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Jewish tradition is that Jerusalem fell in 421 BC instead of 166 years earlier, in 587 BC. So, rabbinic tradition pushed 1255 BC backward to 1272 BC by adding 17 years to the 17 jubilees. How? By making the jubilees 50-years apart. Next, 1272 was pushed backward another 40 years, to 1312 BC, by defining 1272 as the date of the entry into Canaan instead of the date of the exodus. As we have seen in the pre-exodus traditions, the exodus was likely in a sabbatical or jubilee year (1255 + 17 + 40 = 1312).

Since the actual fall of Jerusalem was 166 years earlier than 422 BC, in 588 BC, then 166 years need to be subtracted from these 833years (17jubilees) (833 – 166 = 667). Therefore, there are actually 667 years between 1255 and 588 BC.

The rabbinical view added 17 years to the 1255 by making the 17 jubilees 50 years each instead of 49 and added another 40 years by saying we should count from when the Israelites entered Canaan instead of from the exodus (1255 + 17 + 40 = 1312).

TABLE 6. Sabbaticals & Jubilees based on 1312 and 1255 BC

Hebrew Calendar Exodus
in 1312 BC (- 17 – 40 = 1255)

Exodus
in 1255 BC (+ 17 + 40 = 1312)

50-Year Jubilee Cycle

49-Year Jubilee Cycle

* After Entry into Canaan

* After the Exodus

1272 BC Entry (- 17 = 1255 BC)

1255 BC Exodus (+ 17 = 1272 BC)

(17 x 50-year jubilees)

(17 x 49-year jubilees)

422 BC

422 BC

421 Jerusalem allegedly burned - 17^th jubilee (17 x 50)

(421 BC + 166 = 587 BC)

421 BC = 490 yrs before Jerusalem
burned in 70 AD

373 (359) 18^th jubilee Cyrus allegedly captures Babylon

(373 BC + 166 = 539 BC)

421 17^th jubilee (17 x 49)

587 BC = 656 yrs before Jerusalem
burned in 70 AD

373 18^th jubilee

(331 BC Alexander)

324 (310) 19^th jubilee

275 (261) 20^th jubilee

226 (212) 21^st jubilee

177 (163) 22^nd jubilee

128 (114) 23 jubilee

79 (65) 24^th jubilee

30 (16) BC 25^th jubilee

20 (34) AD 26^th jubilee

27 (41) AD, 14^th yr (41)

69 (83) AD, 27^th jubilee

(331 BC Alexander)

324 19^th jubilee

275 20^th jubilee

226 21^st jubilee

177 22^nd jubilee

128 BC 23^rd jubilee

79 BC 24^th jubilee

30 BC 25^th jubilee

20 AD 26^th jubilee

27 AD

69 AD 27^th jubilee

New insight: Turn 1255 into 1312 by merely adding 17 extra years for 17 50-year jubilees down to 422 BC and by adding 40 years between the exodus and the entrance.