Hi. My 15- y.o. ds is frustrated by the inconsistencies in the timeline data he's finding, and what the Bible says (for example about when certain kings reigned in Israel). For instance, Second Kings says that Pekah assassinated Pekahiah and became king in his place, but the timeline information given says Pekahiah ruled from 742-740, and Pekah from 752-732. That's just one little example. I know that dating systems differ, but can anyone shed more light than on why dating systems would be so inconsistent with the Biblical accounts, and why a bunch of the kings appear to overlap? (like, were there puppet kings at the same time as kings the people looked to as their king?) I'm not much of a date person - give me the big picture and I'm happy - but this particular son has worked VERY hard to make a nice, neat kings and prophets timeline, and numbers are really important to him ... I'd just like to give him any additional information I can.
Thanks,
Bonnie

Bonnie,

Two ideas for you.

First of all, as you note, dating ancient Israeli kings is difficult, and historians who are experts disagree with one another. Therefore, one should choose one "expert" to follow for the sake of building a time line, and stick to him (or her) all the while humbly acknowledging that the dates can be off.

The purpose of the exercise is not really to set in concrete the exact dates of each king, but to closely examine the flow of redemptive history. I understand your son's frustration, but one way you can help him is to take a step back and help him see that the kings are part of a chain of events that both displays the sinfulness of men and the patience and wisdom of God. God remains true to His covenant while men disobey and sin as they work to keep their temporal power as kings of Israel. In the end, the not knowing of specific dates leads us to highlight what's most important in the biblical narrative: the focus on human sin, God's holiness, and the outworking of His redemptive gracious plan that is ill deserved by men.

All that said, I think you have pointed out what may be a misprint (or an error in the one system that we were following when we printed our time lines). Though we do our best to be as accurate as we can, we're grateful when one of our errors is pointed out. I agree that the biblical account would say that Pekah ruled in Pekahiah's place, so our information does need revision. Thanks, and sorry for the confusion.