How were in fact the years being reckoned during the reign of Ahasuerus? The proof is in the pudding...

Statement of belief: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)

Created 5941(?) 02 03 2027 [2010-10-12]

Updated 5941(?) 02 04 2027 [2010-10-13]

Re the Reckoning of Years During King Ahasuerus…

And Re His Accession to the Throne

Abstract:

While still being blind to certain fact that are heretofore unfamiliar and unrecognized one will tend to be in reality very much confused when confronted with such facts. Most of the time this confusion remains below the level of consciousness while yet having its consequences and while yet influencing ones thoughts and actions in great things as in small, apparently insignificant, things of one’s day to day life…

Several years ago I tried sorting out these particulars pertaining to the reckoning of years used by AP 5 and AP 6 during the reign of Ahasuerus. Upon rereading my old notes, I could hardly understand them at first. My old reasoning seemed very convoluted and even bizarre at first. So I prayed about it, desiring clear light upon this issue…

Well, Praise Jehovah, the Lord of Hosts, the Ancient of Days! Upon awakening the following morning I suddenly understand what to do and how to display it. Look at the details within the tables below and see for yourself if the fact of the matter doesn’t stand out clearly before your eyes, even without having to ponder these things for years as I have had to!

Considerations:

Problem #1:

The regnal years, as expressed by the exactly, and reliably!, dated papyri of Elephantine, AP 5 and AP 6, do not agree with the calendar years of several certain calendars, including for instance the Egyptian calendar. The Egyptian calendar has been commonly assumed to be the one that fits the shoe, i.e. all the recorded data. However, upon closer scrutiny, it does not fit at all!

The simple solution #1:

Test each calendar and “find the foot that fits the shoe!”

Simple instructions for understanding the below tables:

1. Identify the two events within the first table below, that is, the events within Year 15 and within Year 21 in the yellow colored rows.

2. Familiarize yourself with the leftmost column “Common Birthday reckoning…!” That column is reckoning the years as you yourself is used to reckon your own birthdays! The item being “born” is AP 5 as noted in the yellow row labeled “Year 15…” While still in year #15 the papyrus, AP 5, being “born” has not yet had its first “birthday.” You’ll identify the “1^st birthday”by the date beginning with “#16 - …” within that column (as within each of the columns…) Notice how the years add up correctly towards Event #2 in “Year 21…!”

3. Next, familiarize yourself with column #2, the “Julian calendar” column, which calendar is very much the same as the Gregorian calendar that you are most likely familiar with and which you are likely to be having on your own wall or refrigerator. Count the New Year days one by one from the point in time defined by said birth event, that is, from the issuing of the AP 5 papyrus. Notice how the years do not add up correctly towards Event #2 in “Year 21…!” That is, the event labeled “Year 21” seems to be placed in “Year #22!” But that can’t be, can it?!!! Something must be wrong with that picture! And it is! One cannot use the wrong calendar reckoning when reckoning years, or it won’t work quite right! The shoe doesn’t fit the foot!

4. Now do the same thing with columns #3 - #5, the Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Scripture calendars! Notice how that only one of them is adding up the years correctly towards Event #2 in “Year 21…!”

5. Once you understand clearly the point I am trying to convey by table #1, and the conclusions specified below, please go on to table #2, further down on this page!

Reckoning the New Years One by One… per various extant calendars Which Calendar Fits the Shoe? [That is, the shoe being defined by the data provided in AP 5 and AP 6?]
Common Birthday reckoning of AP 5	Julian calendar	Egyptian calendar	Babylonian calendar	Scripture calendar
		#15 – Thoth 1, 472 BCE		#15 – Tishri 22, 472 BCE
#15 – sunset September 12, 471 BCE	#15 – Jan 1, 471 BCE		#15 – Nisan 1, 471 BCE
Year 15 Event: AP 5 – Written on Sept 12, 471 BCE “Elul 18 = Pachons 28, year 15 of Xerxes”
		#16 – Thoth 1, 471 BCE		#16 – Tishri 22, 471 BCE
#16 – Sept 12, 470 BCE	#16 – Jan 1, 470 BCE	#17 – Thoth 1, 470 BCE	#16 – Nisan 1, 470 BCE	#17 – Tishri 22, 470 BCE
#17 – Sept 12, 469 BCE	#17 – Jan 1, 469 BCE	#18 – Thoth 1, 469 BCE	#17 – Nisan 1, 469 BCE	#18 – Tishri 22, 469 BCE
#18 – Sept 12, 468 BCE	#18 – Jan 1, 468 BCE	#19 – Thoth 1, 468 BCE	#18 – Nisan 1, 468 BCE	#19 – Tishri 22, 468 BCE
#19 – Sept 12, 467 BCE	#19 – Jan 1, 467 BCE	#20 – Thoth 1, 467 BCE	#19 – Nisan 1, 467 BCE	#20 – Tishri 22, 467 BCE
#20 – Sept 12, 466 BCE	#20 – Jan 1, 466 BCE	#21 – Thoth 1, 466 BCE	#20 – Nisan 1, 466 BCE	#21 – Tishri 22, 466 BCE
#21 – Sept 12, 465 BCE	#21 – Jan 1, 465 BCE	#22 – Thoth 1, 465 BCE	#21 – Nisan 1, 465 BCE	#22 – Tishri 22, 465 BCE
	#22 – Jan 1, 464 BCE
Year 21 Event: AP 6 – Written on Jan 2, 464 BCE “Kislev 18 = Thoth [17], year 21, the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes 1”
#22 – Sept 12, 464 BCE		#23 – Thoth 1, 464 BCE	#22 – Nisan 1, 464 BCE	#23 – Tishri 22, 464 BCE
Ok fit	No fit	No fit	Ok fit	No fit
Not used	Not used	Not used	Used	Not used

Conclusions re which calendar reckoning that is being used within the Elephantine papyri AP 5 and AP 6:

The reckoning of years during the reign of Ahasuerus, that were being used by the scribes of the Elephantine papyri AP 5 and AP 6, were obviously based upon the Nisan to Nisan Babylonian calendar. None of the other calendars then in use fits the shoe! Notice how AP 6 would have been dated in the 22^nd year if either the Egyptian or the Scriptural calendar had been used.

Furthermore, it is obvious that AP 6 is not using an Egyptian calendar for the assignment of years. The Egyptian calendar reckoning is not using accession year, whereas both the Babylonian and the Scriptural calendar reckoning does use accession year. The proof of this fact is found in the words “the beginning of the reign…” Such words do not apply when accession years are not being used. Accordingly, this fact alone rules out the Egyptian calendar reckoning relative to AP 5, AP 6, and the reign of Ahasuerus.

Added blessings:

Identifying Ahasuerus’ Accession Year

as determined by the Babylonian calendar and by the Elephantine papyri

AP 5 and AP6

Year #0 – accession year – Nisan 1, 486 BCE

Year #1 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 485 BCE

Year #2 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 484 BCE

Year #3 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 483 BCE

Year #4 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 482 BCE

Year #5 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 481 BCE

Year #6 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 480 BCE

Year #7 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 479 BCE

Year #8 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 478 BCE

Year #9 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 477 BCE

Year #10 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 476 BCE

Year #11 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 475 BCE

Year #12 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 474 BCE

Year #13 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 473 BCE

Year #14 – Beginning with Nisan 1, 472 BCE

Ahasuerus’ 15^th year of reign

Per the Babylonian calendar - Beginning with Nisan 1, 471 BCE

Ahasuerus’15^th year of reign is clearly identified by AP 5 and AP 6 in terms of the Babylonian calendar. Cf. the table above!

Conclusions re the timing of Ahasuerus’ accession to the throne:

As may be clearly seen from the table above, Ahasuerus’ reign began within the Babylonian year beginning Nisan 1, 486 BCE.

Problem #2:

The regnal years, as expressed by the exactly, and reliably dated(!) – albeit not necessarily reliably understood(?) – Book of Esther, do not seem to agree with the calendar years of several certain calendars. The Babylonian calendar has been commonly assumed to be the one that fits the shoe, i.e. all the recorded data. However, upon closer scrutiny, there seems to be more to it than that!

The simple solution #2:

Test each calendar and “find the foot that fits the shoe!”

Reckoning the New Years One by One… per various extant calendars Which Calendar Fits the Shoe? [That is, the shoe being defined by the data provided in Esther 1:3-4 and Esther 3:7, 12-13?]
Common Birthday reckoning of AP 5	Julian calendar	Egyptian calendar	Babylonian calendar	Scripture calendar
		#3 – Thoth 1, 483 BCE	#3 – Nisan 1, 483 BCE	#3 – Tishri 22, 483 BCE
#3 – sunset April 2, 482 BCE	#3 – Jan 1, 482 BCE
Year 3 Event: The beginning of Ahasuerus’ feast on day #180, Adar, Friday April 2, 482 BCE, in Ahasuerus’ 3^rd year “In the third year of his reign… beginning with day one hundred and fourscore” Esther 1:3-4
		#4 – Thoth 1, 482 BCE	#4 – Nisan 1, 482 BCE	#4 – Tishri 22, 482 BCE
#4 – April 2, 481 BCE	#4 – Jan 1, 481 BCE	#5 – Thoth 1, 481 BCE	#5 – Nisan 1, 481 BCE	#5 – Tishri 22, 481 BCE
#5 – April 2, 480 BCE	#5 – Jan 1, 480 BCE	#6 – Thoth 1, 480 BCE	#6 – Nisan 1, 480 BCE	#6 – Tishri 22, 480 BCE
#6 – April 2, 479 BCE	#6 – Jan 1, 479 BCE	#6 – Thoth 1, 479 BCE	#7 – Nisan 1, 479 BCE	#7 – Tishri 22, 479 BCE
#7 – April 2, 478 BCE	#7 – Jan 1, 478 BCE	#7 – Thoth 1, 478 BCE	#8 – Nisan 1, 478 BCE	#8 – Tishri 22, 478 BCE
#8 – April 2, 477 BCE	#8 – Jan 1, 477 BCE	#8 – Thoth 1, 477 BCE	#9 – Nisan 1, 477 BCE	#9 – Tishri 22, 477 BCE
#9 – April 2, 476 BCE	#9 – Jan 1, 476 BCE	#9 – Thoth 1, 476 BCE	#10 – Nisan 1, 476 BCE	#10 – Tishri 22, 476 BCE
#10 – April 2, 475 BCE	#10 – Jan 1, 475 BCE	#10 – Thoth 1, 475 BCE	#11 – Nisan 1, 475 BCE	#11 – Tishri 22, 475 BCE
#11 – April 2, 474 BCE	#11 – Jan 1, 474 BCE		#12 – Nisan 1, 474 BCE
Year 12 Event: Haman casting Pur on Nisan 1, Thu May 3, 474 BCE “In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus… in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar” Esther 3:7, 12-13
		#11 – Thoth 1, 474 BCE		#12 – Tishri 22, 474 BCE
#12 – April 2, 473 BCE	#12 – Jan 1, 473 BCE	#12 – Thoth 1, 473 BCE	#13 – Nisan 1, 473 BCE
No fit	No fit	No fit	Ok fit	No fit
Not used	Not used	Not used	Used	Not used

Conclusions re the time reference being used in the Book of Esther:

As may be clearly seen from the table above, the Babylonian calendar is the only one that fits the criteria being applied. Yet, the criteria applied, that is, upon the dates of the events being here tested, are themselves being built upon an understanding that the 180^th day referenced in Esther is being reckoned upon the Scriptural calendar foundation. This could be a false assumption of mine, but if it is, then the results now obtained using the above test become null and void, that is, totally meaningless, that is, given that the data input tested are themselves then flawed at their foundation! This may or may not be… Therefore, on the assumption that this test is indeed valid and that the data provided are also viable, I will proceed by considering my foundations further… First of all the Hebrew Scriptures themselves!

I notice that the Hebrew words, as well as the KJV translation, of Esther 1:3-4, are very matter of fact and direct. In contradistinction, the Hebrew words, as well as the KJV translation, that is, the words “that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus” (Esther 3:7) have a smell of being an explanatory remark being inserted into the text (possibly even by a later editor?... Or, purposely as such – as a hidden key? - by the original author?,) rather than an original time reference provided by the original author upon the original time reference upon which the Book of Esther is indeed built.

I further notice that the point in time referenced in Esther 1:3-4 is in late Adar and that, for months 8 through 12, the regnal year number, that is, Ahasuerus’ 3^rd year, is the same for the Scripture calendar reckoning as it is for the Babylonian calendar, provided only that the Babylonian calendar for this era is ahead of and leading the Scripture calendar reckoning. In contradistinction, under similar circumstances, this is not true for months 1 through 6, and the Scripture year number for those months are then one less than the Babylonian year number. Thus, if the “explanatory remark” found in Esther 3:7, “the first month, that is, the month Nisan…,” is indeed a reference to Ahasuerus’ 12^th year per Babylonian calendar reckoning, it would still be, at the same time, Ahasuerus’ 11^th year per Scriptural year reckoning!

That given, and provided that is true, then all my findings and conclusions appear to be in harmony with each other and with the facts… It remains to be seen what else the Ancient of Days, the Lord of Hosts will show me henceforth…

Praise His Holy Name!

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