The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

342 THE GENTILE TIMES RECONSIDERED
From these texts we learn that some of the vessels were brought
to Babylon during Jehoiakim’s reign, the valuable vessels were brought
at the deportation of Jehoiachin, and all the rest of the vessels were taken
to Babylon at the end of Zedekiah’s reign. Of the three deportations of
vessels, the first is clearly referred to at Daniel 1:1, 2, as this text
states that during the third year of Jehoiakim “some” of the vessels
were brought to Babylon. 67
Again, this indicates that Daniel 1:1–2 refers to a deportation
different from and earlier than that which took place at the end of
Jehoiachin’s short reign. This gives additional support to the
conclusion that the phrase “the third year of the kingship of
Jehoiakim” means what it says―Jehoiakim’s third regnal year, not
his eleventh.
Finally, if the deportation mentioned at Daniel 1:1–4 is equated
with the one that took place at the end of Jehoiachin’s three
months of reign, why does Daniel state that “Jehovah gave into his
hand Jehoiakim,” instead of Jehoiachin? (Daniel 1:2) When Jehoiachin
was taken captive, Jehoiakim had been dead for over three months.
(2 Kings 24:8–17; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10) There is even evidence to
show that Jehoiakim was already dead when Nebuchadnezzar, in
his seventh year, left Babylon for the siege of Jerusalem that ended
up in Jehoiachin’s deportation. The evidence is as follows:
Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem during the reign of
Jehoiachin is also described in the Babylonian chronicle B.M.
21946. For the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar this chronicle says:
From Dec. 598 (or Jan. 597) to March 597 B.C.E.:
”The seventh year: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad
mustered his army and marched to Hattu. He encamped against
the city of Judah and on the second day of the month Adar he
captured the city (and) seized (its) king. A king of his own choice
he appointed in the city (and) taking the vast tribute he brought it
into Babylon. ”68
67 It is interesting to note that in this first deportation Nebuchadnezzar brought only
“some” of the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem to Babylon, and these were not
even the “valuable” vessels. This strongly supports the conclusion that the siege of
Jerusalem at this time did not end up in the capture of the city. If it did, why did
he not take the valuable vessels from the temple? If, on the other hand, the siege
was raised because Jehoiakim capitulated and paid a tribute to Nebuchadnezzar,
it is quite understandable that Jehoiakim did not include the most valuable
vessels in the tribute.
68 A. K. Grayson, op. cit., p. 102. The chronicle is in complete agreement with the
description of this siege given in the Bible. (2 Kings 24:8–17; 2 Chronicles 36:9–
10.)