Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 02, 1999 at 15:33:42 {.c1iAaocfMMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: ASTROLOGERS MAGIC PRIESTS posted by dproper on November 02, 1999 at 14:13:25:
Hello dproper,
As far as the Babylonian magi are concerned, I think they were Jewish professional astronomers. Lots of Jews were in Babylon and they were usually the top "wise men" in the land.
But in particular I think the Biblical reference to these men have something to do with what would later happen with chronology. That is, based upon my research into the nature of the astronomical texts and all the cross-dating, it has more than once occurred to me that some of these "astronomer-priests" were Jewish, because the Jews had one type of dating and the Pesians and Neo-Babylonians another. And sometimes double-dating was played against that scenario.
But for sure, we can see Jehovah was working with these "astronomers". I ultimately think, that after the massive records were destroyed from all those years that would confirm the revisionist dating that was done during the Seleucid Period, that in order to provide a direct reference to the real actual chronology, these "Jewish" astronomer-priests sought to preserve some original records of the original chronology. And so they came up with documents like the VAT4956 and the SK400.
The whole idea was, since they were expert astronomers and no one knew or understood these references but them, that they could hide encrypted references to the original chronology on documents that openly had obvious dating to the revised chronology.
The nature of the documents we have with double dating suggest that the authorities didn't really understand the double-dating. That is, after they had destroyed all the astronomical records and were creating fake documents to try to finalize the new dating, the Jewish astronomer priests, in order to protect the original chronology, sort of went up to them and said: "Hey, let me help you! What we can do is match up certain years for you with absolute astronomical events for certain years, so many in fact, it would be impossible to fit any other year." And, of course, that was a good idea. Then they created these documents that had hidden references they could only understand with the double-dating and then made hundreds of these documents. There are several copies found, for instance of the SK400. That way, those who knew always could have a reference to the original chronology, and the authorities would allow the documents to survive since it promoted the original chronology.
So in a sense, the best way to make sure a reference to the original chronology would survive the ages was to literally "hide it in plain sight", and it worked!
The reference in the scriptures to the close relationship of the astrologers (actually astronomers) with the birth of the Messiah confirms the divine interest in preserving this chronology.
It would certainly be a different story if we didn't have the direct references to 529BCE. Even though since the VAT4956 and the SK400 are dismissible documents because they are from the wrong period of time and are not CONTEMPORARY, it's not the same when you can actually CONFIRM a reference to an alternative chronology.
So, of course, at this point, I think this was divinely provided.
Another incredible situation of what I feel is divine intervention are the bas-reliefs at Persepolis. While anyone can change building inscriptions (and they did) which change history, I think Nehemiah, who was the Chief Cupbearer from the time of Darius I and co-ruler Xerxes, was the one who was inspired to have the persons and history of this reign be preserved by bas-reliefs.
That is, the base reliefs were not just decorative of general Persian culture, but depictions of the actual rulers at the time the city was built.
Thus the bas-reliefs in the form of "art" provide more critical history for the city than the conflicting building inscriptions. That had to be inspired, since based upon those bas-reliefs, you can confirm that Xerxes and Artaxerxes were the same king by comparing their "photos in stone."
Otherwise, it would have been easy simply to change written records, even in stone.
So by these two methods, the true history has come down to us and they have come from behind the scenes to confirm Biblical chronology as being true. It's amazing that this is available at this time, having survived all these years. I can't help to think since chronology has been such an issue that there wasn't sufficient divine inspiration to preserve what was needed of the original history so that ultimately, the revisionists, who were comprehensive and agressive, would be overturned in the end and the Bible's chronology confirmed as being absolutely true.
That's why I say now, after doing the research, that is not a matter of OPINION any more regarding 529BCE, but it is INCOMPETENCE for anyone holding onto the 587BCE or 607BCE chronology. We have direct confirmation of both the conspiracy AND the original dating. So it's just not an issue any more. But it MIGHT have been hadn't these records slipped through the hands of the revisionists via art and hidden astronomical refereces.
So my feeling about the astrologers is that they were probably Jewish "wise men" astronomers at Babylon who, like the sheppards, were told about the birth of the Messiah, who they were expecting.
My thoughts... Interesting observation.
Cheers,
Bibleman