In the archives of human history, few subjects elicit as much intrigue, debate, and division as the chronology of ancient civilizations, especially of the Israelites. The delicate tapestry of time, woven with the threads of diverse cultures, faiths, and interpretations, presents both scholars and seekers with profound challenges.
As Albert Olmstead so poignantly argued:
For the historian the framework is chronology. . . . Without chronology, there can be no history, since history itself is merely a record of human events in time relation. Sad to admit, chronology is the most tricky subject with which the historian must deal, and special attention is always devoted to its intricacies in the historical seminar.1
With the same insight, Edwin Thiele points out:
Without exact chronology there can be no exact history.2
Israelite Chronology
Among the contested chronologies of the ancient world lie those belonging to the ancient Israelites (both of the house of Judah and the house of Israel), especially while they inhabited the Promised Land. The long journey of these enduring Israelite nations as they passed through the ages is recorded not only in the sacred texts of the Scriptures but is also mirrored in the annals and inscriptions of their contemporaries: the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and others. Continue reading “Challenging the Narrative”