Chronology of the Bible

Author: Eduardo Freire Canosa
(University of Toronto Alumnus)

From Adam to Noah: 1,056 years
Birth of Father To Birth of Son   Years   Reference
Adam to Seth   130   Genesis 5:3
Seth to Enosh   105   Genesis 5:6
Enosh to Kenan   90   Genesis 5:9
Kenan to Mahalalel   70   Genesis 5:12
Mahalalel to Jared   65   Genesis 5:15
Jared to Enoch   162   Genesis 5:18
Enoch to Methuselah   65   Genesis 5:21
Methuselah to Lamech   187   Genesis 5:25
Lamech to Noah   182   Genesis 5:28

The Meaning of the Ten Names From Adam To Noah

From Noah to Abram: 890 years
Birth of Father To Birth of Son   Years   Reference
Noah to Shem   500   Genesis 5:32
Shem to Arphaxad   100   Genesis 11:10
Arphaxad to Shelah   35   Genesis 11:12
Shelah to Eber   30   Genesis 11:14
Eber to Peleg   34   Genesis 11:16
Peleg to Reu   30   Genesis 11:18
Reu to Serug   32   Genesis 11:20
Serug to Nahor   30   Genesis 11:22
Nahor to Terah   29   Genesis 11:24
Terah to Abram   70   Genesis 11:26

From Abram to the Exodus: 720 years
Interval   Years   Reference
Abram to Isaac   100   Genesis 21:5
Isaac to Jacob   60   Genesis 25:26
Jacob to Migration to Egypt   130   Genesis 47:7-9
Arrival in Egypt to Exodus   430   Exodus 12:40-41

From the Exodus to the End of Solomon's Reign: 516 years
Interval   Years   Reference
Exodus to the Fourth Year of Solomon's Reign   480   1 Kings 6:1
Fourth Year of Solomon's Reign to Final Year   36   1 Kings 11:42


Note: The Bible apparently truncates the duration in years of a monarch's reign (cf. 1 Chronicles 3:4, 29:27).

The Kingdom of Judah: 394 years*
Monarch   Years   References
Rehoboam son of Solomon   17   1 Kings 14:21, 2 Chronicles 12:13
Abijah son of Rehoboam   3   1 Kings 15:2, 2 Chronicles 13:2
Asa son of Abijah   41   1 Kings 15:10, 2 Chronicles 17:13
Jehoshaphat son of Asa   25   1 Kings 22:42, 2 Chronicles 20:31
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat   8   2 Kings 8:17, 2 Chronicles 21:5
Ahaziah son of Jehoram   1   2 Kings 8:26, 2 Chronicles 22:2
Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah   6   2 Kings 11:1-3, 2 Chronicles 22:12
Joash son of Ahaziah   40   2 Kings 12:1, 2 Chronicles 24:1
Amaziah son of Joash   29   2 Kings 14:2, 2 Chronicles 25:1
Azariah or Uzziah son of Amaziah   52   2 Kings 15:2, 2 Chronicles 26:3
Jotham son of Azariah   16   2 Kings 15:33, 2 Chronicles 27:1
Ahaz son of Jotham   16   2 Kings 16:2, 2 Chronicles 28:1
Hezekiah son of Ahaz   29   2 Kings 18:2, 2 Chronicles 29:1
Manasseh son of Hezekiah   55   2 Kings 21:1, 2 Chronicles 33:1
Amon son of Manasseh   2   2 Kings 21:19, 2 Chronicles 33:21
Josiah son of Amon   31   2 Kings 22:1, 2 Chronicles 34:1
Jehoahaz son of Josiah   3 months   2 Kings 23:31, 2 Chronicles 36:2
Eliakim or Jehoiakim son of Josiah   11   2 Kings 23:36, 2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim   3 months   2 Kings 24:8, 2 Chronicles 36:9
Zedekiah uncle of Jehoiachin   11   2 Kings 24:18, 2 Chronicles 36:11


* My rounding off of 393 years 6 months 10 days.

Note: Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim reigned for 3 months 10 days according to 2 Chronicles 36:9.

The Kingdom of Israel: 263 years*
(fitted to the Kingdom of Judah chronology)
Monarch   Years   Reference   Began Reigning In Year
Jeroboam son of Nebat   22   1 Kings 14:20    
Nadab son of Jeroboam   2 (1)   1 Kings 15:25   2 of Asa king of Judah
Baasha son of Ahijah   24 (23)   1 Kings 15:33   3 of Asa king of Judah
Elah son of Baasha   2 (1)   1 Kings 16:8   26 of Asa king of Judah
Zimri an official of Elah   7 days   1 Kings 16:15   27 of Asa king of Judah
Power struggle   4   1 Kings 16:21  
Omri an army commander   12 (7)   1 Kings 16:23   31 of Asa king of Judah
Ahab son of Omri   22 (20)   1 Kings 16:29   38 of Asa king of Judah
Ahaziah son of Ahab   2 (1)   1 Kings 22:51   17 of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
Joram son of Ahab   12   2 Kings 3:1   18 of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
Power struggle   9   1 Kings 19:15-17, 2 Kings 9-10
Jehu son of Jehoshaphat   28   2 Kings 10:36
Jehoahaz son of Jehu   17 (14)   2 Kings 13:1   23 of Joash king of Judah
Jehoash son of Jehoahaz   16 (18)   2 Kings 13:10   37 of Joash king of Judah
Jeroboam son of Jehoash   41 (52)   2 Kings 14:23   15 of Amaziah king of Judah
Zechariah son of Jeroboam   6 months   2 Kings 15:8   38 of Azariah king of Judah
Shallum son of Jabesh   1 month   2 Kings 15:13   38 of Azariah king of Judah
Menahem son of Gadi   10 (11)   2 Kings 15:17   39 of Azariah king of Judah
Pekahiah son of Menahem   2   2 Kings 15:23   50 of Azariah king of Judah
Pekah son of Remaliah   20   2 Kings 15:27   52 of Azariah king of Judah
Assyrian occupation
Power struggle		   8   2 Kings 15:29-30
Hoshea son of Elah   9   2 Kings 17:1   12 of Ahaz king of Judah


* My rounding off of 262 years 7 months 7 days.

Notes: Numbers in brackets are my correction to make the chronology of the Kingdom of Israel agree with the chronology of the Kingdom of Judah.

No correlation with the chronology of the Kingdom of Judah is given for the reign of Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, indicating that the transition from Joram son of Ahab to Jehu was very turbulent.

2 Kings 15:30 exposes a negligent or dispirited tacker-on to the original text: "Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah." First, the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah (or Azariah) lasted sixteen years only. Second, credible 2 Kings 17:1 states that Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah. This misleading verse upholds the decision to fit the chronology of the Kingdom of Israel to the twice-witnessed chronology of the Kingdom of Judah.

The Year of Adam's Creation

The accepted date for the overthrow of King Zedekiah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar is 597 BC.

Counting backwards, the first year of Adam   tA   was:

tA   =   Year 597 BC - 394 years - 516 years - 720 years - 890 years - 1,056 years   =   Year 4173 BC
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