Edwin R. Thiele

Edwin R. Thiele (1895-1986) was a prominent American biblical scholar and archaeologist, best known for his groundbreaking work on the chronology of the Old Testament. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) in Michigan in 1918. He later went on to earn a PhD in archaeology and history from the University of Chicago in 1924.

Thiele began his academic career as a professor of history and Bible at Emmanuel Missionary College, where he taught from 1920 to 1925. He later served as a professor at several other institutions, including Pacific Union College, Loma Linda University, and Andrews University. In addition to his teaching duties, Thiele also served as a field archaeologist for the American Schools of Oriental Research in Jerusalem from 1931 to 1936. Thiele is best known for his work on the chronology of the Old Testament, particularly his efforts to reconcile the different dating systems used by ancient Hebrews and their neighbors. He argued that the Hebrew calendar was based on a system of 360-day years, with an intercalary month added every three years to keep the calendar in line with the solar year. This allowed Thiele to construct a more accurate timeline of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah, and his findings have been widely accepted by biblical scholars.

In addition to his work on biblical chronology, Thiele also contributed to the field of biblical archaeology, particularly in his excavations of the ancient city of Megiddo in Israel. He was a member of the American Society of Biblical Archaeology and the Society of Biblical Literature, and was recognized for his contributions with numerous awards and honors.