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Created 5929± 09 20 2025
[2008-12-19]
Last
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04 02 2027 [2011-08-06]
Almagest and Ptolemy’s Canon
of the Kings
To what extent may it be
relied upon at all?
Where in time are we in
relation to the ancients?
New!: Cf. also my PowerPoint presentation
entitled Phlegon’s Solar Eclipse! (Alternative Swedish version: Phlegons solförmörkelse…)
Abstract:
As I
understand it, Ptolemy did some outstanding work re astronomy, especially where
it touches upon the exact timing of lunar and solar eclipses. Because of such
works Ptolemy has been, and still is, greatly credited by many or even most
scientists in that area. Unfortunately, such trust in a man frequently spills
over into areas where one and the same man is not as knowledgeable or as
reliable. Such also, I believe, is the case re Ptolemy’s Canon of the Kings.
Much or
even most of conventional chronology and history is [apparently] relying upon
dates derived from Ptolemy’s Canon of the Kings (Arabic: Almagest,) even
where this is not directly recognized or so stated or claimed. This is so
because whereas it is recognized and commonly claimed that the presumed date of
death of Caesar Augustus, August 19, 14 A.D., is used as a basis for such
dating of history, it appears as though that date for Augustus’ death is itself
ultimately based upon Ptolemy’s Canon:
Given a [false] assumption that Ptolemy’s Canon is reliable for purposes
of dating historical events, it would follow that Augustus died in the Egyptian
year designated as year 761 of the Nabonassar Era
[N.E.,] which year ended on August 19, 14 A.D. (cf. SDA Bible Commentary, Vol.
2, p. 154.) Based upon such an
assumption and e.g. Josephus’ references to the Olympic calendar one may see
how that some
may have concluded that the total solar eclipse referenced by Phlegon (as having occurred in the 4th year of
the 202nd Olympiad) was the March 19, 33 CE total solar eclipse. That
is, it appears as though the mistaken belief, that the total solar eclipse
referenced by Phlegon (which per Phlegon
occurred in the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad) was the
March 19, 33 CE total solar eclipse, may have been, and probably was, based upon
Ptolemy’s Canon.
But how
reliable is Ptolemy’s Canon of the Kings
for purposes of dating historical events outside of astronomy?:
Considerations:
Per
Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings, Caesar Augustus’ last year of reign is listed as the
337th year in the sequence of “Years of the Macedonian Kings After the Death of Alexander the King” (SDA Bible
Commentary, Vol. 2, p.154.) From
Suetonius we know that Caesar Augustus died on August 19. It may be noticed that August 19 within the above
said 337th year was the very last day of the 761st year
of the Nabonassar Era (“N.E..”)
The next day, which is the first day of the Egyptian calendar year [the
Egyptian calendar is used both by Ptolemy and for the N.E.,] is attributed to
Caesar Tiberius, Augustus’ successor and is
listed as “N.E. 762; Aug. 20, 14 A.D.” (ibid..) However, it is easily
shown, based upon Phlegon, Josephus, Suetonius,
and NASA’s tables of solar eclipses, that Augustus did not die in 14 CE, but in
10 CE [i.e. 10 A.D..]
Re
Alexander the Great’s death
Based
upon the corrected placement of Phlegon’s total solar
eclipse (Nov 24, 29 CE,) and of the Olympic calendar[1]
it is also easily shown that Alexander the Great (or “Alexander of Macedonia” [ibid.])
did not die in the year indicated by Ptolemy’s Canon, “N.E. 424,” which year
ended with the day prior to “Nov 12, 324 BCE,” (ibid.) [Julian Day
1603398,] but in the
114th Olympiad (Flavius Josephus, Against Apion,
Book 1:22,) which year ended at the beginning of July 1, 326 BCE [Julian Day
1602533,] i.e. 1603398 - 1602533 = 865 days, or more than two years, before the
year apparently indicated by Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings:
Given 1)
that “the fourth year of the 202nd
Olympiad” referenced by Phlegon began
with July 1, 29 CE and 2) that Alexander the Great died in the 114th
Olympiad (cf. above,) it is easy to see that Alexander the Great died in the
Olympic year beginning July 1, 327 BCE and not in the Egyptian year
beginning November 12, 325 BCE:
29 -
(((202-114) * 4) + 3) = -326 (The astronomic year -326 = 327 BCE;)
or
29 – (((202*4) + 3) – (114*4)) = -326; or
29 – ((202*4) + 3) + (114*4) = -326
Lastly,
given that Alexander the Great died in June of the year beginning with July,
327 BCE, and ending with June, 326 BE, it is easy to see that he died in June,
326 BCE. That is, Daesius 28 or 30, 326 BCE [beginning at sunset Sat June
13 or Mon June 15, 326 BCE.][2]
Summary:
Using
Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings for dating the deaths of Alexander the Great and
Caesar Augustus leads to errors of two years and four years respectively. Thus…
On at least
two most important points much closer to Ptolemy in time than are for instance
the Babylonian king Nabonidus and the Persian king
Cyrus (cf. the fall of Babylon,) Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings is clearly incomplete
or in error. That being the case, how can one keep relying upon an assumption
that Ptolemy was in fact using no longer extant references regarding the kings
he is listing and the years of their reign? Ptolemy himself never claimed he
did, or did he?
Per
Ptolemy’s Canon, Cyrus’ 1st year of reign began
in the Egyptian year designated “N.E. 210” (ibid.,) which year began Jan
5, 538 BCE. Based upon this it is easy to see how that some may come to the
conclusion that Cyrus accession year began on the last prior Tishri 16, which
Tishri 16 would then have been Tishri 16, 539 BCE [October 12 or 13, 539 BCE.]
Thus it seems as though Ptolemy’s Canon of Kings is the prime basis for dating
the fall of
No, it is
not! In fact, looking at the sources I find that the fall of Babylon did not
occur on Tishri 16, but at the time of the Midsummer Festival, that is, on
Tammuz 16, 534 BCE [June 21, 534 BCE.]
Here
is a table of the reigns I have found after careful study of the best available
contemporary sources currently available to me:
|
Kings |
Time of
reign |
Comments |
Years in consequence of Ptolemy’s Canon |
Difference between dates derived from Ptolemy’s
Canon and current findings (yrs error – yrs error) [Cf. columns #2 vs #4] |
|
Nabopolassar |
626/625 - Ab
8, 605 |
|
625-604 BCE |
0 - 1 |
|
Nebuchadnezzar
II |
Ab 8, 605 – betw. mo.
1&4, 560 |
|
604-561 BCE |
1 - 1 |
|
Amel-Marduk
|
Betw. mo.
1&4, 560 – mo. 1 or 2, 557 |
Nebuchadnezzar’s 7 years of eating grass? 560-552 including the
accession year. Cf. Dan. 4:32-37 |
561-559 BCE |
1 - 2 |
|
Nergal-Sharezer
|
– mo. 1, 552 |
Ditto |
559-555 BCE |
2 - 3 |
|
Labashi-Marduk (Laborosoardoch) |
– mo. 3, 552 |
Ditto |
- |
- |
|
Nabonidus and son |
Mo. 3, 552 – Tammuz 16 (June 21; midsummer solstice at that time fell on June
29,) 534 |
Nabonidus =
Nebuchadnezzar? Cf. Dan.
4:32-37 |
555-538 BCE |
3 - 4 |
|
Darius the Mede / Cyaxares; Cyrus’ uncle |
536/535 – Adar 27±, 533
BCE |
Cyaxares gave his daughter & all of Media as dowry to Cyrus shortly after
the conquest of Babylon; effective Tammuz 27, 534 BCE. He died on
the day before Adar 28, 533 BCE. |
- |
- |
|
Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian Empire upon the natural deaths of Cyaxares, king of the Medes and (later) of Cambyses, king
of Persia; Cyrus’ father |
Tammuz 27,
534 BCE – 525(/524) BCE |
Cyrus’ father was Cambyses, king of Persia. He died sometime within
Cyrus’ 9 years of reign over the Medo-Persian
Empire. |
538-529 BCE |
4 - 4 |
|
Cambyses |
Betw. mo.
1&6, 530 – Av 6, 523 |
Cambyses was only 3 years old when his reign began. He reigned jointly
with his father Cyrus until Cyrus’ death. |
529-521 BCE |
1 - 2 |
|
False
Smerdis |
Av 6,
523 – Nisanu 10, 522 |
The true Smerdis (aka Tanaoxares)
was Cambyses’ younger brother; at this time less than 10 y/o! The False Smerdis was his look alike! |
- |
- |
|
Darius
Hystaspes |
Nisanu 10, 522 – between Thoth 1, 486 BCE and Aviv
1, 485 BCE |
|
521-486 BCE |
1 - 0 |
|
Xerxes
(Ahasuerus) |
Between Thoth 1, 486 BCE and Aviv 1, 485 BCE – between Tishri 22, 465 BCE and
Thoth 1, 465 BCE |
|
486-465 BCE |
0 - 0 |
|
Artaxerxes |
Between
Tishri 22, 465 BCE and Thoth 1, 465 BCE – between Tishri 22, 424 BCE and
Thoth 1, 424 BCE |
|
465-424 BCE |
0 - 0 |
|
Darius
II Nothus |
Betw . Tishri 22, 424 BCE and Thoth 1, 424
BCE – betw. Thoth 1, 405 BCE and the beginning of
Tishri 22, 404 BCE |
|
424-405 BCE |
0 - 0 |
|
Artaxerxes
II |
Betw . Thoth
1, 405 BCE and the beginning of Tishri 22, 404 BCE – 358 |
|
405-359 BCE |
0 - 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alexander
the Great |
339/338 -
327/326 |
|
332-324 BCE |
6 - 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ceasar
Augustus |
Adar 27 or 28, 47 BCE [April 1 or 2, 47 BCE ± 1 lunar month (March 3
or May 1.)] – “the
fourteenth day before the Kalends of September at
the ninth hour, just thirty-five days before his seventy-sixth birthday,” i.e.
Av 19 or 20, 10 CE [August 19, 10 CE.] |
30 BCE – 14
CE |
17 - 4 |
|
|
Caesar
Tiberius |
June 26, 1 BCE – 4 Adar I/Adar II, 23 CE [after sunset
March 15, 23 CE.] |
14 – 36 CE |
13 - 13 |
|
|
Caesar
Gaius |
Caius’ accession period, per Josephus, began on the eve of the visible
new moon crescent at sunset February 10, 23 CE [Tevet/Shevat 1, 23 CE;] Caius’ de facto reign began after
Tiberius died after sunset on March 15, 23 CE
– Caius died in the afternoon on January 24, 27 CE |
36 – 40 CE |
13 - 13 |
|
|
Caesar
Claudius |
January 24, 27
CE – Claudius died, on either Zif 21 or Sivan 21, 40 CE
[May 22 or else June 20 or 21, 40 CE;]
Claudius’ death was concealed for almost 4 or 5 month until October
13, 40 CE when his death was finally made public. |
40 – 54 CE |
13 - 14 |
|
|
Nero |
Nero began his de facto
reign after a period of co-regency with Claudius, which co-regency, based
upon Josephus’ reckoning of Nero’s years of reign, began between Aviv 1, 39
CE [March 14 or 15 or April 14, 39 CE]
and Tishri 1, 39 CE [September 9 or October 8 or 9, 39
CE;] Nero’s 1st civil year
of de jure reign began Tishri 1, 39
CE, [September 9, or October 8 (or 9,) 39 CE,] which year is largely
concurrent with his 16th civil year of life. He was not yet 17
years old, by Roman reckoning when Claudius died – Nero died some time within a very few days prior to the time when Galba, sometime between
June 1 and June 6, 53 CE [between Sivan 24 and 30, 53 CE,] received the
“advice… from Rome that Nero was slain…” |
54 – 68 CE |
15 - 15 |
|
|
Galba |
Galba began his reign as Caesar of Rome when, sometime between June 1
and June 6, 53 CE [between Sivan 24 and 30, 53 CE,] he received the “advice…
from Rome that Nero was slain…” – Galba died after sunset on
January 15, 54 CE [Day 15 in the 11th Moon, Shevat 15, 54 CE,] but
Josephus counts Galba’s reign as ending on January 8, 54 CE [Shevat 8, 54 CE]
when… |
- |
- |
|
|
Otho |
After sunset on January 15, 54 CE
– Otho
died on Adar III 22, the 22nd Day of the Fourteenth Moon, 54 CE
[April 19, 54 CE.] |
- |
- |
|
|
Vitellius |
Aviv
9, 53 CE [March 19, 53 CE] on the anniversary of
Nero’s matricide – Vitellius
died on Kislev 6 [December (24 or) 25,] 54 CE. |
- |
- |
|
|
Vespasian |
April 19 / July 1 / 3 / 11, 54 CE
– Vespasian died on June 24, 66
CE |
68 – 78 CE |
14 - 12 |
|
|
Titus |
Titus co-reigned from the
beginning with his father Vespasian whom he succeeded together with his brother
Domitian on June 24, 66 CE [Sivan or Tammuz 11 or 12, 66 CE,] (or possibly 67 or 68) CE after his
father Vespasian died – Titus died on “the Ides of September,” September 13, 68 CE |
78 – 81 CE |
12 - 13 |
|
|
Domitian |
Domitian’s reign
began as a co-reign with his father Vespasian and his brother Titus and is
reckoned from the thirtieth year of his age as referenced by Suetonius, very
possibly beginning with his 30th birthday October 24, 62 CE [Heshvan 2, 62
CE] (or 63 CE [Tishri or Heshvan (12 or) 13, 63 CE.]) – Domitian died on
“the fifth hour…” [between 11 AM and 12 AM (considering Suetonius’ use of
ordinals)] on “the fourteenth day before the Kalends
of October…” September 18, 77 CE, [Elul or Tishri 11, 77 CE] “in the
forty-fifth year of his age and the fifteenth of his reign.” |
81 – 96 CE |
19 - 19 |
|
|
Nerva |
September 18, 77 CE – January 27, 78 or 79 CE |
96 – 97 CE |
19 - 18 |
|
|
Trajan |
Trajan’s reign began on January 27, 78 or 79 CE - |
97 - CE |
18 - |
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