Chronology of the Bible

Author: Eduardo Freire Canosa
(University of Toronto Alumnus)
E-mail: eduardofreireferrol@inbox.com

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 t_{_A} was:

t_{_A} = Year 597 BC - 394 years - 516 years - 720 years - 890 years - 1,056 years = Year 4173 BC