>
> Thanks, Yigal, this was quite helpful.
>
> In looking at the text of Nehemiah, however, there are further questions
raised.
>
> Nehemiah 1:1 "in the month of Kislev of the 20th year" ... 20th year
> of what? When Nehemiah was 20 years old? The text does not say.
Dates in antiquity are always in terms of regnal years of the local king.
That is why this is the year 2006, it is supposed to be the 2006th regnal
year of Jesus Christ.
>
> A similar use of the language is when Nebuchadnezzar first led an army
> against Jerusalem, he was not yet king, but the record written later
> called him king because he had become king before the record was
> written.
That is not the case here.
>
> I have seen several similar uses in English for titled people.
You'd have to show it for Hebrew tho.
>
> Finally, Artaxerxes II faced several rebellions early in his reign,
> the most famous the one immortalized by Xenephon, so it make sense
> that he would send a totally loyal Nehemiah to fortify and defend one
> corner of his realm. And if Rolf is correct, that reign started a
> decade earlier than listed in standard histories.
Nehemiah was cupbearer to Artaxerxes I. While the date of Ezra is disputed,
the date of Nehemiah is not disputed due to the evidence from Elephantine.
Best,
Liz Fried
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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