J.-3, -4 Bible Chronology

A. Homepage----------------Mí página principal A. English A. Español B. More About---------------Más sobre B. English B. Español C. My Articles----------------Mis artículos C. English C. Español D. My Photos-----------------Mis fotos E. List--------------------------La lista F. Guest Book----------------Los Visitantes G. Reviews-------------------Las críticas G. English G. Español H. Links------------------------Las ligas I. ModernChronology-----CronologíaModerna I. English I. Español J. Detailed Studies---------Estudios detallados J. English J. Español -0 Primordial Gap----------Brecha primordial -0 English -0 Español -1 The 6 Days----------------Los 6 días -1 English -1 Español -2 The Flood------------------El diluvio -2 English -2 Español -3 - 4 Abram & 430----------Abram y 430 -3 - 4 English -3 - 4 Español -5a The 480 years------------Los 480 años -5a English -5a Español -5b Acts 13:17-22------------Hechos 13.17-22 -5b English -5b Español -5c The 300 years------------Los 300 años -5c English -5c Español -6 Divided Kingdom--------Reinos divididos -6 English -6 Español -7 Kings Names-------------Nombres de reyes -7 English -7 Español -8 Interregnum--------------El interregno -8 English -8 Español -9 Ussher's overlap-------La superposición -9 English -9 Español -10 Ussher's gap-------------Brecha de Ussher -10 English -10 Español -11 The 70 sevens-----------Los 70 sietes -11 English -11 Español -12 Life of Christ--------------La vida de Cristo -12 English -12 Español -13 The Crucifixion----------La crucifixión -13 English -13 Español K. Comparisons------------Comparaciones K. English K. Español L. OT Calendars------------Calendarios del AT L. English L. Español M. Measuring time----------Tiempo medido M. English M. Español N. Final Summary----------Resumen final N. English N. Español O. Business Card----------Tarjeta d. presenta. P. Acknowledgments-----Agradecimientos

J.-3, -4 English

The Birth of Abram and
The 430 years

1. Ussher's view

< 1948

<2008

<2083

<2248

<2298

<2433

<2513

< 2668

Amram 137

< < < < < < 155 years difference between views > > > > > > >

Kohath 133

See how the line of Levi connects reasonably, Exodo 6:6-20 >

Levi 137

Joseph 110

Jacob 130

147

Isaac 60

Isaac 180

Abram 75

Abram 100

Abraham 175

Genesis 15:16, the 4th generation

< Galatians 3:16-18

Moses 40

Moses 80

Moses 120

Terah 70

Terah 130

Terah 205

215

430

< The Exodus

Abram 75

Abram 100

Abraham 175

Isaac 60

Isaac 180

Jacob 130

147

Genesis 15:16, the 4th generation

< Exodus 12:40-41

Moses 40

Moses 80

Moses 120

215

430

< The Exodus

See how the line of Levi does not connect reasonably, Exodus 6:16-20 >

Levi 137

Amram 137

Joseph 110

Kohath 133

2. My view as of 1980 before studying Ussher en 2003

3. The Birth of Abram
     Terah’s age when Abram was born: Terah 70, or 130?

Was Terah 70 years old (Genesis 11:26) or 130 years old (Genesis 11:32 and 12:4) when Abram was born? (i.e., 60 years difference are involved here)

My view

a. Although, at first, the idea that Abram was born when Terah was 70 seems indisputable according to Genesis 11:26. However, Ussher’s idea that Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran just after Terah died at 205 years of age leaves no doubt that Terah had to have been 130 when Abram was born. Ussher supposes that Abram waited until Terah’s death before he left Haran. This is a sound supposition, but it is not an explicit statement.

b. I agree with Ussher, but if others want to believe that Terah was 70 years old when Abram was born, they have a verse with which to defend their position, so we must live together with differing views on this, but I do not think that Abram and his brothers were triplets, nor do I think that Abram was the firstborn (but rather of first preeminence), so I go along with Ussher on this one.

4. The 430 years
     The 430-year sojourn: Did it begin when Abram 75, or Jacob 130?

Are the 430 years sojourn to be counted from when Abram was 75 years old (Genesis 12:4, Genesis 12:10, Galatians 3:16-18) or when Jacob was 130 years old (Genesis 47:9 and 28, Exodus 12:40-41)? (i.e. 215 years difference are involved here)

My view

a. I agree with Ussher’s view that the 430 years began when Abram was 75. I think that those who hold to the 430 years beginning when Jacob was 130 years old is only superficially biblically defensible, especially if the passage in Galatians is taken as technically incorrect, but I think that Galatians 3:16-18, though admittedly speaking of chronology in an incidental way, must also be considered as speaking truly and accurately, and this tips the scale in favor of Ussher’s understanding.

b. I think that those who study Galatians 3:16-18 will eventually come around to Ussher’s view once they consider that even when chronology is given in an incidental manner, the truth must be spoken nevertheless. It simply will not do to say exactly the opposite of the truth without bringing into question the main point being supported. Bible chronology has a supporting role, because Bible chronology is not the story being told, but it must truly support the story being told. Indeed, Exodus 12:40-41 does seem to suggest that the 430 years began when Jacob entered Egypt at the age of 130, but in the light of Galatians 3:16-18 some other solution to the problem of Exodus 12:40-41 must be sought.

c. Another point that bears remark (even though Ussher did not mention it, I suspect that he knew it) is the cross-reference between Genesis 15:13-16 and Exodus 6:16-20.

d. In Genesis 15:13-16 God says to Abram (and I paraphrase) “...that your descendents will dwell in a foreign land and will be enslaved there and will be oppressed for 400 years. In addition, the nation that they will serve, I will judge, and after this they will go out with great riches. And you will die in peace, and you will be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they will return here, because the evil of the Amorites has not yet come to the breaking point.”

e. In Exodus 6:16-20 Moses gave us the ages of the three generations of Levites that led up to Moses:   Levi—137, followed by Levi’s son, Kohath—133, followed by Kohath’s son Amram—137 who married his aunt, Jochebed, and they bore Aaron and Moses whose age we know from other places was 120, and we also know that Moses’ life was divided into three forties. With this direct line of descent which is also corroborated in 1 Chronicles 6:1-3, we can demonstrate that these four generations fit nicely into Ussher’s scenario and do not fit so well into my own senario of 1980 (See the chart above). This is rather conclusive proof for Ussher’s view.

f. Also, Galatians 3:16-18 is so absolute in its wording that Exodus 12:40-41 is the passage that needs to be “explained”. I have heard two other lines of explanations that are difficult to follow so I will not bother to reiterate them. A third line that I like to appeal to is Hebrews 7:9-10 wherein it is stated that Levi in a sense paid tithes to Melchizedek because Levi was in a sense present (i.e., Levi was in the loins of Abraham) when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. Using the same principle here, it can also be said that Jacob (Israel) was in a sense present (i.e., Jacob was in the loins of Abraham) and thus the whole of Israel was present in Abram when he left Haran when Terah died and Abram was 75 years old thus marking the beginning of the 430 years.

g. No matter how one views this problem, it must surely resolve itself around searching for another explanation for Exodus 12:40-41 since the Galatians passage appears conclusive in its intent and cannot be lightly overthrown.

h. Take also the fact that Abram did early on reside in Egypt for some time (see Genesis 12:9-20) and we have a real sense in which the 430 years really began with Abram in Egypt and ended with the Exodus from Egypt.

i. Finally, I want to suggest that we are talking about a dispute over a fixed amount of years, namely 215 years--two known alternatives. This is not a dispute over whether or not this really happened. It is a dispute over two alternatives, both having fixed answers, so we do not need to cave in to the detractors who think we do not know what is going on. One way or the other the 430 years happened.

http://www.box.net/shared/03pt6lni9y
- 2010E--Paul's updated 3942 BC--English version--Rev.01--8.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/bvvqoxmqb8
- 2006E--Paul's post-Ussher 3942 BC--English version--Rev01.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/s4gvmfjk81
- 2005E--Ussher's 4004 BC--English version--Rev06--With Luke's List.pdf

http://www.box.net/shared/etkhpuubb9
- 1980E--Paul's original 4100 BC--English version--Rev07.pdf