What does a fictive narrative put together years after the fact look like? The apocryphal book of 1 Esdras is a good candidate. I am comfortable with a Hellenistic date for 1 Esdras but am willing to consider other options. I will briefly summarize the narrative adding actual historical dates in parentheses.
- The narrative begins when "Josiah (640-609 B.C.) conducted the Passover to his Lord in Jerusalem." (1 Esdras 1:1).
- Then "Pharaoh, king of Egypt, came to wage war in Carchemesh on the Euphrates" and Josiah was killed (1 Esdras 1:23-29). The source for this is the book of Kings (1 Esdras 1:31).
- Then Jehoahaz (609 B.C.) became king of Judah (1 Esdras 1:32).
- Then Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.) became king of Judah (1 Esdras 1:37).
- "Against him arose Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" (1 Esdras 1:38).
- So Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.) was appointed king over Judah (1 Esdras 1:44).
- In the first year of the reign of Cyrus (585-550 B.C.) as king of Persia (1 Esdras 2:1).
- Then came the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC) as king of Persia (1 Esdras 2:12).
- Then Darius (550-486 B.C.) ruled over the Persian empire (1 Esdras 3:1).
This can be contrasted with the order of Assyrian rulers in the books of Kings:
- First comes the reign of Pul who is also called Tiglath-pileser (745-727 B.C.) (2 Kings 15:19, 29; 16:7, 10).
- Second comes Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C.) (2 Kings 17:3; 18:9).
- Third comes the reign of Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.) (2 Kings 18:13; 19:16, 20, 36; cf. Isaiah 36:1; 37:17, 21, 37).
- Then comes the reign of Esarhaddon (681-669 B.C.) (2 Kings 19:37; cf. Isaiah 37:38).