List of the Kings of Larsa AO 7025 Richelieu room 3 showcase 5 a (1) The Bible and Chronology This is a chronological listing of the kings
of the Amorite dynasty who ruled over Larsa
at the end of third millennium. This prism reveals the concern of scribes to record over time the major events
constituted by changes in reign. Considered important documents crucial for piecing together chronology,
historical texts are often
fragmented or even mythical. A163
List of the Kings of Larsa
They are, however, much fewer in number than other religious or commercial texts. The document known as the ‘Sumerian King List’ stated that ‘kingship descended from heaven’ before citing a series of mythical kings whose reign supposedly each lasted several thousand years. A164 “The Table of Nations of Genesis is unique in ancient literature. This concern for history is not encountered in any other sacred text in the world.”
“This extensive corpus of tablets in our care (half a million documents, four-fifths of which is ‘general paperwork’) contains gaping holes; for example, there are only the merest details about the life of the great Hammurabi.” Jean Bottéro
For its part, the Bible reports the facts A165 since the beginnings of man until the time of the Governorate of Nehemiah in the 5th Century BCE with remarkable continuity and coherence. The chroniclers of the kings of Judah and Israel, who had detailed annals, produced clear, impartial and harmonious accounts. Their rigorous work offering is the basis for a reliable chronology. The presentation of each reign makes a point of indicating its duration, but also of establishing synchronism with the other kingdom. The book The Bible and Radiocarbon Dating A166 compares the history of Israel and Judah that is told in the Bible with the account given in the cuneiform texts.
“One soon realises that the royal scribes were not overly concerned with faithfully reporting events, and it is clear that the vanity of the king obliged them to take liberties with historical accuracy.”
Luckenbill A164
“There are 15 or 16 kings (of Judah/Israel) mentioned in these foreign documents that perfectly match the names and periods allocated to them in the Book of Kings. Not a single contextual error is committed and no foreign document cites a king who is not spoken of in the biblical text.” According to the Bible, Adam lived for 930 years, Seth for 912 and Methuselah for 969 years. Did they really live that long? The Bible itself contains evidence to suggest that these are literal years comparable to our own. If it were a question of months, the following characters would have become fathers at an impossible age: Kenan at less than six years old and Henok at just five years old. (Genesis 5:12, 21)
Chronological history,
‘a skeleton, a frame around which there is nothing’. Ceram A163
God is the Master of time. ‘The Father has placed in his own jurisdiction’ time (chronos), the length of periods, and eras (kairos), the time characterised by certain events (Acts 1:7). Divine inspiration which has enabled historians to write their accounts is for Christians an infallible guarantee of the veracity of biblical chronology. - 2 Peter 1:19-21.
