Historical Chronology after the Exile according to 1 Enoch 89-90

Abstract

The inaccurate historical chronologies of Dan. 9.24-27 and schemas based upon it have contributed to a general denigration of Jewish chronographical capability in the post-Exilic era. But the four-empire rule of the 70 angel-shepherds in the latter part of the ‘Animal Apocalypse’ (1 En. 89.59-90.19), a document contemporary with Daniel 9, provides enough data to test the author’s competence in historical chronography. The empires plausibly represent periods of 84 + 162 + 161 + 84 years, for a total of 490 years between the Exile and the Eschaton, similar to Dan. 9.24-27. Since the beginning of the period of the second empire can be dated with some confidence to 520 BCE, dates for the other three periods fall into place automatically, and in each case they fit real history accurately. A re-evaluation of Jewish chronographical capability in the post-Exilic era may be in order.