In the Biblical narrative, we can divide the time into 5 periods:
- the six days of creation
- the creation of Adam to the Flood (less than 2000 years)
- the Flood to the birth of Abraham (less than 500 years)
- the birth of Abraham to the Exodus (less than 700 years)
- the Exodus to Christ (less than 2000 years)
Excluding the first six days, we have less than 6000 years from Adam to Christ, according to the Bible. Christ is said to have lived roughly 2000 years ago, so the six days must have ended somewhere less than 8000 years ago, according to the Bible.
Looking at each period in reverse.
The Exodus to Christ
In 1 Kings 11:42 :
Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. Biblical scholars date the beginning of his reign as between 961 and 992 BCE.
In 1 Kings 6:1 :
Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came 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. There seems to be some discussion as to whether this means 480 solar years or 480 lunar years (equivalent to 466 solar years). So Biblically, we can date the Exodus at 1427 to 1472 BCE.
There is nothing in the text that would lead one to believe that either the 40 or the 480 are anything but literal years. So we can safely say that according to the Bible, the Exodus occurred less than
2000 years before Christ.
the birth of Abraham to the Exodus
[row]Exodus 12:40[row][i]Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. [/i][col] 430[row]Genesis 47:9 : [i]So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning."[/i][col] 130[row]Genesis 21:5 : [i]Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.[/i][col] 100
[row]Total [col] [b]660[/b]
There is nothing in the text that would lead on to believe that the 430, 130 or 100 are anything but literal years. So this period can be Biblically determined to be less than 700 years.
the Flood to the birth of Abraham
[row]Genesis 11:10-26
[row]These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; [col] 102[row]and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters. Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah; [col] 35[row]and Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters. Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber; [col] 30[row]and Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.
Eber lived thirty-four years, [col]34[row]and became the father of Peleg; and Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and he had other sons and daughters.
Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu;[col] 30[row] and Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and he had other sons and daughters. Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug; [col] 32[row]and Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters. Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor;[col]30[row] and Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.
Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah; [col] 29[row]and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.
Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. [col] 70[row] [col] [b]292[/b]
Simple addition yields 292 years. So allowing for rounding errors, lunar years, a few missed generations etc, it is safe to say that the Bible teaches that the time from the Flood to the birth of Abraham was less than 500 years.
the creation of Adam to the Flood
[row]Genesis 5[row]This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.
He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.[col] 130[col] 130[row]Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. [col] 105[col] 235[row]Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. [col] 90[col] 325[row]Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. [col] 70[col] 395[row]Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. [col] 65[col] 460[row]Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. [col] 162[col] 622[row]Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.[col] 65[col] 687[row]Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech. [col] 187[col] 874[row]Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.
Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son.[col] 82[col] 956[row]Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed." Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 7:6 Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth.[col] 600[col] 1556
So allowing for errors, missed generations, rounding and other anomalies, the Bible teaches that the period from Adam to the Flood was less than
2000 years.
