Response to Chronology of Griffth and White

"On perusing the first paper by Griffith and White on the “Chronological Framework of Ancient History” (Griffth and White 2022), I believe they have already revealed a significant crack in their chronological correlation, and in doing so added an extra unjustified assumption to their conclusions. 

Under the section “Synchronisms” they give what they call a “weak synchronism” of conventional accepted history.

They cite the record of the battle of Qarqar during the reign of

Shalmaneser III, and in their conclusions claim that Ahab of Israel died “40 years before the accession of Shalmaneser III”.

Moreover, the authors claim that the Bible does not mention this battle. 

Q: So what? 

While the Bible is heavily based on accurate history, it is not a priori an historical textbook, and has in it only that necessary for its spiritual message. 

Furthermore, Griffith and White (2022) have failed to point out that three years before Ahab died, he entered into a treaty with Ben-Hadad II (And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. Kings 22:1), for which he was severely rebuked by God. This was likely 854 B.C., the battle with Shalmaneser the next year 853 B.C., Ahab dying two to three years later when he and his treaty partner, now opponent again, battled it out at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22) in 850 B.C.

Griffith and White (2022) also claim that the translation of the

Assyrian record should not be “Ahab the Israelite,” because the Assyrians called Israel by the name Khumri (that is. the house of Omri). 

---Again, this shows poor research on this particular matter, for the Assyrians referred to Israel by several names—Humri, Samaria (Luckenbill 1926, 772 and 779), and in this case Israel. 

Again, they have failed to alert the readers that in Shalmaneser’s eighteenth year he received tribute from a king of Northern Israel who has been widely claimed to be Jehu, but who McCarter (1974) has, I believe, rightly identified as Joram, last of the Omride Dynasty. But even here, the slight disagreement over which king, does not alter the fact that a 40-year gap between Ahab and Shalmaneser is impossible." AIG