When was the second Temple built?

[Retrobyter]

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

Retro,

There is nothing in scripture that would confirm your contention that any of the line of the high priests after Jehozadak were living at the time of the temple’s destruction.  But there is nothing in scripture to directly deny that claim either.  But your acceptance of (believing) something that is not supported by scripture is not a good thing. 

Shalom, @Da Puppers.

Actually, there IS proof:

1 Chronicles 6:1-15 (KJV)

1 The sons of Levi; 
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 

2 And the sons of Kohath; 
Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 

3 And the children of Amram; 
Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. 

The sons also of Aaron; 
Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar (I), and Ithamar. 

4 Eleazar (I) begat Phinehas (I), 
Phinehas (I) begat Abishua, 
5 And Abishua begat Bukki, 
and Bukki begat Uzzi, 
6 And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, 
and Zerahiah begat Meraioth, 
7 Meraioth begat Amariah (I), 
and Amariah (I) begat Ahitub (I), 
8 And Ahitub (I) begat Zadok (I), 
and Zadok (I) begat Ahimaaz, 
9 And Ahimaaz begat Azariah (I), 
and Azariah (I) begat Johanan, 
10 And Johanan begat Azariah (II), (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 
11 And Azariah (II) begat Amariah (II), 
and Amariah (II) begat Ahitub (II), 
12 And Ahitub (II) begat Zadok (II), 
and Zadok (II) begat Shallum, 
13 And Shallum begat Hilkiah, 
and Hilkiah begat Azariah (III), 
14 And Azariah (III) begat Seraiah, 
and Seraiah begat Jehozadak, 
15 And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

While the line continues in Ezra with the list of those who came from captivity, ...

Ezra 1:36-70 (KJV)

36 The priests: 
the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three (973). 
37 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two (1,052). 
38 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven (1,247). 
39 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen (1,017).

40 The Levites: 
the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four (74). 

41 The singers: 
the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight (128). 

42 The children of the porters: 
the children of Shallum, 
the children of Ater, 
the children of Talmon, 
the children of Akkub, 
the children of Hatita, 
the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine (139).

43 The Nethinims: 
the children of Ziha, 
the children of Hasupha, 
the children of Tabbaoth, 
44 The children of Keros, 
the children of Siaha, 
the children of Padon, 
45 The children of Lebanah, 
the children of Hagabah, 
the children of Akkub, 
46 The children of Hagab, 
the children of Shalmai, 
the children of Hanan, 
47 The children of Giddel, 
the children of Gahar, 
the children of Reaiah, 
48 The children of Rezin, 
the children of Nekoda, 
the children of Gazzam, 
49 The children of Uzza, 
the children of Paseah, 
the children of Besai, 
50 The children of Asnah, 
the children of Mehunim, 
the children of Nephusim, 
51 The children of Bakbuk, 
the children of Hakupha, 
the children of Harhur, 
52 The children of Bazluth, 
the children of Mehida, 
the children of Harsha, 
53 The children of Barkos, 
the children of Sisera, 
the children of Thamah, 
54 The children of Neziah, 
the children of Hatipha.

55 The children of Solomon's servants: 
the children of Sotai, 
the children of Sophereth, 
the children of Peruda, 
56 The children of Jaalah, 
the children of Darkon, 
the children of Giddel, 
57 The children of Shephatiah, 
the children of Hattil, 
the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, 
the children of Ami.

58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two (392).

59 And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: 
60 The children of Delaiah, 
the children of Tobiah, 
the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two (652).

61 And of the children of the priests: 
the children of Habaiah, 
the children of Koz, 
the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: 
62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

64The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore (42,360), 
65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven (7,337): 
and there were among them two hundred (200) singing men and singing women. 

66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six (736); 
their mules, two hundred forty and five (245); 
67 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five (435); 
their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty (6,720).

68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: 69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand (61,000) drams of gold, and five thousand (5,000) pound of silver, and one hundred (100) priests' garments.

70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

These priests and Levites were all alive at the SAME TIME! They all returned to Yhudah ("Judah"), to Yerushalayim ("Jerusalem") and its suburbs, at the SAME TIME!

The problem is that the OFFICE of high priesthood was not active at the time they were without a Temple! They could not be named "high priest," "Kohen haGadol," until they could function as such in the rebuilt Temple!

 

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

But your beliefs about when the temple was rebuilt (418 bc) further exemplify your character to believe unsupported things.  I am prepared to show you that this is not the truth.  But, because of your character to believe such things, I will be considerably much more brief in showing  you differently.  So let’s begin with the (numbered) lineage of the known high priests, according to the bible, from Aaron, the first high priest, until the last known and recorded high priestly line found in Nehemiah.

#1 Aaron, #2 Eleazar, #3 Phinehas, #4 Abishua, #5 Bukki, #6 Uzzi, #7 Zerahiah, #8 Meraioth, #9 Amariah I, #10 Ahitub I, #11 Zadok I, #12 Ahimaaz, #13 Azariah I, #14 Johanan, #15 Azariah II, #16 Amariah II, #17 Ahitub II, #18 Zadok II, #19 Shallum, #20 Hilkiah, #21 Azariah III, #22 Seraiah, #23 Jehozadak, #24 Jeshua, #25 Joiakim, #26 Eliashib, #27 Joiada, #28 Jonathan, #29 Jaddua.

The first 23 are listed in 1Chr 6, and the last 6 are found in Nehemiah 12.  Here are some scriptural facts.

1.       Aaron was initiated as the 1^st high priest at the time of the exodus.

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

2.       Eleazar was the 2^nd who died about the same time as Joshua.  Josh 24:29-33.

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

3.       #10 Ahitub was high priest during the time of King Saul.  See 1Sam 14:1-3 

I don't know that you can actually get that from 1 Samuel 14:1-3

1 Samuel 14:3 (KJV)

3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

Achiyaah ("Ahiah"), was the one who was "the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod." Now, `Eeliy ("Eli") was the one who raised Sh'mu'el ("Samuel") and this Fiynchaaç ("Phinehas") was one of the sons of `Eeliy who were abusing the people who came to offer their sacrifices. Here's what was said of him and his brother Haafniy ("Hophni"):

1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25 (KJV)

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, 

"Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden (boiled) flesh of thee, but raw." 

16 And if any man said unto him, 

"Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth"; 

then he would answer him, 

"Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force!" 

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

...

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, 

"Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?" 

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them!

When he, his brother, and his father `Eeliy died and the ark was taken, that's when his widow named her son "Iy-khaaVowd," pronounced "ee-khaw-vode'," which means "no glory."

1 Samuel 4:19-22 (KJV)

19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her (i.e., she went into labor). 20 And about the time of her death (she died in childbirth), the women that stood by her said unto her, 

"Fear not; for thou hast born a son." 

But she answered not, neither did she regard it. 21 And she named the child "Ichabod," saying, 

"The glory is departed from Israel": 

because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 22 And she said, 

"The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken."

She died in childbirth.

While Sha`uwl ("Saul") MAY have been alive at the time [which is doubtful because `Eliy ("Eli") was so old, being 98 when the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Plishtiym ("Philistines", 1 Sam. 4:15), and Sh'mu'el ("Samuel") was so young, who then anointed Sha`uwl when HE HIMSELF was old and Sha`uwl was a "choice young man" (1 Sam. 9:2)], he certainly was not yet king while AchiytuwV ("Ahitub") was high priest.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

4.       #11 Zadok I, shared the role with Ahimelech and (his son) Abiathar during Saul and David. See 2Sam 8:17, 2Sam 19:11

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

5.       Zadok was the sole high priest under King Solomon. See 1Kings 2:35

True. This was Zadok the FIRST, Zadok I.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

6.       Azariah (#13 or 15?) was the HP when Uzziah, aka Azariah, (great grandfather of Hezekiah) was the king. See 2Chr 26:17-20.

Doesn't this make you want to go and look up the Hebrew names to see how "Uzziah" could be "also known as (aka) Azariah?" And, how do you tell the difference between the high priests Azariah I or Azariah II (#13 or 15) and the king?

No, because Uzziah the king developed leprosy and was PERMANENTLY in quarantine, the High Priest took over the leadership of the kingdom until Uzziah's son could come of age, that is, could be taught the management of the kingdom. 

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

7.       Azariah III (#15) was the HP when Hezekiah became king and instituted reforms in his 1^st year.  2Chr 31:10.

True, remembering that this is Azariah III.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

8.       Hilkiah (#20) was the HP when Josiah was king and instituted his reforms in his 12^th/13^th yrs.  See 2Kings 22:1-8.

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

9.       Seraiah (#22) was the HP when the temple was destroyed.

True.

2 Kings 25:18-21 (KJV)

18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that werefound in the city: 20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

10.   Jehozadak and Ezra his brother, was living at that time.  Ezra 7:1-5, 1Chr 6:4-6,11-15.

This is not true. You're forgetting how much time has elasped! This is "ARTAXERXES!" And, furthermore, I'm suggesting that this isn't even Artaxerxes I, but ARTAXERXES II! The thing one must remember is that "son" can mean "descendant" and "father" can mean "ancestor." Sometimes, women are also added into a list for a particular reason. A case in point are David's nephews, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. They were called "sons of Zeruiah," but it's important to learn from genealogies that "Zeruiah" was David's SISTER!

Ezra 7:1-26 (KJV)

1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son (descendant) of Seraiah (murdered in captivity), the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. 

12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: 17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.

21 "And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

25 "And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment."

Even here, it may be because of a scribe losing track and skipping a line in transcribing, but there are names MISSING from this lineage, when compared to 1 Chronicles 6!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

11.   Eliashib was the name of the great grandson of Jehozadak (Jeshua, Joiakim, Eliashib)

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

12.   From the Exodus to king Solomon was 480 or 520 years. 1Kings 6:1.

Well, it says "480 years." I take it you mean whether it included the 40 years of wandering?

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

13.   Aaron and Eleazar occupied the office for a total of about 70 years.

Okay, I can see that (perhaps). Remember: they were LIMITED "from 30 years old until 50 years old," in even being a priest, let alone the high priest. Of course, that may not have applied to Aharown ("Aaron") or his son El`aazaar ("Eleazar"), but it should have gone into IMMEDIATE effect as soon as God required it. (Numbers 4:1-4.)

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

14.   Saul was made king 80 years before Solomon (Saul & David each reigned for 40 years).  2Sam 5:4, Acts 13:21

Well, Sha'uwl ("Saul") reigned 42 years (1 Samuel 13:1) and David reigned 40 years, as you said. So, the combination would be 82 years. Granted, this translation of 1 Samuel 13:1 comes from an early version of the Septuagint translation of the text, but it at least partially agrees with Acts 13:21 and may be the SOURCE for Paul's conclusion. Paul may have been rounding it off to the nearest ten or a scribe could have dropped the "and two" in the Acts 13:21 Greek version. It's interesting that the Masoretic Text doesn't include the words "thirty" or "forty" in the Hebrew. This, too, however, could be attributed to transcription error. I don't believe that Sha'uwl started reigning when he was only 1 year old! And, for much of that 40 years that Sha'uwl reigned, he was hunting David, his named successor to the kingdom, anointed by Sh'mu'eel ("Samuel") as the "man after God's own heart."

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

15.   The temple was destroyed 410 years after Solomon became king in 996 BC.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica says, 

"The First Temple was constructed during the reign of David’s son, Solomon, and completed in 957 BCE." 

which was Solomon's 11th year.

So, since the Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. and the Temple, being constructed between the fourth and eleventh years (1 Kings 6:37) of Shlomoh's ("Solomon's") reign (964-957 B.C.), then his reign began in 967 B.C., his FIRST year; so, I calculate 381 years. 

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

16.   Uzziah was king about 210 years after the start of Solomon’s reign, 787 BC.

The jury is still out on this one, but your word "about" saves you. I can agree.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

17.   Hezekiah was king about 80 years after Uzziah, in 707 BC.

Again, tentatively, I agree.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

18.   The 12^th year of Josiah was about 626 BC, 81 years later.  Jeremiah 25:1.

I question this, but I have much work to do to determine this assumption. For now, let's just say that "it's possible."

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

19.   The temple was destroyed 40 years later in 586 BC, Jeremiah 25:3.

This is true, but it was prefaced with the first contact of Nebuchadnezzar in Jehoiakim's 4th year, when Nebuchadnezzar first carries off some of the population, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, which is the beginning of the Desolation for which Yirmeyahuw ("Jeremiah") began counting the "70 years."

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

20.   Cyrus issued the decree to return in 538 BC, 2Chr 36:22,23.

True.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

21.   The temple was completed in the 6^th year of Darius, Ezra 6:15.

AH, YES! But WHICH Darius?! That's the point of this whole thing! I hesitate to copy the whole thing, but one absolutely MUST read Ezra 4 through 6 in a single sitting, preferably with a list of the Persian kings in view! One can find such a list by asking Google for "a list of the Persian kings from Cyrus onward."

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

22.   Eliashib was the HP when Nehemiah built the wall in Artaxerxes’ 20^th year, Nehemiah 3:20.

Yes, but which Artaxerxes?

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

23.   Nehemiah reported the lineage of Jeshua to Jaddua,  6 successive generations.  Neh. 12:12-11.

Again, "successive generations" are not needed for the OCCUPATION, the OFFICE of High Priest!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

24.   Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem in Artaxerxes’ 32^nd year.  Neh. 13:6,7.

Yes, but again, which Artaxerxes?

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

So, lets now analyze the information that we have.

A.      There were 22 high priests from Aaron until Seraiah.  This covers a period of 480/520 years until Solomon PLUS 410 years (996 BC - 586 BC) until the temple was destroyed, or 890/930 years.  It’s not a big part of my proof, but the 480 years of 1Kings 6 began when the children of Israel left the “wilderness” of Egypt.  They dwelt in the wilderness (the Sinai is a part of Egypt) until Joshua lead them into the promised land, 40 years after the Exodus.  I am going to use a total of 930 years, but it matters little (4 years each, per the first 10 high priests).   Ahitub (#10) finished his term as HP (he probably died before his son Zadok was old enough, 20 or 30 years old, to succed his father).    Zadoc (#11) was probably under 30 when David became king and so he shared the office with Abiathar.  The 10^th term of Ahitub would have normally ended during the time of David…480 years after the Exodus, or 48 years each. 48 years represents the number of years (Y) that the successor son lived after his father died.   Unless the (Y) is more than one-half of the average lifespan, it represents the average age of the father when his son is born,as well as the average # of years per term.  With smaller numbers (around 20) we can know with a very high degree of certainty that the son was born when the father was (Y) years of age, and  that this was before the father became the high priest.

This point has FAR too many assumptions. Again, the list of High Priests is NOT a list of father-and-son relationships like a normal genealogy!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

B.      This number was even higher than 48 yrs. Each for HP #’s 3 thru 10, because Aaron and Eleazar served for a total of 70 years, 35 each.   These 8 HP’s served for 520-70=450 years, or about 56 years each.   With certainty, we can say that the average lifespan at the time of David was far less than 56 times 2, or 118 years.  This means that the son is born before the father reaches his median age, i.e., before he became high priest.

Again, far too many assumptions.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

C.      Since Zadok (#11) was at least 20 years of age when David became king (and at least 60 when Solomon became king), he probably died before Solomon did 40 years later in 956 BC.

Remember: the high priest OCCUPATION is from the age of 20 to the age of 50 years old, initially from 30 to the age of 50 years old.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

D.      Because  Uzziah became king 170 plus years (956 to 787 BC) after Zadok died (210 minus 40+), we can know that Azariah (#13) was not the high priest when Uzziah was made king.  This means that Azariah (#15) was the HP for both Uzziah and Hezekiah, 81 years later.  This means that Azariah #15 was at the end of his term when Hezekiah became king, 706 BC.

I tend to believe that you're right here, but for far different reasons.

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

E.       Further calculations now reveal that the average for the first 15 HP’s (520 plus 289) is now 54 years.   Because the average lifespan has  continually decreased from the time of Aaron,  until Hezekiah, this means that the age of fatherhood continued to decline.

This is an arbitrary assignment of ages and lifespans. It's MEANINGLESS!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

F.       The reforms that Josiah began, 81 years later in 626 BC, were probably initiated by the (newest) high priest, Hilkiah (#20) finding a copy of the law.  Four high priests (#’s 16,17,18, and 19) had completed their terms in just 81 years.  This is just 20 years each.  Fatherhood is now happening for the high priesthood at the average age of 20 years.

It's not about a genealogy! Again, these numbers are PURELY ARBITRARY!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

G.     We don’t know how long Seraiah (#22) had been the high priest when the temple was destroyed 40 years later, but he is the 3^rd one since Hilkiah in 626 BC.    Seraiah was most certainly alive before Hilkiah ended his term.  Our average per term is now down to sub 20 years.  The range would be {40 years/3=13.3  TO 40 years/2=20}.  (Between 13.3 and 20 years)  Going from the 1^st year of Hezekiah in 706 BC until the temple was destroyed in 586 BC, we had 7 high priests, #’s 16 thru #22…in 120 years.  That is only 17 years each (7 times 17 =119).  Because we are in a steady decline in the # of years per term,  the average for the last 2 (Azariah and Seraiah) would be less than the average for the seven,  or about 16 or 17 years old. 

Even if you're right, you've got to calculate in the fact that the JOB of the High Priest was diminished whenever a king "did evil in the sight of the LORD" and worshipped idols instead of YHWH!

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

H.      Jehozadak  and his younger brother Ezra, was living at the time of the temple’s destruction.  This means that Jeshua was born less than 17 years later, and each successive generation after that, saw another one born.  Let’s use 7 years as the age of Jehozadak when his father died.  This would mean that Jeshua was born 10 years later in 576 BC.  Joiakim in 559 BC.  Eliashib in 542 BC.  Jonathan in 525 BC. And Jaddua in 508.  And Joiada in 491 BC.

No, they were NOT brothers! Again, a "son" can mean simply a "descendant" and a "father" can mean an "ancestor!"

On 4/5/2020 at 8:54 PM, Da Puppers said:

I.        Nehemiah was able to give the generations of the priesthood that began with Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, down to Joiada.   Some of the gleanings from Nehemiah include:  1.  Jeshua was the high priest in the 6^th year of Darius.  2.  Eliashib was the high priest in the 20^th year of Artaxerxes.  3.  The son of Jonathan  (the son of Eliashib) had a married son who was the son-in-law to Tobiah.   This was Jaddua.  Nehemiah excommunicated him from the congregation of Israel.   The time of Nehemiah’s chronicle ended with the 32^nd year of Artaxerxes.  If the 6^th year of Darius, aka Artaxerxes, was 516 BC, the 20^th year (when the wall was built 14 years later) would be 502 BC, and the 32^nd year would be 26 years later or in 490 BC.  In 516 BC, Jeshua would be 60 years old.  In 502 BC, Eliashib, the high priest would be 40.  In 490 BC, Jaddua would be 18, and Joiada would be 1 year old.  Everything lines up perfectly.  In your scenario, you would have to have 2 Jeshuas, 2 Eliashibs, 2 Ezras, 2 Nehemiahs, 2 Artaxerxes.    I’ll take what the bible gives.  I think that you should too.

 

Be Blessed

The PuP.

NONE of this deters me from believing that the Temple was finished FAR later in time than is currently accepted.