What is the most credited date for the birth (or calling) of Abraham?

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What is the most credited date for the birth (or calling) of Abraham?

Most scholars agree begins with the birth of Abram, renamed “Abraham” by God (Genesis 17:4–6) in the year 2166 BC. Abraham’s calling took place when he was 75 years old.

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran in AM 2021, with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the substance and souls that they had acquired, and traveled to Shechem in Canaan. Then he pitched his tent in the east of Bethel.

In the most basic sense, the Bible timeline is endless and eternal, as it chronicles creation (date unknown; Genesis 1:1–31) through the end of ages (Matthew 28:20). From a more practical viewpoint, the Bible timeline on which most scholars agree begins with the calling of Abram, renamed “Abraham” by God (Genesis 17:4–6) in the year 2166 BC, and ends with the writing of the book of Revelation in approximately AD 95. Prior to Abraham’s birth, the Bible timeline beginning in Genesis contains a rich history of creation, Adam and Eve, the Fall of Man, extensive genealogies, stories of human travails leading up to Noah and the Great Flood (date also unknown), and much more.

Within the period between Abraham’s birth and the apostle John’s writing of the book of Revelation, history helps to place many of the events of the Old and New Testaments on the Bible timeline. For example, Moses is estimated to have been born in 1526 BC and Joshua to have entered the Promised Land approximately 1406 BC. The period of Israel’s ten judges ended about 1052 BC, the onset of King Saul’s reign, when most scholars agree that concrete, historically verifiable dating is possible. Can you give me a basic timeline of the Bible?

Upvote:4

Valerius Coucke put the Exodus at 1446 BC. Edwin Thiele independently put the Exodus at 1445 BC. Rodger C Young found Thiele's mistake and thus the view is the Exodus was in 1446 BC. The date is calculated using 1 Kings 6:1 and the date of Solomon's reign.

Independent from both these is Ezekiel 40:1 and Leviticus 25:9. The Talmud and the Jewish 1st century "Seder Olam" say Ezekiel 40:1 is referring to a Jubilee Year, and was the 17th since entering the Promised Land. Each Jubilee cycle lasted 49 years, so the year of Ezekiel 40:1 was 833 years after entering the Promised Land. The year was the 14th after Jerusalem was smitten (Ez 40:1), and the destruction of Jerusalem was in 587 BC, so Ez 40:1 was on 10 Tishri 574 BC. This year minus 833 years gives the year starting 1st Tishri 1407 BC in which Nisan was in 1406 BC. This year, minus 40 years in the wilderness gives Nisan 1446 BC, the same year as in the calculations of Valerius Coucke.

The children of Israel were in Egypt for 430 years to the very day (Exodus 12:40,41). So Jacob entered Egypt in Nisan in the second year of the famine in 1446+430=1876 BC)...

and when Jacob/Israel was 130 years old (Gen 47:9). So Jacob was born 1876+130=2006 BC.

Isaac was 60 years old when Esau and Jacob/Israel were born (Gen 25:26). So Isaac was born 2006+60=2066 BC.

Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, Gen 21:5, 2066+100=2166.

So Abraham was born in 2166 BC.

Abraham was 75 years old when he was called to leave Haran (Gen 12:4), 2166-75=2091.

So Abraham was called to leave Haran in 2091 BC.

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