Alan Ereira

The two big roads, one called the Sea Road, which goes up along the coast, the other called the King's Road, which goes up the Jordan Valley, they both avoid Jerusalem.

The two big roads, one called the Sea Road, which goes up along the coast, the other called the King's Road, which goes up the Jordan Valley, they both avoid Jerusalem.

It is not that sort of... Why would you bother attacking it on a large scale? Nebuchadnezzar makes his first attack. He gets bought off, basically. He goes away with a certain amount of gold. And what he does is interesting. And the Bible is very clear about this. He takes the gold vessels and he cuts them up. He's not treating them as sacred booty. He's having them converted into money.

It is not that sort of... Why would you bother attacking it on a large scale? Nebuchadnezzar makes his first attack. He gets bought off, basically. He goes away with a certain amount of gold. And what he does is interesting. And the Bible is very clear about this. He takes the gold vessels and he cuts them up. He's not treating them as sacred booty. He's having them converted into money.

It is not that sort of... Why would you bother attacking it on a large scale? Nebuchadnezzar makes his first attack. He gets bought off, basically. He goes away with a certain amount of gold. And what he does is interesting. And the Bible is very clear about this. He takes the gold vessels and he cuts them up. He's not treating them as sacred booty. He's having them converted into money.

They are for sale. That's why he chops them up. There's no other reason why you would do that. He's not going to use them. He's not going to show them off. No, he's handing them out to the merchants. And clearly the merchants say it's not enough. So he goes back a year later. And he's got to get it. And he knows there's a lot there. And he can't get it. So this is a siege that goes on.

They are for sale. That's why he chops them up. There's no other reason why you would do that. He's not going to use them. He's not going to show them off. No, he's handing them out to the merchants. And clearly the merchants say it's not enough. So he goes back a year later. And he's got to get it. And he knows there's a lot there. And he can't get it. So this is a siege that goes on.

They are for sale. That's why he chops them up. There's no other reason why you would do that. He's not going to use them. He's not going to show them off. No, he's handing them out to the merchants. And clearly the merchants say it's not enough. So he goes back a year later. And he's got to get it. And he knows there's a lot there. And he can't get it. So this is a siege that goes on.

It looks like 30 months. 30 months of a great empire using its massive army to besiege a place which is of no military significance. And when it finally succeeds, it doesn't just conquer it. It totally destroys it. It takes it apart stone by stone. Where have they hidden the gold? And Jerusalem doesn't exist at the end of this. And he's taken out a hell of a lot of gold.

It looks like 30 months. 30 months of a great empire using its massive army to besiege a place which is of no military significance. And when it finally succeeds, it doesn't just conquer it. It totally destroys it. It takes it apart stone by stone. Where have they hidden the gold? And Jerusalem doesn't exist at the end of this. And he's taken out a hell of a lot of gold.

It looks like 30 months. 30 months of a great empire using its massive army to besiege a place which is of no military significance. And when it finally succeeds, it doesn't just conquer it. It totally destroys it. It takes it apart stone by stone. Where have they hidden the gold? And Jerusalem doesn't exist at the end of this. And he's taken out a hell of a lot of gold.

And we know what the effect of that is, because we have these wonderful tables of prices, this extraordinary set of cuneiform tablets stored in the British Museum, which the temple records every month the prices of six commodities for centuries, including the period we're talking about.

And we know what the effect of that is, because we have these wonderful tables of prices, this extraordinary set of cuneiform tablets stored in the British Museum, which the temple records every month the prices of six commodities for centuries, including the period we're talking about.

And we know what the effect of that is, because we have these wonderful tables of prices, this extraordinary set of cuneiform tablets stored in the British Museum, which the temple records every month the prices of six commodities for centuries, including the period we're talking about.

I think these are probably the finest financial records in existence, better than our records of our own economy, better than America's records of its economy. We have hundreds of years of price data of the same things measured in the same currency. And each one of those monthly records includes the positions of the planets.

I think these are probably the finest financial records in existence, better than our records of our own economy, better than America's records of its economy. We have hundreds of years of price data of the same things measured in the same currency. And each one of those monthly records includes the positions of the planets.

I think these are probably the finest financial records in existence, better than our records of our own economy, better than America's records of its economy. We have hundreds of years of price data of the same things measured in the same currency. And each one of those monthly records includes the positions of the planets.

which is why these are called the astronomical diaries, we can therefore date all the prices.

which is why these are called the astronomical diaries, we can therefore date all the prices.

which is why these are called the astronomical diaries, we can therefore date all the prices.