http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Bible

Chronology of the Bible From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article deals with the chronology of the Hebrew Bible (or

Christian Old Testament). For material on the Christian New

Testament, see Chronology of Jesus, Historical reliability of the

Acts of the Apostles, and Timeline of Christianity. For a historical

look at the Bible see The Bible and history. For the composition of

the various books of the Bible, see Dating the Bible.

A chronology of the Bible is the goal of those who attempt to

calibrate the various genealogies, generations, reign-periods and other

historical reference points contained within the Tanakh or Christian Old

Testament. Some, for example biblical scholar Thomas Thompson,

believe it is possible to thus establish a comprehensive chronology of

the the human race according to the Jewish and Christian faith.[1][not in

citation given] Other researchers say such efforts are futile. David Long, for

instance, says such efforts lay the foundation of modern-

day creationism, and does so by "rejecting the figurative or

metaphorical interpretation of Biblical texts" resulting in the

"sublimation of all manner of post-enlightenment scientific data".[2]

According to bible chronologers, the passage of time in the earlier

passages of Genesis is indicated by counts of generations: an

individual lived so many years, begat a son, and died at such and such

an age: when the ages at each birth of a new generation are added

together, the result is the total number of years elapsed. In later books

the passage of years is calibrated to events in the overall narrative

(e.g., 1 Kings 6:1 states that the building of the Temple of

Solomon began in the 480th year from the Exodus), or by inter-

relationships of the reigns of kings (e.g., king A of Israel came to the

throne in year X of king B of Judah and ruled Z number of years, for

example in 1 Kings 15:25-28).

While some of the events during the monarchic period (10th to 7th

centuries BCE) are historical and can be related to extra-biblical

historiography, attempts to date Moses and the Exodus, or yet earlier

events such as the birth of Abraham, Noah's Flood, or the date of

Creation with archaeological evidence have been unsuccessful. These

events and the dates assigned to such events cannot be established

as historical fact without further archaeological discoveries.[3]

Contents

[hide]

1 Background

2 Overview

3 Creation to the Flood

4 Flood to Abraham

5 Abraham to United Monarchy

6 Divided Monarchy

7 Jewish computation

8 Biblical literalist chronology

9 See also

10 References

11 Further reading / External links

Background[edit]

Historically, bible chronology has captured the interest of a range of

biblical scholars, ranging from chronologers in the Early Church such

as Eusebius and Jerome to more recent contributors such as Joseph

Scaliger, Sir Isaac Newton and Bishop Ussher. More recently, in 1913

Martin Anstey's 'The Romance of Bible Chronology' was significant

within the tradition of Biblical Literalism for developing the first Bible

chronology that successfully resolved the Bible's apparent

chronological gaps.[4]

Until the late nineteenth century Bible Chronology

was the most prevalent method for calculating the age of the earth, but

was replaced by radiometric calculation methods developed

contiguously with the rise of Darwin's theory of evolution.

Overview[edit]

According to biblical scholar Thomas Thompson, the main events of

the biblical chronology are the Creation (Year 0 AM), the account

of Noah's Ark, the birth and summoning ofAbraham, the Exodus, the

construction of the Temple of Solomon, the Edict allowing the return of

the Jews to Jerusalem which, according to Ezra, was issued by Cyrus

the Greatduring the first year of his conquest of Babylon, and the

rededication of the Temple during the Maccabaean period.[1]

Creation to the Flood[edit]

Biblical dating commences with Creation or the creation of Adam,

depending on the source. In the Seder Olam Rabbah, written during

ca. 160 CE and meant to be a history of the world, Adam's creation is

considered year 0,[dubious discuss]

and his death 930 years later is

considered year 930. The Jewish calendar currently in use terms the 5

days prior to Adam's creation year 1, and has Adam created on the first

day of year 2.[citation needed]

The period to the Flood is derived using the genealogical table of the

ten patriarchs listed in Genesis 5, and 7:6, termed the generations of

Adam. According to the Masoretic Text, this period consists of 1656

years, and this dating is also followed by Western Christian Bibles

derived from the Latin Vulgate. According to the Samaritan texts the

period is 1307 years, and according to the Septuagint (Codex

Alexandrinus, Elizabeth Bible) it is 2262 years.[5]

Masoretic

Date (AM)

Septuagint

Date [2] Event Reference

0 AM 0 AM According to the Genesis creation narrative heaven and the

earth were created, including Adam and Eve.

Genesis 1:1

130 AM 230 AM Seth born, son of Adam with Eve Genesis 5:3

235 AM 435 AM Enosh born, son of Seth Genesis 5:6

325 AM 625 AM Kenan born, son of Enosh Genesis 5:9

395 AM 795 AM Mahalalel born, son of Kenan Genesis 5:12

460 AM 960 AM Jared born, son of Mahalalel Genesis 5:15

622 AM 1122 AM Enoch born, son of Jared Genesis 5:18

687 AM 1287 AM Methuselah born, son of Enoch Genesis 5:21

874 AM 1474 AM Lamech born, son of Methusaleh Genesis 5:25

930 AM 930 AM Adam died at 930 Genesis 5:5

987 AM 1487 AM Enoch "walks with God" Genesis 5:23-24

1042 AM 1142 AM Seth died at 912 Genesis 5:8

1056 AM 1663 AM Noah born, son of Lamech Genesis 5:28-29

1140 AM 1340 AM Enosh died at 905 Genesis 5:11

1235 AM 1535 AM Kenan died at 910 Genesis 5:14

1290 AM 1690 AM Mahalalel died at 895 Genesis 5:17

1422 AM 1922 AM Jared died at 962 Genesis 5:20

1557 AM 2163 AM Noah begets Shem, Ham and Japheth. Noah is 500, nearly

501.

Genesis 5:32

1651 AM 2207 AM Lamech died at 777 Genesis 8:4

1656 AM 2252 AM Methuselah died at 969 Genesis 5:31

1656 AM 2262 AM On the seventeenth (Septuagint: 27th) day of the second month,

the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the

windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 7:4-11

1656 AM 2262 AM On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, Noah's

Ark rested in "mountains of Ararat"

Genesis 7:27

1657 AM 2263 AM On the twenty-seventh day of the second month, Noah and

his family left the ark

Genesis 8:13-14

1658 AM 2264 AM Arphaxad born, son of Shem

Shem is 100 years old, nearly 101.

Genesis 11:10

Flood to Abraham[edit]

The period from the creation to Abraham is measured by the

genealogies at Genesis 5 and 11, elapsed time being calculated by the

addition of the years of the patriarchs at the birth of their offspring. The

genealogies exist in three main manuscript traditions, the Masoretic (in

Hebrew), the Septuagint (in Greek), and the Samaritan

Torah (Hebrew). The three do not agree with each other, here or

elsewhere. (The Septuagint is represented in this table by two

manuscripts, Alexandrinus and Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209; dates

are Anno Mundi, or AM, meaning year of the world):[6]

Period Masoretic Alexandrinus Vaticanus Samaritan Note

Year of the Flood 1656 AM 2262 AM 2242 AM 1307 AM The Masoretic,

Alexandrinus and

Samaritan

chronologies records

the deaths of all the

pre-Flood patriarchs

except Noah either in

or prior to the Flood,

but Vaticanus

hasMethuselah outlive

the Flood by 14 years.

Flood to Abraham 292 years 1072 years 1172 years 942 years

Year of Abraham's

birth

1948 AM 3334 AM 3414 AM 2249 AM The two sets of

patriarchs before and

after the Flood are

exactly symmetrical:

there are ten in each

group, and the final

members of each,

Noah and Terah, each

have three sons who

will begin the next

section of the

chronology.

The following is a list of biblical patriarchs from Shem to Abraham,

given with their Masoretic date.

Masoretic date Event Bible verse

1658 AM Arphaxad born, son of Shem Genesis 11:10

1693 AM Shelah born, son of Arphaxad Genesis 11:12

1723 AM Eber born, son of Shelah Genesis 11:14

1757 AM Peleg born, son of Eber Genesis 11:16

1787 AM Reu born, son of Peleg Genesis 11:18

1819 AM Serug born, son of Reu Genesis 11:20

1849 AM Nahor born, son of Serug Genesis 11:22

1878 AM Terah born, son of Nahor Genesis 11:24

1948 AM Abram born, son of Terah Genesis 11:26

This and subsequent dates rest on the assumption that Abram is the

firstborn of Terah, which is not necessarily accepted within Christian

tradition, because Act ch.7 v.4 is generally translated to mean that

Abram left Haran after the death of his father.[7]

Abraham to United Monarchy[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please

help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced

material may be challenged and removed. (February 2012)

This table gives the Masoretic dates (Seder Olam Rabbah) in the Anno

Mundi era and converted to the Dionysian era (1 AM = 3925

BCE).[citation needed]

The 40-year reigns of David and Solomon of the United Monarchy are

probably schematic rather than historical, even though those two kings

may be historical.[8]

The BCE dates, prior to the kings period, are estimated dates and

based on a continuous judges rule which was not the case.

Intermediary periods with no judges existed, and judges may have

overlapped.[9]

Masoretic

date

(AM)

Masoretic

date

(BCE)

Event Bible verse

1948 AM 1976 BCE Abram born, son of Terah Genesis 11:26.

1958 AM 1966 BCE Sarai born, wife of Abram Genesis 17:17

1996 AM 1928 BCE Peleg died Genesis 11:19

1997 AM 1927 BCE Nahor died Genesis 11:25

2006 AM 1918 BCE Noah died Genesis 9:28

2026 AM 1898 BCE Reu died Genesis 11:21

2034 AM 1890 BCE Ishmael born, son of Abram with Sarai's

handmaiden Hagar

Genesis 16:16

2047 AM 1877 BCE Abram and Sarai renamed Abraham and Sarah

by the LORD.

Abraham was circumcised.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed

Genesis 17:10

2048 AM 1876 BCE Isaac born, son of Abraham with Sarah Genesis 21:5

2049 AM 1875 BCE Serug died Genesis 11:23

2083 AM 1841 BCE Terah died Genesis 11:32

2085 AM 1839 BCE Sarah died Genesis 23:1

2096 AM 1828 BCE Arpachshad died Genesis 11:13

2108 AM 1816 BCE Jacob and Esau born, sons of Isaac

with Rebekah

Genesis 25:26

2123 AM 1801 BCE Abraham died Genesis 25:7

2126 AM 1798 BCE Shelah died Genesis 11:15

2157 AM 1767 BCE Shem died Genesis 11:11

2171 AM 1753 BCE Ishmael died Genesis 25:17

2187 AM 1737 BCE Eber died Genesis 11:17

2199 AM 1725 BCE Joseph born, son of Jacob with Rachel Genesis 41:46

2216 AM 1708 BCE Joseph was sold by his brothers Genesis 37:2

2227 AM 1697 BCE Joseph interpreted the dreams of the butler and

the baker while in prison

Genesis 41:1

2228 AM 1696 BCE Isaac died Genesis 35:28

2229 AM 1695 BCE Joseph was elevated to Pharaoh's second Genesis 41:46

2238 AM 1686 BCE Jacob moved to Egypt at the age of 130

After 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine

When Joseph was 39

Genesis 47:9, 45:11, 41:46

2255 AM 1669 BCE Jacob died Genesis 47:28

2309 AM 1615 BCE Joseph died Genesis 50:26

2365 AM 1560 BCE Aaron born, son of Amram with Jochebed Exodus 7:7

2368 AM 1557 BCE Moses born, son of Amram with Jochebed Exodus 7:7

2448 AM 1476 BCE The Israelites left in a mass exodus from

Egypt.

Genesis 15:13,

see also 1 Kings 6:1

2487 AM 1437 BCE Aaron and Moses died Deuteronomy 34:7

2488 AM 1436 BCE The Israelites entered Canaan Joshua 4:19

24482884 AM

14761040 BCE

Period of Joshua, Judges and Saul, first King

of Israel

1 Kings 6:1

2 Samuel 5:4

2853 AM 1071 BCE Jesse begat David 2 Samuel 5:4

28832923 AM 10411001 BCE David reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 2:11 - reigns for 40

years

2890 AM 1034 BCE David moved his capitol from Hebron to

Jerusalem

1 Kings 2:11

29232963 AM 1001961 BCE Solomon son of David reigned as king of

Israel

1 Kings 11:42

2927 AM 997 BCE Foundation of Temple laid in the 4th year of

Solomon's reign

480th year after the Exodus

1 Kings 6:1

Divided Monarchy[edit]

Main articles: Kings of Israel (Samaria) and Kings of Judah

The biblical chronology of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah includes

some historical events and can be compared to dates

from Assyrian chronology such as the Battle of Qarqar.[10]

The sum of the reigns of the kings of Judah is 430 years, the same as

the Septuagint's version of the period between the promise of the Land

of Canaan given to Abraham and the covenant at Sinai.[11]

For this period, most historians follow either of the older chronologies

established by William F. Albright or Edwin R. Thiele, or the newer

chronologies of Gershon Galil and Kenneth Kitchen. See Kings of

Israel and Kings of Judah for the differences between these

chronologies. These scholarly chronologies may differ for up to about

forty years from the traditional Masoretic dates in the early period,

while all authorities agree that the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, ruled

from 597 to 587 or 586 BCE.

The following table only gives the Anno Mundi dates of the Masoretic

tradition and its conversion in the Dionysian era (AM 1 = 3925 BCE).

Masoretic

date

(AM)

Masoretic

date

(BCE)

Event Bible verse

2963 AM 961 BCE The United Monarchy split into two rival kingdoms: Israel in

the north and Judah in the south.

1 Kings 12

29642981 AM 961944/3 BCE Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned as king of Judah (Albright:

922915 BCE; Thiele: 931913 BCE) 1 Kings 12

29642986 AM 961/60939 BCE Jeroboam I son of Nebat reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 12

29812984 AM 944/3941 BCE Abijam son of Rehoboam reigned as king of Judah 1 Kings 15

29843025 AM 941900 BCE Asa son of Abijam reigned as king of Judah 1 Kings 15

29862987 AM 939938 BCE Nadab son of Jeroboam I reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 15

29873010 AM 938915 BCE Baasha reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 15

2990 AM 935 BCE Jehoshaphat son of Asa born. 1 Kings 22

30103011 AM 915914 BCE Elah son of Baasha reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 16

3011 AM 914 BCE Zimri reigned as king of Israel for 7 days in Tirzah. 1 Kings 16

3011-3015 AM 914-910 BCE The people of Israel were divided after the death of Zimri, as

half wanted Tibni for King, with the other half

wanting Omri for King. Omri is declared unofficially as king

during 914 BCE.

1 Kings 16

30113022 AM 914903 BCE Omri reigned as king of Israel, after the death of Tibni. 1 Kings 16

30223042 AM 903883/2 BCE Ahab son of Omri reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 16

30253050 AM 900875 BCE Jehoshaphat son of Asa reigned as king of Judah, from 35 years

old until his death at 60 years old.

1 Kings 22

30423043 AM 883/2882/1 BCE

Ahaziah son of Ahab reigned as king of Israel 1 Kings 22

30473054 AM 878/7871/70 BCE

Jehoram (Joram) son of Jehoshaphat reigned as king of Judah

30433054 AM 875871/70 BCE Joram (Jehoram) son of Ahab reigned as king of Israel

30543055 AM 871/70870 BCE Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah

30553061 AM 870864 BCE Athaliah wife of Jehoram ruled over Judah

30543084 AM 871/70841 BCE Jehu son of Nimshi reigned as king of Israel

30613101 AM 864824 BCE Joash (Jehoash) son of Ahaziah reigned as king of Judah

30843100 AM 841825/4 BCE Jehoahaz son of Jehu reigned as king of Israel

30983114 AM 827/6811 BCE Jehoash (Joash) son of Jehoahaz reigned as king of Israel

31003129 AM 825796 BCE Amaziah son of Joash reigned as king of Judah

31033154 AM 822771/70 BCE Jeroboam II son of Jehoash reigned as king of Israel

31173168 AM 808757/6 BCE Uzziah (Azariah) son of Amaziah reigned as king of Judah

31543155 AM 771/70770 BCE Zechariah son of Jeroboam II reigned as king of Israel

31553155 AM 770 BCE Shallum reigned as king of Israel

31553166 AM 770759 BCE Menahem son of Gadi reigned as king of Israel

31663168 AM 759757 BCE Pekahiah son of Menahem reigned as king of Israel

31683184 757/6741/40 BCE

Jotham son of Uzziah reigned as king of Judah

31673188 AM 758737 BCE Pekah son of Remaliah reigned as king of Israel

31843200 AM 741/40725 BCE Ahaz son of Jotham reigned as king of Judah

31883206 AM 737719 BCE Hoshea son of Elah reigned as king of Israel

32003229 AM 725696 BCE Hezekiah son of Ahaz reigned as king of Judah

3206 AM 719 BCE Northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria

32293284 AM 696641 BCE Manasseh son of Hezekiah reigned as king of Judah

32843286 AM 641639 BCE Amon son of Manasseh reigned as king of Judah

32863317 AM 639608 BCE Josiah son of Amon reigned as king of Judah

3317 AM 608 BCE Jehoahaz son of Josiah reigned as king of Judah

33173327 AM 608598 BCE Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned as king of Judah

3327 AM 598597 BCE Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) son of Jehoiakim reigned as king

of Judah

33273338 AM 597587 BCE Zedekiah (Mattaniah) son of Josiah reigned as king of Judah

3338 AM 587 BCE Kingdom of Judah fell to Babylon. The destruction of the First

Temple of Jerusalem. The start of theBabylonian Exile.

3386 AM 539 BCE The Babylonian Empire falls to the Persians, led by King

Cyrus.

Ezra 1

3387 AM 538 BCE End of the Babylonian Exile, as King Cyrus the

Great of Persia frees the Jews from exile, in the first year of his

reign over Babylon.

Ezra 1

Jewish computation[edit]

The Jewish calendar's reference point is traditionally considered to be

about one yearbefore the creation of the world.

The current Hebrew calendar year numbering system, which counts

years from the creation, has been in use for more than 1000

years.[12]

The year numbering system was adopted sometime before

3925 Anno Mundi (165 CE), and based on the calculation of

Rabbi Yose ben Halafta during about 160 CE in the book Seder Olam

Rabbah.[13]

The year numbers are based on the computations of dates and periods

found in the Hebrew Bible. In Jewish tradition, "Year 1" is considered to

have begun on the 25 of Elul, 6 days before the beginning of "Year 2"

on the first of Tishrei, when Adam was created. The new moon of its

first month (Tishrei) is designated molad tohu (the mean new moon of

chaos or nothing). By Halafta's calculation Adam was created during

the year 3761 BCE.[14]

However, Seder Olam Rabbah treats the

creation of Adam as the beginning of "Year Zero". This results in a two

year discrepancy between the years given in Seder Olam Rabbah and

the Jewish year used now. For example, Seder Olam Rabbah gives the

year of the Exodus from Egypt as 2448 AM; but, according to the

current system, the year would be 2450 AM.

Despite the computations by Yose ben Halafta, confusion persisted for

a long time as to how the calculations should be applied.[15]

During

1000, for example, the Muslim chronologist al-Biruni noted that three

different epochs were used by various Jewish communities being one,

two, or three years later than the modern epoch.[16]

The epoch seems

to have been settled by 1178, whenMaimonides, in his work Mishneh

Torah, described all of the modern rules of the Hebrew calendar,

including the modern epochal year. His work has been accepted by

Jews as definitive, though it does not correspond to the scientific

calculations. For example, the Jewish year for the destruction of

the First Temple has traditionally been given as 3338 AM or 421 BCE.

This differs from the modern scientific year, which is usually expressed

using the Gregorian calendar as 587 BCE. The scientific date takes

into account evidence from the ancient Babylonian calendar and its

astronomical observations. In this and related cases, a difference

between the traditional Jewish year and a scientific date in a Gregorian

year results from a disagreement about when the event happened

and not simply a difference between the Jewish and Gregorian

calendars. (See the "Missing Years" in the Jewish Calendar.)

In Jewish thought the counting is usually considered to be to the

creation of the world, as has been emphasized in many ancient texts

dealing with creation chronology that the six days of creation till man

are literal days including the days before the creation of the sun and

earth.[17][18]

However, some understand these days metaphorically.[19]

The modern epoch year is set at 3761 BCE, taking into account that

there is no year zero in the Julian year count.

Biblical literalist chronology[edit]

Biblical literalism is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and

primary sense of words and numbers in the Bible.[20]

There are two

kinds of literal interpretation, "letterism" and the more

common Historical-grammatical method. Letterism is the hermaneutical

method that attempts to uncover the meaning of a text through

emphasis on a strict, mechanical literalism of words.[21]

Letterism does not necessarily lead to total and complete agreement

upon one single interpretation for any given passage. A literalist

reading of the explicit text of the Bible presents the reader with

difficulties that cannot be resolved solely by the principle that "scripture

clarifies the meaning of scripture" and "the Bible interprets the Bible"

(Hyatt 1964, p. 45).[22]

"Once you start with the assumption that a given

passage does not mean what it says, but rather 'something else', you

open the cover on a Pandora's box of wild imaginings and bizarre

interpretations." (Hyatt 1964, pp. 4344)[22]

A literal letterist chronology of the Bible calculates dates by arithmetic,

taking the numbers of the years of listed genealogies, generations,

regnal years, and lives of particular individuals as plainly stated in the

text and simply adds them together. Attempts to harmonize the

numerical dating in some parts of the Bible with the numerical dating in

other parts fail when the plain interpretation makes them inconsistent

or contradictory. (Hyatt, p. 33)[22]

According to 2 Kings 24:6-8 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he

began to reign, but according to 2 Chronicles 36:9 he was only 8 years

old. According to Numbers 11:35-13:3 and 20:1 the people were in the

wilderness of Paran when they were condemned to wander 40 years,

but according to Joshua 14:7-8 they were at Kadesh. According

toNumbers 14:33-38 God would make them wander 40 years in the

wilderness from that moment in the wilderness of Paran until the men

of war 20 years old and upward were dead, but according

to Deuteronomy 2:14-16 they had wandered 38 years from that

moment in Kadesh until the men of war 20 years old and upward were

dead. Also, the number of years from the time Joshua was sent forth

with Caleb and the other heads of the houses of Israel, and his age at

that time, until he died at the age of 110 years old is not given (Joshua

13:1; 23:1-2; and 24:29). And the number of years between the death

of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, and of the generation

that buried them and was likewise gathered to their fathers, and of the

generation that arose after them who did not know the LORD, until the

beginning of the 8 years of service to Cushan-Rishathaim king of

Mesopotamia is not given (Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:8-11; 3:7-8).

Tabulating the number of years from 587 BCE backward, according to

the literal number of years of the reigns of the kings of Judah plainly

stated in the Books of the Kings, to the first year of the reign of

Solomon gives a date of 1021 BCE, a total of 434 years;[23]

and from

the 4th year of the reign of Solomon (according to this literalist

arithmetic method, 1017 BCE) back 480 years gives a date of 1497

BCE for the Exodus from Egypt; but tabulating the number of years

plainly stated, from the first year that David began to reign over all

Israel and Judah (2 Samuel 5:5), 1054 BCE by this literalist arithmetic

method, and going back 20 years during the time the ark was in the

house of Abinadab to the death of Eli in 1074 BCE (1 Samuel 4:17-

18; 2 Samuel 6:2-3), then back 40 years to when Eli began to judge

Israel in 1114 BCE, and back through the years explicitly

statedsequentially in the books of Judges, Joshua, and Deuteronomy

through Exodus, totalling at least 561 years from the transfer of the ark

to Jerusalem to the time of the Exodus from Egypt, a tabulated date of

1615 BCE (at the latest) can be reached,[24]

showing a discrepancy of

at least 118 years between 1497 and 1615 BCEor more, if years are

inserted where none are given for an estimated number of years

between Cushan-Rishathaim and Joshua and the years of Joshua from

his death back to Kadesh-barnea in the books of Joshua, Judges,

Deuteronomy and Numbers.[24]

Given the difficulties of harmonizing the numerical dating of plainly

stated years in the Biblical text, together with the lack of precision due

to unknown numbers of years, a self-consistent, textually-based

Biblical literalist chronology leading to total and complete agreement on

the fixing of precise historical dates in the Bible by the method of literal

letterism does not appear possible. (Elwell, p. 643; Ramm, p. 45; Hyatt,

pp. 33, 4344.)[20][21][22]

See also[edit]

Anno Mundi

Byzantine calendar

Chronology of the Ancient Orient

Chronology of Babylonia and Assyria

Dating creation

History of ancient Israel and Judah

Timeline of Christianity

Universal history

Intertestamental period

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:a b Thompson, Thomas L., "The historicity of the

patriarchal narratives (Continuum, 2002) ISBN 9781563383892,

pp.14-15

2. Jump up^ Long, D (2010). "Scientists at play in the field of the

Lord". Cultural Studies of Science Education 5 (1): 213225.

3. Jump up^ Everett Jenkins, The creation: secular, Jewish,

Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim perspectives p.330

4. Jump up^ Martin Anstey, 'The Romance of Bible Chronology',

1913,[1].

5. Jump up^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Biblical

Chronology (WikiSource)

6. Jump up^ G.F. Hasel, "Genesis 5 and 11: Chronogenealogies in

the Biblical History of Beginnings"

7. Jump

up^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussher_chronology#cite_note-7

8. Jump up^ History and ideology in the Old Testament, by James

Barr, fn.6, p.63

9. Jump up^ Judges 3:8

10. Jump up^ see e.g. The Jerusalem Chronology of the Israelite

Monarchies, by Brad Aaronson (1989)

11. Jump up^ Wayne Sibley Towner, "Genesis", (Westminster John

Knox, 2001) p.75

12. Jump up^ Maimonides (Times:Laws of 7th year, chapt 10): For

instance this year is ... and which is also counted as 4936 to the

creation... is a Shemita year."

13. Jump up^ p.107, Kantor. Note that the book Seder Olam Rabah

has been continuously edited throughout the ages, and probably

reached its current version around 806 CE according to the

historian Leopold Zunz.

14. Jump up^ Genesis 2:7

15. Jump up^ Leopold Zunz On Time and Literature Zur Geschichte

und Literatur opening chapter.

16. Jump up^ See The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries.

17. Jump up^ e.g.Maimonides Guide to the Perplexed (chapt 25):

For two reasons, however, we have not done so, and have not

accepted the Eternity of the Universe.... [A] mere argument in

favour of a certain theory is not sufficient reason for rejecting the

literal meaning of a Biblical text, and explaining it figuratively,

when the opposite theory [of literalism] can be supported by an

equally good argument. SacredTexts.com

18. Jump up^ e.g.Ramban on Genesis 1:3, And there was light:

...You should know that the "days" mentioned in the account of

Creation, concerning the creating of heaven and earth, were real

days, made up of hours and minutes, and there were six of them,

like the [regular] six days of the work[week], in accordance with

the simple understanding of the verse. (Translator's footnote:)

Although there was no sun or moon for the first three days, so

"day" cycles as we know them today did not exist then,

nevertheless the six days of creation were six periods of twenty-

four hours each. The Torah: with Ramban's commentary

translated, annotated, and elucidated. Translated by Rabbi

Yaakov Binder in collaboration with Rabbi Yoseph Kamenetsky.

Artscroll Mesorah Publications, Ltd.

19. Jump up^ Rabbi A. Kook (Orot Hakodesh Book 2 Chapt 537): If

these six days were simply six days, why then would they be

called "The secrets of creation" and why would it be forbidden to

learn them until correctly prepared... The theory of evolution is

increasingly conquering the world at this time, and, more so than

all other philosophical theories, conforms to the kabbalistic

secrets of the world. Evolution, which proceeds on a path of

ascendancy, provides an optimistic foundation for the world. How

is it possible to despair at a time when we see that everything

evolves and ascends? ... My Jewish Learning

20. ^ Jump up to:a b "literalism is the interpretation or translation of

the explicit and primary sense"Sources:

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English

Language Houghton Mifflin: 4 edition (September 14, 2000)

defines literalism as "1. Adherence to the explicit sense of a

given text or doctrine. 2. Literal portrayal; realism."

Elwell, Walter A. (1984). Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House. p. 643. ISBN 0-

8010-3413-2.

"The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of

Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of

sound interpretation: 'All other senses of Sacred Scripture

are based on the literal.' St. Thomas Aquinas STh I, 1,

10 ad 1." Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) n. 116

21. ^ Jump up to:a b Ramm, Bernard (1970), Protestant Biblical

Interpretation, Baker Book House, ISBN 0-8010-7600-5, p. 45.

22. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Hyatt, J. Philip (1964). "Chapter I. A Modern

Approach to the Bible.". The Heritage of Biblical Faith. Saint

Louis, Missouri: The Bethany Press.

23. Jump up^ Zedekiah 11, Jehoiachin/Jehoiakim 11,

Jehoahaz/Josiah 31, Amon 2, Manasseh 55, Hezekiah 29, Ahaz

16, Jotham 16, Uzziah 52, Amaziah 29, Joash 40, Athaliah 7,

Ahaziah 1, Joram 8, Jehoshaphat 25, Asa 41, Abijam 3,

Rehoboam 17, Solomon 40 = 434 years.

24. ^ Jump up to:a b (David brings up the Ark) Ark in the house of

Abinadab 20, Eli 40, Samson and Philistines 40, Abdon 8, Elon

10, Ibzan 6, Jephthah 6, Philistines and Ammonites 18, Jair 22,

Tola 23, Abimelech 3, Gideon 40, Midian 7, land had rest after

Deborah 80, Jabin 20, Shamgar/Ehud 80, Eglon 18, Othniel 40,

Cushan-Rishathaim 8, generations after Joshua (0), Joshua's

death at age 110 years back to (age 40?) at Kadesh-barnea

70(?) years, Kadesh back to Exodus 2 years = 561 years.