| I have shown in this series of articles that | | | | |
| there are several pieces of evidence that the | | | | If the Fourth Day Biblical Chronology is the |
| Persian Empire did not last the 200 years | | | | correct model this lack of archaeological |
| proposed by historians but only 21 years as | | | | findings is easily explained. Persia was only |
| described in the Old Testament. This is an | | | | present from 352 B.C. to 331 B.C. so there |
| idea I presented in detail in my book, The | | | | should only be about either 21 years of |
| Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically | | | | artifacts present. If you believe the |
| Accurate. My article, "Old Testament History | | | | Conventional Chronology there would have been |
| Revised-Jeremiah's Eclipse" provides | | | | 207 years (539-332 B.C.) to indicate the |
| astronomical evidence from the Bible for this | | | | presence of the Persians. The Persians were |
| idea and my article, "Old Testament History | | | | just not there for much of the period in |
| Revised-The 390 Days of Ezekiel" provides | | | | question. Peter James states that information |
| evidence from a famous prophecy from the | | | | is lacking on many levels. A Persian strata |
| biblical book of Ezekiel for this idea. This | | | | is difficult to see and few architectural |
| article provides archaeological support for a | | | | remains are present. Those strata that are |
| "short" Persian Empire based on information | | | | present are of the timeframe after 450 BC |
| described in Peter James' book, Centuries of | | | | (there is almost no evidence of finds prior |
| Darkness. | | | | to this period). According to Peter James |
| | | | other archaeologists have lamented the fact |
| Archaeological Findings of the Babylonian and | | | | that to be such a relative recent timeframe |
| Persian Empires | | | | in history there is surprisingly few finds |
| | | | for this period. (page 170, Centuries of |
| Recall that earlier in this book I proposed | | | | Darkness). All these observations just |
| that the Babylonian Empire's reign over Judah | | | | enforce the observation that the Persian |
| occurred about 180 years later than the | | | | Empire was a short-lived event in the history |
| Conventional Biblical Chronology dating. The | | | | of Judah. Peter James doesn't have much |
| Conventional Biblical Chronology dates the | | | | better news about the Jewish Exile to |
| Babylonian captivity of Judah as 585 B.C. | | | | Babylon. James paints a bleak picture for |
| while the Fourth Day Biblical Chronology | | | | archaeological findings in the timeframe |
| places it in 401 B.C. If the Fourth Day | | | | 587-539 BC that represents the Babylonian |
| Chronology is accurate shouldn't it be | | | | Conquest. More than one hundred years of |
| reflected in the archeology? What about | | | | Biblical history is barely evident in |
| Judah's migration from Persia in accordance | | | | archaeological evidence. Peter James poses |
| of the edict by Cyrus II to rebuild the | | | | the question: does the time period from |
| Temple in Jerusalem? According to the | | | | 587-450 BC in Palestine represent some kind |
| Conventional Biblical Chronology this would | | | | of dark period in Israelite and Babylonian |
| have occurred in 539 B.C. however the Fourth | | | | history? (Centuries of Darkness, pages |
| Day Biblical Chronology dates this event in | | | | 170-171). Indeed not. Since, according to |
| 350 B.C. Let's allow Peter James' book settle | | | | Fourth Day Biblical Chronology, the |
| the matter. According to the Biblical record | | | | Babylonians and the Persians did not show up |
| during the reign of King Cyrus the Persian it | | | | in the lives of Judah until after 450 B.C. |
| was a very active time in Israel. Those that | | | | there is certainly no reason to believe in a |
| acquired wealth in the Babylonian and Persian | | | | 'Dark Age' in Palestine. The evidence speaks |
| reigns of Babylon returned home. The land was | | | | for itself, the Babylonians and the Persians |
| resettled, the Temple rebuilt and walls of | | | | were just not there from 587 B.C. to 450 B.C. |
| Jerusalem were rebuilt. Despite all this | | | | They were not there because the Persian |
| activity Peter James records that there were | | | | Empire only lasted twenty one years, not the |
| few findings for the 539-332 BC timeframe in | | | | more than 200 years that the conventional |
| the region. (Centuries of Darkness, page 170) | | | | chronology model claims. |