Difference between revisions of "Date of creation"
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| − | + | Calculating the '''date of creation''' has exercised many minds for hundreds of years. | |
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| + | == Basis of calculation == | ||
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| + | The Bible contains [[chronogenealogies]] from Adam to Abraham, listing the age at which each person in the genealogy gave birth to the next person in the list, thus allowing by simple addition a determination of how many years passed between creation and Abraham. There are other chronological indications also, allowing that calculation to be extended into the times of the kings, when the dates can be correlated with other events in history for which the absolute date is known. By this means, in theory, one can calculate the date of creation. | ||
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| + | There are, however, some uncertainties in this. For example, Genesis lists the age of Terah when the first of his sons was born, but was Abraham this son, or the second or third son? | ||
| + | Different researchers have proposed different answers to this and similar problems, but none of these problems change the result by a very significant amount. | ||
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| + | An objection that has often been raised is whether the chronogenealogies were ''intended'' to be used this way, or whether, for example, generations have been missed. | ||
| + | [[Henry Morris]], a pioneer of modern creationism, allowed for the possibility of gaps in the genealogies, but claimed that it was unreasonable to stretch the date back further than about 10,000 B.C. | ||
| + | In more recent times, however, creationists have concluded that there is no reason to think that there are gaps, and this view is supported by the consensus of the experts, according to [[James Barr]], then regius professor of Hebrew at [[Oxford University]], and not a young-Earth creationist (he also wrote a book attacking biblical inerrancy), who wrote in 1984: "… probably, so far as I know, there is no professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world-class university who does not believe that the writer(s) of Genesis 1–11 intended to convey to their readers the ideas that: … the figures contained in the Genesis genealogies provided by simple addition a chronology from the beginning of the world up to later stages in the biblical story." <ref>Quoted in [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1606/ Biblical chronogenealogies], by Jonathan Sarfati.</ref> | ||
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| + | Old-earth creationists, prompted by a desire to harmonise the Bible with secular dating methods, do not accept this date, proposing that there may be gaps in the genealogies.<ref>[http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/other_papers/primeval_chronology.shtml Are There Gaps in the Biblical Genealogies?], by William Henry Green.</ref> | ||
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| + | == Calculated dates == | ||
| + | |||
| + | The best known date of creation is the one calculated by Archbishop [[James Ussher]], of 6:00 p.m. Saturday, [[October 22]], [[4004]] BC.<ref>The Annals of the World, by James Ussher.</ref> | ||
| + | However, only the year was based on the Biblical ages; the date and time were based on other considerations. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Notes == | ||
| + | <small><references /></small> | ||
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[[Category:Creationism]] | [[Category:Creationism]] | ||
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Revision as of 13:31, March 30, 2007
Calculating the date of creation has exercised many minds for hundreds of years.
Basis of calculation
The Bible contains chronogenealogies from Adam to Abraham, listing the age at which each person in the genealogy gave birth to the next person in the list, thus allowing by simple addition a determination of how many years passed between creation and Abraham. There are other chronological indications also, allowing that calculation to be extended into the times of the kings, when the dates can be correlated with other events in history for which the absolute date is known. By this means, in theory, one can calculate the date of creation.
There are, however, some uncertainties in this. For example, Genesis lists the age of Terah when the first of his sons was born, but was Abraham this son, or the second or third son? Different researchers have proposed different answers to this and similar problems, but none of these problems change the result by a very significant amount.
An objection that has often been raised is whether the chronogenealogies were intended to be used this way, or whether, for example, generations have been missed. Henry Morris, a pioneer of modern creationism, allowed for the possibility of gaps in the genealogies, but claimed that it was unreasonable to stretch the date back further than about 10,000 B.C. In more recent times, however, creationists have concluded that there is no reason to think that there are gaps, and this view is supported by the consensus of the experts, according to James Barr, then regius professor of Hebrew at Oxford University, and not a young-Earth creationist (he also wrote a book attacking biblical inerrancy), who wrote in 1984: "… probably, so far as I know, there is no professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world-class university who does not believe that the writer(s) of Genesis 1–11 intended to convey to their readers the ideas that: … the figures contained in the Genesis genealogies provided by simple addition a chronology from the beginning of the world up to later stages in the biblical story." [1]
Old-earth creationists, prompted by a desire to harmonise the Bible with secular dating methods, do not accept this date, proposing that there may be gaps in the genealogies.[2]
Calculated dates
The best known date of creation is the one calculated by Archbishop James Ussher, of 6:00 p.m. Saturday, October 22, 4004 BC.[3] However, only the year was based on the Biblical ages; the date and time were based on other considerations.
Notes
- ↑ Quoted in Biblical chronogenealogies, by Jonathan Sarfati.
- ↑ Are There Gaps in the Biblical Genealogies?, by William Henry Green.
- ↑ The Annals of the World, by James Ussher.