The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

The Length of Reigns of the Neo-Babylonian Kings 145
As demonstrated by the discussion above, the chronology of the
Twenty-Sixth Dynasty of Egypt is soundly and independently
established. The results are summarized in the following table:
CHRONOLOGY OF THE TWENTY-SIXTH DYNASTY:
Psammetichus I 54 years 664 – 610 B.C.E.
Necho II
Psammetichus II
15
6
610 – 595
595 – 589
Apries (= Hophra) 19 589 – 570
Amasis 44 570 – 526
Psammetichus III 1 526 – 525
C-2: Synchronisms to the chronology of the Saite period
Does the chronology of the Egyptian Saite period square with that
of the Neo-Babylonian era as established above? Or, instead, does
it harmonize with the chronology of the Watch Tower Society as
presented, for example, in its Bible dictionary Insight on the Scriptures,
Vol. 1, pages 462–466?
The four synchronisms to the Egyptian chronology mentioned
earlier (the first three of these coming from the Scriptures) decide
the matter:
First synchronism—2 Kings 23:29: In his [king Josiah’s] days
Pharaoh Nechoh the king of Egypt came up to the king of Assyria
by the river Euphrates, and King Josiah proceeded to go to meet
him; but he put him to death at Megiddo as soon as he saw him.
(NW)
Here it is clearly shown that Judean king Josiah died at Megiddo
in the reign of Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. According to the
chronology of the Watch Tower Society, Josiah’s death took place
in 629 B.C.E. (See Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 2, pp. 118, 483.) But
according to clear historical evidence, Necho’s reign did not begin
until nineteen years later, in 610 B.C.E. (see table above). 109 So Josiah’s
death did not take place in 629 B.C.E. but twenty years later, in
609. 110
109 Helck & Westendorf, op. cit., Band IV, pp. 369–71. Necho succeeded to the throne
at the death of his father Psammetichus I in the spring or summer of 610 B.C.E.,
but according to the Egyptian antedating method his first year was counted from
the beginning of the Egyptian civil calendar year, which this year began on
January 23 of the Julian calendar. —W. Barta, op. cit., p. 89.
110 For a discussion of the exact date of Josiah’s death, see the final section of the
Appendix: “Chronological tables covering the seventy years.”