Y. C/u-onoloffic<d Difficulties of the Reigns as compared with those of Judah. — These will mostly appear by a simple inspection of the annexed table, where the num- bers given in the columns headed " nominal" are those contained in the express words of Scriptiu-e. These and other less obvious discrepancies will be found ex- plained under the titles of the respective kings in this Cyclopcedia, but it may be well here to recapitulate the most prominent of them together.
1. The length of Jeroboam's reign is stated in 1 Kings xiv, 20 to have been twenty-two years, which appear to have been reckoned from the same point as Rehobo- am's (i. e. in Nisan) ; whereas they were only current, since Rehoboam's accession took place somewhat prior to that of Jeroboam. This is confirmed by the fact that the reigns of Rehoboam (seventeen years, 1 Kings xiv, 21), and Abijah (three years, 1 Kings xv. 2) were but twenty j^ears, and Nadab succeeded Jeroboam in Asa's second year (ver. 25). In like manner Nadab's two nominal years (ver. 25) are current, or, in reality, little over one year ; for Baasha succeeded him in Asa's third year (verse 28, 33). So, again, Baasha's twentj'- four years of reign (verse 33) must be reduced, for pur- poses of continuous reckoning, to twenty-three; for Elah succeeded him in Asa's twenty-sixth year (1 Kings xvi, 8). Once more, Elah's two years (ver. 8) must be computed as but one full year, for Zimri slew and suc- ceeded him in Asa's twenty-seventh year (ver. 10, 15). The cause of this surplusage in these reigns appears to be that at some point during the reign of Jeroboam the beginning of the calendar for the regnal years of the IsraeUtish reign Avas changed (see 1 Kings xii, 32, 33) from the spring (the Hebrew sacred year) to the fall (their older and secular year\ so that they overlap those of the kings of Judah by more than half a year. The reigns of the line of Judah must therefore be taken as the standard, and the parallel line of Israel adjusted by it. (The numbers thirty-five and thirtj'-six in 2
ISRAEL
698
ISRAELITE
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE KINGS
OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL.
"Tit'
^'St.
Israel.
Cmumencemeytt
Kings Judah.
Accession.
;r
"fj^rir
Queen Mother JM.
Nomi-
Real.
Nomi-
Real.
Ush-
Cli.l-
Wi-
C-01-- rect.
Nom- inal.
Real.
Nom-
Real.
Nom- inal.
Real.
22
21+
Jeroboam
975
976
975
973
Rehoboara
41
41+
17
n+
Naamah.
958
959
957
956-5
Abijah
3
3
18th
18th
Maachah.
955
956
955
953
Asa
41
41
20th
20th
JIaachah.
2(1
2d
2
1
Nadab
954
955
954
951
3d
lid
24
23
Baasha
953
954
953
950
2oth
26th
2
1
Ehih
930
930
930
927
27th
27th
7d.
Td.
4
Zimri Tibni
929
930
928
926 926
31st
31st
12
T
Omri
929
930
928
922
3Sth
3Sth
22
20
Ahab
91.8
919
918
915
914
915
914
912
Jehoshaphat
35
35
25
25
4th
4th
Azubah.
ITth
nth
2
1
Ahaziah
898
S9G
S97
895
ISth
ISth
12
12—
Jehoraui
890
895
896
894
891
SS9
8S7-G
Jehoram
32
37
8
3
5th
S-9th
28
23
Jehu
885
884
SS4
Ahaziah (Athaliah)
22
22+
1 6
1 6
12th
11th
Athaliah.
884
883
884
883-2
878
877
878
877-6
Jehoash
7
7
40
■iO-
7th
7th
Zibiah.
23d
23d
IT
17-
Jehoahaz
856
855
856
S55^
37th
39th
16
16—
Jehoash
841
839
840
838
839
837
838
83T
Amaziah
25
25
29
29
2d
2d
Jehoaddai].
15th
15th
41
41
Jeroboam II
825
823
825
S2.3-2
810
SOS
809
808
Uzziah
10
16
52
52
27th
15th
Jecholiah.
[tl]
[Iiiterregnnm]
7S2-1
3Sth
38th
6 m.
6 m.
Zechariah
773
771
772
770
39th
3;)th
im.
Im.
Shallum
772
770
771
770
39th
39th
10
10+
Meuahem
772
770
771
770-69
50th
5nth
2
2
Pekahiah
761
759
760
759-8
52d
52d
20
20
Pekah
759
757
75S
757-0
758
756
758
756-5
Jofham
25
50
16
16+
2d
2d
Jeriisha.
742
741
741
740
Ahaz
20
36
16
16
17th
17th
[S]
[Iiiterregnnm]
737-6
12th
12th
9
Hoshea
730
730
729
729-S
726
726
725
726
Hezekiah
25
25
29
29
3d
3d
Abi.
6th
6th
Samaria takeu
721
721
721
720
698
697
096
097-6
Manasseh
12
12
55
55
Hephzibah.
643
642
641
642-1
Amou
22
22
2
2
Meshulle- meth.
641
640
630
640-39
Josiah
8
S
31
31
Jedidah.
610
609
609
Jehoahaz
23
23
3 m.
3 m.
Hamntal.
610
609
009
609-8
Jehoiakim
25
25
11
10+
Zebudah.
599
59S
598
593
Jehoiachin
13
18
3 m.
3 m.
Nehushta.
599
59S
598
.598
Zedekiah
21
21
11
10-1-
Hamutal.
588
587
586
5S8
Jerusalem destroyed.
Chroii. XV, 19; xvi, 1, are evidently a transcriber's er- ror for twenty-five and twenty-six ; see 1 Kings xvi, 3).
2. Omri's reign is stated in 1 Kings xvi, 23 to have lasted twelve years, beginning, not, as the text seems to indicate, in Asa's thirty-first year, but in his twenty- seventh (for Zimri reigned but seven daj's), since Ahab siicci'cdcd him in Asa's thirty-eighth (ver. 29), making these really but eleven full years, computed as above. Tlic thirty-first of Asa is meant as the date of Omri's sok or luidisputed reign on the death of his rival Tibni, after four years of contest. His six years of reign in Tirzah (same verse) are dated from this latter point, and are mentioned in opposition to his removal of his capital at the end of this last time to Samaria (ver. 24), where, accordingly, he reigned one full or two current years, still computed as above. This last-named fact is again the key to the discrepancy in the length of his successor Ahab's reign, which is set down in ver. 29 as twenty-two years " in Samaria ;" for they date from the change of capital to that place (Ahab having probably been at that time appointed viceroy), being in reality only a small fraction more than twenty years. This appears from the combination of the residue of Asa's reign (41 —38-3 ; comp. also 1 Kings xxii, 41) and the seventeenth of Jehoshaphat, when Ahaziah succeeded Ahab (1 Kings xxii, 51). Ahaziah's two years (same verse) are to be computed as current, or oiie full year, on the same principle as above.