Biblical "contradictions" #19: Ezra v Nehemiah

Many atheists like to exploit apparent errors in the bible. In this series of videos, I will be refuting some of the claims made by them.
In this video, I tackle a veritable bucketload of errors found in Ezra chapter 2 and Nehemiah chapter 7.
Including a brief talk on hats.

http://www.lookinguntojesus.net/ata20041003.htm
http://www.scotzbhoy.webs.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• bible
• contradictions
• 19
• ezra
• nehemiah
• hats
• scotzbhoy

[JesusSavesAtCitibank]

I suggest you get a brain for your next video.  One that appreciates and adheres to honesty.

[scotzbhoy]

All that comment says to me is that you know that I put foreward a good and most probably correct argument in this video, but decided to insult me for it anyway simply because you don't like my beliefs. Typical.

[JesusSavesAtCitibank]

4)

The dishonest excuse you're borrowing is ridiculous, and is a sign of sheer panic in Christian apologia to defend these fictions as being true and not contradictory when they clearly are both.

[JesusSavesAtCitibank]

3)

It's illogical for you to claim the discrepancy in the individual numbers are because of different headcounts at different times, when the total number given in each book is precisely the same. Your ilk always want it both ways.

Furthermore, your account that the two were written a century apart is completely untrue. Ezra is estimated to be written in the period 460-440BCE, and Nehemiah 445-420BCE.

[tomohawk211]

8)

1. FIRST yr. of the King Cyrus of Persia is (539 BC) when (Ezra 2) list was made captives come back with Zerubbabel.

2. SEVENTH yr. of King Artaxerxes of Persia is (457 BC) when Ezra came back with 2nd batch of Captives. (539 - 457) = 82 yrs. later.

3. TWENTIETH yr. of King Artaxerxes of Persia is (444 BC) when Nehemiah came back & found the old list. (539 - 444) = 95 yrs. later.

So the two LISTS are 95 yrs APART in time! (It does not matter when Ezra or Nehemiah bks were written).

[tomohawk211]

7) JesusSavesAtCitibank

Bible has a TOTAL of 774,746 WORDS, ...So the seemingly, 16 differences in numbers here, is only 0.002 % ERROR, as (16 / 774,746 x100 = 0.002 %),

& if U also add the 101 alleged ERRORS of Bible, to this (16+101)=117;

Still (117/774,746x100)=0.015% error only.

So at only 0.015 % over-all error, (& most of these alleged errors have logical explanations), so the Bible still remains more accurate than any other ancient religious or historical book in the world.

[tomohawk211]

6) J.S.AtCitibank

….& this PROPHECY, is proven true even HERE, as the captives came back after yrs of exile, just as God said thu’ Jeremiah prophet in (Ezra 1:1).

So it does not matter what some critics or even Christians say. What matters is what Bible says.

There is just ONE likely error of the TOTAL (42,360), as the list was modified, but Total was not changed or re-added. But Bible contains other such CENSUS LISTS which are accurate, So the error of Bible as a WHOLE is ONLY 0.0022%

[tomohawk211]

5) J.S.AtCitibank

…so it is likely that the record of this 1st. list, may hv been later merged or modified, with the SECOND & THIRD list, of captives that came after the first batch of return of captives. (Same total of 42,360, does not mean list was not modified)

Besides, (even if critics do not agree here), yet remember, the Bible never claims mathematical accuracy in terms of such numbers, but it only claims that its PROPHECIES are written by men who inspired by God (2 Peter 1:20-21),...

[tomohawk211]

4) J.S.AtCitibank

4. TWENTIETH yr. of King Artaxerxes of Persia [date= 444 BC (Neh 2:1)] - 95 yrs later,...-the record of the register of the previous returns found in (Neh 7:5)

Can any CENSUS RECORD, remain un-changed, over a long period of 95 yrs? So the TOTAL 42,360 is the only likely scribe error in 2nd list.

So, the list may have been modified, but the TOTAL 42,360 (remaining same) is a likely scribal error which happened when this old aging list was re-copied 82 or 95 yrs later.

[tomohawk211]

3) J.S.AtCitibank

2. SEVENTH yr. of King Artaxerxes of Persia (464-423) BC [date= 457 BC (Ezra 7:7)] - SECOND list prepared by Ezra, as per (Ezra 7:7-8; & Ezra 8:1-20) (time: 82 yrs.) later.

3. Again, SEVENTH yr. of King Artaxerxes of Persia (Ezra 10:3, 17-44) -[(time: 82 yrs + (4 months)] as per (Ezra 7:8-9) -THIRD list made in (Ezra 9:2; Ezra 10:3 & Ezra10:17-44) where pagan children, wives are put-out (which means subtractions of the children numbers from the captive count in some list)

[tomohawk211]

2) J.S.AtCitibank

...So, It is a case of a very old CENSUS RECORD lying in a ruined city whose walls were still broken down, & it is very likely that the old list was re-copied or even modified, when Ezra came back with more captives 82 yrs later, but by mistake, the total of 42,360 was not changed.

Dates & time verified as below (see even in (wiki~):-

1. FIRST yr. of the King Cyrus of Persia (539-530) BC [date= 539 BC (Ezra 1:1)] -FIRST list given in (Ezra 2:2-65) (time: 0 yrs.)

[tomohawk211]

JesusSavesAtCitibank

1) Differences in (Ezra 2) & (Neh 7) lists (really show only ONE copying error in the Total, which is written as 42,360) & .NOT that, Bible has any big contradictions:-

Critics attack the 2 lists, but they ignore the FACT that the 2nd list was found after a long time of 95 yrs., after the 1st. list was made.

& (Neh 7:5) only says that (95 yrs later) he FOUND a REGISTER of those who had come up in the first return (or previous return) & that city was still in RUINS,….

[44SCB]

A hat would be cool.