Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible [Hardcover]

Jack Finegan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

Have you been skipping over references to time in the Bible because they seem too confusing? Professor Jack FineganÂ’s Handbook of Biblical Chronology clarifies those ancient systems of time reckoning and the biblical passages that use them. Part 1, Principles of Chronology in the Ancient World, describes the origins of basic units of time and surveys the calendars used in the ancient Near East through the Roman era. Part 2, Problems of Chronology in the Bible, discusses major periods of the Old Testament, as well as the lives of Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Apostles Peter and Paul.

This thoroughly revised edition includes a number of improvements over the classic 1964 edition. The text has been updated, expanded, and retypeset. It features more than 190 helpful tables (including 43 new ones), new sections, new datings, full subject and Scripture indexes, a detailed table of contents, and updated bibliographies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Finegan is Professor Emeritus of New Testament History and Archaeology at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers; Rev Sub edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565631439
• ISBN-13: 978-1565631434
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Reference, December 19, 2000

By 

Jonathan Bailey (Lawton, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible (Hardcover)

This book is intended to help the sudent of the bible become familiar with the various issues and problems in biblical chronology. It is NOT intended to defend the biblical chronology from divergent chronologies derived from extrabiblical sources. My own area of interest being the Old Testament of patriarchal and Exodus times, I can say that the book does a fantastic job of both revealing difficulties in the biblical chronology as well as offering possibilities for solving those difficulties and preserving the reliability of the biblical record. References to extra-biblical sources are only used when explaining the intrabiblical discrepancies or apparent discrepancies. Finegan has no interest in the Egyptian and near-eastern chronologies in their own rights. He wants only to present the chronology that the bible presents. Finegan accepts the centuries long lifespans of the antedeluvians without a second thought. His aim here is not to convince or defend the validity of any statements in the bible. He only wants to help you see what the bible is telling you. While this makes the book useful to sceptics and the faithful alike, it can be frustrating to those who want to see where the bible measures up against the other ancient chronological sources. I had hoped that the bibliographic references in this book would point me to other works covering the obscure fields of Babylonian and Egyptian chronology, but they do not. If the book had discussed biblical chronology against the backdrop of other systems of chronology, I would have given it five stars. It does do its job of laying out the chronology of the bible perfectly, though, and is a fantastic reference for all students of the bible. Historians of the ancient Middle East might be a bit frustrated, though.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A necessary revision of a timeless book!, March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible (Hardcover)

Amazingly, at the age of 89, Jack Finegan has revised his 1964 classic and has done a wonderful job! The new book reads a lot like the first edition, but is substantially revised to include many references up to 1996. Sections on Jesus' birth and Herod's death now discuss both the standard dating (nativity before 4 BC), and that of Martin, Keresztes, etc (3/2 BC); Finegan favors the latter dating, as well as 33 AD for the crucifixion. The new section on John the Baptist mainly focuses on the chronology of the cycle of priestly courses, which Finegan seems to over-emphasize. Literature listings and scriptural & subject indexes are each about double the lengths in the first edition. Overall, I find it a very valuable tool with up-to-date information.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on biblical chronology on the market., June 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Portland, ORegon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible (Hardcover)

Absolutely essential for straigtening out the chronology associated with Herod's death. Professor Finegan now makes it clear that Herod DID NOT die in 4 B.C. as all of us historians and theologians have thought, but in 1 B.C. This information is indispensible for the student of New Testament history and the chronology of Jesus' life and it illumines one of the darkest periods in the early imperial history of Rome. This volume changes all previous standard works for the past 100 years dealing with the Nativity of Jesus and the history dealing with it. There is much more too for the biblical student. A first class work that every library must have. Professor Finegan must be congratulated (in his 89th year of life) for producing such a splendid and profitable volume of research.

Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D. Academy for Scriptual Knowledge Portland, OR 97825