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Showing posts with label Contradictions 33 - 45. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contradictions 33 - 45. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Contradictions 33 - 45
Contradiction No. 33
1 Kings 4:26 contains this statement:
“And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.”
This statement is clearly contradicted by 2 Chronicles 9:25, which says:
“And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen;”
Urdu and Persian translations have the same number but the Arabic translator has changed four thousand to forty thousand. Adam Clarke, the commentator, having pointed out the controversies of various translations and commentaries, has said, that in view of the various discrepancies, it would be better to admit that the numbers (in the Book of Kings) have been changed and distorted.
Contradiction No. 34
Comparison of 1 Kings 7:24 and 2 Chronicles 4:2-3 also discloses a contradiction in the statement of facts. In both texts a natatorium (molten sea) made by Solomon is mentioned. The text of the Book of Kings is this:
“And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.”
The text of Chronicles contains this description:
“Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass...”
“And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.”
This is what it says in the Urdu and English versions while the Arabic translation of 1865 describes neither knops nor oxen but totally different things, a kind of cucumber. Knop! Ox! or Cucumber! Can you find any relation between these totally different things?
Adam Clarke, making comments on the text of Chronicles, points out that the opinion of great scholars was to accept the text of the Book of Kings, and it was possible that the word ’bakrem’ might have been used in place of ’bakem’. ’Bakrem’ signifies a knop and ’bakem’ an ox. To be short, the commentator has admitted the presence of human manipulation in the text of Chronicles. The compilers of Henry and Scott are forced to say that this difference in the text was due to a change in the alphabets.
Contradiction No. 35
2 Kings 16:2 says:
“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem... “
We find another statement in the same book in 18:2 regarding his son Hezekiah:
“Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. “
This later statement means that Hezekiah must have been born when his father Ahaz was only eleven years old which is physically impossible. Obviously one of the two texts is wrong. The commentators have admitted that the former statement is wrong. Commenting on chapter 16 the compilers of Henry and Scott say that apparently thirty has been written instead of twenty and have advised people to refer to 18:2 of the same book .
Contradiction No. 36
2 Chronicles 28:1 says:
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: “
Chapter 29 of the same book starts with these words:
“Hezekiah (the son of Ahaz) began to reign when he was five and twenty years old..”
Here too (as in No. 35) one of the two texts has to be wrong and apparently it is the first text that is erroneous.
Contradiction No. 37
A comparison between 2 Samuel 12:31 and 1 Chronicles 20:3, presents another obvious contradiction between the two texts. Horne has also noted this difference and has suggested that the text of the 1 Chronicles should be changed to accord with the text of the Book of Samuel. He says, ”The text of Samuel is correct, therefore the text of Chronicles may accordingly be altered.”
What is to be noted from this example is the despotic and arbitrary attitude of the Christian theologians towards their holy scriptures. The more surprising fact in this regard is that this suggestion was followed by the Arabic translator in 1844 in the opposite direction to this suggestion. That is to say, he altered the text of the Samuel to accord with the text of Chronicles and not the other way round as was suggested by Horne.
The readers of this book should not be shocked by this. They will soon be coming to frequent distortions of this nature – a usual practice of the Christians.
Contradiction No. 38
We read in 1 Kings 15:33:
“In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Abijah to reign all over Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.”
Contrary to this 2 Chronicles 16:1 says:
“In the sixth and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha, King of Israel came up against Judah... “
The contradiction between the texts is more than clear. One of the two texts must be wrong because according to the first text Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign so that in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign he has been dead for ten years. Obviously Baasha cannot invade Judah ten years after his death.
The compilers of Henry and Scott, commenting on the text of Chronicles have said, ”Asher, a great Christian scholar, has said, ”This twenty-sixth year is not the year of Asa’s reign, but this is the year of the division of the kingdom which was in the period of Jeroboam.”
The Christian scholars, however, have admitted that the text of Chronicles is erroneous – either the number thirty-six has been replaced by twenty-six or the phrase ’the division of the kingdom’ is to be put in place of Asa.
Contradiction No. 39
The text of 2 Chronicles 15:19 is this:
“And there was no war unto the five and thirtieth year of Asa.”
This text is again contradicting the text of 1 Kings 15:33 as has been shown in the previous argument under Contradiction No. 38.
Contradiction No. 40
The number of Solomon’s officers looking after the work is described as three thousand and three hundred in 1 Kings 5:16, whereas in 2 Chronicles 2:2 this number is mentioned as three thousand and six hundred. The Greek translators have altered this number making it six hundred.
Contradiction No. 41
The text of 1 Kings 7:26 giving the description of the ”molten sea” made by Solomon says, ”It contained two thousand baths”, while the text of 2 Chronicles 4:5 claims, ”It received and held three thousand baths”.
The Persian translation, 1838, speaks of the capacity of two thousand ”idols”. The Persian translation, 1845, contains, ”Two thousand vessel,” And the Persian translation, 1838, contains, ”three thousand idols”. The inconsistencies and discrepancies of these various texts speak for themselves.
Contradiction No. 42
When chapter 2 of the Book of Ezra is compared with chapter 7 of Nehemiah, several discrepancies and contradictions in the texts can be seen. Apart from textual differences, there are errors in number of the Israelites. In the two chapters there are twenty numerical contradictions and many others where names are concerned. We reproduce below the errors concerning the numbers of the liberated Israelites:
Verse No. 6
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children Pahath - Moab… two thousand eight hundre and twelve”
Verse No. 11
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Phahath Moab … two thousand eight hundred and eighteen”
Verse No. 8
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five”
Verse No. 13
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five”
Verse No. 12
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two”
Verse No. 17
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two”
Verse No. 15
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four”
Verse No. 20
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five”
Verse No. 19
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three”
Verse No. 22
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight”
Verse No. 28
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three”
Verse No. 32
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundrred twenty and three”
Both texts agree on the total number of the Israelites who came to Jerusalem after the release from captivity in Babylon. These chapters claim that they were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty. But if we add them ourselves, we do not obtain this number neither from Ezra or from Nehemiah. The total according to Ezra comes to twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen, while in Nehemiah it adds up to thirtyone thousand and eighty-nine.
Nor is this total number correct according to the historians. Joseph (Eusephius) says in the first chapter of vol. 2 of his history:
“The Israelites that came from Babylon count to forty-two thousand, four hundred and sixty-two.”
The compiler of Henry and Scott’s commentary have said under the comments on the text of Ezra:
“A great difference has been caused between this chapter and chapter 7 of Nehemiah by the copyists. At the time of their rendering into English, the corrections were made through the available copies. Wherever the copies could not be found, the Greek translation was preferred over the Hebrew.”
It may be noted how the texts of the Holy Scripture are so easily distorted in the name of correction, and how texts that remained acknowledged for centuries vanish altogether from the books. Meanwhile the books still remain full of errors and contradictions.
In fact, participation of human element in these books has been present from their very origin. The copyists are unjustifiably blamed for making errors. Even today a comparative reading of these two chapters will reveal more than twenty errors and contradictions.
Contradiction No. 43
We find this statement in 2 Chronicles concerning the name of the mother of King Abijah:
“His mother’s name also was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.” [2 Chr. 13:2]
Contrary to this we find another statement in the same book to the effect that:
“He took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah...” [2 Chr. 11:20]
Again this latter statement is contradicted by the book of 2 Samuel 14:27 which says that Absalom had only one daughter named Tamar.
“And unto Absalom, there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar.”
Contradiction No. 44
It is understood from the Book of Joshua chapter 10 that the Israelites took over Jerusalem after killing the king, while 15:63 of the same book denies the capture of Jerusalem by the Israelites.
” As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.”
Contradiction No. 45
2 Samuel 24:1 says:
“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.”
This statement is plainly contradicted by I Chronicles 21:1 where it says that this thought was provoked by Satan. Since, according to the Christians, God is not the Creator of evil, this turns into a very serious contradiction .
1 Kings 4:26 contains this statement:
“And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.”
This statement is clearly contradicted by 2 Chronicles 9:25, which says:
“And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen;”
Urdu and Persian translations have the same number but the Arabic translator has changed four thousand to forty thousand. Adam Clarke, the commentator, having pointed out the controversies of various translations and commentaries, has said, that in view of the various discrepancies, it would be better to admit that the numbers (in the Book of Kings) have been changed and distorted.
Contradiction No. 34
Comparison of 1 Kings 7:24 and 2 Chronicles 4:2-3 also discloses a contradiction in the statement of facts. In both texts a natatorium (molten sea) made by Solomon is mentioned. The text of the Book of Kings is this:
“And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.”
The text of Chronicles contains this description:
“Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass...”
“And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.”
This is what it says in the Urdu and English versions while the Arabic translation of 1865 describes neither knops nor oxen but totally different things, a kind of cucumber. Knop! Ox! or Cucumber! Can you find any relation between these totally different things?
Adam Clarke, making comments on the text of Chronicles, points out that the opinion of great scholars was to accept the text of the Book of Kings, and it was possible that the word ’bakrem’ might have been used in place of ’bakem’. ’Bakrem’ signifies a knop and ’bakem’ an ox. To be short, the commentator has admitted the presence of human manipulation in the text of Chronicles. The compilers of Henry and Scott are forced to say that this difference in the text was due to a change in the alphabets.
Contradiction No. 35
2 Kings 16:2 says:
“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem... “
We find another statement in the same book in 18:2 regarding his son Hezekiah:
“Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. “
This later statement means that Hezekiah must have been born when his father Ahaz was only eleven years old which is physically impossible. Obviously one of the two texts is wrong. The commentators have admitted that the former statement is wrong. Commenting on chapter 16 the compilers of Henry and Scott say that apparently thirty has been written instead of twenty and have advised people to refer to 18:2 of the same book .
Contradiction No. 36
2 Chronicles 28:1 says:
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: “
Chapter 29 of the same book starts with these words:
“Hezekiah (the son of Ahaz) began to reign when he was five and twenty years old..”
Here too (as in No. 35) one of the two texts has to be wrong and apparently it is the first text that is erroneous.
Contradiction No. 37
A comparison between 2 Samuel 12:31 and 1 Chronicles 20:3, presents another obvious contradiction between the two texts. Horne has also noted this difference and has suggested that the text of the 1 Chronicles should be changed to accord with the text of the Book of Samuel. He says, ”The text of Samuel is correct, therefore the text of Chronicles may accordingly be altered.”
What is to be noted from this example is the despotic and arbitrary attitude of the Christian theologians towards their holy scriptures. The more surprising fact in this regard is that this suggestion was followed by the Arabic translator in 1844 in the opposite direction to this suggestion. That is to say, he altered the text of the Samuel to accord with the text of Chronicles and not the other way round as was suggested by Horne.
The readers of this book should not be shocked by this. They will soon be coming to frequent distortions of this nature – a usual practice of the Christians.
Contradiction No. 38
We read in 1 Kings 15:33:
“In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Abijah to reign all over Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.”
Contrary to this 2 Chronicles 16:1 says:
“In the sixth and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha, King of Israel came up against Judah... “
The contradiction between the texts is more than clear. One of the two texts must be wrong because according to the first text Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign so that in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign he has been dead for ten years. Obviously Baasha cannot invade Judah ten years after his death.
The compilers of Henry and Scott, commenting on the text of Chronicles have said, ”Asher, a great Christian scholar, has said, ”This twenty-sixth year is not the year of Asa’s reign, but this is the year of the division of the kingdom which was in the period of Jeroboam.”
The Christian scholars, however, have admitted that the text of Chronicles is erroneous – either the number thirty-six has been replaced by twenty-six or the phrase ’the division of the kingdom’ is to be put in place of Asa.
Contradiction No. 39
The text of 2 Chronicles 15:19 is this:
“And there was no war unto the five and thirtieth year of Asa.”
This text is again contradicting the text of 1 Kings 15:33 as has been shown in the previous argument under Contradiction No. 38.
Contradiction No. 40
The number of Solomon’s officers looking after the work is described as three thousand and three hundred in 1 Kings 5:16, whereas in 2 Chronicles 2:2 this number is mentioned as three thousand and six hundred. The Greek translators have altered this number making it six hundred.
Contradiction No. 41
The text of 1 Kings 7:26 giving the description of the ”molten sea” made by Solomon says, ”It contained two thousand baths”, while the text of 2 Chronicles 4:5 claims, ”It received and held three thousand baths”.
The Persian translation, 1838, speaks of the capacity of two thousand ”idols”. The Persian translation, 1845, contains, ”Two thousand vessel,” And the Persian translation, 1838, contains, ”three thousand idols”. The inconsistencies and discrepancies of these various texts speak for themselves.
Contradiction No. 42
When chapter 2 of the Book of Ezra is compared with chapter 7 of Nehemiah, several discrepancies and contradictions in the texts can be seen. Apart from textual differences, there are errors in number of the Israelites. In the two chapters there are twenty numerical contradictions and many others where names are concerned. We reproduce below the errors concerning the numbers of the liberated Israelites:
Verse No. 6
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children Pahath - Moab… two thousand eight hundre and twelve”
Verse No. 11
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Phahath Moab … two thousand eight hundred and eighteen”
Verse No. 8
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five”
Verse No. 13
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five”
Verse No. 12
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two”
Verse No. 17
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two”
Verse No. 15
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four”
Verse No. 20
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five”
Verse No. 19
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three”
Verse No. 22
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
“The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight”
Verse No. 28
The Text of EZRA, Ch. 2
“The children of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three”
Verse No. 32
The Text of NEHEMIAH, Ch. 7
The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundrred twenty and three”
Both texts agree on the total number of the Israelites who came to Jerusalem after the release from captivity in Babylon. These chapters claim that they were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty. But if we add them ourselves, we do not obtain this number neither from Ezra or from Nehemiah. The total according to Ezra comes to twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen, while in Nehemiah it adds up to thirtyone thousand and eighty-nine.
Nor is this total number correct according to the historians. Joseph (Eusephius) says in the first chapter of vol. 2 of his history:
“The Israelites that came from Babylon count to forty-two thousand, four hundred and sixty-two.”
The compiler of Henry and Scott’s commentary have said under the comments on the text of Ezra:
“A great difference has been caused between this chapter and chapter 7 of Nehemiah by the copyists. At the time of their rendering into English, the corrections were made through the available copies. Wherever the copies could not be found, the Greek translation was preferred over the Hebrew.”
It may be noted how the texts of the Holy Scripture are so easily distorted in the name of correction, and how texts that remained acknowledged for centuries vanish altogether from the books. Meanwhile the books still remain full of errors and contradictions.
In fact, participation of human element in these books has been present from their very origin. The copyists are unjustifiably blamed for making errors. Even today a comparative reading of these two chapters will reveal more than twenty errors and contradictions.
Contradiction No. 43
We find this statement in 2 Chronicles concerning the name of the mother of King Abijah:
“His mother’s name also was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.” [2 Chr. 13:2]
Contrary to this we find another statement in the same book to the effect that:
“He took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah...” [2 Chr. 11:20]
Again this latter statement is contradicted by the book of 2 Samuel 14:27 which says that Absalom had only one daughter named Tamar.
“And unto Absalom, there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar.”
Contradiction No. 44
It is understood from the Book of Joshua chapter 10 that the Israelites took over Jerusalem after killing the king, while 15:63 of the same book denies the capture of Jerusalem by the Israelites.
” As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.”
Contradiction No. 45
2 Samuel 24:1 says:
“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.”
This statement is plainly contradicted by I Chronicles 21:1 where it says that this thought was provoked by Satan. Since, according to the Christians, God is not the Creator of evil, this turns into a very serious contradiction .
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Contradictions 33 - 45
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