Bible Chronology
of the Biblical Patriarchs
(This is a standard genealogical table taken from the Internet. Appreciation is expressed to the anonymous author that put it together. [There was no sense in redoing it myself.] The original site is found here: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/2444/chronology.html There you will find the whole article with further details on the below three text types.)
There are three main texts of the Old Testament, each giving a different chronology.
- Septuagint text-
- Samaritan Pentateuch text-
- Masoretic text
The chronology of the Biblical patriarchs, from Adam to Jacob, according to each of these three texts is given in the following table. Unfortunately, few early copies of the Septuagint survive, and even they differ a little. The Alexandrine text is followed here, with differences noted in footnotes.
= age on becoming father of next patriarch
|
|
Septuagint |
Samaritan |
Masoretic |
||||||||||||
|
Patriarch |
F |
L |
B |
D |
F |
L |
B |
D |
F |
L |
B | D |
|||
|
Adam |
230 |
930 | 0 | 930 |
130 |
930 |
0 |
930 |
130 |
930 |
0 |
930 |
|||
|
Seth |
205 |
912 |
230 |
1142 |
105 |
912 |
13 |
1042 |
105 |
912 |
130 |
1042 |
|||
|
Enosh |
190 |
905 |
435 |
1340 |
90 |
905 |
235 |
1140 |
90 |
905 |
235 |
1140 |
|||
|
Cainan |
170 |
910 |
625 |
1535 |
70 |
910 |
325 |
1235 |
70 |
910 |
325 |
1235 |
|||
|
Mahalalel |
165 |
895 |
795 |
1690 |
65 |
895 |
395 |
1290 |
65 |
895 |
395 |
1290 |
|||
|
Jared |
162 |
96 |
960 |
1922 |
62 |
847 |
460 |
1307 |
162 |
962 |
460 |
1124 |
|||
|
Enoch |
165 |
365 |
1122 |
1487 |
65 |
365 |
522 |
887 |
65 |
365 |
622 |
987 |
|||
|
Methuselah |
187 |
969 |
1287 |
2256 |
67 |
720 |
587 |
1307 |
187 |
969 |
687 |
1656 |
|||
|
Lamech |
188 |
753 |
1474 |
2227 |
53 |
653 |
654 |
1307 |
182 |
777 |
874 |
1651 |
|||
|
Noah |
502 |
950 |
1662 |
2612 |
502 |
950 |
707 |
1657 |
502 |
950 |
1056 |
2006 |
|||
|
Flood |
2262 |
1307 |
1656 |
||||||||||||
|
Shem |
100 |
600 |
2164 |
2764 |
100 |
600 |
1209 |
1809 |
100 |
600 |
1558 |
2158 |
|||
|
Arphachshad |
135 |
615 |
2264 |
2879 |
135 |
438 |
1309 |
1747 |
35 |
438 |
1658 |
2096 |
|||
|
Cainan |
130 |
460 |
2399 |
2859 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Shelah |
130 |
460 |
2529 |
2989 |
130 |
433 |
1444 |
1877 |
30 |
433 |
1693 |
2126 |
|||
|
Eber |
134 |
504 |
2659 |
3163 |
134 |
404 |
1574 |
1978 |
34 |
464 |
1723 |
2187 |
|||
|
Peleg |
130 |
339 |
2793 |
3132 |
130 |
239 |
1708 |
1947 |
30 |
239 |
1757 |
1996 |
|||
|
Reu |
132 |
339 |
2923 |
3262 |
132 |
239 |
1838 |
2077 |
32 |
239 |
1787 |
2026 |
|||
|
Serug |
130 |
330 |
3055 |
3385 |
130 |
230 |
1970 |
2200 |
30 |
230 |
1819 |
2049 |
|||
|
Nahor |
79 |
208 |
3185 |
3393 |
79 |
148 |
2100 |
2248 |
29 |
148 |
1849 |
1997 |
|||
|
Terah |
70 |
205 |
3264 |
3469 |
70 |
145 |
2179 |
2393 |
70 |
205 |
1878 |
2083 |
|||
|
Abraham |
100 |
175 |
3334 |
3509 |
100 |
175 |
2249 |
2424 |
100 |
175 |
1948 |
2123 |
|||
|
Isaac |
60 |
180 |
3434 |
3614 |
60 |
180 |
2349 |
2529 |
60 |
180 |
2048 |
2228 |
|||
|
Jacob |
|
147 |
3494 |
3641 |
|
147 |
2409 |
2556 |
|
147 |
2108 |
2255 |
|||
Methuselah: Other LXX texts give F = 167, but if this were correct, he would have died 14 years after the Flood.
Noah: Regarding the extra 2 years, compare Genesis 5:32, 7:6, and 11:10.
Arphachshad: Other LXX texts give L = 535 or 565.
Cainan: He is omitted from the other two texts, but is attested in Luke 3:36.
Eber: Other LXX texts give L = 404.
Nahor: Other LXX texts give F = 179, L = 304.
Terah: F for him is variously given as 70 or 130 (with corresponding change in L). 130 has historically been favored, but a majority of modern scholars favor 70.
There are of course still other variations within each text. It is assumed that there is no cumulative error from rounding ages to a whole year (or perhaps in some cases to the nearest 5 or 10 years).