מלכים ב, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ״ה

The transition of power in the kingdom of Judah introduces a chronological puzzle regarding the biblical timeline. Ahaziah takes the throne of Judah during the twelfth year of the reign of Joram, the king of Israel. However, a straightforward calculation seems to contradict this date. Ahaziah's father, Jehoram, began his rule over Judah during the fifth year of Joram's reign in Israel. Since Jehoram ruled for eight years, his son Ahaziah seemingly should have inherited the throne in Joram's thirteenth year, rather than the twelfth.

The resolution to this discrepancy lies in the standard biblical method of calculating royal years. The eight years of Jehoram's rule were not complete, full calendar years. Because they were partial, fragmented years, his reign actually concluded during the twelfth year of Joram's rule [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. This system of counting time, which tallies partial years as part of the official royal count, is a standard historical method used frequently throughout the biblical narrative [רד״ק].