Biblical Chronology

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Visiting Professor, Department of Liberal Education, Sangju Campus, South Korea, Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia

The first issue with biblical chronology is what text should be selected. The Hebrew Masoretic Text has a long chronology but the Greek Text has a short chronology.^[1] For the sake of this research, primary attention is given to the Hebrew Text and thus the long chronology. Long Chronology refers to the period of 480 years from the 4^th year of Solomon to the Exodus out of Egypt date. This is a biblical Distanzangabe that is recorded in 1Kings 6:1-4. That 480 years are calculated by 50% less in the Greek Translation. The long reign would make Thutmosis III the pharaoh of the Exodus but the short reign would make Ramses II or any king in this vicinity its pharaoh for the Exodus. Once the exact date of the 4^th year of Solomon is calculated, then the exact year is established when the Exodus took place. From the Exodus to the last year of Joseph was 430 years and that long Distanzangabe comes from Galatians 3:17 which many scholars have interpreted to be Abraham, but it is actually Joseph. Since the law was given in 1448 BCE that date would be 1878 BCE as the death year of Joseph. Another Distanzangabe says that the time of enslavement in Egypt was 400 years long so if the Exodus was in 1450 BCE,^[2] then the enslavement started about 28 years after the death of Joseph in 1850 BCE. Genesis 50:22 said that Joseph became 110 years old. He was born in 1988 BCE. When Joseph was 30, he became prime minister (1958 BCE Genesis 41:46). The seven good years were until 1951 BCE. In 1950 BCE Jacob came to Egypt and told the Pharaoh that he is 130 years old. Jacob was thus born in 2080 BCE (Genesis 47:9). When Jacob was born Isaac was 60 years old, thus Isaac was born in 2140 BCE (Genesis 25:26). When Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old, thus Abraham was born in 2240 BCE (Genesis 21:5). It is now possible to reconstruct the dateline of Abraham from this vantage-point. Ismael was circumcised when Abraham was 99 years old in 2141 BCE (Genesis 17:25). At that time Ismael was 13 years old so Ismael was born when Abraham was 86 years old in 2154 BCE (Genesis 16:17). When Abraham was 75 years old he left his country Haran (Genesis 12:4). That was in 2165 BCE. The invasion of the Jordan Salt-sea area valley was probably directly after 2165 BCE, thus between 2165-2153 BCE (Genesis 14:4). In the 13^th year they rebelled thus in 2152 BCE. The suppression of the revolt was in the 14^th year in 2151 and Lot was taken as well. The disaster to Lot is after the sin of birth of Ismael and the disbelief in God’s ability with the promise through Sarah. In that year 2151 BCE, Melchizedek met Abraham (Genesis 14:18). The incident of the lie in Egypt took place shortly before the invasion of the Jordan area by Amraphel and the others in 2165 BCE. One can almost say the punishment for his lies in Egypt was the invasion of the Jordan valley near the salt-sea. The punishment for the Hagar event was the kidnapping of Lot. Bad foreign practices came in the valley of Jordan and God had to eliminate Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18; 19). This was after 2151 BCE.

Genesis 11 reads that Abraham was born in Terah’s 70^th year 2240+70 = 2330 (Genesis 11:26). This text reads that at 70 Terah became the father of Abraham, Nahor and Haran. The corporate listing here calls for a different calculation of the birth-date of Abraham. Abraham was 75 when he left Haran. His father died living 205 years. Thus, Abraham was born 75 years minus 205, in Terah’s 130^th year (Genesis 12:4).

Thus from Abraham’s birth to Terah’s birth is 130 years 2240 + 130 = 2370 (Genesis 11:25). 

From Terah’s birth to Nahor birth is 29 years so 2370+29 = 2399 (Genesis 11:24).

From Nahor’s birth to Serug’s birth is 30 years 2399+30 = 2429 (Genesis 11:22).

From Serug’s birth to Reu’s birth is 32 years 2429 + 32 = 2461 (Genesis 11:20).

From Reu’s birth to Peleg’s birth is 30 years 2461 + 30 = 2491 (Genesis 11:18).

From Peleg’s birth to Eber’s birth is 34 years 2491 + 34 = 2525 (Genesis 11:16).

From Eber’s birth to Shelah’s birth is 30 years 2525+ 30 = 2555 (Genesis 11:14).

From Shelah’s birth to Arpachshad’s birth is 35 years 2555 + 35 = 2590 (Genesis 11:12).

From Arpachshad’s birth to Shem’s birth is 100 years 2590 + 100 = 2690 (Genesis 11:10).

Flood is 2 years after the birth of Arpachsad in 2690 thus 2690 +2 + 2692 (Genesis 11:10).

The Flood was in 2692 BCE FLOOD (Genesis 11:10). Arpachsad was a post-Flood baby.

From Shem’s birth to Noah’s birth is 500 years 2690 + 500 = 3190 (Genesis 5:32).

From Noah’s birth to Lamech’s birth is 182 years 3190 + 182 = 3372 (Genesis 5:28).

From Lamech’s birth to Methuselah’s birth is 187 years 3372 + 187 = 3559 (Genesis 5:25).

From Methuselah’s birth to Enoch’s birth is 65 years 3559 + 65 = 3624 (Genesis 5:21).

From Enoch’s birth to Jared’s birth is 162 years 3624 + 162 = 3786 (Genesis 5:18).

From Jared’s birth to Mahalel’s birth is 65 years 3786 + 65 = 3851 (Genesis 5:15).

From Mahalel’s birth to Kenan’s birth is 70 years 3851 + 70 = 3921 (Genesis 5:12).

From Kenan’s birth to Enoshes birth is 90 years 3921 + 90 = 4011 (Genesis 5:9).

From Enoshes’ birth to Seth’s birth is 105 years 4011 + 105 = 4116 (Genesis 5:6).

From Seth’s birth to Adam creation is 130 years 4116 + 130 = 4246 BCE CREATION (Genesis 5:3).