What are the Credentials of Ptolemy?
The long and the short of it is this. The historical world is now relying (basically) on a chronological document prepared in the second century A.D. by an Egyptian who didn’t even claim to be an historian. His chief occupation was that of an astrologer. He considered himself as a successor of the ancient Chaldean priests and his profession was devoted to maintaining his priesthood beliefs and customs (Cumont, “Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans,” p.82). And though Ptolemy was certainly a very learned man and even a genius, should he be considered as giving us an infallible chronological basis for the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods when many ancient records do not agree with him? He can be a witness, but should he be the judge? What we should first do is to listen to one of Ptolemy’s contemporaries who also was a very learned man. Indeed, this person could be considered as the most respected historian of the time. His name was Plutarch. We ought to hear what he had
