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THE BIBLICAL CALENDAR
OF
HISTORY
by Harold Camping
A Chronological Record of Events
According to the Holy Bible
FAMILY STATIONS, INC.
290 Hegenberger Road
Oakland, California 94621
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<0> Introduction
<1> The Clue Phrase "Called His Name'
<2> An Ancient Calendar
<3> Calendar Confirmation from Egypt
<4> Aaron's was the Fourth Generation
<5> The First Civilization
<6> The Confusion of Tongues
<7> Egypt Becomes a Great Civilization
<8> Writing and the Tower of Babel
<9> Conclusion
<10> A Calendar of Events in Biblical History
. Events
. The Chronological Sequence During the Egyptian Sojourn
. Historical Timetable of Pharaohs and Dynasties
. Chronology of the Judges
. Israel Chronology
. Note on Oppression by Heathen Power
. Chronological Table of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom
<11> References
Introduction
Chapters 5 and 11 of the book of Genesis have long been a
seemingly insurmountable obstacle to students of the Bible.
Inasmuch as they begin with Adam and end with Abraham, they have
their roots in creation and their outreach into the era of the
great civilizations of Babylon and Egypt, which flourished during
Abraham's day. They therefore tantalize the scholar who is trying
to reconstruct past history. Unfortunately, because a solution to
an understanding of these chapters has not been forthcoming, the
events embraced within their scope -- creation, the fall of man,
the Noachian flood -- are likewise often looked upon as accounts
impervious to clear understanding.
Bishop Ussher's attempt to understand these chronological
notices has only worsened matters. His conclusions that Adam's
date was 4004 B.C., the flood date was 2349 B.C. and that the
Israelites spent 215 years in Egypt, agree neither with the
Biblical nor the secular evidence.
But these chapters of Genesis are a part of the Word of God,
and therefore they must be true and dependable. The question is,
can they be rightly understood? I would be so presumptuous as to
suggest a solution to these chronologies. This solution will be
compared with some of the pertinent archaeological evidence.
The Clue Phrase "Called His Name"
In Genesis 4 and 5 we read of the birth of Enoch to Seth. Why
did God use different language in describing this event in Genesis
4 than in Genesis 5? In Genesis 4 "Seth called his name Enoch"
(Gen. 4:26). But in Chapter 5 the Bible says," Seth begat Enoch"
(Gen.5:6). Why did God use the phrase "called his name" (ASV) in
connection with Enoch's birth in Genesis 4 when He did not in
Genesis 5? It is obvious that the phrase "Seth begat Enoch, " or
"Methuselah begat Lamech," did not insure that Enoch was the
immediate son of Seth or Lamech or Methuselah. Many instances can
be found where a father-son relationship appears to be indicated
and yet other Scriptural evidence points to more distant ancestry.
Matthew 1:1,, where Jesus is referred to as the son David, and
David, the son Abraham, is illustrative.
A more careful examination of the Scriptures reveals why the
phrase "called his name" which is the Hebrew qara', was used. In
every place where this phrase is employed, there can be no doubt
of the existing relationship: invariably it is indicative of
parent and child. Thus the Bible says, for example, "Abraham
called the name of his son...Isaac" (Gen. 21:3), "...so they
called his name Esau" (Gen. 25:25), "a virgin shall conceive and
shall call his name Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14). In every instance where
this "clue" phrase appears one may be certain that an immediate
son is being described and not a more remote descendant.
God's use of this "clue" phrase thus assures one that Seth was
the immediate son of Adam (Gen. 4:24), Enoch of Seth (Gen. 4:26),
and Noah of his father, Lamech (Gen. 5:29).
But what about the rest of the names appearing in these
genealogies under discussion? Two are decipherable. Other
Biblical evidence shows clearly that Shem was the immediate son of
Noah, even though the phrase "called his name" is not used.(1) The
Bible shows, too, by other information that when Terah was 130 he
became the father of Abram.(2) But in the case of all of the other
names listed in these chapters there is no Biblical evidence of
any kind that points to an immediate father-son relationship. In
fact, there is internal evidence within these accounts that points
to other than immediate father-son relationships.(3)
An Ancient Calendar
In further reflection upon this situation, two Biblical
notices should be examined. The first is that of Genesis 7 and 8,
where the dates of the flood events are referenced to the age of
Noah. Thus Gen. 8:13 records, "in the six hundred and first year,
in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters....,"
etc. Gen. 7:6 indicates to us that the six hundred years was the
age of Noah when the flood came. Could the calendars of ancient
peoples have been tied to the life spans of certain individuals?
The second notice is that of the New Testament where Christ
declared "this generation will not pass away until all these
things take place" (Matt. 24:34). In this reference Christ is
speaking of events that would take place just before His return.
He is therefore insisting "this generation" would continue at
least for almost two thousand years, for this much time has now
elapsed, and all of the events of which he was prophesying in
Matthew 24 have not yet happened. As a matter of fact, this is
the generation of Jesus Christ. This is 1981 A.D. -- the year of
our Lord. The events of today are dated exactly as they were in
Noah's day, by reference to the birth day of a person.
Since this method of dating events was practiced in Noah's
day, was suggested by Jesus Himself, and is actually the practice
use today, could not this have been the method described in
Genesis 5 and 11? Isn't it possible that these accounts are a
calendar giving the name of the patriarch whose life span was the
reference point at his period or generation in history? This
would make abundant sense, for this would provide for continuity
and clarity in historical reckoning.
Calendar Confirmation from Egypt
God gives additional evidence to support this reasoning. In
Exodus 6 God gives genealogical information concerning some of the
descendants of Jacob. The information given does not appear very
meaningful to our present day and age. But hidden amongst these
verses are three numbers. The first is found in verse 16 where it
is stated that Levi's three sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari,
and the years of Levi's life were 137. The second is in the next
verse, where it says Kohath's four sons were Amram, Ighar, Hebron
and Uzziel, and the years of Kohath's life were 133. The third is
in verse 20, where it says Amram was married to Jochebed and she
bore him Moses and Aaron, and the years of Amram's life were 137.
At first reading, it appears that Levi was the great grandfather,
Kohath the grandfather, Amram the father, and Moses and Aaron the
sons. But is this so? There is no other Biblical evidence that
indicates this is the case, and there is no use anywhere in the
Bible of the phrase "called his name" in reference to these men
which would point to a immediate father-son relationship. But why
would God give the life spans of only three individuals amongst so
many?
To solve this puzzle, let us assume God is giving us the
calendar for the Israelitish sojourn in Egypt. One might recall
that Jacob came to Egypt with his sons including Levi, and that
the Israelites went out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and
Aaron. Both Levi and Aaron are mentioned in Exodus 6 and the age
of Aaron at the time of Israel's departure from Egypt is given as
83 (Exodus 7:7). It can be shown from the Biblical references that
when Levi entered Egypt he was 60+3 years of age, with the burden
of the evidence pointing to 60 years. Since he died at the age of
137, he lived 77 years in Egypt. If this is a calendar giving the
names of the reference patriarchs or generations, we would expect
that Kohath was a descendant of Levi and was born the year of
Levi's death: that Amram was a descendant of Kohath, and that he
was born the year of Kohath's death. Aaron in turn was born the
year of Amram's death, and was descended from Amram. Let us add
these time spans together:
Levi 77 years in Egypt
Kohath 137 years in Egypt
Amram 133 years in Egypt
Aaron 83 years in Egypt
430 years -- Total Time
Turning now to the Biblical record, we discover the following
interesting information. "Now the time that the children of
Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it
came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the
selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of Jehovah went
out from the land of Egypt" (Ex. 12:40,41).
God thus shows us clearly that the calendar used to record the
passage of time during the Egyptian sojourn was based on the lives
of Levi and his descendants, Kohath, Amram and Aaron. This
explains too the prophecy given to Abraham in Gen. 15:13-16, where
he is told his descendants would be oppressed 400 years in a land
that was not theirs, and that they would return to their own land
in the fourth generation.
The Confusion of Tongues
The next bit of history that should be interesting to
investigate is the event of the tower of Babel. Is there any
secular evidence that relates to the account of this confusion of
tongues as set forth in Genesis 11? There is, indeed.
It might first of all be noted that the account of Genesis 11
indicates that prior to this time in history all men spoke one
language. Moreover, the leading civilization was that of these
people who dwelt in the plains of Shinar or Sumer. Their desire
to be the one great civilization of the world prompted the
building of this great tower, which in turn brought on God's
interference with their plans so that they were forced to separate
into various nations.
As has already been shown, the first great civilization of the
world as revealed by secular evidence was that which sprang forth
in the Mesopotamia Valley. The time of the beginning of the
second important civilization of antiquity could be of real
significance. Presumably, it would have begun very shortly after
the tower of Babel. The event of the tower of Babel can be known
to have occurred during the generation of Peleg, for in his days
the earth was divided (Gen.10:25). Peleg's generation was dated
3153 B.C. to 2914 B.C. Therefore one would expect no important
civilizations other than Babylonia to have an antiquity greater
than about 3150 B.C.
Egypt Becomes A Great Civilization
All archaeological evidence points to Egypt as the second
great civilization to appear. While there was a primitive culture
in Egypt prior to the First Dynasty, the uniting of all of Egypt
under Pharaoh Menes to form the First Dynasty was the signal for a
major burst in the arts of civilization. Albright writes:(13)
It is now certain that the level of Egyptian
culture remained considerably below that of
Mesopotamia until the First Dynasty, when under
strong indirect influence from the Euphrates
Valley, it forged ahead of the latter in a
breathtaking spurt.
Interestingly, the new civilization of Egypt beginning with
the First Dynasty was patterned after the Babylonia (Mesopotamia)
culture. Albright continues:(14)
The close of the predynastic Age and the beginning
of the Thinite (period of first two centuries)
period witnessed a sudden burst in the arts of
civilization. This seems to have been connected in
some way with an increase of cultural influence
from Asia, since there are numerous exact parallels
between Mesopotamia and Egyptian culture at this
time, the former being demonstrably older and more
original in nearly every instance.
The date of the beginning of the First Dynasty under Menes is
calculated to be somewhere between 2800 B.C. and 3100 B.C. The
early archaeologists such as Breasted dated his reign at about
3400 B.C. As new archaeological evidence was uncovered this date
was moved forward to about 3000 B.C. Albright believes 2850 B.C.
is a good estimate.(15) William C. Hayes suggest 3100 B.C. is the
best date presently available.(16)
Considering the above information, one is struck by the fact
that prior to about 3100 B.C. to 2850 B.C. only one civilization
of consequence existed in the world. That was the nation of
Babylonia on the plains of Shinar. Then at that time, in a sudden
burst of progress, Egypt grew to become a second great
civilization, a civilization patterned after the first. And these
dates are in almost exact agreement with the Biblical date for the
Tower of Babel. Surely the confusion of tongues as recorded in
Genesis 11 sent thousands of people skilled in all the arts and
crafts of Mesopotamia to Egypt and elsewhere. Thus accord can be
seen between the sacred and the secular records by this indirect
evidence of the timetable of the civilizations of antiquity.
Writing and the Tower of Babel
It might be noted too that writing had its beginning in
Mesopotamia and may be related to the confusion of tongues. Sir
Leonard Wooley writes:(17) "All the archaeological evidence seems
to prove that true writing was first developed in southern
Mesopotamia." The timing for this event is given as 3500 to 3000
B.C. Gelb concludes:(18) "the date of the earliest Sumerian
writing should be set tentatively at about 3100 B.C."
The confusion of tongues in Sumer some time in the period
between 3150-2900 B.C. could well have been the catalyst that
produced writing. Before this dramatic civilization-splitting
event all was secure. Only one language was spoken in all the
world. Verbal communication was adequate and dependable. But
then came this fearful event that shook the very foundations of
this great civilization. Men could no longer understand each
other. There must be a better way. The application of the spoken
word to clay tablets would provide insurance that this kind of a
happening would never totally destroy a culture again. The clay
tablets would always prove to be the reference point. One surely
can see the possibility if not the probability of this connection
between writing and the Tower of Babel.
Conclusion
We thus see that the chronology of history established by
Biblical reckoning agrees rather satisfactorily with the
archaeological evidence of the earliest civilizations. The
Biblical timetable is of course the most reliable, for it is God's
Word. If we have properly interpreted it, it should make possible
a far more definitive analysis of the secular evidence than ever
before. It should also provide a dependable framework in which to
understand dating evidence such as that offered by radiometric
isotopes like carbon 14.
Hopefully, a perspective of history has been set forth that
shows that answers are potentially forthcoming when we begin with
the Biblical framework. The concept of a 13,000 year old world,
which began to be repopulated again after the flood some 7,000
years ago, and which 1,500 years later had grown to a point which
allowed the spawning of the first great cities, surely makes much
more sense than that of mankind being around for hundreds or even
thousands of millenniums, and then becoming a cohesive city
civilization only in the last 5,500 years. Furthermore, the
apparent possibility of the end of the age occurring in our time
also accords far better with the shorter timetable.
Admittedly, the first purpose of the Bible is not to be a
textbook of science or history. It is fundamentally a
presentation of God's grace revealed through Jesus Christ. But
when the Bible does speak in any field of learning, it does so
with great care, accuracy and authority. Three reasons might be
advanced for this: l. These subjects are often an integral part of
the plan of salvation; 2. they are part of God's message to man;
and 3. by reason of His very nature God is accurate when He
speaks. Therefore, it possibly has much more to offer than many
have supposed. I hope that others will be encouraged to build
upon the suggestions offered in this presentation.
A CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN BIBLICAL HISTORY
Events B.C.
CREATION. (about 13,000 years ago)...........................11013
CREATION OF ADAM.............................................11013
BIRTH OF SETH. Adam was 130 when Seth was born
(Gen. 5:6)...................................................10883
BIRTH OF ENOCH. Seth was 105 when Enoch was born
(Gen.5:6)....................................................10778
END OF ENOCH'S PERIOD 905 years after his birth
(Gen. 5:11) which is the year Kenan was born and
which began his period........................................9873
END OF KENAN'S PERIOD 910 years after his birth
(Gen. 5:14). This is the year Mahalaleel was born
and beginning of his period...................................8963
END OF MAHALALEEL'S PERIOD 895 years after his
birth (Gen.5:17). This is the year Jared was born
and beginning of his period...................................8068
END OF JARED'S PERIOD 962 years after his birth
(Gen.5:20). This is the year Enoch was born and
beginning of his period.......................................7106
END OF ENOCH'S PERIOD 365 years after his birth
(Gen. 5:23). This is the year Methuselah was born
and beginning of his period...................................6741
END OF METHUSELAH'S PERIOD 969 years after his
birth (Gen. 5:27). This is the year Lamech was
born and beginning of his period..............................5772
BIRTH OF NOAH. Lamech was 182 when Noah was
born (Gen. 5:28,29)...........................................5590
THE FLOOD (about 7,000 years ago). Noah was 600
when the flood came (Gen. 7:6)................................4990
DEATH OF SHEM 502 years after the flood
(Gen. 11:10,11). This is the year Arpachshad
was born and beginning of his period..........................4488
END OF ARPACHSHAD'S PERIOD 438 years after his
birth (Gen. 11:12,13). This is the year Shelah
was born and beginning of his period..........................4050
END OF SHELAH'S PERIOD 433 years after his birth
(Gen. 11:14,15). This is the year Eber was born
and beginning of his period...................................3617
END OF EBER'S PERIOD 464 years after his birth
(Gen. 11:16,17). This is the year Peleg was born
and beginning of his period...................................3153
TOWER OF BABEL
During Peleg's patriarchal period the division of
the continents occurred. The Tower of Babel must
have occurred between these dates (Gen. 10:25)...........3153-2914
END OF PELEG'S PERIOD 239 years after his birth
(Gen. 11:18,19). This is the year Reu was born
and beginning of his period...................................2914
END OF REU'S PERIOD 239 years after his birth
(Gen. 11:20,21). This is the year Serug was
born and beginning of his period..............................2675
END OF SERUG'S PERIOD 230 years after his
birth (Gen. 11:22,23). This is the year Nahor
was born and beginning of his period..........................2445
END OF NAHOR'S PERIOD 148 years after his
birth (Gen. 11:24,25). This is the year Terah
was born and beginning of his period..........................2297
BIRTH OF ABRAM TO TERAH. Terah was 130 years
old at birth of Abram.........................................2167
ABRAM ENTERED CANAAN..........................................2092
CIRCUMCISION OF ABRAHAM when he was 99
years of age..................................................2068
BIRTH OF ISAAC. Abraham was 100 years old at
birth of Isaac (Gen. 21:5)....................................2067
BIRTH OF JACOB. Isaac was 60 years old at birth
of Jacob (Gen. 25:26).........................................2007
1. Jacob arrives in Haran at the age of...........60
2. He works seven years for Rachel and is
then married to Rachel and Leah. He is then...67
3. Reuben is born to Leah the following year
when Jacob is..................................68
4. Simeon is born next to Leah when Jacob is......69
5. Levi is born next to Leah when Jacob is........70
6. Jacob finishes his second seven year
contract for Rachel when he is.................74
7. He works for wages for 20 years. In the
17th year of this period Joseph is born.
Jacob is.......................................91
8. At end of the 20 year period Joseph is
weaned and Jacob wishes to leave Haran. He is..94
9. He works six years longer for his flocks
and leaves Haran at age.......................100
JACOB'S FAMILY ARRIVES IN EGYPT when Jacob
is 130 (Gen. 47:9) 1877
The Chronological Sequence During the Egyptian Sojourn
Remembering that the death year of one patriarch coincides with
the birth year of the next, the result must look like this:
Levi's Time in Egypt (137 minus 60).......................77 Years
Kohath's Period of Patriarchal Leadership................133 Years
Amram's Period of Patriarchal Leadership.................137 Years
Aaron's Age at the Time of the Exodus (Exod. 7:7).........83 Years
Total....................................................430 Years
Historical Timetable of Pharaohs and Dynasties
1888 B.C. - Sesostris III became Pharaoh. He was part of the
Middle Kingdom or 12th Dynasty of Egypt. His father, Sesostris II,
probably had reigned during the previous 19 years and possibly
came to an untimely death.
1886 B.C. - Joseph became Prime Minister or Grand Vizier of Egypt
under Sesostris III.
1877 B.C. - The family of Joseph came to Egypt and took up
residence in the land of Goshen. The city of Avaris (Zoan in the
Bible), which later was called Tanis or Qantir, was their capital.
1850 B.C. - Sesostris III died after an exceedingly successful
reign of 38 years. He was succeeded by another great 12th Dynasty
Pharaoh named Amenemhet III. Under his reign Joseph continued as
Prime Minister. A canal bearing Joseph's name was constructed at
this time.
1806 B.C. - Joseph died.
1802 B.C. - Amenemhet III died after a 48 year reign. During his
reign Egypt was prosperous, tranquil and productive. He was
succeeded by Amenemhet IV who reigned for the brief period of 9
years. During his reign there was much internal strife for royal
supremacy.
1791 B.C. - Amenemhet IV died and was succeeded by the last
Pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty, Sebeknefrure.
1787 B.C. - Sebeknefrure's brief reign of 4 years ended and with
it ended the 12th Dynasty. The 13th Dynasty began. The reigns of
succeeding Pharaohs were short and the empire began to dissolve.
The Israelites, who no doubt are the "Hyksos" of Archaeological
fame, took advantage of the internal struggles to acquire a strong
hand in the Egyptian government and indeed some of them may have
reigned as Pharaohs during this period.
1580 B.C. (approx.) - Several dynasties have ruled over Egypt
since 1787 B.C. At this time Ahmose I began to reign as the first
king of the 18th Dynasty. He forcibly began to remove the
Israelites (Hyksos) from political power. The most war-like
Israelites were driven from the land and the Israelitish nation
began to be severely oppressed. Either this Pharaoh or a closely
succeeding Pharaoh such as Thutmose I could well have been the
king who "did not know Joseph" (Exod. 1:8).
1560 B.C. (approx.) - Ahmose I was followed by his son Amenhotep I
who consolidated the gains of his father.
1540-1535 B.C. (approx.) - Thutmose I began to reign as king. He
too was a continuation of the 18th Dynasty. He continued and
probably intensified the oppressive measures against the
Israelites, for he was ruling when Moses was born. His animosity
toward the Israelites was probably heightened by his troubles with
Palestine and Syria. His reign was followed by that of his son
Thutmose II.
1527 B.C. - Moses was born at a time when a royal edict condemned
all the boy babies to be destroyed. Princess Hatshepsut, a
daughter of the king, found him in the bulrushes and raised him as
her son.
1501 B.C. - Thutmose III began to reign as the greatest king of
the 18th Dynasty. For approximately the first 25 years of his
reign he was co-regent with Princess Hatshepsut. She regarded
herself as a king and was the dominant ruler during this
co-regency.
1487 B.C. - Moses fled from Egypt. King Hatshepsut, who had
raised him to be her son, sought to kill him because of his
evident loyalty for the Israelites.
1481 B.C. (approx.) - King Hatshepsut died and Thutmose III con-
tinued to reign until the time of the exodus.
Israel went out of Egypt (Thutmose III)........1447 B.C.
Israel entered into Canaan.....................1407 B.C.
EXODUS FROM EGYPT 430 years later
(Exod. 12:40)..............................1447 B.C.
ENTRANCE INTO CANAAN 40 years later........1407 B.C.
Chronology of the Judges B.C. Israel Chronology Years
The Exodus 1447
Entrance into Canaan 1407
Initial 40 year Period in 1407-1367 Land had rest 40
Canaan. During this
period the conquest of Land had rest 80
Canaan occurred under
Joshua and Othniel de-
livered Israel.
Next 80 Year Period in 1367-1287
Canaan. During this
Period Ehud and Shamgar
deliver Israel Land had rest 40
Next 40 year Period in 1287-1247
Canaan. Deborah and Land had rest 40
Barak were deliverers Abimelech rules 3
during this period
Gideon judged 1247-1207 Tola judged 23
Abimelech rules 1207-1204 Jair judged 22
Tola judged 1204-1181
Jair judged 1181-1159
Jephthah judged 1159-1153 Jephthah judged 6
Ibzan judged 1153-1146 Ibzan judged 7
Elon judged 1146-1136 Elon judged 10
Abon judged 1136-1128 Abon judged 8
Samson judged 1128-1108 Samson judged 20
Eli judged 1108-1068 Eli judged 40
Ark in Philistines' Hands 1068-1067 Ark captured 1
Samuel judged 1067-1047 Final period of
Saul reigned as king 1047-1007 Samuel 20
David reigned 1007- 967 360
Solomon reigned 971- 931
Foundation of temple
laid in fourth year of
Solomon's reign 967
------------------------------------------------
Note on Oppression By Heathen Power
Israel served Cushanrishathaim 8 years Judges 3:8
3:11
Israel served Eglon 18 years 3:14
3:30
Israel oppressed by Jabin 20 years 4:3
5:31
Israel in hand of Midian 7 years 6:1
8:28
9:22
10:2
10:3
Philistines oppressed Israel 18 years 10:8
12:7
12:9
12:11
12:14
Israel in hand of Philistines 40 years 13:1
15:20
I Samuel 4:18
6:1
______________
111 years
-------------------------------------
Events Date
Saul king 1047 B.C. (about 3,000 years ago)
David 1007 B.C.
Solomon 971 B.C.
Temple Foundation laid 967 B.C.
Solomon's temple con- 967 B.C.
struction began 480
years after exodus
(I Ki. 6:1)
Division of kingdom at 931 B.C.
death of Solomon 36
years later
-------------------------------------
Chronological Table of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom
JUDAH (2 Tribes)
King Reign Character
1. Rehoboam 931-913 B.C. (17 yrs ) Bad
2. Abijah 913-911 ( 3 yrs.) Bad
3. Asa 911-870 (41 yrs.) Good
4. Jehoshaphat 873-848* (25 yrs.) Good
5. Jehoram 853-841* ( 8 yrs.) Bad
6. Ahaziah 841 ( 1 yr. ) Bad
7. Athaliah 841-835 ( 6 yrs.) Bad
8. Joash 835-796 (40 yrs.) Good
9. Amaziah 796-767 (29 yrs.) Good
10.Azariah 792-740* (52 yrs.) Good
(or Uzziah)
11.Jotham 750-732* (16 yrs.) Good
12.Ahaz 735-716 (16 yrs.) Bad
13.Hezekiah 716-687 (29 yrs.) Good
14.Manasseh 697-643 Bad
15. Amon 643-641 ( 2 yrs.) Bad
16.Josiah 641-609 (31 yrs.) Good
17.Jehoahaz 609 ( 3 mo. ) Bad
18.Jehoiakim 609-598 (11 yrs.) Bad
(or Eliakim)
19.Jehoiachin 608-597* Bad
(or Coniah,
Jeconiah)
20.Zedekiah 597-587 Bad
(or Mattaniah)
(Destruction of Jerusalem and captivity of Judah)
* Co-regency
ISRAEL (10 Tribes)
King Reign Character
1. Jeroboam I 931-910 B.C. (22 yrs.) Bad
2. Nadab 910-909 ( 2 yrs.) Bad
3. Baasha 909-886 (24 yrs.) Bad
4. Elah 886-885 ( 2 yrs.) Bad
5. Zimri 885 ( 7 days) Bad
6. Tibni 885-880
7. Omri 885-874* (12 yrs.) Bad
8. Ahab 874-853 (22 yrs.) Bad
9. Ahaziah 853-852 ( 2 yrs.) Bad
10.Joram 852-841 (12 yrs.) Bad
11.Jehu 841-814 (28 yrs.) Bad
12.Jehoahaz 814-798 (17 yrs.) Bad
13.Jehoash 798-782 (16 yrs.) Bad
14.Jeroboam II 793-753* (41 yrs.) Bad
15.Zechariah 753-752 ( 6 mo. ) Bad
16.Shallum 752 ( l mo. ) Bad
17.Menahem 752-742 (10 yrs.) Bad
18.Pekahiah 742-740 ( 2 yrs,) Bad
19.Pekah 752-732* (20 yrs.) Bad
20.Hoshea 732-722 ( 9 yrs.) Bad
(Capture of Samaria and captivity of Israel)
Remnants of these 10 tribes joined
with nation of Judah, which is then called Israel.
* Co-regency
-----------------------------
Israel (10 tribes) destroyed 722 B.C.
Israel (Judah augmented by remnants from
10 tribes) subdued by Egypt 609 B.C.
Israel taken in to Babylonian captivity
and temple destroyed 587 B.C.
Babylonia conquered by Cyrus, king of
Medes and Persians (under Cyrus
first contingent of Jews returns to
Jerusalem) 539 B.C.
Temple partially rebuilt and rededicated 515 B.C.
Ezra returned to Jerusalem to reestablish law 458 B.C.
Rebuilding of wall by Nehemiah 445 B.C.
SILENCE
Christ was born 7 B.C.
Christ was baptized 29 A.D.
Christ died on cross 33 A.D.
Jerusalem destroyed by Romans 70 A.D.
REFERENCES
(1) Compare Genesis 7:13, 9:18 and I Peter 3:20
(2) Compare Genesis 11:27 ff, Genesis 12:4 and Acts 7:4
(3) For example, Genesis 10:21 describes Shem as "the father of
all children of Eber," though Eber is removed from Shem by
several generations (cf. Genesis 11:10-16)
(4) The fact that Jesus was born a few years earlier (probably 7
B.C.) does not diminish the force of this argument, for 1981
A.D. is in principle related only to Christ's birth date and
not to any other.
(5) Camping, Harold. Adam When? Ch. 3
(6) Ibid., ch. 6
(7) Thiele, Edwin R., The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings,
Eerdmans, Rev. edition 1965, pg. 53,54. Much additional
support can be given to the accuracy of this date from the
reigns of three of the greatest of the Egyptian Pharaohs -
Sesostris III, Tuthmosis III and Rameses II. A discussion of
this is of course beyond the scope of this article.
(8) Camping, Harold; ch. 5
(9) Albright, William Foxwell; From the Stone Age to Christ-
ianity, Doubleday & Co., Inc. 1957, pg. 32
(10) Rowton, M. B., in The Cambridge Ancient History, Cambridge
University Press, 1964, pg. 57,58
(11) Camping, Harold, ch. 7
(12) Rawlinson, George, Egypt and Babylon, John W. Lovell Co.,
pg. 9
(13) Albright, pg. 142
(14) Ibid., pg. 157
(15) Ibid.
(16) Hayes, William C., The Cambridge Ancient History, 1964, pg. 4
(17) Wooley, Sir Leonard, The Beginnings of Civilization, The New
York American Library, 1965, pg. 364
(18) Gelb, A Study of Writing, pg. 63
