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Other Key Dates
In addition to the events we were able to determine the dates of in the previous section, we can also determine the dates of additional events based on what we find in the Bible. Dating these events requires some explanation so we will do that as we go through them. Later we will look at a timeline with all of these events placed on it.
Flood: 4990 BC
We’ve already determined that Noah was born in 5590 BC. We know that Noah was 600 years old when the Flood occurred:
“And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” (Genesis 7:6)
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:11)
Therefore, the Flood occurred in the year 4990 BC when Noah was 600 years old.
Abraham Enters Canaan: 2092 BC
We’ve already established that Abraham was born in 2167 BC. The Bible tells us that Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran and went to Canaan:
“So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” (Genesis 12:4)
Therefore, it was 2092 BC when Abraham entered the Promised Land, Canaan.
Sarah: 2157 BC – 2030 BC
We know that Sarah was ten years younger than Abraham:
“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” (Genesis 17:17)
Given that Abraham was born in 2167 BC, Sarah must have been born in 2157 BC. She died at the age of 127:
“And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.” (Genesis 23:1)
Therefore, she died in 2030 BC.
Ishmael: 2081 BC – 1944 BC
Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born:
“And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” (Genesis 16:16)
Since Abraham was born in 2167 BC, Ishmael must have been born in 2081 BC. Ishmael died at the age of 137:
“And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.” (Genesis 25:17)
Therefore, Ishmael died in 1944 BC.
Jacob Enters Egypt: 1877 BC
We’ve already established that Jacob was born in 2007 BC. The Bible tells us Jacob died at the age of 147 after living in Egypt for 17 years:
“And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.” (Genesis 47:28)
Therefore, Jacob died in 1860 BC. If we count back the 17 years he lived in Egypt we discover that he arrived in Egypt in 1877 BC.
The Seven Good Years & Seven Years of Famine: 1886 BC – 1872 BC
Jacob entered Egypt after the famine had been in the land for two years:
“For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.” (Genesis 45:6)
We’ve already established that it was 1877 BC when Jacob entered Egypt. Therefore, the famine began in 1879 BC and ran till 1872 BC. The seven good years were immediately before the seven years of famine so they ran from 1886 BC to 1879 BC.
Joseph: 1916 BC – 1806 BC
Joseph was 30 years old when he interpreted Pharoah’s dream just before the seven good years began:
“And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Genesus 41:46)
We’ve already established that the seven good years began in 1886 BC so this would have been the year when Joseph was 30 years old. The Bible tells us that Joseph was 110 years old when he died:
“So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:26)
Therefore, Joseph lived 1916 BC to 1806 BC.
The Exodus: 1447 BC
We have already developed this date in that it is the year in which the 430-year soujourn in Egypt came to an end.
Israelites Enter Canaan: 1407 BC
We know the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt before entering Cannan:
“Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.” (Amos 2:10)
“And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.” (Exodus 16:35)
Since they left Egypt in 1447 BC we know they entered Canaan in 1407 BC.
Moses: 1527 BC – 1407 BC
Moses died the year that the Israelites entered Canaan (Deuteronomy 34; Joshua 1), which was 1407 BC. Moses was 120 years old when he died:
“And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” (Deuteronomy 34:7)
Therefore, if he died in 1407 BC, then he was born 120 years earlier in 1527 BC.
Aaron: 1530 BC – 1407 BC
Aaron was three years older than Moses:
“And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.” (Exodus 7:7)
Aaron was 123 years old when he died:
“And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.” (Numbers 33:39)
Since Moses was 120 years old when he died we know Moses and Aaron died the same year, 1407 BC. Counting back 123 years places Aaron’s birth in 1530 BC.
Period of Judges to Solomon’s Death: 1047 BC – 931 BC
To calculate the details of this period we need to find the end of it and then work our way backward in time. We know that 480 years passed from the Exodus (1447 BC) to the fourth year of Solomon’s reign:
“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” (1 Kings 6:1)
Therefore, the fourth year of Solomon’s reign was 967 BC.
Solomon reigned for 40 years:
“And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.” (2 Chronicles 9:30)
This means he reigned another 36 years after 967 BC, dying in 931 BC.
David was king before Solomon and he reigned for forty years:
“And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.” (1 Kings 2:11)
The evidence of the Bible is that David and Solomon actually reigned together for a short period of time. David died in Solomon’s fourth year of reign which we already know was 967 BC. Therefore, he reigned 1007 BC to 967 BC.
Saul was king before David and he also reigned for forty years:
“And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.” (Acts 13:21)
Therefore, he reigned 1047 BC to 1007 BC.
Since Saul was the first king of Israel, the period of Judges ended when his reign began in 1047 BC. Therefore, the period of Judges was 360 years in length running from 1407 BC to 1047 BC.
David: 1037 BC – 967 BC
We have already established that David’s 40-year reign came to an end in 967 BC. The Bible tells us that David was 30 years old when he began his reign:
“David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” (2 Samuel 5:4)
Therefore, David was born 30 years before his reign began in 1007 BC. This indicates that his 70-year life was 1037 BC to 967 BC.
Israel Destroyed: 709 BC
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, the king of Assyria brought an assault on Judah:
“Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.” (2 Kings 18:13)
Secular records indicate that this event occurred in 701 BC.1 Therefore, if 701 BC was King Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, then King Hezekiah began his reign in 715 BC. It was in the sixth year of King Hezekiah’s reign that Israel was captured by Assyria:
“And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.” (2 Kings 18:10)
Remember, Samaria was the capitol of Israel. If King Hezekiah began his reign in 715 BC, then his sixth year of reign when Israel was captured was 709 BC.
Seventy-Year Tribulation in Judah: 609 BC – 539 BC
We know that Josiah began his reign in 640 BC. He reigned for 31 years:
“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.” (2 Kings 22:1)
Therefore, Josiah died in 609 BC. Once Josiah died, Judah lost its independence and came under the rule of Egypt for a few years followed by Babylon. In 587 BC, Judah was destroyed and many of its people were taken captive by Babylon. In 539 BC, Babylon was conquered by the Persian Empire and the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem. The timeframe from 609 BC to 539 BC is 70 years. This is the 70-year period the Bible speaks of as a time of judgment on Judah:
“Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?” (Zechariah 1:12)
“To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.” (2 Chronicles 36:21)
Christ’s Time on Earth: 7 BC – 33 AD
We need to develop this carefully, but before we do that we need to take a moment to make sure we understand the celestial clock and the Hebrew calendar.
1http://www.katapi.org.uk/BAndS/ChXIII.htm
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