For the Conflict of the Ages series, ancient history is the end of the Ice Age to the destruction of Jerusalem and the first temple by Babylon. The better preserved documents of Greece, Rome, China and India are Classic History for the Conflict of the Ages series. Ancient history is pieced together from millions of fragments. Classical History is based on better preserved, more complete documents.
The Conflict of the Ages Series relies on the timeline found in Hebrew History. The Scriptures are the most accurate, though they do not provide all the information necessary for complete history. For example, they do not reference any historical events in the Americas, India, China, or Sub-Sahara Africa. Other Jewish documents, such as the works of Josephus, are less reliable than the Scriptures, but still more accurate than most non-Hebrew sources. Next are the millions of other written documents. These are still more acceptable than the interpretations of artifacts.
We can construct an approximate timeline back to Moses. We begin with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. By working through the difficult numbering of the Hebrew kings, the Solomon began construction on his temple in 966 BC. So 480 years earlier Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. That was 1446 BC. Calendar conversions make all dates approximate, though close.
How long were the children of Israel in Egypt?
Acts 7:6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
Genesis 15:13-16 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thous shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
1 Chronicles 6:1-3 The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of Kohath, Amram, Izha, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam.
[Levi begat Kohath. Kohath begat Amram. Amram begat Moses. Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses ]
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Exodus 12:40, 41 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt [LXX and in Chanaan], was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 2:15:2.2 They left Egypt in the month Xanthicus, on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, four hundred and thirty years after our forefather Abraham came in Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen years only after Jacob removed into Egypt.
There is a detailed chart explaining these dates. It compares the age of Abraham, the events in the life of
Abraham. https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/how-long-were-the-israelites-in-egypt/
The date of the exodus is the key date. The covenant began when Abraham entered Canaan. Abraham was seventy-five years old. We accept the LXX reading of Egypt and Canaan as the land of their sojourning. That is also the traditional Jewish position. That was 430 years from the exodus.
Next is “evil treatment” of four hundred years. This begins thirty years after Abraham entered Canaan. Abraham is 105 years old. Isaac is 5 years old. Sarah is 95 years old. Ishmael is 19 years old. This the mocking of Ishmael and the expulsion of Hagar and Sarah. This is four hundred years from the Exodus.
While the 215 year number of Josephus for the year Jacob (Israel) entered Egypt is not inspired, it fits the chronology. With long longer lifespans, and Moses 80 years old when Israel left at the exodus, the four generations in Egypt also fits.
So using 1446 BC as the date of the exodus, Abraham entered Canaan in 1876 BC when he was 75. So Abraham was born in 1951 BC. Abraham was born 292 years after the end of the flood. This makes the flood 2243 BC of our calendar. It has the creation of the world in 3899 BC
Compared to secular humanist history, these dates are very close to Ussher’s dates. Ussher has the flood ending in 2348 BC, Abraham entering Canaan at 75 years old in 1921 BC, the Exodus at 1491 BC, the foundation of Solomon’s temple laid in 1012 BC, the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 588 BC.
The Jewish calendar using AM (the year of the world) dates from creation. The destruction of the temple by the Babylonians is 3338 AM. (Sedar Olam).
Our calendar has only 3313 years from creation to the destruction of the first temple, for a difference of 25 years with the traditional Jewish calendar.
Compared to secular dating schemes, these differences with Ussher and the Jewish calendar are insignificant.
2243 BC The end of the Flood
1876 BC Abraham enters Canaan
1661 BC Jacob (Israel moves to Egypt)
1446 BC the Exodus
966 BC The foundation of the temple laid
586 BC Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian armies destroy
Jerusalem and the first temple
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