Chronology of the Bible

Author: Eduardo Freire Canosa

From Adam to Noah: 1,056 years

Birth of Father To Birth of Son Years Genesis
Adam to Seth 130 5:3
Seth to Enosh 105 5:6
Enosh to Kenan 90 5:9
Kenan to Mahalalel 70 5:12
Mahalalel to Jared 65 5:15
Jared to Enoch 162 5:18
Enoch to Methuselah 65 5:21
Methuselah to Lamech 187 5:25
Lamech to Noah 182 5:28

The Meaning of the Ten Names From Adam To Noah

From Noah to Abram: 890 years

Birth of Father To Birth of Son Years Genesis
Noah to Shem 500 5:32
Shem to Arphaxad 100 11:10
Arphaxad to Shelah 35 11:12
Shelah to Eber 30 11:14
Eber to Peleg 34 11:16
Peleg to Reu 30 11:18
Reu to Serug 32 11:20
Serug to Nahor 30 11:22
Nahor to Terah 29 11:24
Terah to Abram 70 11:26

From Abram to the migration to Egypt: 290 years

Birth of Father To Birth of Son Years Genesis
Abram to Isaac 100 21:5
Isaac to Jacob 60 25:26
Jacob to the move to Egypt 130 47:7-9

From Egypt to the End of Solomon's Reign: 946 years

FROM Years Reference
Arrival in Egypt TO the Exodus 430 Exodus 12:40-41
Exodus TO the Fourth Year of Solomon's Reign 480 1 Kings 6:1
Fourth Year of Solomon's Reign TO Final Year 36 1 Kings 11:42


Note: The Bible apparently truncates the duration in years of a monarch's reign (cf. 1 Chronicles 3:4, 29:27).

The Kingdom of Judah: 394 years*

Monarch Years Double References
Rehoboam son of Solomon 17 1 Kings 14:21
2 Chronicles 12:13
Abijah son of Rehoboam 3 1 Kings 15:2
2 Chronicles 13:2
Asa son of Abijah 41 1 Kings 15:10
2 Chronicles 17:13
Jehoshaphat son of Asa 25 1 Kings 22:42
2 Chronicles 20:31
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat 8 2 Kings 8:17
2 Chronicles 21:5
Ahaziah son of Jehoram 1 2 Kings 8:26
2 Chronicles 22:2
Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah 6 2 Kings 11:1-3
2 Chronicles 22:12
Joash son of Ahaziah 40 2 Kings 12:1
2 Chronicles 24:1
Amaziah son of Joash 29 2 Kings 14:2
2 Chronicles 25:1
Azariah or Uzziah son of Amaziah 52 2 Kings 15:2
2 Chronicles 26:3
Jotham son of Azariah 16 2 Kings 15:33
2 Chronicles 27:1
Ahaz son of Jotham 16 2 Kings 16:2
2 Chronicles 28:1
Hezekiah son of Ahaz 29 2 Kings 18:2
2 Chronicles 29:1
Manasseh son of Hezekiah 55 2 Kings 21:1
2 Chronicles 33:1
Amon son of Manasseh 2 2 Kings 21:19
2 Chronicles 33:21
Josiah son of Amon 31 2 Kings 22:1
2 Chronicles 34:1
Jehoahaz son of Josiah 3 months 2 Kings 23:31
2 Chronicles 36:2
Eliakim or Jehoiakim son of Josiah 11 2 Kings 23:36
2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim 3 months 2 Kings 24:8
2 Chronicles 36:9
Zedekiah uncle of Jehoiachin 11 2 Kings 24:18
2 Chronicles 36:11


* My rounding off of 393 years 6 months 10 days.

Note: Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim reigned for 3 months 10 days according to 2 Chronicles 36:9.

The Kingdom of Israel: 263 years*
(fitted to the Kingdom of Judah chronology)

Monarch Years Reference Reign Started In Year
Jeroboam son of Nebat 22 1 Kings 14:20  
Nadab son of Jeroboam 2 (1) 1 Kings 15:25 2 of Asa king of Judah
Baasha son of Ahijah 24 (23) 1 Kings 15:33 3 of Asa king of Judah
Elah son of Baasha 2 (1) 1 Kings 16:8 26 of Asa king of Judah
Zimri an official of Elah 7 days 1 Kings 16:15 27 of Asa king of Judah
Power struggle 4 1 Kings 16:21
Omri an army commander 12 (7) 1 Kings 16:23 31 of Asa king of Judah
Ahab son of Omri 22 (20) 1 Kings 16:29 38 of Asa king of Judah
Ahaziah son of Ahab 2 (1) 1 Kings 22:51 17 of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
Joram son of Ahab 12 2 Kings 3:1 18 of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
Power struggle 9 1 Kings 19:15-17, 2 Kings 9-10
Jehu son of Jehoshaphat 28 2 Kings 10:36
Jehoahaz son of Jehu 17 (14) 2 Kings 13:1 23 of Joash king of Judah
Jehoash son of Jehoahaz 16 (18) 2 Kings 13:10 37 of Joash king of Judah
Jeroboam son of Jehoash 41 (52) 2 Kings 14:23 15 of Amaziah king of Judah
Zechariah son of Jeroboam 6 months 2 Kings 15:8 38 of Azariah king of Judah
Shallum son of Jabesh 1 month 2 Kings 15:13 38 of Azariah king of Judah
Menahem son of Gadi 10 (11) 2 Kings 15:17 39 of Azariah king of Judah
Pekahiah son of Menahem 2 2 Kings 15:23 50 of Azariah king of Judah
Pekah son of Remaliah 20 2 Kings 15:27 52 of Azariah king of Judah
Assyrian occupation
Power struggle		 8 2 Kings 15:29-30
Hoshea son of Elah 9 2 Kings 17:1 12 of Ahaz king of Judah


* My rounding off of 262 years 7 months 7 days.

Notes: Numbers in brackets are my correction to make the chronology of the Kingdom of Israel agree with the chronology of the Kingdom of Judah.

No correlation with the chronology of the Kingdom of Judah is given for the reign of Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, indicating that the transition from Joram son of Ahab to Jehu was very turbulent.

2 Kings 15:30 exposes a negligent or dispirited tacker-on to the original text: "Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah." First, the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah (or Azariah) lasted sixteen years only. Second, credible 2 Kings 17:1 states that Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah. This misleading verse upholds the decision to fit the chronology of the Kingdom of Israel to the twice-witnessed chronology of the Kingdom of Judah.

The Year of Adam's Creation

The accepted date for the overthrow of King Zedekiah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar is 597 BC.

Counting backwards, the first year of Adam   tA   was:

tA   =   Year 597 BC - 394 years - 946 years - 290 years - 890 years - 1,056 years   =   Year 4173 BC
Further Reading