"When did Ahaziah begin to reign?" (Alleged Contradiction #E3870)
In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
II Kings 8:25
And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
II Kings 9:29
Response
The difference has to do with accession vs. non-accession dating. If you count the official years of reign (e.g., starting from New Year’s after the new king ascended to the throne), then Joram had reigned eleven years; however, if you include the year the king ascended, then Joram had reigned twelve years. 1
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Sources
Jones, F. N. (2004). Chronology of the Old Testament: a return to the basics (15th ed.). Green Forest, Ark.: Master Books.
Notes
- Jones, 2004, p. 130 ↩