And you may know and understand: From the going forth of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the Prince, there are seven (year-) weeks; also sixty-two (year-) weeks, so market place and moat will be rebuilt, and that in the pressure of the times.

When does this 490-year period start? According to the prophecy, the starting point is “the going forth of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.” Was such a decree ever made?

Although Daniel lived to learn of a decree by King Cyrus of Persia in 538/7 B.C.E. to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, it was almost a century later before a decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem itself. Nehemiah 2:1-8 records how King Artaxerxes Longimanus gave such a decree in the 20th year of his reign. And when was that? The most reliable historical sources tell us that Artaxerxes began his rule in 474 B.C.E., which places his 20th year and his decree in 455 B.C.E.a Hence, this 490-year period began in 455 B.C.E.

When exactly during those 490 years was the Messiah to appear? Notice that the 70 weeks are broken into three periods, namely, of 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and one week. In addition, the prophecy says that the Messiah would appear after both the 7-week and the 62-week periods passed, or after 69 “weeks of years,” or 483 years. We can therefore conclude that the Messiah was prophesied to appear 483 years after 455 B.C.E., or in 29 C.E.

Did the Messiah actually appear in 29 C.E. and die in 33 C.E.? As we have already seen, the Jews of that first century were eagerly expecting the Messiah at that time. (Luke 3:15) But of all the Messianic claimants of the first century, only one appeared on the world scene in 29 C.E. and died in 33 C.E., and that was Jesus of Nazareth!​—Compare Luke 3:1, 2.