Curt Sewell
Curt Sewell is a retired Electronics Engineer listed in Who’s Who in Technology and Biographical Directory of American Men of Science, residing in Livermore CA. He teaches and writes on creation-evolution and the historicity of the early portions of Genesis.
Introduction
Until a few years ago, I thought that if one accepted the idea that the early Genesis chronology is reliable, one would automatically arrive at a date of about 4000 BC for the creation of the world. It turns out that may not be quite true. In this article, we will look at several different methods of dating these early events.
First, however, we should understand that secular scientists and others who do not accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God think the world must be extremely old — 4 1/2 billion years is the usual age cited for Earth, and several million years for Homo Sapiens, or human beings. These ages completely disagree with the Bible, and therefore must be rejected by those who take the Bible to be an accurate historical record.
Archaeologists also usually differ somewhat with a 6000-year age for the earth, but not by nearly as wide a margin. These men have studied the artifacts left by civilized people, and usually agree that civilization began no more than about 10, 000 years ago. Although some of their age-dates are too old to agree with most Biblical interpretations, they are at least in the same ballpark.
Sources of Differences
There are three ancient versions of the Old Testament—the Septuagint, the Masoretic text, and the Samaritan Pentateuch. Although scholars say that all agree on the important doctrines, there are noticeable differences between them in the genealogies that are given in the fifth and 11th chapters of Genesis where we have recorded the number of years from Creation to the birth of Abraham. There are also at least two different ways of interpreting genealogical timing. We will refer to them as the “Ussher method” and the “Patriarchal-Age
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 21
method.” These will be described in later paragraphs.
The Three Versions
We do not possess the original Biblical manuscripts (or autographs). There are several theories as to how they were first written, but most conservative scholars agree that they finally appeared in Hebrew early in the history of the Israelites, and this was probably in the land of Israel.
However, by the end of the fourth century BC, many Jews were living in Egypt; probably many had immigrated there during Nebuchadnezzar’s invasions and his destruction of Jerusalem shortly after 600 BC. They undoubtedly took copies of their Scriptures with them.
When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and the Middle East in 332 BC he began to unify his world — a process called “Hellenization.” He had the great library at Alexandria built, and brought with him a form of Greek known as koine Greek. It quickly became the common language of the known world and later was used in the original New Testament writings. But the Jewish Scriptures were still in Hebrew. Many Egyptian Jews, however, spoke koine Greek, but not Hebrew.
Septuagint
In the early part of the third century BC, a group of 70 (or 72) scholars were brought to the Alexandrian library to translate the Hebrew scriptures into koine Greek. The result of their work was the Septuagint text. This became the Bible for the “man on the street” for many centuries. It was the Bible used in Israel during the time of Jesus and the writers of the New Testament.
Samaritan Pentateuch
The Samaritan Pentateuch is used today by the several hundred people known as Samaritans, who live in the central part of Israel. They are descendants of intermarriage between native Israelites and settlers brought in by the Assyrians and Babylonians after their conquests in the eighth and sixth centuries BC. It is thought that the nephew of Sanballat (see Neh 2:10, 19, 4:1–8, etc.) came from Egypt in the mid- 400’s BC and brought a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures with him. The Samaritan Bible consists only of the first five books of the Old Testament — the “Pentateuch.”
Masoretic
Finally, in about the fifth century AD, a group of Jewish scholars known as Masoretes met in Jerusalem to consolidate their Scriptures. The resulting text is called the Masoretic text. It is the basis for most modern Old Testaments. It is generally considered to be extremely faithful to the original manuscripts. But it is based on sources that are certainly much more recent than those of either the Septuagint or the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Which is Best?
Many people believe, as an article of faith, that the Bible in its original writing was inspired by God and was absolutely accurate in all respects; and, as copies and translations were made,
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 22
God preserved all important facts. One of the principles used by scholars to judge manuscripts is that, barring other factors, the oldest one is the most accurate. Therefore let us compare the relative age of the sources for these three versions.
The Samaritans believe that their Pentateuch was brought to Samaria from Egypt during the fifth century BC. Many modern scholars do not consider this to be a valid claim. But the fact that it has only the first five books, and none of the later ones, is a point in favor of the extreme antiquity of the text. The oldest copy in their possession today probably dates from about AD 1000.
The Septuagint is known to have been translated from Hebrew into koine Greek in the early third century BC.
The Masoretic text was produced by Jewish scholars in about the fifth century AD. They are thought to have worked from manuscripts that were copied in about the second century AD. Thus, this is the newest version in terms of source material. Most of our present-day Bibles are based on the Masoretic version, which is often simply called “the Hebrew text.”
One point in favor of the Septuagint text is that this is the one that was in use during the first century AD; it is the Bible that Jesus read and that the New Testament writers used when they quoted from Old Testament verses; in a number of spots it is obvious that they used the Septuagint. For example, in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus (Lk 3:36), the name Cainan appears between Arphaxad and Shelah; this name is shown in Genesis 11 in the Septuagint version but not in the others.
On the other hand, there is a textual argument that favors the Masoretic version. The text emphasizes the point that Abraham was too old (at age 100) to become a father. But according to the Septuagint all of his ancestors were at least 130 at the birth of their heir. The Masoretic puts most of them in their 30’s.
Thus, although most modern Bible scholars prefer the Masoretic, there are some arguments in favor of the Septuagint. But only a few people have chosen the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Early Chronographers
Flavius Josephus was a famous Jewish historian who lived in the first century AD. In his Antiquities he wrote,
That history [of the Jewish race] embraces a period of five thousand years, and was written by me in Greek on the basis of our sacred books.
Note that “five thousand years” is a Septuagint number, not from the Masoretic text.
Another famous historian was Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea during the third century AD. He published charts comparing the three texts spoken of above; he preferred the Septuagint, as did Julius Africanus, a church writer who lived AD 170–240.
Jack Finegan, in Handbook of Biblical Chronology, says,
In general he [Eusebius] thinks that mistakes and inconsistencies are evident in the extant Hebrew text and that the Septuagint was translated from ancient and accurate copies of the Hebrew text and was therefore to be preferred (Finegan 1964:156).
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 23
Table 1 — Some Entries From Eusebius’ Chronicle
Event
Years from Adam
Dates
BC/AD
Adam’s creation
0
5200
BC
The Flood
2242
2959
BC
Birth of Abraham
3184
2017
BC
Last year before the Exodus
3689
1512
BC
Foundation of the Temple laid, in the fourth year of Solomon
4168
1033
BC
First year of Babylonian captivity
4611
590
BC
Rebuilding of the Temple, in the second year of Darius
4681
520
BC
Birth of Jesus
5199
2
BC
Jesus’ death and resurrection
5231
AD
31
Destruction of Jerusalem
5270
AD
70
Table 1 above shows a summary of some key dates, taken from Eusebius’ Chronicle. It is obvious that this came from the Septuagint. The column showing BC and AD dates was added by Jerome’s Latin translation in AD 381.
What do the Texts Say?
The genealogy in Genesis 5 covers the time span before the Great Flood of Noah; Genesis 11 takes it from there, up to the birth of Abraham’s father Terah. In each case, a patriarch is named, his age at the “begetting” of the next generation is stated, and his age at death is given. The next verse describes the next patriarch in a similar way. There are no apparent gaps. A typical entry is in Genesis 5:25–27,
And Methuselah lived 187 years, and begat Lamech: And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech 782 years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Methuselah were 969 years: and he died. (From the KJV, or Masoretic text.)
Other than different numbers, the only difference between the texts is that the Septuagint inserts the name “Cainan” between Arphaxad and Salah in Genesis 11:13 and a few other places. (This is not the same “Cainan” who appears in Genesis 5:12–14.)
The “Ussher Method” of Calculation
Almost all chronologists, except for one whom we will discuss later, have considered the verses quoted above to mean,
When Methuselah was 187 years old his son Lamech was born; then Methuselah lived another 782 years, and died at the age of 969.
This is true for Josephus, Africanus,
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 24
and Eusebius, as well as Ussher and many more recent writers. With a little simple arithmetic, the elapsed time from Adam to Abraham easily can be calculated.
Most people have heard of the “Ussher Chronology,” which used this method of interpreting the data. James Ussher (1581–1656) was archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. His chronology was published in 1650 in Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti, and was inserted in the margin of reference editions of the King James Bible, which was first published in 1611. It follows the Hebrew (that is, the Masoretic) text, and puts the Creation at 4004 BC and the Flood at 2349 BC.
The C.H.R.I. Method
Eugene Faulstich, of the Chronology-History Research Institute, refined the above Ussher method. He knew that Biblical months always began on the evening of a new moon, and that years began on a vernal equinox. So Faulstich used a computer program to calculate many timing cycles, including precise moon phases, vernal equinoxes, Sabbath and Jubilee years, priestly cycles, astronomical events such as eclipses, and also backward-extrapolated Gregorian (modern calendar)-equivalent dates. By careful study of Biblical texts, as well as some extra-Biblical sources such as Babylonian king-lists, he arrived at what he considers much more precise dating of most Old Testament events. For example, his creation week occurred March 20–26, 4001 BC, at a time known to have a highly unusual planetary alignment. He based his work on the Hebrew (Masoretic) text (Faulstich 1990).
However, Faulstich’s results share a strong disadvantage with other “Ussher-type” calculations in that it is difficult to reconcile them with secular history. Most historians and archaeologists agree that history is continuous back to at least about 3000 BC, yet the C.H.R.I. date for the world-wide Great Flood of Noah is 2345 BC. That flood would certainly disrupt civilization. (For further information on the date of the Flood, see Livingston 1993.)
Comparison Tables
The listing in Table 2 shows some of this information in tabular form for all three texts. In each case, the dates are figured by the Ussher method, which most chronologists have used. The numbers in the “Age” columns are the ages of each man at the “begetting” of the next entry or at his death. The numbers in the “Date” columns are years calculated from the creation of the world, that is, dates AC (from Teachout 1971).
Patriarchal Age Method
Harold Camping, in his book Adam When? (1974), uses a completely different way of interpreting verses such as Genesis 5:25–27 (quoted above). As a result, his dates are more ancient, especially for the earliest entries. For example, according to his calculations, the creation took place in 11,013 BC.
Camping’s method is highly unorthodox. What is significant, however, is that his dates correlate very closely with those of secular archaeologists and historians. And, even though it is a very unusual way of interpretation, this writer cannot
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 25
Table 2—A Comparison of Three Biblical Texts
Patriarch
Masoretic Age Date AC
Septuagint Age Date AC
Samaritan Pentateuch Age Date AC
Adam begat Seth
130
130
230
230
130
130
Adam died
930
930
930
930
930
930
Seth begat Enos
105
235
205
435
105
235
Seth died
912
1042
912
1142
912
1042
Enos begat Cainan
90
325
190
625
90
325
Enos died
905
1140
905
1340
905
1140
Cainan begat Mahalaleel
70
395
170
795
70
395
Cainan died
910
1235
910
1535
910
1235
Mahalaleel begat Jared
65
460
165
960
65
460
Mahalaleel died
895
1290
895
1690
895
1290
Jared begat Enoch
162
622
162
1122
62
522
Jared died
962
1422
962
1922
847
1307
Enoch begat Methuselah
65
687
165
1287
65
587
Enoch was translated
365
987
365
1487
365
887
Methuselah begat Lamech
187
874
187
1474
67
654
Methuselah died
969
1656
969
2256
720
1307
Lamech begat Noah
182
1056
188
1662
53
707
Lamech died
777
1651
753
2227
653
1307
Noah begat Shem (*)
502
1558
502
2164
502
1209
Flood began (Noah=600)
600
1656
600
2262
600
1307
Noah died
950
2006
950
2612
900
1607
Shem begat Arphaxad
100
1658
100
2264
100
1309
Shem died
600
2158
600
2764
600
1809
Arphaxad begat Salah
35
1693
__
____
135
1444
Arphaxad died
438
2096
__
____
438
1747
Arphaxad begat Cainan
__
____
135
2399
__
____
Arphaxad died
__
____
535
2799
__
____
Cainan begat Salah
__
____
130
2529
__
____
Cainan died
__
____
460
2859
__
____
Salah begat Eber
30
1723
130
2659
130
1574
Salah died
433
2126
460
2989
433
1877
Eber begat Peleg
34
1757
134
2793
134
1708
Eber died
464
2187
404
3063
404
1978
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 26
Peleg begat Reu
30
1787
130
2923
130
1838
Peleg died
239
1996
339
3132
239
1947
Reu begat Serug
32
1816
132
3055
132
1970
Reu died
239
2026
339
3262
239
2077
Serug begat Nahor
30
1849
130
3185
130
2100
Serug died
230
2049
330
3385
230
2200
Nahor begat Terah
29
1878
179
3364
79
2179
Nahor died
148
1997
304
3489
148
2248
Terah begat Abram
130
2008
130
3494
?
2309(?)
Terah died
205
2213
205
3699
?
2514(?)
* (Shem was born when Noah was 502; Gn 7:6 and 11:10.)
Time Summary
Number of Years, Totals
From Creation to Flood
1656
2262
1307
From Flood to birth of Abram
352
1232
1002(?)
Totals (Creation to Abram)
2008
3494
2309(?)
find any obvious violation of Scriptural integrity. Camping noticed that in a few places the verbal formula quoted above is different. Instead of simply saying “begat,” some of the verses insert the additional phrase “called his name.” He also found that in some texts, such as Matthew 1:8, “begat” means a descendant, not an immediate father-son relationship. There are also several places, such as Genesis 10:31, where the word “sons” is used in other than immediate father-son relationships. But where the phrase “called his name” is used, there is always a direct next-generation relationship.
Camping repeatedly emphasizes his belief in the integrity of the Bible as the Word of God; he also realized that Genesis 5 and 11 contain so many numbers that these must have been important to God, and therefore should be important to us. But he concluded that many of them do not necessarily represent direct father-son descendants. So he proposed the “patriarchal age” concept, as explained below.
If the phrase “called his name” is used, or some other means of definitely showing direct father-son relationship, then the verse is to be interpreted in the same way that Ussher and others have done. But if such evidence is not present, then Genesis 5:25–27, for example, should be interpreted as
When Methuselah was 187, he had a son who, in turn, had a direct descendant named Lamech. Methuselah then lived another 782 years, and Lamech was born in the same year that his ancestor Methuselah died at the age of 969.
According to the “patriarchal age” theory, we have no way of knowing how many generations actually occurred between Methuselah and Lamech, but we do know how many years this took. In that way, the “age of Methuselah” lasted for 969 years, and was then followed by the “age of
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 27
Table 3 — Some Dates from Camping’s Adam When?
Patriarch
Calculated Years After Creation
Camping’s Data, BC
Adam was created
0
11013
Seth was born
130
10883
Enosh was born
235
10778
Kenan was born, and Enosh died
1140
9873
Mahalel was born, and Kenan died
2050
8963
Jared was born, and Mahalel died
2945
8068
Enoch was born, and Jared died
3907
7106
Methuselah was born, and Enoch was taken
4272
6741
Lamech was born, and Methuselah died
5241
5772
Noah was born
5423
5590
The Great Flood began
6023
4990
Arpachshad was born, and Shem died
6525
4488
Shelah was born, and Arpachshad died
6963
4050
Eber was born, and Shelah died
7396
3617
Peleg was born, and Eber died
7860
3153
The Tower of Babel was during this period
Reu was born, and Peleg died
8099
2914
Serug was born, and Reu died
8338
2675
Nahor was born, and Serug died
8568
2445
Terah was born, and Nahor died
8716
2297
Abram was born
8846
2167
Isaac was born
2067
Jacob was born
2007
Jacob’s family arrived in Egypt
1877
Lamech,” which lasted another 777 years, according to Genesis 5:31.
The men who were clearly the direct sons of those mentioned just before them were Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, and Abram. All others in those two chapters, according to Camping, were indirect descendants of their predecessor.
The effect of Camping’s calculation, as compared to the more familiar “Ussher Method,” is to greatly increase the number of years in the Biblical record of ancient times, as shown in Tables 3 and 4. These results are so different from what is generally believed that it is at first shocking. But we must admit that it seems to fit history, and it seems to solve what has always been a vexing problem.
Archaeologists’ Dates
Archaeologists and historians have found many artifacts of ancient civilizations which they date from 2500 to 5000 BC. Egyptian records go back to at least 3000 BC. Civilization in the Mesopotamian Valley is thought to be at least a few thousand years older than that. This record can not be easily reconciled with a date of ca. 2350 BC for the Great Flood of Noah
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 28
Table 4 — Calculations Using Masoretic Text
Bible Ages
Calculated BC Dates “Ussher” Method
Calculated BC Dates “Patriarchal-Age” Method
Patriarch Name
Age When Begot Next
Age at Death
BC Date at birth
BC Date at Begot
BC Date at Death
BC Date at birth
BC Date at Begot
BC Date at Death
Creation
0
4004
4004
10842
10842
Adam
130 *
930
4004
3874
3074
10842
10712
9912
Seth
105 *
912
3874
3769
2962
10712
10607
9800
Enos
90
905 *
3769
3679
2864
10607
10517
9702
Cainan
70
910 *
3679
3609
2769
9702
9632
8792
Mahalaleel
65
895 *
3609
3544
2714
8792
8727
7897
Jared
162
962 *
3544
3382
2582
7897
7735
6935
Enoch
65
365 *
3382
3317
3017
6935
6870
6570
Methuselah
187
969 *
3317
3130
2348
6570
6383
5601
Lamech
182 *
777
3130
2948
2353
5601
5419
4824
Noah
502 *
950
2948
2446
1998
5419
4917
4469
Flood
2348–2347
4819–4818
Shem
100
600 *
2446
2346
1846
4917
4817
4317
Arphaxad
35
438 *
2346
2311
1908
4317
4282
3879
Salah
30
433 *
2311
2281
1878
3879
3849
3446
Eber
34
464 *
2281
2247
1817
3446
3412
2982
Peleg
30
239 *
2247
2217
2008
2982
2952
2743
Reu
32
239 *
2217
2185
1978
2743
2711
2504
Serug
30
230 *
2185
2155
1955
2504
2474
2274
Nahor
29
148 *
2155
2126
2007
2274
2245
2126
Terah
130 *
205
2126
1996
1921
2126
1996
1921
Abram
100 *
175
1996
1896
1821
1996
1896
1821
Isaac
1896
1896
Since these charts are made to compare texts and methods, rather than to give absolute “correct” dates, I chose the following Initial conditions arbitrarily.
1) I started with the familiar “Ussher” date of 4004 BC for Creation.
2) Using the “Ussher” method and the Masoretic text, I calculated the date of Abram’s birth, arriving at 1996 BC.
3) Abram’s 1996 birth is used as the starting point for all other calculations, not because it is “right,” but simply to correlate all tables at one point in time.
4) I adjusted each of the other tables to show Abram being born on that 1996 BC date.
5) The * shows the time for beginning the next patriarchal age level, because …
6) Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, and Abram were direct sons. All others were indirect descendants (according to the “patriarchal age” theory).
(Ussher method, Masoretic text, Table 3).
And yet archaeologists do not date their finds by dubious methods such as comparing them with fossils, or by any other method that is based on the assumption of evolution, as most anthropologists, paleontologists and geologists do. Archaeological dates are based on historical records, or, occasionally, on carbon-14 or other scientific methods. Dates based on the fantasy of evolutionary theory must be rejected by the Bible believer.
The great William F. Albright wrote:
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 29
Table 5 — Calculations Using Septuagint Text
Bible Ages
Calculated BC Dates “Ussher” Method
Calculated BC Dates “Patriarchal-Age” Method
Patriarch Name
Age When Begot Next
Age at Death
BC Date at birth
BC Date at Begot
BC Date at Death
BC Date at birth
BC Date at Begot
BC Date at Death
Creation
0
5490
5490
12028
12028
Adam
230*
930
5490
5260
4560
12028
11798
11098
Seth
205 *
912
5260
5055
4348
11798
11593
10886
Enos
190
905 *
5055
4865
4150
11593
11403
10688
Cainan
170
910 *
4865
4695
3955
10688
10518
9778
Maleleel
165
895 *
4695
4530
3800
9778
9613
8883
Jared
162
962*
4530
4368
3568
8883
8721
7921
Enoch
165
365 *
4368
4203
4003
7921
7756
7556
Mathusala
187
969 *
4203
4016
3234
7556
7369
6587
Lamech
188 *
753
4016
3828
3263
6587
6399
5834
Noe
502 *
950
3828
3326
2878
6399
5897
5449
Flood
3228–3227
5799–5798
Sem
100
600 *
3326
3226
2726
5897
5797
5297
Arphaxad
135
535 *
3226
3019
2691
5297
5162
4762
Cainan
130
460 *
3019
2961
2559
4762
4632
4302
Sala
130
460 *
2961
2831
2501
4302
4172
3842
Heber
134
404 *
2831
2697
2427
3842
3708
3438
Phaleg
130
339 *
2697
2567
2358
3438
3308
3099
Ragau
132
339 *
2567
2435
2228
3099
2967
2760
Seruch
130
330 *
2435
2305
2105
2760
2630
2430
Nachor
179
304 *
2305
2126
2001
2430
2251
2126
Tharrha
130 *
205
2126
1996
1921
2126
1996
1921
Abram
100 *
175
1996
1896
1821
1996
1896
1821
Isaac
1896
1896
Since these charts are made to compare texts and methods, rather than to give absolute “correct” dates, I chose the following initial conditions arbitrarily.
1) I started with the familiar “Ussher” date of 4004 BC for Creation.
2) Using the “Ussher” method and the Masoretic text, I calculated the date of Abram’s birth, arriving at 1996 BC.
3) Abram’s 1996 birth is used as the starting point for all other calculations, not because it is “right,” but simply to correlate all tables at one point in time.
4) I adjusted each of the other tables to show Abram being born on that 1996 BC date.
5) The * shows the time for beginning the next patriarchal age level, because …
6) Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, and Abram were direct sons. All others were indirect descendants (according to the patriarchal age” theory).
Archaeological research has established that there is no focus of civilization in the earth that can begin to compete in antiquity and activity with the basin of the Eastern Mediterranean and the region immediately to the east of it. … The Obeidan is the earliest clearly defined culture of Babylonia, where we find its remains underlying nearly all of the oldest cities of the country such as Ur, Erech, Lagash, Eridu, etc. This proves that the occupation of the marshlands of Babylonia by
BSP 8:1 (Winter 1995) p. 30
human settlers came rather late in history of the irrigation culture, probably not far from 3700 BC (1957:32).
Some dates in the range of 5000 to 10,000 BC have been reported in this same region, but they have not been as solidly established. Dates in Egypt range back to about 3200 BC. No other area in the world is seriously thought to predate these civilizations.
Let us now consider when, and by whom, writing was developed. Sir Leonard Woolley said:
All the archeological evidence available seems to prove that true writing was first developed in southern Mesopotamia; and in view of the incalculable importance of the invention for human progress everywhere we are entitled to ask the further question, why was that invention made by the Sumerians rather than any other ancient people? … It is not possible to trace the development of writing in Egypt with the same detail as in Sumer … [but] the simple but sufficient reason for this is that the Egyptians took over the principle of writing ready-made from the Sumerians …. The earliest examples of the Indus Valley script that have yet been found date to about the 24th century BC … that India owed its art of writing to the Sumerians cannot be proved, but it is highly probable. … On the whole it is probable the Chinese derived from Sumer the principle of writing (1965:364).
The Bible agrees that Mesopotamia (the area included in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys) was the beginning of civilization, as we know it. There is no way of knowing where the Garden of Eden was located — the Great Flood probably changed the features of Earth’s surface. But Noah’s ark landed on the mountains of Ararat, which are just north of the heads of both of these rivers. Abraham came from the city of Ur, not far from where the Euphrates flows into the Persian Gulf.
Conclusion
Most writers who attach dates to either the Creation or the Flood use the Ussher method with the Masoretic text. But these dates appear to be in strong conflict with archaeological and historical dates. It is difficult to reconcile these differences. A few investigators have used the Ussher method with the Septuagint text, which results in a closer alignment.
On the other hand, the method of Camping (using the Masoretic text) is so unconventional that I have never heard of any other Biblical scholar who accepted it. But it does give excellent correlation with dates from secular history.
Tables 3 and 4 summarize the chronologies from Creation to Isaac using the methods discussed in this article.
Bibliography
Albright, W.F
1957 From Stone Age to Christianity. New York: Doubleday.
Camping, H.
1974 Adam When?. Oakland CA: Family Stations; and Alameda CA: Frontiers for Christ.
Faulstich, E.W.
1990 Bible Chronology and the Scientific Method, Part II: Creation Through the First Temple. Spencer IA: Chronology-History Research Institute.
Finegan, J.
1964 Handbook of Biblical Chronology. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Livingston, D.L.
1993 The Date of Noah’s Flood. Archaeology and Biblical Research 6:13–17.
Teachout, R.A.
1971 A New Case for Biblical Chronology. Bible-Science Newsletter 9:
Woolley, L.
1965 The Beginnings of Civilization. New York: New York American Library.
FIG. 1 BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE MASORETIC TEXT
FIG. 2 BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE SEPTUAGINT TEXT
Bible and Spade 8:2 (Spring 1995)