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      1. Adam was alive during the lives of his next eight generations. Noah and Shem were the only two generations before the flood that would not have been able to talk with Adam.

     2. Noah was alive during the lives of his next nine generations. He died two years before Abraham was born and would have been able to talk with Terah, Abraham's father. Noah lived for 350 years after the flood.

     3. Shem was alive during his next ten generations, and he outlived seven of them. Abraham, the ninth generation from Shem, was alive for 150 years before Shem died, Isaac, Abraham's son, was alive for 50 years before Shem died. Both Abraham and Isaac would have been able to talk with Shem.

     4. Genesis 12:4-5 state that Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran and entered Canaan, then in verse 7, God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit Canaan. Galatians 3:16, 17 quotes from part of Genesis 12:7, and states that the giving of the law was 430 years after that promise in Genesis 12, when

Abraham was 75 years old. The law was given in 1445 B.C., the same year as the Exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 19:1 and Note 8). Thus, the Exodus and the giving of the law were in 1445 B.C., and the promise to Abraham was given 430 years earlier in 1875 B.C., when he was 75 years old. Adding 75 years to 1875 B.C. brings us to Abraham's birth date in 1950 B.C.

    5. In 1875 B.C. Abraham was 75 years old when his father, Terah, died at 205 years of age (Genesis 11:32, 12:1-7, Acts 7:4). Therefore, Terah was 130 years old when Abraham was born (205 -75 =130). The fact that Genesis 11:26 says, "Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran" (NKJV), cannot mean that Abraham (Abram) was born when Terah was 70 years old. Rather, Abraham must be listed first because it was through his seed that God would create a great nation and that the Messiah would come. Thus, Genesis 11:26 is highlighting his importance rather than his chronology.

     6. On the basis of Note #5, Terah was 130 years old in 1950 B.C. when Abraham was born. Therefore, Terah was born in 2080 B.C. Since Genesis 11:10-24 precisely chronicles the birth date of each preceding patriarch, it is possible to accurately date each of them from Terah back to Shem.

     7. On the basis of Genesis 11:10, Genesis 7:6, Genesis 9:28, 29, and Genesis chapter 5, it is easy to accurately date the patriarchs from Shem all the way back to Adam and the Creation. These texts state that Noah was 600 years old and Shem was 98 years old at the time of the flood. Therefore, Shem was born when Noah was 502 years old. Genesis 5:32 must be highlighting Shem's importance rather than his chronology, since Jesus would descend from Shem.

     8. I Kings 6:1 says that King Solomon began to build the Jerusalem Temple in the second month of his 4^th year of reigning. From the secular annals of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, scholars can date the 4th year of Solomon's reign to 967/66 B.C. Based on the fall-to-fall reckoning for Solomon's reign, he began to build the temple specifically in early 966 B.C. The same text identifies that year as the 480^th year after the Exodus, which means after 479 years had been completed. By adding 479 years to 966 B.C. one arrives at 1445 B.C. as the date of the Exodus.

     9. According to Acts 7:23-30, Moses was 40 years old when he fled Egypt to Midian, and he was 80 years old at the time of the Exodus in 1445 B.C. He died at the age of 120 (see Deuteronomy 34:7). By adding 80 years to 1445 B.C., we know that Moses was born in 1525 B.C.

Poster conceived, designed and produced by Wesley Willbanks. Biblical Consultant: Dr. Doug Baker, Associate Professor of History & Humanities at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, and Adjunct Professor of Religion at American Bible College & Seminary In Oklahoma City. For additional posters call Wesley Willbanks at 405-210-9099, or write to the address below. For more Interesting Bible facts and studies, visit www.bibleuniverse.com Copyright © 2001, Wesley Willbanks, P.O. Box 721448, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73172-1448. All rights reserved. Printed In the U.S.A.

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