Genesis 50:22-26
This week we explore the chronology of the Bible from Creation to the Exodus. We take on the so called problems of the 400 & the 430 years, biblical inerrancy, translations, scribal errors & biblical corruptions, and what the bible student’s attitude should be when approaching what appears to be an error in the Bible.
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| Table 1: Dates of biblical events from Creation | ||
| Event/Person | Passage | Total Time from Creation (years) |
| God created everything. | Genesis 1–2 | 0 |
| Adam became the father of Seth at 130. | Genesis 5:3 | 0 + 130 = 130 |
| Seth became the father of Enosh at 105. | Genesis 5:6 | 130 + 105 = 235 |
| Enosh became the father of Kenan at 90. | Genesis 5:9 | 235 + 90 = 325 |
| Cainan became the father of Mahalalel at 70. | Genesis 5:12 | 325 + 70 = 395 |
| Mahalalel became the father of Jared at 65. | Genesis 5:15 | 395 + 65 = 460 |
| Jared became the father of Enoch at 162. | Genesis 5:18 | 460 + 162 = 622 |
| Enoch became the father of Methuselah at 65. | Genesis 5:21 | 622 + 65 = 687 |
| Methuselah became the father of Lamech at 187. | Genesis 5:25 | 687 + 187 = 874 |
| Lamech became the father of Noah at 182. | Genesis 5:28 | 874 + 182 = 1056 – Adam Dies just 1 generation before Noah is born (132 years) |
| The Flood started when Noah was 600. | Genesis 7:6 | 1056 + 600 = 1656 + up to between 9 & 18 years = about 1,666 |
| Table 2: Timeline of Flood Duration1 | ||||
| Timeline (days) | Duration | Month/Day | Description | Bible Reference |
| 0 | Initial reference point | 600th year of Noah’s life: 2nd month, 17th day of the month | The fountains of the great deep broke apart and the windows of heaven were opened; it began to rain. This happened on the seventeenth day of the second month. | Genesis 7:11 |
| 40 | 40 days and nights | 3rd month, 27th day of the month | Rain fell for 40 days, and then water covered the earth’s highest places (at that time) by over ~20 feet (15 cubits) | Genesis 7:11–12, Genesis 7:17–20 |
| 150 | 150 days (including the initial 40 days) | 7th month, 17th day of the month | The water rose to its highest level (covering the whole earth) sometime between the 40th and 150th day, and the end of these 150 days was the seventeenth day of the seventh month. The Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. On the 150th day the water began receding. | Genesis 7:24–8:5 |
| 150 + 74 = 224 | 74 days | 10th month, 1st day of the month | The tops of the mountains became visible. | Genesis 8:5 |
| 224 + 40 = 264 | 40 days | 11th month, 11th day of the month | After 40 more days, Noah sent out a raven. | Genesis 8:6 |
| 264 + 7 = 271 | 7 days | 11th month, 18th day of the month | The dove was sent out seven days after the raven. It had no resting place and returned to Noah.3 | Genesis 8:6–12 |
| 271 + 7 = 278 | 7 days | 11th month, 25th day of the month | After seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again. It returned again but this time with an olive leaf in its beak. | Genesis 8:10–11 |
| 278 + 7 = 285 | 7 days | 12th month, 2nd day of the month | After seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again, and it did not return. | Genesis 8:12 |
| 314 then | 29 days later | 601st year of Noah life: 1st month, 1st day of the month | Noah removed the cover of the Ark on the first day of the first month. The surface of the earth was dried up, and Noah could verify this to the extent of what he could see. | Genesis 8:13 |
| 370 (371 if counting the first day and last day as full days) | 56 days later | 2nd month, 27th day of the month | The earth was dry, and God commanded Noah’s family and the animals to come out of the Ark. | Genesis 8:14–17, Genesis 7:11 |
| Father | Years Old When He Sired | Son | Genesis | |||||
| Shem | [2 years after the Flood] | Arphaxad | 11:10 | |||||
| Arphaxad | 35 | Salah | 11:12 | |||||
| Salah | 30 | Eber | 11:14 | |||||
| Eber | 34 | Peleg | 11:16 | |||||
| Peleg | 30 | Reu | 11:18 | |||||
| Reu | 32 | Serug | 11:20 | |||||
| Serug | 30 | Nahor | 11:22 | |||||
| Nahor | 29 | Terah | 11:24 | |||||
| Terah | 130 | Abraham | 11:32, 12:4 | |||||
| Abraham* | 75 | Left Haran | 12:4 | |||||
| Total: 427 Years | ||||||||
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