave these instructions, this study will present evidence derived from the Jubilee Years that will decisively determine the actual date of the Exodus.
Once the Sabbath and Jubilee cycle is soundly established, a chronological framework is created, a promising historical template for studying Scriptures, offering a new perspective for future research.
The publication The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle by R. Clover accomplishes this arduous task. Therefore, with this information in hand, one can synchronize the Jubilee Years with biblical chronology to reveal the year of the Exodus.
We will begin our endeavor by referencing the established anchor date of 700/699 B.C.E. (Abib/Nisan reckoning) for the earliest provable Jubilee Year as given in the publication, The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle. This anchor date is crucial in ensuring the reliability of our research.
Two Main Theories
Next, we will present the two main theories regarding the date of the Exodus.1
1. The “Early Theory” claims that the Exodus occurred in the mid-15th century B.C.E., the exact year being 1446 B.C.E. This theory also has Amenhotep II reigning as pharaoh of Egypt.
2. The “Late Theory” advocates a date in the 13th century B.C.E., with the approximate year of 1267 B.C.E., and has Rameses II as the pharaoh of Egypt.
Utilizing the framework established by The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle, this study does agree in part with the “Early Theory” that the actual date of the Exodus falls within the 15th century B.C.E. Beyond this, we must depart from the claimed date of 1446 B.C.E. for the Exodus. Also, we would disagree with both theories regarding Amenhotep II or Rameses II as pharoah of Egypt during the Exodus.2
Solomon’s Temple
As part of our methodology, we will also direct our attention to the starting date of the construction of Solomon’s Temple, using it as a key reference point in our calculations. Our meticulous approach to this process instills confidence in the reliability of our conclusions.
Biblical historians and chronologists give a range of dates from 967 B.C.E. to 950 B.C.E. for the beginning of the construction of the First Temple. What is vital for our concerns is the application of the Jubilee Cycle, a key factor that will automatically produce the correct date as we shall discover, thereby enlightening our understanding of the historical timeline.
We now cite the following scriptural passages:
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh. (1 Kings 6:1)
Now Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [Yahweh] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And he began to build on the second [day] of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. (2 Chronicles 3:1-2)
As stated, Solomon began building the Temple in the 480th year of the Exodus Era, also the 4th year of Solomon’s reign.
Beginning of the Jubilee Cycle
Given the absence of a consensus for the precise year of Solomon’s Temple construction, our historical analysis turns to the Jubilee Year, a pivotal tool in pinpointing the correct date.
To help us achieve our goal, we have performed an in-depth analysis of various works, including Leviticus 25, the book of Joshua, the historian Josephus (1st century C.E.), the book of Yashar (which claims to have been, at least in part, based upon records from the 1st century C.E.), as well as the Christian works of Clement of Alexandria (c.200 C.E.) and Barbari (c.500 C.E.).
Utilizing the data from these sources, we can accurately establish the years needed to calculate the beginning year of the first Jubilee Cycle during the Exodus Era. This evidence, in turn, will ultimately help to unveil the exact date for the first Jubilee Year.
The chronological evidence from our sources reveals the following:
40 Years of wandering in the wilderness
5 Years of conquest of the Kanaani west of the Jordan (non-Sabbath Years)
1 Sabbath Year (the year the land was first divided)
6 Years of sowing and harvesting (non-Sabbath Years)
1 Sabbath Year
53 Years Total
We must now add 7 Sabbath Cycles or 49 years to satisfy the Jubilee Cycle count per Lev. 25: 8-13. Then, 1 year is added to the total for the Jubilee Year, the 50th Year.
53 Years
49 Years
1 Year
103 Years Total
Therefore, the calculations reveal that the first Jubilee Year to be observed by the Israelites would be the 103rd year of the Exodus Era (the 63rd year of the Invasion Era).
The 4th Year of King Solomon
Our next step is to subtract these 103 years from the 480 years, starting from the year of the Exodus until the 4th year of King Solomon. This precise calculation leaves us with 377 years from the end of the Jubilee in the 103rd year of the Exodus Era (the 63rd year of the Invasion Era) until the 4th year of King Solomon.
To the above figure, we must add the length of reigns for the monarchs of Israel, from Solomon’s 5th year down until Hoshea, the last king of the house of Israel, who was a contemporary of King Hezekiah of Judah. It must also be noted that the list of these kings’ reigns is encumbered by several co-regencies.
Despite the brevity of many co-regencies, our method for calculating the first complete Jubilee cycle in the Promised Land as observed by the Israelites is precise and exact. By adding together the full lengths of all the reigns of the kings of Israel and temporarily disregarding any joint reigns, we ensure the accuracy of our results. This precision gives us the security that any Jubilee year that exceeds our total is not to be considered.
Total Reign of Israel’s Kings
The length of the reigns of the kings of Israel from the 4th year of Solomon until the last year of King Hoshea, the last king of Israel, are as follows:
40 years total reign, King Solomon (2 Chron. 9:30)
– 4 years [i.e., minus the first 4 years of Solomon’s reign, year 4 being the year that the building of the Temple of Yahweh began, being the 480th year of the Exodus Era (1 Kings, 6:1)]
= 36 years, Solomon’s 5th to 40th year (2 Chron. 9:30; 1 Kings, 6:1, 11:42).
+ 22 = Jeroboam, who became king of Israel after death of Solomon. (1 Kings 14:21).
+ 02 = Nadab (1 Kings 15:25).
+ 24 = Baasha (1 Kings 15:33).
+ 02 = Elah (1 Kings 16:8).
+ 07 d. = Zimri (1 Kings 16:15)
+ 12 = Omri (1 Kings 16:20-24).
+ 22 = Ahab (1 Kings 16:29).
+ 02 = Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:51–52).
+ 12 = Jehoram (2 Kings 3:1).
+ 28 = Jehu (2 Kings 9:24-27, 10:36).
+ 17 = Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:1).
+ 16 = Jehoash (2 Kings 13:10).
+ 41 = Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:23).
+ 06 m. = Zechariah (2 Kings 15:8).
+ 01 m. = Shallum (2 Kings 15:11-13).
+ 10 = Menahem (2 Kings 15:13-17).
+ 02 = Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:22-23).
+ 20 = Pekah (2 Kings 15:27).
+ 09 = Hoshea (2 Kings 17:1, 6).
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–277 Years and 7 months and 7 days – Total
According to these figures, the entire length of the monarchy of Israel, from the 5th year of Solomon down until the 9th and final year of King Hoshea, its last king, can total no more than 277 years, 7 months, and 7 days (disregarding all co-regencies). Rounded up, it is 278 full years.
A Precise Date
Our next crucial step is to determine a precise date that aligns with all the figures we’ve discussed. Keep in mind that Hoshea, the last king of Israel, was a contemporary of King Hezekiah of Judah.
• The 7th and 9th years of King Hoshea are said to be equivalent to the 4th and 6th years (AY)3 or 5th and 7th (NY)4 of King Hezekiah:
And it was in the 4th year of King Hezekiah, being the 7th year of Hoshea the son of Elah the king of Israel, that Shalmaneser the king of Assyria came up against Samaria and lay siege against it, and captured it at the end of 3 years; in the 6th year of Hezekiah, being the 9th year of Hoshea the king of Israel, Samaria was captured. (2 Kings 18:9-10)
• Late in Hezekiah’s 14th year, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah. (2 Kings 18:13; Isa. 36:1; Jos. Antiq. 10:1:1)
• The 14th year of Hezekiah (NY) is equivalent to the 3rd year of King Sennacherib, firmly dated by secular history to the year 702/701 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.5
•Hezekiah’s 15th and 16th years (NY), as proven in the publication entitled The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle, represent a Sabbath year and then a Jubilee year. Their dates are 701/700 and 700/699 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.6
• Since Hezekiah’s 14th year (NY) equals the year 702/701 B.C.E., Abib or spring reckoning, his 6th year (AY), i.e., his 7th year (NY)—being the same as the 9th and last year of King Hoshea of Israel—is equivalent to 709/708 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.
Three Points Come Together
Next, it is crucial to tie together the following three points to provide a comprehensive understanding of the chronological findings:
1. The figure of 377 years (i.e., from the end of the confirmed Jubilee year in the 103rd year of the Exodus Era, being the 63rd year of the Invasion Era, until the 4th year of King Solomon).
2. The 277 years, 7 months, 7 days (the aggregate total of the reigns of the monarchs of Israel, disregarding all joint reigns).
3. Our confirmed date for a Jubilee year (the 16th year of the reign of Hezekiah).
The total is as follows:
+ 377 years, from the end of the Jubilee year in the 63rd year of the Invasion Era (103rd year of the Exodus Era) until the 4th year of King Solomon of Israel and Judah (the 480th year).
+ 277 years, 7 months, 7 days from King Solomon’s 5th year until the 9th and last year of King Hoshea of Israel, being the 7th year (NY) of King Hezekiah of Judah.
+009 years, from the 8th year of King Hezekiah until his 16th year (a confirmed Jubilee year).
––––––––––––––––––––––––
+ 663 years and 7 months – Total
The Earliest Possible Date
The figure of 663 years and 7 months, or 664 full years, must now be added to the year 699/698 B.C.E. (the year following the confirmed Jubilee year in the reign of King Hezekiah):
_699 B.C.E.
+664 Years
1363 B.C.E.
The year 1363 B.C.E., as a result, becomes the earliest possible date for the beginning of the next Jubilee Cycle following the Jubilee Year celebrated in the 63rd year of the Invasion Era.
Discovering the Jubilee Cycle
This date must next be compared with the established Jubilee cycle clocked back from 700/699 B.C.E. to that period (see listing below). The year 1363 B.C.E.—a date calculated by disregarding the lengths of all the overlapping reigns of the 20 kings of Israel from Solomon to Hoshea—falls between two possible Jubilee years: the years 1386/1385 and 1337/1336 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.
The Jubilee of the 63rd year of the Invasion Era, being the 103rd year of the Exodus Era, CANNOT BE the year 1386/1385 B.C.E., or any Jubilee before it, because that date is some 23 years beyond the total number of all the years arrived at by stacking the reigns of the 20 Israelite kings.
Neither can the Jubilee of the 63rd year of the Invasion Era be equivalent to the year 1288/1287 B.C.E., the Jubilee year that follows the Jubilee year of 1337/1336 B.C.E., or any one of a lesser date. The year 1288/1287 B.C.E. would represent a reduction in the total numbers for the reigns of the Israelite monarchs by 75 years—a figure far too excessive to be accounted for by the records of co-regencies.
Therefore, we are left with only one possibility: the year 1337/1336 B.C.E., Abib reckoning!
Undoubtedly, this Jubilee year represents the 63rd year of the Israelite invasion west of the Jordan River (i.e., the 103rd year of the Exodus Era).
Year of the Exodus and Solomon’s Temple
Counting back from this date, the first year of the Exodus Era was 1439/1438 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.
Therefore, since the foundations for the Temple began to be laid in the 480th year of the Exodus Era we can pinpoint this year to 960/959 B.C.E., Abib reckoning.
Chronology of Jubilees
Guided by the established Jubilee Year of 700 B.C.E., we will further illustrate the chronology back to the 15th century B.C.E. to arrive at the correct date of the Exodus.
0700 B.C.E. = 14th Jubilee
0749 B.C.E. = 13th Jubilee
0798 B.C.E. = 12th Jubilee
0847 B.C.E. = 11th Jubilee
0896 B.C.E. = 10th Jubilee
0945 B.C.E. = 9th Jubilee
0994 B.C.E. = 8th Jubilee
1043 B.C.E. = 7th Jubilee
1092 B.C.E. = 6th Jubilee
1141 B.C.E. = 5th Jubilee
1190 B.C.E. = 4th Jubilee
1239 B.C.E. = 3rd Jubilee
1288 B.C.E. = 2nd Jubilee
1337 B.C.E. = 1st Jubilee
Year of Exodus Confirmed
We will then add 102 full years to the date of the first Jubilee Year to arrive at the 103rd year of the Exodus Era, which reveals the exact date of the Exodus.
1337 B.C.E.
+102 Years (full years)
1439 B.C.E.
Year of Solomon’s Temple Confirmed
To solidify our date of 1439 B.C.E. for the Exodus, we shall now address the 480th year of the Exodus Era, which was also the 4th year of Solomon’s reign when construction for the First Temple started.
We will now subtract 479 full years from the year of the Exodus to arrive at the 480th year of the Exodus Era.
1439 B.C.E.
– 479 Years (full years)
– 960 B.C.E.
Using the solid foundation of the Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle, it is proven beyond any doubt that the construction of Solomon’s Temple began in 960 B.C.E.
Comparing Timelines
Now that we have established that the Exodus occurred in the mid-15th century B.C.E., the following list compares the two competing early chronological timelines for the first Temple related to the Jubilee Year. Remember that 1337 B.C.E. has been soundly established as the first Jubilee Year and becomes an anchor point for the correct chronology.
Exodus Enter Land 1st Jubilee Year Temple
| Popular | 1446 B.C.E. | 1406 B.C.E. | 1358 B.C.E. (Tishri) |
967 B.C.E. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrected | 1439 B.C.E. | 1399 B.C.E. | 1337 B.C.E. (Abib)• |
960 B.C.E. |
As one can readily see, the earlier and popular date for the beginning of Solomon’s Temple in 967 B.C.E. is in error by seven years.
What is apparent is that the data provided by The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle corrects the 7-year error and confirms the date of 1439 B.C.E. for the Exodus and the date of 960 B.C.E., which is the 480th year of the Exodus Era and the 4th year of Solomon’s reign, for the beginning of the construction of Solomon’s Temple.
A Detailed Chronology
A more detailed breakdown is as follows:
• 1439/1438 B.C.E. The year of the Exodus. The 1st year of the 480 years of the Exodus Era (1 Kings 6:1).
A non-Sabbath year.
• 1400/1399 B.C.E. The 40th year of the wilderness sojourn. Israel comes to Qadesh-Barnea and then invades the east side of the Jordan River, warring against Sihon, Og, and the Midiani.
A non-Sabbath year.
• 1399/1398 to 1395/1394 B.C.E. The 5 years of conquest west of the Jordan River.
All were non-Sabbath years.
• 1394/1393 B.C.E.
The first Sabbath year after coming into the land, per Leviticus 25:1-2. During this year, the land of southern Kanaan was divided among the various tribes of Israel.
A Sabbath Year.
• 1393/1392 to 1388/1387 B.C.E. The first 6 years of sowing and harvesting took place, per Leviticus 25:3.
All are non-Sabbath years.
• 1387/1386 B.C.E.
A Sabbath year. Leviticus 25:4-7.
• 1386/1385 B.C.E. The 1st year of the 1st complete Jubilee cycle.
A non-Sabbath year.
• 1386/1385 to 1338/1337 B.C.E. The 49 years of Leviticus. 25:8
7 complete Sabbath year cycles.
• 1338/1337 B.C.E. A Sabbath year according to Leviticus. 25:8. The 7th Sabbath year in the 49-year Sabbath and Jubilee cycle.
A Sabbath year.
• 1337/1336 B.C.E. The Jubilee year (the 50th of the Jubilee cycle) as commanded in Leviticus 25:9-17.
A Jubilee year.
• 960/959 B.C.E. The 4th year of Solomon and 480th year of the Exodus Era per 1 Kings 6:1.)
A Sabbath year.
• 709/708 B.C.E. Samaria falls in the 9th year of King Hoshea. It is the end of Israel’s monarchy period.
A non-Sabbath year.
• 701/700 B.C.E. The 15th year of King Hezekiah.
A Sabbath year.
• 700/699 B.C.E. The 16th year of King Hezekiah.
A Jubilee year.
Conclusion
Any biblical and Historical researcher should know that having the correct Sabbath and Jubilee Cycles is essential for establishing an accurate and solid foundation for scriptural and Israelite chronology. Additionally, this chronology will be an invaluable tool for unlocking the many mysteries of the prophecies concerning the Latter Days.
Also, the book The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle by R. Clover is an invaluable tool for providing the answers to the many and varied questions regarding the chronological and historical events in Scriptures. We highly suggest that one thoroughly investigate the evidence contained in this publication for the many proofs establishing the correct Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle.
The reader should eagerly anticipate a series of forthcoming works from R. Clover and Qadesh La Yahweh Press. These works will address various and intriguing topics, including Israelite Chronology, Israelite Migrations, The Location of Mount Sinai, The Name Yahu, and more. They are sure to be essential reading for any biblical and historical researcher.
For those who are patient, the wait will be rewarding.
Yahweh be with you.
Footnotes
1. For an explanation of the “Early Theory” and “Late Theory,” see Amenhotep II and the Historicity of the Exodus Pharaoh, subhead 2a and 2b.
2. A forthcoming publication titled “Mount Sinai” by R. Clover and published by Qadesh La Yahweh Press will prove that Pharaoh Tutimaios (Dudimaes) was the pharaoh of the Exodus. It will also be proven that Dynasty VI and Dynasty XIII were parallel Egyptian dynasties and in this confederation Khanephre, the son-in-law of Pepi II, was a sub-king to Pepi II.
3. The following is an explanation for “AY” (accession year) and “NY” (non-accession-year): Several forms of dating and the marking of time for kings and events are utilized by Scriptures. To begin with, some of the records utilized the accession-year system while others use the non-accession-year system. The accession-year system (AY) counts that portion of the year in which a king ends his reign as his last year. The period of the new king during that same year is reckoned as his accession year. The 1st year of the new king is counted from the arrival of the next New Year’s day. The non-accession-year system (NY), on the other hand, counts that portion of the calendar belonging to a king’s last full year as his last, while the remaining portion of the year in which he dies or is removed from power by the new king becomes the new king’s 1st year.
5. The year 702/701 B.C.E. (Abib reckoning) is firmly established in The Chronology of Ancient Western Asia and Egypt, p. 8 and the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2.1, p. 88.
6. See Chapters III-XII of The Sabbath and Jubilee Cycle by R. Clover. Published by Qadesh La Yahweh Press, 2024.