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Exodus to the Temple 251
Years?
Or was Exodus to the capture of Jerusalem 251 Years?
We have traced a
continuous 251-year pattern from Adam down to Solomon’s temple. Josephus,
Eusebius and Ussher all end their era of the exodus in the fourth year of
Solomon, when the temple was founded (see I Kings 6:1).
There
is an alternative view, which adds 36 years between the death of Eli and
the temple.
The
rabbinic version says that, at Eli’s death, the Ark was taken to the house
of Abinadab for 20 years (I Sam. 7:2), until David brought it into
Jerusalem from the house of Abinadab (1 Chron. 13:7). Thereafter, David
ruled in Jerusalem 33 years. And Solomon founded the temple in his fourth
year, 56 years after the death of Eli. This would define Solomon’s 4th
year as the 56th year after Eli’s death (20 + 36 = 56), 251
years after the Exodus.
However,
Josephus says, after Eli’s death, the Ark was at the house of Abinadab 20
years, and David brought the Ark into Jerusalem after 56 years, 36 years
before the temple. This could
possibly mean that David actually brought the Ark into Jerusalem 251 years
after the Exodus and that Solomon’s temple was 93 years after Eli’s death
(57 + 36) (251 + 36) as in TABLE 3. So there is confusion over David's 7th
year (now believed to be in 1004 BC) and Solomon’s 12th
year (Ussher’s year 1004 BC).
In
contrast, Eusebius’ view places Solomon’s temple 1004 years before Herod’s
temple begun in 18 BC, which would be 1022 BC (502 years before 520 BC).
Ussher’s
view places Solomon’s temple at 1012 BC. Again, all years of the kings are
assumed to be consecutive, not contemporary or overlapping. Because the
kings overlapped, Solomon’s 4th year was in 968, not 1012.
After 40 years in the
wilderness, there were 83 years for Moses, Joshua and the elders (according
to Josephus), and 111 years for the oppressions (including the judges, the
last judge, Eli) and 57 years for Samuel and Saul down to David’s 7th
year, when he captured Jerusalem (83 + 111 + 57 = 251).
If the 251 years after
the Exodus ended 36 years earlier than 968 BC, that is, in 1004 BC, then
the Exodus would have been in 1255 BC (968 + 36 = 1004) (1004 BC + 251 =
1255).
If the 479 years after
the Exodus ended 36 years earlier, in 1004 BC, then the Exodus would have
been in 1484 BC (968 + 480 = 1448) (1448 + 36 = 1484).
If
the 590 years after the Exodus ended 36 years earlier, in 1004 BC, then the
Exodus would have been in 1594 BC (968 + 590 = 1558) (1558 + 36 = 1594).
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