Biblical Hebrew Forum

[MarianneLuban AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/29/2004 10:46:23 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
MarianneLuban AT aol.com writes:


> > Marianne the reason why Josephus said that the exile occurred in the 
> > Egyptian month of Pharmouti is because when he wrote his work (the AD 
> > 80's) the Hebrew month of Nisan mostly corresponded with this Egyptian 
> > month.
> > 
> 
> This is likely so, but Pharmouti took place in the spring at other times, 
> too.  At the time of the routing of the Hysos it did--which is when 
> Josephus 
> 
> believed *the* exodus occurred.  The salient point is, though, that 
> Josephus 
> did 
> not write the Bible.  Whoever wrote the BOE said that the exodus took place 
> in 
> the spring--so we have to go along with that--and take a time when 
> Pharmouti 
> 
> was in the spring.  Which it was not always.

Rather, I should have said "when the spring months actually took place in the 
spring" because, yes, Josephus could have been mistaken about the actual 
month.  Another thing--in 80 CE, the first day of the month of Pharmouti 
corresponds to March 1 by the Julian Calendar according to my software.  
Pharmouti day 
1 corresponds to February 29 in 84 CE.  However, in 30 BCE, the beginning 
date 
of the month of Pharmouti was fixed to March 27 at Alexandria.  So what do 
you say, Joe?