Lectionary Calendar

Friday, February 21st, 2025
the Sixth Week after Epiphany

There are 58 days til Easter!

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Historical Writings

Ussher's "The Annals of the World"

The Second Age: 2348 BC - 1922 BC

1657 AM, 2366 JP, 2348 BC

When Noah was 601 years old, on the 1st day of the 1st month [Friday, October 23rd], the 1st day of the new post-flood world, the surface of the earth was now all dry. Noah took off the covering of the ark. (Genesis 8:13)
On the 27th of the 2nd month, [Thursday, December 18th] the earth was entirely dry. By the command of God, Noah went forth with all that were with him in the ark. (Genesis 8:14,15,19)
When he left the ark, Noah offered to God sacrifices for his blessed preservation. God restored the nature of things destroyed by the flood. He permitted men to eat flesh for their food and gave the rainbow for a sign of the covenant which he then made with man. (Genesis 8:15-9:17)
Man''s lifespan was now half the length it was previously

1658 AM, 2368 JP, 2346 BC

Arphaxad, was born to Shem when he was 100 years old, 2 years after the flood. (Genesis 11:10)

1693 AM, 2403 JP, 2311 BC

Salah was born, when his father Arphaxad was 35 years old. (Genesis 11:12)

1723 AM, 2433 JP, 2281 BC

Eber was born, when Salah his father was 30 years old. (Genesis 11:14)

1757 AM, 2467 JP, 2247 BC

When Eber was 34 years old, Peleg his son was born. (Genesis 11:16) He called him Peleg for in his days the earth was divided. (Genesis 10:25; 1 Chronicles 1:19) If this happened at the day of his birth, then it seems that when Peleg was born, Noah, who formerly knew all the places which were now covered with bushes and thorns, divided the land among his grandchildren. When this was done, they then went from those eastern parts [where they first went from the mountains of Ararat] into the valley of Shinar. (Genesis 11:2) Here the people impiously conspired as we find in the book of Wisdom /APC (Wisdom of Solomon 10:5) to hinder this dispersion of them as commanded by God and began by Noah [as may be gathered from (Genesis 11:4,6,8,9) compared together]. They went together to build the city and tower of Babylon. God frustrated this project by the confusion of languages he sent among them. [Hence it took the name of Babel (Genesis 11:9)]. The dispersion of nations followed. Many companies and colonies settled down in various places according to their languages. The 13 sons of Joktan, the brothers of Peleg, as recorded in (Genesis 10:26-30) were among the captains and heads of the various companies. These brothers were not yet born when Peleg was born. Eber was only 34 years old when Peleg was born to him. Though we should suppose that Joktan was born, when Eber was only 20 years of age and that Joktan''s oldest son was born to him when he was likewise 20 years old, yet still it appears, that the oldest son of Joktan must be 6 years younger than Peleg. So that at least the youngest of those 13 sons of Joktan, namely, Jobab and 3 other brothers of his are mentioned before him must be younger still. These countries rich in gold, Sheba, (Psalms 72:15) Ophir (1 Kings 9:28) and Havilah (Genesis 2:11) were named after these men. These brothers could not be capable of such an expedition of leading colonies because of their youth until some years after Reu was born to Peleg.
Man''s lifespan was now a quarter of the length it was before the flood.

1762 AM, 2472 JP, 2242 BC

The Tower of Babel happened five years after the birth of Peleg, according to Georgius Syncellus'' translation of the Book of Sothis. [Manetho, Book of Sothis, 1. 1. 1:239]

1771 AM, 2480 JP, 2234 BC

1903 years elapsed from this time to the capture of Babylon by Alexander the Great. This calculation and number of years was made according to astronomical observations by Porphyry, as we find in Simplicius, in his second book "de Coelo". This he affirms to have been transmitted into Greece from Babylon by Chalisthenes at Aristotle''s request. From these writings it appears that the Babylonians devoted themselves to the study of astronomy, even from the very days of Nimrod, from whom all that region took the name of the land of Nimrod. (Micah 5:6) Nimrod built Babylon and was the instigator of the building of the tower of Babel according to Josephus [l. 1. Antiq. c.4.] Moses affirms that the royal seat of that kingdom was here. (Genesis 10:10) Nimrod made Babylon famous in those days. (Jeremiah 5:15) [See note on 3674a <<1898>>]

1787 AM, 2497 JP, 2217 BC

Reu or Ragau, was born when Peleg his father was 30 years old. (Genesis 11:18)

1816 AM, 2526 JP, 2188 BC

Constantinus Manasses states that the Egyptian state lasted 1663 years. Counting backward from the time that Cambyses, king of Persia, conquered Egypt, leads us to this period. About this time Mizraim, the son of Ham, led his colony into Egypt. Hence Egypt was called sometimes the land of Mizraim, sometimes of Ham, (Psalms 105:23,27; Psalms 106:21,22) From this it was that the Pharisees later boasted that they were the sons of ancient kings. /APC (Esther 16:11) [See note on 3479b AM <<988>>]

1819 AM, 2529 JP, 2185 BC

Serug or Saruch, was born when Ragau was 32 years old. (Genesis 11:20)

1849 AM, 2559 JP, 2155 BC

Nachor was born when Saruch his father was 30 years old. (Genesis 11:22)

1878 AM, 2588 JP, 2126 BC

Terah or Thara was born when Nachor his father was 29 years old. (Genesis 11:24)

1915 AM, 2625 JP, 2089 BC

At this time Egialeus, king of the Sicyonians, in Peloponesus began his reign, 1313 years before the first olympiad. [Euseb. Chron.]

1920 AM, 2630 JP, 2084 BC

A people from Arabia bordering upon Egypt, called by the Egyptians Hyksos, meaning "kingly shepherds", invaded Egypt. They took Memphis and took over all of lower Egypt that bordered upon the Mediterranean Sea. Salatis, their 1st king, reigned 19 years, according to Josephus in his 1st book "cont. appiencem" as from Manetho.

1939 AM, 2649 JP, 2065 BC

Bnon, their 2nd king, reigned for 44 years, (*Manetho, 1:83)

1948 AM, 2658 JP, 2056 BC

When Terah was 70 years old, his oldest of three sons, Haran was born. (Genesis 11:26) Abram was not born for another 60 years as we shall see later. Haran was the father-in-law later of the 3brother Nachor. For this man died before his father Terah left Ur of the Chaldeans and left a daughter named Milcah, who was married to his uncle Nachor, (Genesis 11:28,29)

1983 AM, 2693 JP, 2021 BC

At this time Apachnan reigned in Egypt for 36 years and 7 months. (*Manetho, 1:83)

1996 AM, 2706 JP, 2008 BC

Peleg the 6th from Noah, died 209 years after the birth of Ragau. (Genesis 11:19)

1997 AM, 2707 JP, 2007 BC

Nachor the 9th from Noah, died 119 years after the birth of his son Terah. (Genesis 11:25)

2006 AM, 2716 JP, 1998 BC

Noah, died when he had lived 950 years, 350 years after the deluge. (Genesis 9:28,29)

2008 AM, 2718 JP, 1996 BC

Abram was born. He was 75 years old when Terah his father died at the age of 205 years. (Genesis 11:32) 12:1,4; (Acts 7:4)

2018 AM, 2728 JP, 1986 BC

Sarai, who is also called Iscah the daughter of Haran, (Genesis 11:29,30), was born and was 10 years younger than her husband Abraham. (Genesis 17:17)

2020 AM, 2730 JP, 1984 BC

Apophis reigned in Egypt for 61 years. (*Manetho, 1:83)

2026 AM, 2736 JP, 1978 BC

Reu or Ragau the 7th from Noah, died 207 years after the birth of Serug. (Genesis 11:21)

2049 AM, 2759 JP, 1955 BC

Serug or Saruch, the 8th from Noah, died 200 years after the death of Nachor. (Genesis 11:23)

2079 AM, 2789 JP, 1925 BC

About this time, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, or Elimais, situated between Persia and Babylon, conquered the kings of Pentapolis, Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma, Zeboiim and Bela, or Zoar. These served him 12 years. (Genesis 14:1,2,4)

2081 AM, 2791 JP, 1923 BC

Jannas reigned in Egypt for 50 years and one month. (*Manetho, 1:83)

2083 AM, 2792 JP, 1922 BC

God called Abraham out of Ur, of the Chaldeans, to go into the land that he would show him. (Genesis 15:7; Joshua 24:2,3; Nehemiah 9:7; Acts 7:2-4). Ur was located in Mesopotamia according to Stephen the first martyr and Abarbenel. (Genesis 11:1-32) Ur was the city of the priests and mathematicians, who from their art, were called by the name of Chaldeans. By this name also even in Chaldea itself, those Genethliaci, or recorders of genealogies were distinguished and known from the rest of the Magi or wise men of that country, as we find in (Daniel 2:2,10; Daniel 4:7) 5:11. These taught Terah and his sons idolatry. (Joshua 24:2) Terah therefore took Abram his son and Lot his nephew, the son of Haran and Sarai his daughter-in-law, Abram''s wife, and started their journey together from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran in the same country of Mesopotamia and there they stayed because of the great infirmity and sickness of Terah. Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran. (Genesis 11:31,32)