World History According to
the Bible
Clint
Bishard, Clint@JesusCreated.org
www.JesusCreated.org
Testimony and Introduction
Even as a Christian, I
once was confused over the age of the universe. This was a result of my
ignorance of the Scriptures and what they teach concerning the age of the
universe, as well as my being influenced by secular science. However, as the
result of a challenge from a student in a 6th grade Sunday school
class I was teaching, I was forced to study the Scriptures. I found out for
myself that my previous thoughts on the age of the earth (millions/billions of
years) were in error. This paper gives an overview of the Scriptural study I undertook
in an effort to align my thinking with the Word of God. I hope you will be
encouraged and come to trust in the only One who was there at the beginning to
accurately tell us the details of the age of the universe – our Creator.
I also now admit the great
extent of my error in holding on to the millions/billions of years. I now see
naturalism and its proposed millions/billions of years as Satan’s greatest attack
on the authority of the Word of God. Although I did not accept biological evolution,
my compromise on the clear history stated in Genesis did not uphold the
authority of the Word of God. I now fully repent.
If the clear history God puts forward in Genesis
is not true, then why would anyone believe any of the rest of the Bible or that
Jesus rose from the dead? And this is exactly what is happening, as Jesus
stated in Luke 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not
hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded
though one rise from the dead.”[1] Jesus
likewise stated in John 5:46-47 “For if you believed Moses, you would
believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47But if you do
not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Societies in which naturalism/evolution and the
millions/billions of years have been accepted soon find that the authority and
effectiveness of the Word of God decreases as well. The Church must stop
compromising and take a stand on the clear historical account in Genesis – if the
culture is going to be moved back to obedience to the Word of God and acceptance
of its author, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I now fully agree with the
stand Pastor John MacArthur makes as he states:
“It
(Evolution) is the single greatest satanic lie the world has ever known,
because it eliminates the need for a creator. People can avoid God
altogether. Particularly the Biblical God.”
Also, on
the issue of accepting the young timeline for the age of the earth, he stated
it simply - “you either believe the Bible or you don’t.”
- John
MacArthur (The Battle for the Beginning series).
Most important
of all, Jesus accepted and fully affirmed the literal history of Genesis. This
is clear from His quote of both Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 in the same statement,
and referring to the origin of Adam and Eve as “from the beginning of creation”
Mark 10:5-8 “5And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because
of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6But
from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 7'For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8and the two shall become one flesh'” Given that Jesus
was there in the beginning (John 1), may we all accept His testimony as true.
The following study on the
Biblical age of the universe looks to God’s Word for when He created the
universe, rejecting all naturalistic views of its origin. This starts by
accepting the clear language and context of the Genesis 1 text and some very
clear clarifying passages. The study then shows the timeframe from the
creation week forward by tracing the genealogies given in the Bible from Adam
to Jacob based on the Hebrew Masoretic text. The Scriptural timeframe from
Jacob to the building of the Temple by King Solomon is then analyzed. The date
for the building of Solomon’s Temple is obtained via references to complete the
timeline. A chart is included illustrating the results (see following pages).
It provides a helpful tool as you go through this study.
Six Days
God created the universe and everything in it,
including Adam and Eve in six literal days and then rested from His work of
creation for another day (Genesis 1:1-31). The fact that these were truly
literal 24 hour days is clearly shown in Exodus 20:11. God declares from Mount Sinai “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day
and hallowed it.” Again in Exodus 31:16-17, God told Israel “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is
a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in
six days the Lord made the
heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
Significantly, the seven-day week period has
nothing in common with cosmology. All other major references to time do as
stated in Genesis 1:14.
1.
Year - time
for the earth to circle the sun.
2.
Month - time
for the moon to circle the earth
3.
Day - time
for the earth to rotate on its axis
However, the basis for the seven-day week period
is only found in the created order in that God created in six days and rested
for one. Another important note is that John record's the first miracle of
Jesus as turning six jars of water into wine. This represents a solid example
of Jesus power as God to create instantaneously, just as he did for all of
creation in six days (John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1).
24 Hour Days
The Hebrew word used in Genesis 1 & 2 for “day” is YOM.
YOM, just as in English, can have several meanings. Such as it being an
ordinary 24 hour day; or the word can be used in the sense of saying ‘back in
my day, we did lots of great things’, where day is referring to a time in the
past. We must look at the context of the passage in which the word day is used
to find the intended meaning. The following points can be made about the
meaning of this word.
§
When used with the ordinary
numbers first, second, third etc. in the OT text, the word YOM never
refers to a definite, delimited or circumscribed period of time except
that of a solar day.
§
The plural form of the word YAMIM
is never used at all except to refer to a solar day.
§
The Hebrew word OLAM can
refer to a long period of time with a finishing point in the past, the present,
or the future. But the word OLAM was not used in the narratives of Gen.
1 & 2.
§
The repeated phrase “there was
evening and morning” shows that the writer intends to delimit and specify a
time period which we know as consisting of a 24-hour day.
§
The Sabbath observance of the
Mosaic Law is based upon a literal creation account (Ex. 20:9-11).
The following is how the word YOM
is used in the Scriptures. Outside of Gen. 1, YOM is used as follows:
§
38 times “Evening
& morning” together with “Day” are used, and it always
means an ordinary day.
§
23 times “Evening”
or “Morning” with “Day” is used and it always means an
ordinary day
§
52 times “Night”
with “Day” is used and it always means an ordinary day.
§
410 times
(plural or singular) “Day” + a number is used and it always means
an ordinary day.
Gen. 1 combines all of these
possible clarifying combinations in the discrete listing of each of these
days. It is clear from the context of Scripture that the days of Genesis 1
were ordinary 24 hour days! God could have written it otherwise, but He did
not.
Christians once
believed the earth was young until people started trying to make the Bible fit
their own outside theories based on naturalistic views.
Some state that
since the sun was not created until ‘day’ 4, the days were not literal 24-hour
days. However, there was another light source referred to in day 1. To have a
24-hour day period, the sun is not necessary - just an object rotating on its
axis while being illuminated by an outside light source. God does not tell us
what the light source was before he created the sun. He only tells us that
there was a light source. Rev. 22:5 shows that there will once again be a time
in which the light does not come from the sun. Also, the books of 2 Peter and Revelation
tell us God will one day create a new heaven and a new earth. Will He need
another 14-15 billion years to create this one also? No, He will speak it into
existence similar to how He spoke the first creation into existence as stated
in Genesis 1.
Some state that
2 Peter 3:8 indicates the days of creation could have been thousands of years
or that day could be an ‘age’ or an ‘epoch’ of time. However, this passage is
only showing the fact that God is outside of time. Psalm 90:4 similarly states
“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday
when it is past, And like a watch in the night.” These passages are
clearly showing God’s transcendence of time. 2 Peter 3:8 is in no way
attempting to explain the meaning of the Hebrew word YOM used in Genesis
1. The context of the passage of Genesis 1 as discussed earlier indicates the
creation days were ordinary 24-hour days.
It should not be so difficult
for Christians to accept the solar day view if we believe:
Ø
God is Omnipotent
Ø
The Bible is His revelation
Ø
His Word is true!
Biblical Chronology: Adam to Noah: Around 1056 Years
The years for the time
between Adam and Noah were taken from Gen. 5:1-32. This genealogy gives the
explicit detail of how old each father was when the following son was born,
from the time of Adam to the time of Noah. The only variance that could occur
in these timelines is that the specific month each son is born is not given.
The case that the years listed in Gen. 5:1-32 were exact years is what is shown
in the chart. However, the worst variance that could occur would be one day
short of an additional year for each generation. Therefore, the most the
timeline could be off from Adam to Noah would be to add an additional 9 years,
one for each generation.
We have a very clear clarification
from a 100% accurate commentary on Genesis 5 that these generations are to be
taken literally. This commentary is the New Testament. Jude 14 states the
generations from Adam to Enoch were exact - “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam.”
Biblical Chronology: Noah to Shem: Around 503 Years
The time between Noah’s
birth and the birth of Shem is not that clear. Gen 5:32 simply states that
Noah was 500 years old, and then Noah begot his three sons (Shem, Ham, and
Jepheth). This could be that Noah was exactly 500 years old and then had boy
triplets or that sometime after Noah was 500 years old, he began to have his
three sons. Fortunately, other times given in the Scriptures can be used to find
the solution. Since Shem is the ancestor to Christ, he is the son that
receives the attention of this chronological timeline. Gen. 7:11 tells us that
Noah was 600 years old when the flood began, and Gen 8:13-15 states that Noah
was 601 years old at the end of the flood. Additionally, Gen 11:10 states that
when “Shem was 100 years old, he begot Arphaxad two years after the flood”.
Note: The assumption is made that this means after the flood ended. Putting
this together:
v
601 years (How old Noah was when the flood ended)
v
+ 2 years (How long after the flood ended that Arphaxad was born)
v
- 100 (How old Shem was when he had Arphaxad)
v
= 503 ( How old Noah was when he had Shem
Therefore, it is clear
that the Scriptures stating Noah was 500 years old when he had his sons was a
generalized statement. It was meant to convey that shortly after Noah turned
500, he began to have his sons. Shem was actually born when Noah was around
503 years old (The variance would be –2 to +2 years). Therefore, Noah was
between 501 to 505 years old when Shem was born. For the chart, I have used
the 503 age.
Biblical Chronology: Shem to Terah - Around 320 Years
The
time from Shem to Terah is another timeframe that is very specific in the
number of years that existed between each generation. This genealogy and the
years between generations are listed in Gen. 11:1-24. As with the genealogy
between Adam and Noah, the most variance that could exist between the birth of
Shem and the birth of Terah would be an additional 8 years, one for each
generation.
Textual Differences
Some difficulties exist
due to textual differences between the various ancient versions of the Old
Testament (the Hebrew Masoretic text, the Greek Septuagint, and the Samaritan
Pentateuch). The main differences are as follows:
·
Chronological differences in the text of Gen. 5 & 11 for the
years of each generation.
·
The issue of Cainan. Some ancient versions of the Greek
Septuagint and some ancient text of the New Testament in Luke 3 have an
additional generation of Cainan inserted in the genealogy from Shem to Terah.
Whereas the ancient Hebrew and Samaritan manuscripts do not have Cainan in the
text.
These differences are not
dealt with here for brevity. However, the most straightforward explanation is
that the Masoretic text is the correct reading and the Septuagint text, Samaritan
text, and some of the early Luke manuscripts represent translational errors.
For a fuller discussion of these differences and the possible explanations
please see appendix 1. However, it should be noted that these differences have
unwarrantedly brought doubt on a very clear portion of God’s Word. Men have
taken these differences and reasoned that the timeframes listed in Gen. 5 and
Gen. 11 cannot be taken literally. The statements are made that there are gaps
between the generations, or they are allegorical, and etc. This reasoning is
unfounded and a destructive direction for Biblical interpretation. When
textural differences occur, they should be researched and analyzed to discover
the most logically consistent reading. Not provide a springboard to deny the
clear teaching of the particular passage of Scripture. God put the years very
specifically in these genealogies for a reason. Clearly, so we would have an
accurate historical record of the past. When God is telling us exactly how
many years existed between a father and his descendent, the proper explanation
is that the years are given so we would know how long the timeframe was between
them. Additionally, the Hebrew word for “begot” in the genealogies is
consistently used throughout the Scriptures for a direct son or daughter.
Genesis does not exhibit
the characteristics of Hebrew Poetry. It is written as literal history, just
as all of the New Testament writers viewed it! For example, Jude even refers
to Enoch as being the 7th in the line of Adam (Jude 14) – he wasn’t
confused, as so many seem to be today. Also, although there are many
genealogies given in the Bible, only the genealogy of the Savior includes a
full chronology. Jesus is the clear connection from the first Adam to Himself,
the last Adam (Romans 5 & 1 Corinthians 15).
The real reason for the
doubt in the genealogies that has arisen over the past two centuries comes from
influences outside of the Bible. For example, archeologist influenced by
naturalistic thought processes desire to have additional years for mankind’s
history. For example, radiometric dating methods (such as carbon dating) built
on uniformitarian assumptions have pushed for longer timeframes. Additionally,
historians influenced by evolutionary thinking see mankind developing
civilizations slowly over many centuries. Whereas the Biblical view is that
civilizations would have developed rapidly after the flood due to the knowledge
Noah and his family brought through the flood. Man did not develop from some
primitive cavemen, as many misguided scientists would have us believe! We need
to start with Biblical assumptions.
For the purposes of this
study the Masoretic text will be used as the preferred text. Again, my view
for the superiority of the Masoretic text and the reasons for preferring this
text are shown in appendix 1. However, regardless of the textual differences between
the various versions, they all show a universe that is relatively young
(thousands of years old) and none allow for the millions and billions of years
that the naturalistic timeline and other compromising Christians demand.
Biblical Chronology: Terah to Abraham - Around 130 Years
As with the time between
Noah’s birth and Shem’s, the time between the birth of Terah and the birth of
Abraham is also not so clear. Gen. 11:26 states that Terah lived 70 years, and
begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. However, this must represent the time that
Terah started having children and not the time that he had Abraham. This is
shown by other passages. Gen. 11:32 states that Terah died in Haran at the age of 205. Gen. 12:4 states that Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran. In Acts 7, Steven states that Abraham stayed in Haran until his father died, and
then went to the land of Canaan. Therefore, putting this together:
v
205 years (Terah dies when he is 205)
v
- 75 (Abraham is 75 years old when he leaves Haran after the
death of his father)
v
= 130 (How old Terah was when Abraham was born.
Therefore, Terah was 130
years old when Abraham was born. A source of variance could be that Abraham
stayed in Haran some time after his father died. However, the scriptures give
the impression that Abraham left Haran shortly after the death of his father.
Particularly since God had spoken to Abraham back in Ur and told him to go to
the land of Canaan (Acts 7). Therefore, it is likely that Abraham stayed in Haran just until his father died. With this assumption, the only variance would be the
possible one-year variance mentioned earlier for the birth of Abraham.
Biblical Chronology: Abraham to the Entry of Israel Into Egypt – Around 290 Years
The years for Abraham to
the Entry of Israel into Egypt are very clear. Gen 21:5 states that Abraham
was 100 years old when he had Isaac (Abraham died at the age of 175 as stated
in Gen. 25:7). Gen. 25:26 states that Isaac was 60 years old when he had Jacob
(Isaac was 180 when he died as stated in Gen., 35:28). Gen. 47:28 states that
Jacob/Israel was 147 when he died and that he lived in Egypt 17 years before he died. Putting this together:
v
100 years (Abraham’s age when Isaac is born)
v
+ 60 (Isaac’s age when Jacob is born)
v
+147 (Age of Jacob when he died)
v
- 17 (Time that Jacob/Israel lived in Egypt)
v
= 290 (Time from the birth of Abraham to the entry of Israel into Egypt)
Therefore, it was around
290 years from the birth of Abraham to the Israelites entry into Egypt. The variance would be as before with the possible additional 1 year for the age of
each Father when the child was born plus minus a year for the possible variance
for the time in Egypt (Variance would be –1 to +3 years).
Biblical Chronology: The Sojourn in Egypt – Around 430 Years
Exodus 12:40-41 states
that the Israelites were in the land of Egypt for 430 years. “40Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41And it came to pass at
the end of the four hundred and thirty years — on that very same day — it came
to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.” Therefore, no variance is
expected here.
It should be noted that
this is my only discrepancy from the well know chronology given by Bishop Usher
in the 1600s (from the creation of Adam to the building of Solomon’s Temple). However, I was not aware of Bishop Ushers work when the Lord was dealing with me
and I initiated this study of the Scriptures.
Usher assumed that the
Israelites were in Egypt only 215 years and that the 430 years was from the
time God made the covenant with Abraham to the date that the Israelites came
out of Egypt. This can be perceived from Galatians 3:16-17 with the statement
of 430 years in 3:17 and the mention of Abraham in 3:16. The text reads “16Now
to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to
seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is
Christ. 17And this I say, that the law, which was four
hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed
before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.”
However, it should be noted that Gal. 3:16 states “to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made”. Significantly, God reconfirmed his covenant
with Jacob/Israel as he was going into Egypt (Gen. 46). Therefore, the most
strait-forward reading of Exodus 12:40-41 based on this view of
Galatians and the Masoretic text (my preference, see appendix) is that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years. However, in Bishop Usher’s defense, it should be noted that the Samaritan
Pentateuch and Septuagint read “Egypt and Canaan” for Exodus 12:40. God
knows the correct answer to this difference. Either way, the date of the
Exodus (and before) would only be changed by 215 years using Usher’s
assumptions concerning the Exodus.
Biblical Chronology: The Exodus to the Building of Solomon’s Temple – Around 479 Years
1 Kings 6:1 clearly states
that Solomon began to build the temple in the 480th year that the
children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt – “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the
children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of
Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second
month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.”
Therefore, since it was in the 480th year, the actual
time from the Exodus to the start of the Temple was 479 years.
Total Years from Creation to the Building of Solomon’s Temple: Around 3208
Years
Adding together all of the
timeframes in the previous sections yields the following:
v
1056 (Adam to Noah)
v
503 (Noah to Shem)
v
320 (Shem to Terah)
v
130 (Terah to Abraham)
v
290 (Abraham to the Entry of Israel Into Egypt)
v
430 (The Sojourn in Egypt)
v
479 (The Exodus to the Building of Solomon’s Temple)
v
= 3,208 Years AC (After Creation)
Therefore, from the
Creation of Adam to the start of Solomon’s Temple was a period of around 3,208
years.
Age of the Universe: Around 6180 Years Old
Beyond Solomon, obtaining
exact chronologies poses some difficulties. Some problems arise from the years
given for the reins of the Kings of Israel and Judah – including the evidence
for overlapping years between and kings and their predecessor. Sometimes it is
not clear how long they co-reigned. However, the building of the Temple is recent enough such that historical research can yield a relatively accurate date
for this event. Plenty of historical evidence exists for the time of Solomon
and the structures that have been identified that were built during his reign.
A footnote from the MacArthur Study Bible for the building of the temple puts
the year at 966 BC. I have used this date for this analysis. Several other
sources checked show similar dates for the start of the Temple. Therefore, as
a result of this analysis and The MacArthur Study Bible reference note, the age
of the universe can be calculated as follows:
v
3208 (time from creation to the start of the Temple)
v
+ 966 (time from the Temple to the end of 1 BC)
v
+ 2006 (years from the beginning of 1 AD to the present (2007)) Note: there was no 0 AD
v
= 6180 (4174 BC) – approximate age of the universe
By neglecting the 1-year variances mentioned in each
chronological section, assuming that the Masoretic text is correct, assuming
that Abraham left Haran right after his fathers death, and assuming an accurate
date for the start of Solomon’s Temple from The MacArthur Study Bible, this study
of the Scriptures shows the universe should be around 6,180 years old (4174
BC).
The
Bible is the history book of the world. We should believe it!
Other Biblical Timeframes
By simply doing the math
as above, the dates for the other events on the timeline can be calculated as
follows:
·
The beginning of the flood – 2518
BC
·
Abraham is born – 2165 BC
·
Israel enters Egypt – 1875 BC
·
The Exodus from Egypt – 1445 BC
Biblical Timeline of the Universe
The chart on the following two pages illustrates the
lineage from Adam to Jacob/Israel based on the Hebrew Masoretic Text. The
split occurs at the time of the flood so as to be able to clearly show the
lineage before and after the flood. Note that AC refers to the number of years
After the Creation week.
<0 AC Before time,
there was God ‘In the beginning God’ (Gen. 1:1)
0
AC, day 6 Adam (around 4174 BC)
created
130 AC Seth
born
235 AC Enosh ‘Then
men began to call on the name of the LORD’
born
325 AC Cainan
born
395 AC Mahalalel
born
460 AC Jared
born
622 AC Enoch
born
687 AC Methuselah
born
874 AC Lamech
born
930 AC Adam
dies
987
AC God
takes
Enoch
1042
AC Seth
dies Noah
1056
AC born
1140
AC Enosh
dies
1235
AC Cainan
dies
1290
AC Mahalalel
dies
1422
AC Jared
dies
1536
AC God gives
man
120 more years (Gen. 6:3)
>1556 AC Noah’s 3 sons born
1559 AC Shem
born
15?? AC God tells Noah
about the flood
1651 AC Lamech
dies
1656
AC Methuselah
dies
1656 AC Flood
Begins (around 2518 BC)
1657
AC Flood Ends
1659
AC Arphaxad
born
1694 AC Salah
born
1724 AC Eber -Eber
lived during the division of the earth
Born (happened
during the time of Peleg
1758 AC Peleg -
Peleg means divided)
Born
1788 AC Reu
born
1820 AC Serug
born
1850 AC Nahor
born
1879 AC Terah
born
1997 AC Peleg
dies
1998 AC Nahor
dies
2006 AC
Noah dies
(950 years old)
2009 AC Abram
born
2027 AC Reu
dies
2050 AC Serug
dies
2084
AC Terah
dies
2097 AC Arphaxed
dies
2109
AC Isaac
Born
2127 AC Salah
dies
2159 AC Shem
Dies
2169
AC Jacob
born
2184 AC Abraham
dies
2188
AC Eber
dies
2289
AC Isaac
dies
2299
AC Israel & family go to live in Egypt
2316 AC Israel
430 Year Sojourn in Egypt (Ex. 12:40-41) dies
2729 AC The Exodus of Israel from Egypt
3208 AC Solomon begins to
build the Temple (1 Kings 6:1; 966 BC – from reference)
Appendix 1: Textual Differences in the Genealogies
The Issue of Cainan
Apparent difficulties
exist due to the textual differences between the Greek Septuagint and the
Hebrew Masoretic text for Gen. 11 and Luke 3. The Masoretic text states that
Shem begot Arphaxad, and Arphaxad begot Salah. However, the Septuagint and some
ancient Luke 3 manuscripts state that Shelah was of Cainan, and Cainan was of
Arphaxad, and Arphaxad was of Shem. There appears to be three possibilities to
resolve the issue of Cainan being present in the Septuagint and some Luke 3
passages, but not the Masoretic text:
1. The
Hebrew Masoretic text is correct – Option 1: Cainan was erroneously
inserted in the genealogy of Luke 3 in an early Greek text. If the Masoretic
text is the correct reading, then it could be that someone in the early church
working from the Septuagint inserted Cainan into Luke’s genealogy, thinking
they were correcting a copyist error. The correct reading would be to have
Cainan removed from Luke 3. Strong evidence for this exist in the various
ancient Greek NT manuscripts that do not have Cainan in Luke 3 and the
testimony of many early church figures who did not believe Cainan belonged in
the text. See next section.
2. The
Hebrew Masoretic text is correct – Option 2: Cainan was actually in the
genealogy, but was not listed in Genesis for summary purposes. Therefore,
Cainan could have been skipped in the listings of Gen. 10, 11, and 1 Chron. 1,
even though he was the direct son of Arphaxad and father of Shelah. Examples
of this type of summarization can be seen from later genealogies listed in the
Bible, such as when comparing 1 Chron. 3:11-12 and Matt. 1:8. 1 Chron. list
Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham. Whereas
Mathew only list Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, and Jotham – leaving out Ahaziah,
Joash, and Amaziah (Note: minor name variations exist due to language
differences). A main point of Matthew’s genealogy was to show lineage from
Abraham to Jesus. Therefore, it appears for brevity some of the fathers are skipped.
Therefore, it is similarly noted that Cainan could have been in the genealogy
after Arphaxad, even though he is not listed in Genesis, without their being a
contradiction of the Scriptures.
Note that
except for the Cainan issue all of the Genealogies throughout the Bible and the
various texts have the same line for Adam to Abraham. Additionally, the Hebrew
word for “begot” in the genealogies is consistently used throughout the
Scriptures for a direct son or daughter. Therefore, it is difficult to accept
the view of having additional fathers in the genealogies of Gen. 5 & 11,
which cast serious doubt on this option. Also note that in the passages that
do summarize ancestral lists in the Scriptures, no years are given for these
generations. These later summarized lists are clearly summarized to show the
connection to a particular father. Jesus was the Son of David – a clear
example of summarization that should not distract from the clear readings of
Gen. 5 & 11, which gives specific years from one father to his son.
Another solid indicator of no additional generations in the genealogies of
Genesis is the commentary in the New Testament (Jude 14).
3. The
Greek Septuagint is correct: Cainan was the son of Arphaxad and the father
of Shelah and was listed in Genesis as found in the Septuagint. A copyist
error occurred with the transmission of the Hebrew Masoretic text. For this
option, some additional timeframe for Cainan may need to be added to the years
shown on the timeline. However, the case against this option and for the
accuracy of the Masoretic text is made in the next section.
These options are given as 3 separate
possibilities that hold to an inerrant view of Scripture. However, as noted
before, the Masoretic Text which most all current Bible translations of the Old
Testament are based upon, holds the most weight. The next section contains additional
information relevant to the superiority of the Masoretic text.
The Chronological
Differences
The
Chronological differences between the Hebrew Masoretic text, the Greek
Septuagint, and the Hebrew Samaritan Pentateuch are as follows:
Although there are
differences between the above versions of the Pentateuch, the Masoretic text appears
to hold the most weight. In short, the superiority of the Masoretic text is
claimed for the following reasons:
1. The
Hebrew scribes have demonstrated an incredible accuracy in the transmutation of
the text throughout history. They were guided by very strict regulations in
their copying of the Hebrew Text:
Ø
No word was written from memory
Ø
Each word was spoken aloud as written
Ø
Before writing the sacred name of Yahweh, pen had to be wiped
Ø
Scroll was discarded if errors were found
Ø
Every word and letter was counted
Ø
Scribes realized the sacredness of their task and through many
generations they began with ceremonial baths for purity before work began.
Until
the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts dated to
about 1000 AD. However, after their discovery, the Dead Sea Scrolls (~200 BC)
were compared to those handed down for over 1000 years and found to be near
exact matches. Most all differences could be attributed to obvious slips of
the pen or spelling variations that had occurred
over the years. Additionally, families of scribes are mentioned in the Bible
as far back as before the time of David - 1 Chronicles 2:55. This was a
focused profession!
2. Israeli
Society created a safeguard against error. The Pentateuch had extremely high importance
in the Israelites lives, with many throughout the years memorizing it. This
provided the Hebrew Masoretic text additional protection against error.
3.
The Greek Septuagint translation was developed in Alexandria, Egypt and had the influence of the Egyptian chronologies working in the
translation from the Hebrew manuscripts. To this day, much debate exists
around properly interpreting the dates of the Egyptian chronologies. It
appears Egyptian pharos may have exaggerated the lengths of their ancestors
reigns to build up the validity of their dynasty. This could have contributed
to the Septuagint’s additional years.
4.
Internal inconsistencies with the Septuagint. The Septuagint has
Methuselah dying after the time of the flood. An impossibility given that only
Noah and his family made it through the flood. The Masoretic text has
Methuselah dying the year of the flood. Although the Septuagint has shown
itself as a reliable Greek translation of the Old Testament, the internal
evidence shows that in the area of the genealogies, it is lacking the same
integrity.
5.
The Samaritan Pentateuch shows the influence of the Assyrian
chronology as well as spiritual weakness. The Samaritans were the half-Jews
that inhabited the northern area of Israel after the Assyrian captivity. Many
times throughout the history of the Northern Kingdom those who worshiped the
true God were forced to flee to the Southern Kingdom. This left the area of Samaria very spiritually dry as compared to the southern kingdom. Additionally, they
changed the places in the Samaritan Pentateuch to correspond to their places of
worship in the north contrary to the places originally listed in the
Pentateuch. Jesus made this clear in his statement to the Samaritan woman at
the well in John 4:21-22 “Jesus said to
her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this
mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what
you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.”
6. Jesus
made the statement on the preservation and fulfillment of the Scriptures with
references to Hebrew language. Matt. 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or
one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
7. Jerome, living in the 4th century AD
was an authority on both the Greek and Hebrew; having translated from both (the Vulgate Old Testament
is his translation from the Hebrew manuscripts to Latin). He had access to
many more manuscripts than are available today and came to the clear conclusion
that the Hebrew text was superior. At the time this was very controversial
given that many in the church held the Septuagint to be the divinely inspired
text. However, over time Jerome’s view began to dominate as others undertook
the same research and discovered the superiority of the Hebrew text.
8. Early church figures Irenaeus, Africanus,
Eusebius, as well as Jerome all rejected the presence of Cainan in the
Genealogy of Gen. 11 and Luke 3. Therefore, favoring the Hebrew readings.
Additionally, several ancient Greek manuscripts (Bodmer 14, 15 (of about AD
200)) of the New Testament do not include Cainan in the Genealogy of Luke. Therefore adding more weight to the evidence
for the accuracy of the readings of the Hebrew manuscripts.
