Are the Elephanine Papyri Using Egyptian or Babylonian Regnal Years?

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

Created 5929± 10 10 2025 [2009-01-08]

Updated 5930± 03 18 2026 [2010-06-03]

Are the Elephantine Papyri Using Egyptian or Babylonian Regnal Years?

(Cf. also the Elephantine papyri portion of this Excel spread sheet:)

Papyrus	Original default		Later default under Artaxerxes I		Used only rarely		For your reference only	Comments
	Egyptian Calendar Year	Difference between Egyptian and papyri	Babylonian Calendar Year	Difference between Babylonian and papyri	Scriptural Calendar Year	Difference between Scriptural and papyri	Julian Calendar date of papyri etc.
AP 5. Elul 18 = Pachons 28, year 15 of Xerxes	15		15		14		Between sunrise Sept 12 and sunrise Sept 13, 471 BCE	Ahasuerus/Xerxes began his reign between Thoth 1, 486 BCE and Tishri 21, 485 BCE, probably even before Aviv 1, 485 BCE. (For details please cf. this link!) “Year 15” is Egyptian reckoning by default, a conclusion extrapolated from the pattern of scribal policy noticeable during the reign of Artaxerxes. Cf. the green columns below!
AP 6. Kislev 18 = Thoth [17], year 21, the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes 1	2	- (Artaxerxes Egyptian year not given)	Accession year	0	Accession year	0	Between sunset Jan 2 and sunrise Jan 3, 464 BCE	Provided Artaxerxes began his reign between Aviv 1 (Babylonian calendar,) or Tishri 22 (Scriptural calendar,) 465 BCE and Epagomanea 5, 465 BCE.
AP 10. Kislev 7 - Thoth 4, year [2]9 [or 5 [Egyptian] (or possibly 3 [Scriptural or Babylonian];) gs edit] of Artaxerxes I	5	0	3	0	3	0	Between sunrise Dec 20 and sunrise Dec 21, 462 BCE	Given that “29^th” really does not fit the pattern and that if 9 is an error, then the correct year is whatever it is, not necessarily "year 4," i.e. depending on whether the Egyptian, the Babylonian, or the Scriptural calendar is the one being used in that particular papyrus on that Julian day. Given also that "year 4" does not fit the pattern either and that either the Egyptian year 5, the Babylonian year 3, or the Scriptural year 3 all are possible correct dates, but that the Egyptian year 5 not only fits the pattern best, but is also the most similar sounding number to the Hebrew number 9 especially when read pronounced together with the Hebrew word “year”, i.e. “shanat tesha” [=year 9] vs. “shanat shemini" [=year 5,] this is probably the one correct solution to this dilemma!!!!!!! (Cf. at year 30 of Artaxerxes below; also comment re AP 10 in my file treeoflife.wan.io/OTCh/Misc work files/Daniel and more/THE CHRONOLOGY OF EZRA 7 - with GS comments.doc) Notice: This is one of the three papyri (AP 8, AP 10, & Kraeling 8) with a problem attributed to a scribal error per Horn and Wood, all of which have now been resolved.
AP 8. Kislev 21 Mesore 1, year 6 of Artaxerxes I	6	0	5	-1	5	-1	Between sunrise Nov 12 and sunrise Nov 13, 460 BCE	Notice: This is one of the three papyri (AP 8, AP 10, & Kraeling 8) with a problem attributed to a scribal error per Horn and Wood, all of which have now been resolved.
AP 9. Year 6 of Artaxerxes I	6	0	5	-1	5	-1	Ditto, more or less, confirming the year of the above!
Cairo Sandstone Stele. Sivan = Mechir, year 7 of Artaxerxes 1	8	1	7	0	6	-1	Between sunrise May 15 and sunrise June 14, 458 BCE	As seen from this table it appears as though beginning with the Cairo Sandstone the regnal year reckoning was changed from Egyptian to Babylonian at or before the erection of this Stele.
Kraeling 1. Phamenoth 25 = Sivan 20, year 14 of Artaxerxes 1	15	1	14	0	13	-1	Between sunset July 6 and sunrise July 7, 451 BCE
Kraeling 2. [Tammuz [(or Av) / GS edit]] 18 = Pharmuthi [2], year 16 of Artaxerxes 1	17	1	16	0	15	-1	Between sunset July 11 (Pharmuti 1) and sunset July 13 (Pharmuti 3,) 449 BCE.
AP 15. [Tishri 25] = Epiphi 6, year [30 [or 16; GS edit]] of [Artaxerx]es I	17	1	16	0	16	0		Cf. AP 15 at Egyptian year 31 below! AP 15 is a badly broken papyrus and not much weigh can be placed on it for any purpose!
AP 13. Kislev 2 = Mesore 11 ~~(?)~~, year 19 of Artaxerxes I	20	1	19	0	19	0	Between sunset Nov 18 and sunrise Nov 19, 446 BCE, Mesore 11 and Kislev 2, 446 BCE
AP 14. Ab 14 = Pachons 19, year 25 of Artaxerxes I	26	1	25	0	24	-1	Between sunrise August 26 and sunrise Aug 27, 440 BCE
Kraeling 3. Elul 7 = Payni 9, year 28 of Artaxerxes I	29	1	28	0	27	-1	Between sunset Sept 14 and sunrise Sept 15, 437 BCE
AP 10. Kislev 7 - Thoth 4, year [2]9 of Artaxerxes I	30	1	28	-1	28	-1		Cf. AP 10 at Egyptian year 5 of Artaxerxes I above! Problem solved! Notice: This is one of the three papyri (AP 8, AP 10, & Kraeling 8) with a problem attributed to a scribal error per Horn and Wood, all of which have now been resolved.
AP 15. [Tishri 25] = Epiphi 6, year [30] of [Artaxerx]es I	31	1	30	0	30	0		Cf. AP 15 at Egyptian year 17 above! AP 15 is a badly broken papyrus and not much weigh can be placed on it for any purpose!
Kraeling 4. Tishri 25 = Epiphi 25, year 31 of Artaxerxes 1	32	1	31	0	31	0	Between sunrise Oct 30 and sunrise Oct 31, 434 BCE
Kraeling 5. Sivan 20 = Phamenoth 7, year 38 of Artaxerxes 1	39	1	38	0	37	-1	Between sunset June 12 and sunrise June 13, 427 BCE
Totals for Artaxerxes’ reign		Total errors (raw count) = 11 Total w no change of regnal year reckoning = 11 After identifying and correcting the AP 10 mistake: 10		Total errors (raw count) = ‑3 Total w changed regnal year reckoning to Babylonian = -1 Errors after identifying and correcting the AP 10 mistake: 0		Total errors (raw count) = ‑9 Total w changed regnal year reckoning to Scriptural = -7 After identifying and correcting the AP 10 mistake: -6		This row is for purposes of evaluating the pattern of dating the many papyri during the reign of Artaxerxes.
Kraeling 6. Pharmuthi 8 = Tammuz 8, year 3 of Darius II	4		4		3		Between sunrise and sunset on June 11, 420 BCE	“Year 3” is an exception using Scriptural/Jewish fall-to-fall reckoning.
AP 20. Elul = Payni, year 4 of Darius II	4		4		3		Between sunrise and sunset Sept 2, 420 BCE	“Year 4… 8…” etc. (adjacent & below) are Babylonian reckoning, which is apparently being used by default, a conclusion extrapolated from the pattern of scribal policy noticeable during the reign of Artaxerxes. (Cf. above the green columns above!) Notice the difference in regnal years between Babylonian vs. Scriptural regnal years in AP 20, Kraeling 7 & 8!
Kraeling 7. Tishri = Epiphi, year 4 of Darius II	4		4		3 (or possibly 4?, but probably not.)		More than likely this papyrus was dated between sunrise and sunset October 2, 420 BCE, i.e. on Epiphi 1 and Tishri 1.	Notice: Kraeling 7 “was written in the month following the one recorded in AP 20.” (Siegfried H. Horn & Lynn H. Wood, The Chronology of Ezra Seven.) From this table it is clear that both these papyri were dated using the spring-spring calendar. (Had both been dated using a fall-fall calendar, these papyri would be evidence for the Elephantine papyri using a fall-fall calendar beginning the year on Tishri 22, but even if this was indeed the case, it cannot be proven by these papyri.) Cf. notice at Kraeling 8.
Kraeling 8. Tishri 6 = Payni 22, year 8 of Darius II	8		8		7		Between sunrise and sunset Sept 22, 416 BCE.	Notice 1: This is one of the three papyri (AP 8, AP 10, & Kraeling 8) with a problem attributed to a scribal error per Horn and Wood, all of which have now been resolved. Notice 2:Had this papyrus been using Scriptural reckoning it would have been proof of the scribe honoring Tishri 22 as the beginning of the year, but because either Egyptian or Babylonian reckoning is being used for all except one of the Elephantine papyri we have no such proof at this time. Cf. notice at Kraeling 7.
AP 25. Kislev 3, year 8 = Thoth 12, year 9 of Darius II	9		8		8		Between sunset Nov 16 and sunrise Nov 17, 416 BCE	At this point (before AP 25 & AP 28, and perhaps even from a time after Kraeling 5 (or even 6) and the reign of Artaxerxes and before AP 20 and the reign of Darius II) a scribal policy seems to have been introduced to the effect that when the Egyptian and Babylonian regnal years differ, both are being specified. Notice the absence of double regnal year specification when the numbers are the same (AP 20, Kraeling 7 & 8, vs. Kraeling 7, 8, and AP 20!)
AP 28. Shebat 24, year 13 = Athyr 9, year 14 of Darius II	14		13		13		Between sunset Feb 10 and sunrise Feb 11, 410 BCE
Cowley's ed. No. 30							“Nov. 25, 407 B.C. (according to the Persian calendar)”
Kraeling 9. Marcheshvan 24 = Mesore 29, year 1 of Artaxerxes II	1		Accession year or year 1		Accession year or year 1		Between sunset Nov 25 and sunrise Nov 26, 404 BCE	Based upon the relative dates of Kraeling 9 & 10, “year 3” of Kraeling 10 is necessarily Egyptian reckoning. It follows that the Egyptian year reckoning for Kraeling 9 is year 1 whether or not that was intended by the scribe or not. Considering this change in dating, i.e. the absence of specification for obviously differing years, and the prior change of ruler one cannot be certain re the numbering of the Babylonian and Scriptural year reckoning, though it may be that the Babylonian reckoning is being referenced in Kraeling 9?
Kraeling 10. Adar 20 = Choiak 8, year 3 of Artaxerxes II	3		1 or 2		1 or 2		Between sunrise March 9 and sunrise March 10, 402 BCE
	5		4 or 5		3 or 4		“June 19, 400 B.C.”	"The last known dated Jewish document from that [Elephantine] island was written on June 19, 400 B.C. Then a curtain of silence fell over this interesting community. The temple was probably again destroyed, and the Jews either killed or driven out. Nothing further is known of their fate." (SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p.83:6.) Isn't it quite likely that this Jewish community joined Ezra in Jerusalem when in the seventh year of Artaxerxes II (in the spring of 397 BCE; the 7^th year referenced by Ezra beginning either Aviv 1, 397 BCE (Babylonian calendar) or else, not likely, Tishri 22, 398 BCE (Scriptural calendar)) Ezra and his people received the king's encouragement for moving back to Palestine?!!! Possibly, a certain portion of this Jewish community decided to move to Ethiopia bringing with them (?) the Ark of the Covenant, that is, in recognition of God's calling His people out from under any and all human hierarchies, that is, recognizing that Ezra was acting under the authority of Artaxerxes II while acknowledging also that Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple were within the jurisdiction of Artaxerxes II. Cf. this video interview with Graham Hancock (at 0:13:13 or about 0:11:30-0:13:30.)

Comments and donations freely accepted at:

Tree of Life^©

c/o General Delivery

Nora [near SE-713 01]

Sweden Republic^© in Adamah Republic^©

eMail: TreeOfLifeTime@gmail.com

You are hereby cordially invited to subscribe to our free email course:

You’ll discover firsthand the fundamentals for understanding Scripture time reckoning as used by the ancient historian Josephus as well as by all the authors of the Holy Scriptures! Much of this knowledge has - until now - been lost to the best of scholars for many centuries.

“Great truths which have been neglected and unappreciated for ages will be revealed by the Spirit of God, and new meaning will flash out of familiar texts. Every page will be illuminated by the Spirit of truth. The Bible is not sealed but unsealed. The most precious truths are revealed; the living oracles are heard by wondering ears, and the consciences of men are aroused into action.”

You will make many surprising and exciting discoveries re the exact dates for Jesus’ birth, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension… as well as the exact dates of many, many more events found in your Bible, especially re the New Testament times.

You’ll discover the exact dates for the 12+ Roman Caesars beginning with Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus…

You’ll discover the exact dates of most of the kings of Juda beginning with Hyrcanus in the 2^nd century BCE, Herod the Great, Agrippa, and many other Judean kings and proconsuls, e.g. Pontius Pilate…

You’ll discover many things re the Scripture traditions honored by all the disciples and believers of the Apostolic times – as well as by the Jews – traditions that have been long forgotten or not correctly restored when previously re-discovered…

Be prepared to re-think and to re-learn… Things may not be as you always thought they were… But you’ll decide!

“Get Your Tree of Life © 1st Century Chronology & Scripture Calendar Introductory Course NOW…”:

It is a very simple Basics 101 type course entitled:

Tour Guide towards “Tuning into the Frequency of the Creator & Becoming Oriented in His Time…”

It is one short email per week for you to enjoy with your family and friends…

Click here to subscribe NOW!

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner.YOUR-3F778DA96A\Application Data\Microsoft\tolcf\index.php

Free counter

…

^...

Pearls & Mannah – “I found it!”

Home

GotLinks?com Links

Feel free to use, and for sharing freely with others, any of the truth and blessings belonging to God alone. I retain all the copyrights to the within, such that no one may lawfully restrain my use and my sharing of it with others. Including also all the errors that remain. Please let only me know about those. I need to know in order to correct them. Others don’t need to be focused upon the errors that belong to me alone. Please respect that, and please do not hesitate to let me know of any certain error that you find!