The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

152 THE GENTILE TIMES RECONSIDERED
cuneiform documents discussed above, while a comparison with
the chronology of the Watch Tower Society shows a consistent
difference of about twenty years.
These four synchronisms to Egyptian chronology all refute the
607 B.C.E. date for the desolation of Jerusalem and once again
uphold 587/86 B.C.E. as the correct date for that event.
The evidence from all this material is overwhelming and should
certainly be considered conclusive. For most scholars, just two or three
of these seven lines of evidence would be sufficient proof of the
accuracy of the Neo-Babylonian chronology. For the leaders of the
Watch Tower Society, however, not even seven lines of evidence are
enough to change their minds, as shown by their consistent
rejection of such evidence presented to them earlier.
Since the chronology constitutes the very foundation for the
major claims and message of the organization, they evidently feel
that too much is at stake for abandoning their Gentile times
chronology, not least of this being their own claimed position of
divine authority. It is extremely unlikely, therefore, that even twice
the number of lines of evidence will have any influence on their
minds.
For the sake of completeness, however, another seven lines of
evidence will be presented in detail in the next chapter, and a few
others wil1 be briefly described. As all of them are based on
ancient Babylonian astronomical texts, they will be shown to turn the
chronology of the whole Neo-Babylonian era into what is termed
an absolute chronology.