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From Adam to Jesus
Biblical timeline from Adam to the flood (Gregorian calendar)
 
3949 B.C.: Creation of Adam and Eve
3327 B.C.: Birth of Enoch
2893 B.C.: Birth of Noah
2293 B.C.: The Flood
2192 B.C.: Birth of Peleg; approximate time of tower of Babel
2001 B.C.: Birth of Abraham
1576 B.C.: Birth of Moses
1496 B.C.: The Exodus
1090 B.C. Birth of King David
1060 B.C. David King of Judea
1053 B.C.: David King of Kingdom of Israel
1020 B.C. Solomon King of Kingdom of Israel
1016 B.C.: Building of Solomon's Temple
980 B.C.: Israel divided into Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah, Rehoboam (Judah), Jeroboam (Israel)
750 B.C.: Assyrian King removes Israel (Ten Lost Tribes)
609 B.C: Death of Josiah; height of the Babylonian Empire (king Nebuchadnezzar)
539 B.C.: Beginning of the Persian Empire (Cyrus the Great); Temple begins reconstruction
453 B.C.: Walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt
333 B.C.: Grecian Empire (Alexander the Great)
27 B.C.: Roman Empire (Octavian)
3 B.C.: Birth of Messiah
A.D. 30: Crucifixion of Messiah
 
 
Dating according to the true birth of Jesus at A.D. 1
 
3946 B.C.: Creation of Adam and Eve
3324 B.C.: Birth of Enoch
2890 B.C.: Birth of Noah
2290 B.C.: The Flood
2189 B.C.: Birth of Peleg; approximate time of tower of Babel
1998 B.C.: Birth of Abraham
1573 B.C.: Birth of Moses
1493 B.C.: The Exodus
1013 B.C.: Building of Solomon's Temple
977 B.C.: Israel divided into Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah
606 B.C: Death of Josiah; height of the Babylonian Empire
536 B.C.: Beginning of the Persian Empire; Temple begins reconstruction
450 B.C.: Walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt
A.D. 1.: Birth of Messiah
A.D. 33: Crucifixion of Messiah
 
 
Genealogy from Adam to Noah in years from father to son
 
Adam: 130 years; Seth: 105 years; Enos: 90 years; Cainan: 70 years; Mahalaleel: 65 years; Jared: 162 years; Enoch: 65 years; Methuselah: 187 years; Lamech: 182 years; Noah: 500 years when Shem, Ham, and Japeth were born (Gen. 5).
Noah's birth to the flood: 600 years (Gen. 7:6).
(Noah after the flood: 350 years; total life of Noah: 950 years) (Gen. 9:28-29).
Adam to Lamech: 1056 years
Noah to the flood: 600 years
Adam to the flood:1656 years
[1056+600]
 
If the time after the fall of Adam began at approximately 4000 B.C., then 4000 is subtracted from 1656.
[4000-1656]
2344 B.C. (Gregorian calendar)
 
 
Genealogy from Shem to Abraham
 
Shem 100 years old at time of flood, lived 2 years after the flood and begat Arphaxad (Gen. 11:10).
Flood to birth of Arphaxad: 2 years; Arphaxad: 35 years; Salah: 30 years; Eber: 34 years; Peleg: 30 years; Reu: 32 years;Serug: 30 years; Nahor: 29 years: Terah: 70 years;Terah begat Abram (later named Abraham) (Gen. 11:10-26).
 
Flood to birth of Arphaxad: 2 years
Birth of Arphaxad to birth of Abraham: 290 years
Flood to birth of Abram Abraham: 292 years
[2+292]
(Shem to Abraham: 392 years)
 
Adam to Abraham: 1948 years
[1656+292]
 
 
Genealogy of Abraham to time of Exodus
 
Abraham to Isaac: 100 years (Gen. 21:5).
Isaac to Jacob: 60 years (Gen. 25:26).
Birth of Jacob to when Jacob moved to Egypt: 130 years (Gen. 47:9).
Moses born 80 years before the Exodus (Ex. 7:7).
The beginning of the Israelites' "sojourning" to the time they left Egypt (the Exodus): 430 years (Ex. 12:41).
 
Genealogy shows four generations of Israelites in Egypt. The four generations does not account for 430 years the children of Israel were supposedly in Egypt which shows the time the Israelites were in Egypt had to have been much shorter than 430 years (Ex. 6:16-20).
 
According to Paul, the time of the sojourning began with the promise given to Abraham, when Abraham left his land and wandered to Canaan. He was 75 years old when he entered Canaan (Gen. 12:4-5; Gal. 3:16-17).
 
From Abraham at 75 years old to the time of the Exodus was 430 years.
[430+75]
The birth of Abraham to the time of the Exodus was 505 years.
 
Another way to figure the time from Abraham to Moses is by calculating the promise God made to Abraham in reference to Isaac his "seed" (Gen. 15:13). Abraham was told that the time which began the affliction of his seed to the time when his descendants would be delivered would be 400 years, which is confirmed in the book of Acts (Acts 7:6).
 
As previously noted, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. At the time when Isaac was weaned is when the affliction with Ishmael began, which is the time when Ishmael (Isaac's competition and from whom Isaac, Abraham's seed, was afflicted due to jealousy) was cast out (Gen. 21:8-14).
If Isaac was weaned at age 5, then this is when the 400 year prophecy began.
It ended with the Exodus.
 
Since Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born, this is added to the age of Isaac when he was weaned at age 5 which is added to the 400 years Abraham was told his seed would wander and be afflicted, making the total time of Abraham's birth to the Exodus again 505 years.
 
Abraham to Exodus: 505 years
Adam to Exodus: 2453 years
[1948+505]
 
Approximate dating if time after fall began at 4000 B.C.:
4000-2453: 1547 B.C. (Gregorian calendar)
 
 
Time from Exodus to the end of reign of King Solomon
 
King Solomon builds temple for the Lord 480 years after Israel leaves Egypt (the Exodus).
Solomon was king 4 years at the time of the building of the temple (1 Kings 6:1).
 
Length Solomon was King of Israel: 40 years (1 Kings 11:42,2 Chron. 9:30).
From Exodus to building of the temple: 480 years
From building of temple to end of reign of King Solomon: 36 years
[40-4]
From Exodus to end of reign of King Solomon: 516 years
[480+36]
 
From Adam to end of reign of King Solomon: 2969 years
[2453+516]
 
Approximate dating if time after fall began at 4000 B.C.:
4000-2969: 1031 B.C. (Gregorian calendar).
 
 
Time from end of reign of King Solomon (which began reign of King Rehoboam) to the Babylonian captivity of Judea
 
After King Solomon, Israel is divided into two countries, one of which was the Kingdom of Judah.
Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned as King of Judah. After Rehoboam, his son Abijam reigned as King. From there, the succession continued until the captivity of Judah by Babylon (1 Kings 14:31).
Rehoboam: 17 years (980-963 B.C.) (2 Chron. 12:13
Abijam: 3 years (963-960 B.C.) (2 Chron. 13:1-2).
Asa: 41 years (960-919 B.C.) (2 Chron. 16:13).
Jehoshaphat: 25 years (919-894 B.C.) (2 Chron. 20:31).
Jehoram: 8 years (894-886 B.C.) (2 Chron, 21:5).
Ahaziah: 1 year (886-885 B.C.) (2 Chron. 22:2).
Athaliah: 6 years (885-879 B.C.) (2 Chron. 22:11-12).
Joash: 40 years (879-839 B.C.) (2 Chron. 23:1-3, 24:1).
Amaziah: 29 years (839-810 B.C.) (2 Chron. 25:1).
Uzziah: 52 years (810-758 B.C.) (2 Chron. 26:3).
Jotham: 16 years (758-742 B.C.) (2 Chron. 27:1).
Ahaz: 16 years (742-726 B.C.) (2 Chron. 28:1).
Hezekiah: 29 years (726-697 B.C.) (2 Chron. 29:1).
Manasseh: 55 years (697-642 B.C.) (2 Chron. 33:1).
Amon: 2 years (642-640 B.C.) (2 Chron. 33:21).
Josiah: 31 years (640-609 B.C.) (2 Chron. 34:1).
Jehoahaz: 3 months (609-608? B.C.) (2 Chron. 36:2).
Jehoiakim: 11 years (608-597 B.C.) (2 Chron. 36:5).
Jehoiachin: 3 months, 10 days (597-597? B.C.) (2 Chron. 36:9).
Zedekiah: 11 years (597-586 B.C.) (2 Chron. 36:11).
 
Number of years Kings of Judah ruled: 393 years, 6 months, 10 days, a total of approximately 394 years.
 
From beginning of reign of Rehoboam to end of reign of King Josiah: 371 years
From Adam to King Josiah: 3340 years
[2969+371]
From the beginning of Adam to the final rule of the kings of Judah when Judea was taken captive by Babylon: 3363 years
[2969+394]
 
Approximate dating if time after fall began at 4000 B.C.:
4000-3363: 637 B.C. (Gregorian calendar)
 
 
Time from beginning of reign of King Nebuchadnezzar to the beginning of the Persian Empire
 
In 609 B.C., King Josiah died as the last king to serve the Lord before Babylonian captivity.
 
Babylonian rule began at its height in 609 B.C. (under the rule of Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar) and ended when the Kingdom of Medo-
Persia defeated Babylon and became the next empire in 539 B.C. The Babylonian Empire lasted for 70 years, fulfilling the prophecy given to Jeremiah which began the return of the Jewish people to their homeland (2 Chron. 36:21, Jer. 25:11-12, Jer. 29:10, Dan. 9:2).
 
Since 70 years need to be added to the time of the end of the reign of Josiah as king and the beginning of the Babylonian Empire, in order to continue the time line, the latter year of the kings after Josiah would need to be subtracted.
Minus 23 years (3 months+11 years+3 months+10 days+11 years=23 years, approx.) from 3363 years and a total of 3340 is left.
 
(Or count from King Rehoboam to King Josiah [371 years], then add the time from Adam to time of King Josiah: 2969+371=3340.)
 
Add 70 to 3340 to find the date of the end of the Babylonian Empire and the beginning of the Persian Empire:
From Adam to end of Babylonian Empire and beginning of Persian Empire: 3410 years
[3340+70]
 
Approximate dating if time after fall began at 4000 B.C.:
4000-3410: 590 B.C. (Gregorian calendar).
 
 
Time from beginning of reign of King of Persia to the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
 
According to the Nabonidus Chronicle (Lendering), Cyrus king of Persia defeats Babylon in 539 B.C. Daniel gives an account of the defeat of Babylon by Cyrus the Persian and Darius the Mede (Dan. 5, 6:28).
During the first year of Cyrus King of Persia in 539 B.C., Cyrus gives a decree to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-3, 6:3). After the decree to rebuild the temple is given, the Jewish people to Jerusalem.
 
Trouble from neighbors cause rebuilding of the temple to take longer (Ezra 4). Construction continues in the seventh year of the Persian king Artaxerxes (Ezra 7).
 
In the 20th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes during the Hebrew month of Nisan (Neh. 2:1-7), Nehemiah makes a request to the King for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. It took 52 days to finish the wall which was completed on the 25th day of the month of Elul (Neh. 6:15).
 
Ptolemy gives the reign of King Artaxerxes from 465 to 424 B.C., while he gives Artaxerxes father Xerxes I a reign of 485 to 465 B.C. Early century historians such as 5th century Thucydides give Artaxerxes a beginning reign of 471 to 473 B.C. “An Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription has been found which stated that Artaxerxes Longimanus was associated with his father on the throne in the 12th year of Xerxes' reign” (Jones 239).
 
If Artaxerxes began his reign in the 12th year of his father's reign, then his beginning reign would have been 473 B.C., making his 20th year reign in 453 B.C. According to Nehemiah's request, this is the date that begins the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.
 
Wall of Jerusalem built:
453 B.C.
The time of the beginning of the Persian Empire in 539 B.C. to the time of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in 453 B.C. is subtracted.
539-453: 86 years.
Add this total to the previous years.
 
Adam to rebuilding of Jerusalem:
3496 years
[3410+86]
 
Approximate dating if time after fall began at 4000 B.C.:
4000-3496: 504 B.C. (Gregorian calendar)
 
 
Time from rebuilding walls of Jerusalem to crucifixion of Messiah
 
Scripture shows further dating by referencing the prophecy given from God to the prophet Daniel (SeeDan. 9.) According to the prophecy of Daniel, from the time of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem to the time of the crucifixion of the Messiah would be 483 years.
Add these years to the previous total of 3496 years.
 
Adam to crucifixion of Messiah:
 3979 years
[3496+483]
Minus 33 years for the dating of A.D. 1 to the crucifixion of Messiah to get a dating that should begin A.D. and the birth of Messiah according to the Gregorian calendar.
 
Adam to birth of Messiah: 3946 years
[3979-33]
By subtracting 483 years (the time of the building of the walls of Jerusalem to the time of the crucifixion) from 504 B.C. (the approximate date of the rebuilding of Jerusalem), we have the year of Christ's crucifixion at 21 B.C.
 
Because our calendar eras are based on the birth of Christ, He is considered to have been crucified approximately 33 and a half years after B.C. in A.D. 33.
 
At this point, we can tell that approximate dating is inaccurate by 54 years (21 B.C. to A.D. 33).
 
Adding the 3946 years (Adam to birth of Messiah) to the year 2018 gives 5960 years.
[3946+2018]
 
The years from the birth of Adam to the current year is 5960 years. Accordingly, the Gregorian calender before the dating of Christ should begin at 3946 years.
 
Since Jesus the Messiah was actually born in 3 B.C., this figure gives a close approximation to the birth of Christ.
From this dating, a closer approximation of the dating of the years before Christ according to the Gregorian calendar can be given.
 
 
Brief detailed outline of years from Adam to birth of Christ
 
Genealogies from birth of Adam to Noah at 500 years: 1556 years
Noah at 500 years to the flood, approximate age of Shem: 100 years
Shem begat Arphaxad after the flood: 2 years
Genealogies from birth of Arphaxad to birth of Abraham: 290 years
Birth of Abraham to Exodus: 505 years
Exodus to when King Solomon builds temple: 480 years
Age of reign of Solomon when temple is built: 4 years
Length of Solomon as King of Israel: 40 years
Length of reign of Kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Josiah: 371 years
End of reign of King Josiah and beginning of Babylonian Empire to beginning of Persian Empire,
fulfilling Jeremiah prophecy: 70 years
 
Beginning of Persian Empire (539 B.C.) to rebuilding of walls of Jerusalem (453 B.C.): 86 years
 
From rebuilding of walls of Jerusalem to crucifixion of Messiah: 483 years
 
Birth to crucifixion of Messiah, according to Gregorian calendar: 30 years
 
1556 + 100 + 2 + 290 + 505 + 480 - 4 + 40 + 371 + 70 + 86 + 483 - 33:
3946 years B.C.
 
 
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Works Cited
 
Jones, Floyd Nolen. The Chronology of the Old Testament 4th ed. Green Forest: Master Books, 2009. Print.
 
Lendering, Jona. “ABC 7: The Nabonidus Chronicle.” Livius. Livius, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.