Alofa Atu
Well-Known Member
How old is mankind, let's see if we can get a rough date.
There are several ways to correlate data, first we can use the scriptural ages, given from Genesis, in the genealogies, ages of kings, etc, and combine with known dates in history, such as the 7th year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus/Machrocheir, being in the Fall of 457 BC (by astronomical sources, Ptolemy's Canon, Elephantine Papyri, - Artaxerxes I of Persia - Wikipedia
And according to multiple sources:
VAT 5047 (No. -453 in ADT I), dated to year 11 of Artaxerxes I (454/453 BCE). - Chronology Persia
LBAT 1419 (No. 4 in ADT V), with one entry dated to year 21 of Xerxes (465/464 BCE). - Chronology Persia
LBAT 1387+1388+1486 (No. 56 in ADT V), mainly dated to the reign of Artaxerxes I. - Chronology Persia
Saros Tablets - LBART *1419; Accession of Artaxerxes I, pages 80-81, citing, J. N. Strassmaier in reports in ZA, VII [1892], 200, 201; VIII [1893], 106) - https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/AUSS/1968-1/1968-1-05.pdf
The Chronology of Ezra 7 (1953), Siegfried H. Horn, Ph.D; Lynn H. Wood, Ph.D, page 28-30 (Conclusion) - http://www.friendsofsabbath.org/Fur...HE CHRONOLOGY OF EZRA 7 (Siegried H Horn).pdf
Elephantine Papyri - Siegfried H. Horn and Lynn H. Wood, "The Fifth-Century Jewish Calendar at Elephantine," JNES 13 (1954):14-16 - http://adamoh.org/TreeOfLife.wan.io...th_Century_Jewish_Calendar_at_Elephantine.pdf
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, by J. D. Douglas, Merrill C. Tenney, section, "Nehemiah, book of", page 1008, par. 3 (Left-hand Column) - Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Aramaic Ritual Texts from Persepolis, Volume 91, University of Chicago Press, 1970 pages 143-144 - Aramaic Ritual Texts from Persepolis
Ancient Israel: Its History and Meaning, by Heber Cyrus Snell, page 203 - Ancient Israel
Babylonian Chronology: 626 B.C. - A.D. 75, Part 75, by Richard A. Parker, & Waldo H. Dubberstein, page 32, Table for Artaxerxes I, 7th year, far right columns, for 1-3 months of reign (fall) - Babylonian Chronology
The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Revised Standard version, by Bruce Manning Metzger (1965), Oxford University Press, page 16 - The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Revised Standard version
An Epitome of General Ecclesiastical History: From the Earliest Period of Antiquity to the Present Time, by Rev. John Marsh A.M. (1828) & Adam Clarke; Chapter 6, page 75 - An Epitome of General Ecclesiastical History
We also know that John the Baptist began his ministry in AD 26 (which places Jesus ministry begun in AD 27):
“...to determining when the reign of Tiberius Caesar started.[38] The traditional approach is … that the reign of Tiberius started when he became co-regent in 11AD, placing the start of the ministry of John the Baptist around 26 AD. ...” - Wikipedia; "Baptism of Jesus" - Baptism of Jesus - Wikipedia
"...John the Baptist was born about 5 BC, and now about 26 A.D. about the age of 30 he appears in the wilderness of Judea. ..." Bible-History; John the Baptist - John the Baptist Appears - Story of The New Testament (Bible History Online)
And so we can look at the Biblical record, and get a date pretty close.
Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
...
Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
Luk 3:24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
Luk 3:25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
Luk 3:26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
Luk 3:28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
Luk 3:29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
Luk 3:30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
Luk 3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
Luk 3:32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
Luk 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
Luk 3:35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
Luk 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
Luk 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Then, once we get a range for mankind, as near as possible, then we can simply add the previous days of Genesis 1 to the count, since:
Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Which, "all the days that Adam lived" would include his time in the garden of Eden, as Adam was very much alive on the 6th day (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7,15); Genesis 2, and from there, add the remaining days unto the beginning of the week (Genesis 1:31,23,19,13,8,5), on the 'one Day' or "first day". (Genesis 1:5; Exodus 20:8-11).
So, let's start with Adam, and start our counting, and at any point of confusion along the way, we study it out to the best we can.
There are several ways to correlate data, first we can use the scriptural ages, given from Genesis, in the genealogies, ages of kings, etc, and combine with known dates in history, such as the 7th year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus/Machrocheir, being in the Fall of 457 BC (by astronomical sources, Ptolemy's Canon, Elephantine Papyri, - Artaxerxes I of Persia - Wikipedia
And according to multiple sources:
VAT 5047 (No. -453 in ADT I), dated to year 11 of Artaxerxes I (454/453 BCE). - Chronology Persia
LBAT 1419 (No. 4 in ADT V), with one entry dated to year 21 of Xerxes (465/464 BCE). - Chronology Persia
LBAT 1387+1388+1486 (No. 56 in ADT V), mainly dated to the reign of Artaxerxes I. - Chronology Persia
Saros Tablets - LBART *1419; Accession of Artaxerxes I, pages 80-81, citing, J. N. Strassmaier in reports in ZA, VII [1892], 200, 201; VIII [1893], 106) - https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/AUSS/1968-1/1968-1-05.pdf
The Chronology of Ezra 7 (1953), Siegfried H. Horn, Ph.D; Lynn H. Wood, Ph.D, page 28-30 (Conclusion) - http://www.friendsofsabbath.org/Fur...HE CHRONOLOGY OF EZRA 7 (Siegried H Horn).pdf
Elephantine Papyri - Siegfried H. Horn and Lynn H. Wood, "The Fifth-Century Jewish Calendar at Elephantine," JNES 13 (1954):14-16 - http://adamoh.org/TreeOfLife.wan.io...th_Century_Jewish_Calendar_at_Elephantine.pdf
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, by J. D. Douglas, Merrill C. Tenney, section, "Nehemiah, book of", page 1008, par. 3 (Left-hand Column) - Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Aramaic Ritual Texts from Persepolis, Volume 91, University of Chicago Press, 1970 pages 143-144 - Aramaic Ritual Texts from Persepolis
Ancient Israel: Its History and Meaning, by Heber Cyrus Snell, page 203 - Ancient Israel
Babylonian Chronology: 626 B.C. - A.D. 75, Part 75, by Richard A. Parker, & Waldo H. Dubberstein, page 32, Table for Artaxerxes I, 7th year, far right columns, for 1-3 months of reign (fall) - Babylonian Chronology
The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Revised Standard version, by Bruce Manning Metzger (1965), Oxford University Press, page 16 - The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Revised Standard version
An Epitome of General Ecclesiastical History: From the Earliest Period of Antiquity to the Present Time, by Rev. John Marsh A.M. (1828) & Adam Clarke; Chapter 6, page 75 - An Epitome of General Ecclesiastical History
We also know that John the Baptist began his ministry in AD 26 (which places Jesus ministry begun in AD 27):
“...to determining when the reign of Tiberius Caesar started.[38] The traditional approach is … that the reign of Tiberius started when he became co-regent in 11AD, placing the start of the ministry of John the Baptist around 26 AD. ...” - Wikipedia; "Baptism of Jesus" - Baptism of Jesus - Wikipedia
"...John the Baptist was born about 5 BC, and now about 26 A.D. about the age of 30 he appears in the wilderness of Judea. ..." Bible-History; John the Baptist - John the Baptist Appears - Story of The New Testament (Bible History Online)
And so we can look at the Biblical record, and get a date pretty close.
Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
...
Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
Luk 3:24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
Luk 3:25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
Luk 3:26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
Luk 3:28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
Luk 3:29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
Luk 3:30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
Luk 3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
Luk 3:32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
Luk 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
Luk 3:35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
Luk 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
Luk 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Then, once we get a range for mankind, as near as possible, then we can simply add the previous days of Genesis 1 to the count, since:
Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Which, "all the days that Adam lived" would include his time in the garden of Eden, as Adam was very much alive on the 6th day (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7,15); Genesis 2, and from there, add the remaining days unto the beginning of the week (Genesis 1:31,23,19,13,8,5), on the 'one Day' or "first day". (Genesis 1:5; Exodus 20:8-11).
So, let's start with Adam, and start our counting, and at any point of confusion along the way, we study it out to the best we can.