455 THEORY: WHERE DID OUR YEARS GO?

PART 1 OF 3

MR LARRY L WILSON

For the sake of brevity this is just a quick OUTLINE of the current breakdown of how the years are distributed with respect to the "455 theory" that is, the theory that the Jews returned in 455 instead of 537 B.C.E. This theory is based upon the "70 weeks" prophesy of Daniel which states the Messiah would appear after 483 years from the time the "word went forth to rebuild Jerusalem." (Daniel 9) Jesus appeared as the Messiah in 29 C.E. thus 483 years previously would bring us to 455 B.C.E. The theory deviates from most religion's interpretations who associate this event with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah dated in the 20th year of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C.E. But since the walls were already rebuilt (Ezra 4:11) , this prophesy is applied to the original call to rebuild Jerusalem in the first year of Cyrus, thus his reign is also dated beginning 455 B.C.E. This represents an 82-year historical discrepancy between 537 and 455 B.C.E. (537-455 =82).

An attempt to resolve this discrepancy has resulted in lots of research based upon proving the "455 Theory" which claims there is now enough PROOF based on archaeology and archaeo- astromny as well as Biblical reference, not only to establish the Jews return in 455 B.C.E. but to correct the entire chronology of the Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods in the process. A brief OVERVIEW of "Where Did Our Years Go?" is presented here; presented not to argue the merits of the theory but merely to provide the most current information as to the theory of what happened and where the years went. Of course, this theory diverges tremendously with current history and so the historiical bakground is presented as satire. :) It's the chronology that are most important in this particular article, but some background is needed for context. It goes something like this:

BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF CONSPIRACY:

The reason for the 82-Year discrepancy. Darius I was ambushed by his enemy Miltiades while he was at Marathon just watering his horses. Darius was killed and beheaded and his head put on a pole and paraded in front of the aghast Persians who later recovered the body. Miltiades was promptly execuded within a year by the pro-Persian Greeks for his impropriety. However, Darius' son, Xerxes, who was also co- ruler with Darius at the time swore to the Greeks that he would "wipe them off the face of the earth." Themistocles was able to persuade the Greeks that their only hope was to run to Salamis which was guarded by narrow straights and build fast ships which could protect them when the invasion started. Fortunately they listened to him and true to his warning Xerxes invaded Greece with a vengeance asking for "land and water", that is, passage and water through most of Greece with the specific intent not to conquer but only to massacre all the Athenians for the death of his father. He did reach Greece and desecrated their land and temples but failed miserably in the naval battle at Salamis, and fled back to Persia a hated and embarrassed king. (Is anybody buying this baloney?)