Contradiction with 1 Samuel 7:15
Acts 13:20 states the period of judges was about 450 years, but 1 Samuel 7:15 suggests a longer period as Samuel judged Israel all his life, indicating continuation beyond the 450 years mentioned.
1 Samuel 7:15: And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
Contradiction with Judges 2:16-18
Acts 13:20 says the judges lasted about 450 years until Samuel, but these verses suggest a cycle of judges, oppression, and deliverance without specific timelines, potentially contradicting the idea of a continuous 450-year period.
Judges 2:16-18: Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. [delivered: Heb. saved]
Contradiction with 1 Kings 6:1
Acts 13:20 references 450 years for judges alone, but 1 Kings 6:1 states 480 years from the Exodus to Solomon’s temple, which would include time for judges, wilderness wanderings, conquest, and early monarchy, challenging the timeline provided in Acts.
1 Kings 6:1: And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. [began...: Heb. built]
Paradox #1
Acts 13:20 mentions a period of around 450 years for the judges in Israel. However, when you calculate the years of each judge's leadership as mentioned in the Book of Judges, the total appears to be longer. Additionally, this timeline seems inconsistent with other historical timelines in the Bible, such as the 480 years between the Exodus and the building of Solomon's Temple (mentioned in 1 Kings 6:1). This creates a contradiction in terms of the chronological sequence and the length of periods given elsewhere in the Bible.
Paradox #2
The potential contradiction in Acts 13:20 relates to the timing of the period when judges ruled Israel. Different parts of the Bible provide varying lengths of time for this period, leading to confusion. In Acts 13:20, a specific number of years is mentioned, but this doesn't easily match other biblical accounts, possibly leading to inconsistency in the timeline.