Pedro C Arceno Jr

The Table is based on the latest information provided by Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews  Book 20 chapter 10 that enumerated all the regnal years of the Hasmonean Priests-Kings from Judas Maccabeus down to Antigonus. It will reveal that Antigonus was enthroned by the Persians on July 41BCE and died on Nov/Dec 38BCE after reigning 3 years and 3 months (Ant. 20:10:1). Herod replaced him as king of the Jews. Jesus was 7 years old when Herod died (Gospel of Barnabas, Essenes' Gospel of the Twelve, Infancy Gospel). The 38BCE accession year of Herod will give us 5BCE as his death year after reigning 34 years. Hence, the data will give us 12BCE as the year Jesus was born.

Josephus had stated that the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled over the Jews as an independent nation for a total of 126 years (Ant. 14:16:4). That would be either from 165/164BCE (the year the Temple was rededicated) to 38BCE counting non-inclusively or from 164/163BCE (the year of Idependence) to 38BCE counting inclusively.

This research paper talks about the correct interpretation of Prophet Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy predicting in advance what year Jesus(PBUH) and Muhammad (PBUH) will come on earth. Among others, it prove beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus (PBUH) was born on 12 BCE and started his ministry on 19 CE when he was about to be 30 years old. It follows then that Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) will start his ministry on year 610 CE. This book will demonstrate how the three calendars (Lunar, Ideal and Solar) were designed by Allah (God Almighty) to predict the advent of the last two Prophets  called by the Jews as "the advent of the Two Messiahs". The Lunar calendar (354 days) is used to predict their birth year, the Ideal calendar (360 days) to predict the start of their ministry, and Solar calendar  to predict the year their mission (in which they were "Anointed" to accomplish) will be accomplished.

It is agreed that the time of Jesus first advent on earth such as the year he was born and the year he started his ministry is still debated by scholars. Research on the subject to know when it occurred still ongoing and the debate is still raging. This paper will show that the true and original chronology of Jesus (PBUH) and his successor Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) can be recovered by studying the chronology of Josephus and by computing correctly the 69 Weeks and the Last Week (i.e. 70 Weeks total) of the Prophecy of Prophet Daniel (PBUH). The result will give us 12BCE as the birth year of Jesus and 19CE as the year he started his mission. Eventually, as per the correct computation of the 70th Week of the prophecy, we should expect that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) will start his ministry in 610CE.

The data taken from Josephus are arranged to achieve accurate Herodian Chronology Table . Because it makes all his data consistent, it indicates that this is the most likely scheme he used in dating the chronology of Herod the Great.  By carefully devising this Table to serve as a code to know what year Jesus had started his ministry, there is a possibility that Josephus knew the correct computation of the 70 Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9: 24-27) predicting the year Jesus (PBUH) and Muhammad (PBUH) will come on earth.

Volume Two will discuss about the fulfillment of the 70 Weeks Prophecy of Prophet Daniel(as). That this prophecy is a countdown to know the year Jesus(as) and Muhammad(saw) will come on earth. Jesus(as) is expected to arrive in the 69th Week of the countdown and Prophet Muhammad(saw) will arrive in the 70th Week of the countdown. Its exact fulfillment in history (such as the year of their birth, the starting year of their ministry and the year their respective messianic mission will be accomplished) is a miracle or sign from God Almighty (Quran 20:133 & 26:197) and a clear evidence (Qur’an 61:6) attesting the veracity of the prophethood of both Jesus (as) and Muhammad(saw). This will explain to us why there were Jews in Judea who knew what time or year Jesus (as) will arrive on earth; and why there were Jews in Yathrib Arabia who knew what time or year Muhammad (saw) will emerge as Messenger of God.

Volume One will discuss about the true gospel of Jesus(as) which is about the imminent coming of the Son of Man and the establishment of the universal Kingdom of God on earth. We will emphasize the fact that the entire ministry of Jesus(as) is all about the good news of the imminent fulfillment of the “Son of Man Prophecy” and the “Kingdom of God Prophecy” of Prophet Daniel(as) as written in the Bible. Based on the correct context and interpretation, the Son of Man mentioned by Jesus(as) refers to Prophet Muhammad(saw) and the Kingdom of God refers to Islam.

It is well-known in Islamic History that Prophet Muhammad(saw) was the most awaited Prophet in Arabia. Jews and Arabs in Yathrib are waiting for his advent during the 7th century CE because that was the time he will appear as per their study and computation of the correct timing of the appearance of the Last Prophet. This book will try to show what specific prophecies in the previous scriptures (both in the Torah and Injel) being used by Nasara Jews and Arabs (i.e. followers of Jesus residing in Arabia) for them to know the time what year Prophet Muhammad(saw) will appear in Arabia as a Prophet sent by Allah swt. The best example of those Nasara Jews who knew the description and correct timing of the appearance of Prophet Muhammad(saw) was Abdullah ibn Salam. Take note in what he said “I know the time at which he appeared”:

“When I heard about the Apostle of Allah I knew by his description, name, and the time at which he appeared, that he was the one we were waiting for, and I rejoiced greatly thereafter, though I kept silent about it until the Apostle of Allah came to Madinah. (Taken from Ibn Ishaq, “Sirat Rasulullah”, Translated by A. Guillaume, Oxford University Press (1967), pp.240-241).

Muslim classical writers and historians did not comprehensively mention all episodes of this kind of anticipating the appearance of the Last Prophet in a time destined to come but just mentioned some examples of them and then summarized them in a generalized report:

“Jewish rabbis, Christian monks (i.e. Nasara), and Arab soothsayers had spoken about the apostle of God before his mission when his time drew near. As to the rabbis and monks, it was about his description and the description of his time which they found in their scriptures and what their prophets had enjoined upon them.” (Taken from: Ibn Ishaq, “Sirat Rasulullah”, translated by A. Guillaume, Oxford University Press (1967), p.90; Ibn Kathir, al-Sira al Nabawiyyah, Vol. 1, translated by T. L. Gassick, Garnet Publishing(1998), p. 207)

Volume One of this book will discuss about the true gospel of Jesus(as) which is about the imminent coming of the Son of Man and the establishment of the universal Kingdom of God on earth. We will emphasize the fact that the entire ministry of Jesus(as) is all about the good news of the imminent fulfillment of the “Son of Man Prophecy” and the “Kingdom of God Prophecy” of Prophet Daniel(as) as written in the Bible. Based on the correct context and interpretation, the Son of Man mentioned by Jesus(as) refers to Prophet Muhammad(saw) and the Kingdom of God refers to Islam.