The Term Seventy Years Captivity

Abstract

References to seventy years captivity appear in more than one place in the Old Testament. Yet, this term cannot be an accurate reference to the period between the main deportation by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. 1); and the decree issued by Cyrus in 538, a period of 48 years 2); nor to the period which elapsed between 586 and the return of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah in the second year of Darius (Hag. i 1; Zech. i 1) in the year 520. Accepting the references to be applicable to this latter period scholars, accordingly, speak of the seventy years as 'a round number' 3). An examination of the relevant-biblical passages however, would seem to shew that the seventy years of our biblical texts is not a round number, but that it is, rather, an exact figure referring to some definite and important event in the history of the Jews. We shall begin our discussion with the references in the book of Zechariah, although we shall not with DUHM 4), necessarily regard