How does Ezra 6:15 confirm the historical accuracy of the Second Temple's completion date? Biblical Citation Ezra 6:15 : “And this temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.” Explicit Chronological Marker Ezra fixes the completion to “the third day of Adar” (late February–early March) “in the sixth year of Darius.” Persian, Jewish, and Babylonian sources all reckon Darius I’s sixth regnal year as 515 BC. Scripture’s precision—day, month, and regnal year—allows direct comparison with extrabiblical data. Synchronizing Biblical and Persian Regnal Systems 1. Darius I ascended the throne in 522 BC (Behistun Inscription, col. I). 2. Persepolis Treasury tablets date his Year 1 to 522/521 BC. 3. The Jewish civil calendar (Tishri accession) places his Year 6 as 516/515 BC; the temple’s dedication in Adar falls in early 515 BC. 4. Haggai 1:1 (second year of Darius) and Zechariah 1:1 (eighth month, second year) align perfectly with the work-restart in 520 BC, matching Ezra 4:24–5:1. Archaeological Corroboration • The Babylonian “Strassmaier Tablets” and “Nippur Contract Tablets” preserve business documents explicitly dated to Darius I Year 6, demonstrating an unbroken regnal chronology from Cyrus to Darius. • The Aramaic Elephantine Papyri (Cowley 30) mention Passover in Darius II Year 5, back-calculated to confirm Darius I Year 6 at 515 BC. • Excavations on the Temple Mount’s eastern scarp (G. Mazar, Eilat Mazar) revealed ashlar courses and Persian-era seal impressions (Yehud stamp handles) consistent with early-fifth-century temple activity. Confluence With Prophetic Timelines • Haggai 2:18–19 notes foundation re-laying on the 24th of Kislev, second year of Darius (520 BC). The four-year construction span (520–516/515 BC) matches ordinary building seasons and financial backing from the Persian treasury (Ezra 6:8–9). • Zechariah 4:9 prophesied, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands will also finish it,” a statement fulfilled within the sixth year. External Classical Witness Josephus, Antiquities XI.4.7, reports: “The temple was finished in the ninth year of King Darius,” reflecting his Greek regnal count that begins with Darius’ co-regency, yet still lands on 515 BC when adjusted. Classical synchronization reinforces, not contradicts, Ezra’s date. Ussher-Aligned Biblical Chronology Using Ussher’s 4004 BC creation anchor, the 70-year exile (Jeremiah 25:11) ends 536 BC, temple commencement Year 2 of Cyrus (Ezra 3:8) follows, pause ensues, work resumes 520 BC, dedication 515 BC—exactly 70 years after the 586 BC destruction (2 Kings 25:8–9), verifying God’s sovereign timetable (Daniel 9:2). Answering Skepticism Objection: “Persian chronology is uncertain.” Response: Canonical double-dating (Babylonian lunar and Egyptian civil) in Ptolemy’s Canon, synchronisms in the Behistun Inscription, and astronomical diaries (tablet BM 33066) fix Darius’ Year 6 with eclipse data beyond dispute. Objection: “Scripture’s date may be theological, not historical.” Response: The inclusion of the specific civil day (“third”), a non-festal month (Adar), and a foreign regnal system lacks symbolic value but possesses administrative precision typical of temple accounting (cf. Ezra 7:8-9), proving historical intent. Theological Significance The completion date validates God’s covenant fidelity: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater” (Haggai 2:9). That promise culminates in the incarnate Christ walking within Herod’s expansion of this same Second Temple, linking 515 BC to the 30 AD ministry and 33 AD resurrection—historical events attested by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). Conclusion Ezra 6:15’s day-month-year formula, corroborated by Persian royal inscriptions, economic tablets, archaeological strata, and prophetic synchronization, locks the Second Temple’s dedication to early 515 BC. The convergence of inspired Scripture, external records, and material culture confirms the Bible’s unswerving accuracy and underscores the trustworthiness of the redemptive narrative it proclaims. |
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