The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings (Paperback)

by Edwin R. Thiele (Author)
Key Phrases: regnal data, dual dating, official first year, Old Testament, Die Keilschrifttexte, Masoretic Text (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
(New revised edition) Considered the classic and comprehensive work in reckoning the accession of kings, calendars, and coregencies based upon the Old Testament text and other extra-biblical sources.

About the Author
Edwin R. Thiele (1895-1986) received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago and his D.D. from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. For sixteen years he worked in the editorial department of the Signs of the Times Publishing House in Shanghai, China. Following his time overseas, Dr. Thiele taught for twenty-six years in the Department of Religion at Emmanuel Missionary College in Berrien Springs. From 1963 to 1965 he served as Professor of Antiquity at Andrews University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Academic & Professional (November 10, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082543825X
• ISBN-13: 978-0825438257
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #545,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most mysteries explained, July 26, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This was my first book trying to establish the dates of Jerusalem's fall with accuracy. Theile weaves a web of Israel's and Judah's Kings together with interaction with other known Assyrian, Egyption, and Babylonian Kings. Also some Astronomical evidence is used from Ptolomy to nail down some dates as seemingly unquestionable, although I would like to see a more thorough verification of these astronomical dates. The technique Theile used is based on the Masonic text as there appears to be new dates added or changed in the greek and latin versions. Which came fist the chicken or the egg? Theile seems to prove it was the Masonic text that was most original? Theile's tricks to bring everything into agreement is the use of co-regency, assention vs non-assention dating, and nisan to nisan, vs tishri to tishri annual dating methods. I could follow everything he said, but don't believe I could recreate it. His main idea that pulls it all together is the coregency idea. This tends to always shorten the years of total rule. And to spite his assumtion that he started from the beginning and worked forward, I find his exact matchups a little too unbelievable. But his data is very precise with today's chronolgy for that period. By his own statements, the biggest support of his data is that it works. Although I liked his book, I think I will do more research. I find it a little unnerving that the hebrew kings are the only ones with significant coregencies, while the assyrians and babylonians have little to none. Overall a must have for chronological conquerors.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explaining the Difference, March 18, 2006

By	Iona Sun (Detroit, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

Finally! Someone has resolved the discrepancies between the reigns of the Judean and Hebrew kings... and in such a way that the very fact an explanation so intricate can actually work in every detail (and mesh with the chronology of the rest of the Middle East) gives it all the more credibility. For anyone interested in an area of history where the bible was thought to be "obviously wrong and inconsistent" and proven otherwise, this book is for you.

With all due respect to the preceding reviewer, her argument is based on an interpretation of the prophecy of Ezekiel that I would find flawed. Her conclusion is interpretative and not historical in nature. Thiele's argument does not rest on her interpretation of the prophecy.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chronology at its best, August 1, 2001

By	JAN VAN TUYL (Brussels Belgium) - See all my reviews

Whether you are interested in Christian, Egyptian, or Middle East history or chronology in the period from the death of Solomon till the last king of Judah; this book is a must. The writing itself is maybe not of the most spellbounding type. The core of the matter, however, is the detailed search for the exact years and the synchronism between the historic dates of the kings of Israel, Judah, some Egyptian and "Levant" rulers. And that is brilliant.