From the death of Jehoshaphat to the accession of Azariah the reigns of Judah's kings were: Joram 8 years, Ahaziah 1 year, Athaliah 6 years, Joash 40 years, Amaziah 29 years. 8 years + 1 year + 6 years + 40 years + 29 years = 84 years. If from the death of Ahaziah to the accession of Azariah was one hundred years, and from the death of Jehoshaphat to the accession of Azariah was eighty-four years, Jehoshaphat therefore died sixteen years after Ahaziah died. Recapitulation. When did Jehoshaphat's death occur? Did it occur before or after Ahaziah's death occurred? The following is a recapitulation of the various answers to this question which the preceding solutions have disclosed: 1. The same year. 2. One year after. 3. One year before. 4. Two years after. 5. Two years before. 6. Three years after. 7. Four years after. 8. Five years after. 9. Six years after. 10. Seven years after. 11. Seven years before. 12. Eight years before. 13. Nine years before. 14. Seventeen years before. 15. Eighteen years before. 16. Sixteen years after. Here are sixteen different answers to a simple historical question. But one of them can possibly be correct; fifteen of them must necessarily be incorrect. And yet I challenge the theologian to demonstrate the incorrectness of one of them without at the same time demonstrating the fallibility of the Bible and its unreliability as a historical record. Notes and Explanations. The history of Judah's and of Israel's sovereigns is recorded in Kings and repeated in Chronicles. Had I used both Kings and Chronicles in the preparation of this chapter, the number of various answers would have been increased. Some Christian scholars, however, admit that Chronicles is not entirely free from errors, while Kings, on the other hand, is denominated a "marvel of accuracy." To avoid any objections that might be raised were Chronicles used--to assail only that which is deemed unassailable--I have confined myself to Kings. To prevent confusion in regard to names, the reader should remember that Israel had two kings named Jeroboam, and that Israel and Judah each had kings named Ahaziah, Jehoram, and Jehoash. In Israel Jehoram succeeded Ahaziah; in Judah, Ahaziah succeeded Jehoram. The contracted form of Jehoram is Joram, and of Jehoash, Joash. Both forms are used. Azariah is also called Uzziah. In computing time, ordinal numbers are reckoned the same as cardinal numbers. It may be urged that the phrase, "in the eighteenth year," does not denote the full period of eighteen completed years. In justification of the method pursued, I may say that it is not only the method generally followed by chronologists, but it is the method authorized by the Bible. See 2 Kings xvii, 1; 2 Kings xvii, 6. Also 1 Kings xv, 9, 10; 2 Chron. xvi, 13. Its adoption simplifies the form without increasing the number of solutions.