home  time line intro part 2a

Up to Abram Leaving

From the flood until this point, there are no deaths in the patriarchal lineage. That covers over 300 years!

In a period of ten years (very short by the standards of the day) three key figures pass away, including the greatly revered Noah. (There are those today that claim he is the person thought of when we mention 'Father Time'.) For more on Noah's family and other cultural references to them, visit Noah.

Here's another thought: Were these deaths the reason for Teran's move to Haran? We are not told why Teran left for Canaan, nor why he stopped in Haran. But these men all died shortly before the birth of Abram, whom he took with him.

Remember that Teran was the one to take his family from the land of the Chaldeans to the land of Ur. Abram and Sarai were already married when they went to Ur, as Sarai accompanied her in-laws on the trip. Once they reached Haran, they stopped, and Teran never completed the journey he started! But that is getting ahead of the next event.

Here the math has complications. Genesis 11:26 "appears" to say that Abram was born when his father, Terah, was 70. That would put Abram's birth in the 1,949th year since Adam's creation. I used to believe that, (if you still do, you may want to view the other timeline), but further research, and the help of others, gave me reason to show the timeline with both options. Several scholar's believe that the sons are listed in Genesis 11:26 in order of accomplishment and dignity, which is why Abram is listed first. They are apparently not listed in birth order.

So, Genesis 11:32 and 12:1-4 shows that Terah died at 205, and that Abram left when he was 75. Here, in this version of the time line, I am assuming, that Abram left shortly after his father's death. Very shortly. Thus, I put his birth as being in Terah's 130th year (205-75), only 3 years after Noah's death. So, Abram is 75 years old just after his father dies, if this is correct, and then he journeys.

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