The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

Attempts to Overcome the Evidence 295
A-3: Misrepresentation of ancient writers
The last two pages of the “Appendix” to “Let Your Kingdom Come”
are devoted to a discussion of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy
years. 17 All arguments in this section have been thoroughly refuted
in Chapter 5 of the present work, “The Seventy Years for Babylon”
(which corresponds to chapter 3 of the first edition), to which the
reader is directed. Only a few points will be made here.
Against Berossus’ statement that Nebuchadnezzar took Jewish
captives in his accession year, shortly after the battle at Carchemish
(see Chapter 5 above, section A-4), it is argued that “there are no
cuneiform documents supporting this .” 18 But the Watch Tower
Society fails to mention that Berossus’ statement is clearly supported by the
most direct reading of Daniel 1:1–6. 19
Daniel reports that “in the third year of the kingship of
Jehoiakim” (corresponding to the accession year of
Nebuchadnezzar; see Jeremiah 25:1) Nebuchadnezzar took a
tribute from Judah, consisting of utensils from the temple and also
“some of the sons of Israel and of the royal offspring and of the
nobles,” and brought them to Babylonia. (Daniel 1:1–3, NW) It is
true that the Babylonian Chronicle does not specifically mention
these Jewish captives. It does mention, however, that
Nebuchadnezzar, in his accession year, “marched about
victoriously in Hattu,” and that “he took the vast booty of Hattu to
Babylon.” 20 Most probably captives from the Hattu territory were
included in this “vast booty,” as is also pointed out by Professor
Gerhard Larsson:
It is certain that this “heavy tribute” consisted not only of
treasure but also of prisoners from the conquered countries. To refrain from
doing so would have been altogether too alien from the customs
of the kings of Babylon and Assyria. 21
Thus, although the Babylonian Chronicle does not specifically
mention the (probably very small) Jewish deportation in the
17 “Let Your Kingdom Come,” pp. 188, 189.
18 Ibid., p. 188.
19 See the section, “The ‘third year of Jehoiakim’ (Daniel 1:1–2)” in the Appendix for
Chapter 5 below.
20 A. K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (Locust Valley, New York: J. J.
Augustin Publisher, 1975), p. 100.
21 Gerhard Larsson, “When did the Babylonian Captivity Begin?,” Journal of
Theological Studies, Vol. 18 (1967), p. 420.