Table Of ContentThe Bible History, Old Testament
by Alfred Edersheim
Volume I
The World Before the Flood,
and The History of the Patriarchs
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
DATES OF EVENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 - Creation - Man in the garden of Eden - The Fall
CHAPTER 2 - Cain and Abel - The Two Ways and the Two Races
CHAPTER 3 - Seth and his Descendants - The Race of Cain
CHAPTER 4 - Genealogy of the Believing Race, through Seth
CHAPTER 5 - The Universal Corruption of Man - Preparation for the Flood
CHAPTER 6 - The Flood - History of the Patriarchs
CHAPTER 7 - After the Flood - Noah's Sacrifice - Noah's Sin - Noah's Descendants
CHAPTER 8 - Genealogy of Nations - Babel - Confusion of tongues
CHAPTER 9 - The Nations and their Religion - Job
CHAPTER 10 - The Chronology of the early History of the Bible - Commencement of the History of God's
Dealings with Abraham and his Seed
CHAPTER 11 - The Calling of Abram - His Arrival in Canaan, and Temporary Removal to Egypt
CHAPTER 12 - The Separation of Abram and Lot - Abram at Hebron - Sodom plundered -Lot rescued - The
Meeting with Melchizedek
CHAPTER 13 - The Twofold Promise of "a Seed" to Abraham - Ishmael - Jehovah visits Abraham - The
Destruction of Sodom - Abraham's Sojourn at Gerar - His Covenant with Abimelech
CHAPTER 14 - Birth Of Isaac - Ishmael Sent Away - Trial Of Abraham's Faith In The Command To Sacrifice
Isaac - Death Of Sarah - Death Of Abraham
CHAPTER 15 - The Marriage Of Isaac - Birth Of Esau And Jacob - Esau Sells His Birthright - Isaac At Gerar -
Esau's Marriage
CHAPTER 16 - Isaac's Blessing Obtained By Jacob Deceitfully - Esau's Sorrow - Evil Consequences Of Their
Error To All The Members Of The Patriarchal Family - Jacob Is Sent To Laban - Isaac Renews And Fully
Gives Him The Blessing Of Abraham
CHAPTER 17 - Jacob's Vision At Bethel - His Arrival At The House Of Laban - Jacob's Double Marriage
And Servitude - His Flight From Haran - Pursuit Of Laban, And Reconciliation With Jacob
CHAPTER 18 - Jacob At Mahanaim - The Night Of Wrestling - Reconciliation Between Jacob And Esau -
Jacob Settles At Shechem - Jacob Proceeds To Bethel To Pay His Vow -Death Of Rachel - Jacob Settles At
Hebron
CHAPTER 19 - Joseph's Early Life - He Is Sold By His Brethren Into Slavery - Joseph In The House Of
Potiphar - Joseph In Prison
CHAPTER 20 - Joseph In Prison - The Dream Of Pharaoh's Two Officers - The Dream Of Pharaoh - Joseph's
Exaltation - His Government Of Egypt
CHAPTER 21 - The Sons Of Jacob Arrive In Egypt To Buy Corn - Joseph Recognizes His Brothers -
Imprisonment Of Simeon - The Sons Of Jacob Come A Second Time, Bringing Benjamin With Them - Joseph
Tries His Brethren - He Makes Himself Known To Them -Jacob And His Family Prepare To Descend Into
Egypt
CHAPTER 22 - Departure Of Jacob And His Family Into Egypt - Jacob's Interview With Pharaoh - His Last
Illness And Command To Be Buried In Canaan - Adoption Of Ephraim And Manasseh Among The Sons Of
Israel
CHAPTER 23 - The Last Blessing Of Jacob - Death Of Jacob - Death Of Joseph
PREFACE
One of the most marked and hopeful signs of our time is the increasing attention given on all sides to the
study of Holy Scripture. Those who believe and love the Bible, who have experienced its truth and power,
can only rejoice at such an issue. They know that "the Word of God liveth and abideth for ever," that "not
one tittle" of it "shall fail;" and that it is "able to make wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ
Jesus."
Accordingly they have no reason to dread the results either of scientific investigation, or of searching
inquiry into "those things which are most surely believed among us." For, the more the Bible is studied, the
deeper will be our conviction that "the foundation of God standeth sure."
It is to help, so far as we can, the reader of Holy Scripture - not to supersede his own reading of it -that the
series, of which this is the first volume, has been undertaken. In writing it I have primarily had in view those
who teach and those who learn, whether in the school or in the family. But my scope has also been wider. I
have wished to furnish what may be useful for reading in the family, - what indeed may, in some measure,
serve the place of a popular exposition of the sacred history. More than this, I hope it may likewise prove a
book to put in the hands of young men, - not only to show them what the Bible really teaches, but to defend
them against the insidious attacks arising from misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the sacred text.
With this threefold object in view, I have endeavored to write in a form so popular and easily intelligible as
to be of use to the Sunday-school teacher, the advanced scholar, and the Bible-class; progressing
gradually, in the course of this and the next volume, from the more simple to the more detailed. At the same
time, I have taken up the Scripture narrative successively, chapter by chapter, always marking the portions
of the Bible explained, that so, in family or in private reading, the sacred text may be compared with the
explanations furnished. Finally, without mentioning objections on the part of opponents, I have endeavored
to meet those that have been raised, and that not by controversy, but rather by a more full and correct study
of the sacred text itself in the Hebrew original. In so doing, I have freely availed myself not only of the
results of the best criticism, German and English, but also of the aid of such kindred studies as those of
Biblical geography and antiquities, the Egyptian and the Assyrian monuments, etc.
But when all has been done, the feeling grows only more strong that there is another and a higher
understanding of the Bible, without which all else is vain. Not merely to know the meaning of the narratives
of Scripture, but to realize their spiritual application; to feel their eternal import; to experience them in
ourselves, so to speak - this is the only profitable study of Scripture, to which all else can only serve as
outward preparation. Where the result is "doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness,"
the Teacher must be He, by whose "inspiration all Scripture is given." "For what man knoweth the things of
a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God." But the end of all is Christ - not only "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth," but also He in whom "all the promises of God are Yea and Amen."
A. E. Heniach Bournemouth.
Dates of Events Recorded in the Book of Genesis, According to Hales,
Ussher, and Keil.
Column 1 - Ussher, Before Christ; Column 2 - Ussher. Year of the World; Column 3 - Event; Column 4 -
Hales, Before Christ; Column 5 - Hales, Year of the World; Column 6 - Keil, Year after the immigration into
Canaan.
Ussher
B.C.
Ussher
Y.W.
Event
Hales
B.C.
Hales
Y.W.
Keil
Y.C.
4004
1
The Creation
5411
1
3874
130
Birth of Seth
5181
230
3769
235
Birth of Enos
4976
435
3679
325
Birth of Cainan
4786
625
3609
395
Birth of Mahaleel
4616
795
3074
930
Death of Adam
4481
930
3544
460
Birth of Jared
4451
960
3382
622
Birth of Enoch
4289
1122
3317
687
Birth of Methuselah
4124
1287
3130
874
Birth of Lamech
3937
1474
3017
987
Translation of Enoch
3914
1487
2948
1056
Birth of Noah
3755
1656
2348
1656
Deluge
3155
2256
2346
1658
Birth of Arphaxad
3153
2258
2311
1693
Birth of Salah
3018
2393
2281
1723
Birth of Heber
2888
2523
1998
2006
Death of Noah
2805
2606
2247
1757
Birth of Pelag
2754
2657
2233
1771
Confusion of Tongues
2554
2857
2217
1787
Birth of Reu
2624
2787
2185
1819
Birth of Serug
2492
2919
2155
1849
Birth of Nahor
2362
3049
2126
1878
Birth of Terah
2283
3128
1998
2006
Death of Noah
1996
2008
Birth of Abram
2153
3258
1921
2083
Abram in Canaan
2078
3333
1
1910
2094
Birth of Ismael
2067
3344
11
Beg. Of Circumcision
24
1896
2108
Birth of Isaac
2053
3358
25
Death of Sarah
62
1856
2148
Marriage of Isaac
2013
3398
65
1836
2168
Birth of Esau & Jacob
1993
3418
85
Death of Abraham
100
Esau's Marriage
125
Death of Ishmael
1916
3495
148
1760
Jacob to Padan Aram
162
Jacob's Marriage
169
1745
2259
Birth of Joseph
1902
3509
176
1739
2265
Jacob's to Canaan
1896
3515
182
1732
2272
Jacob's at Hebron
1889
3522
192
1728
2276
Joseph sold into Egypt
1885
3526
193
1716
2288
Death of Isaac
1873
3538
205
1715
2289
Joseph Gov. of Egypt
1872
3539
206
1706
2298
Jacob goes to Egypt
1863
3548
215
1689
2315
Death of Jacob
1846
3565
232
1635
2369
Death of Joseph
1792
3619
286
The reader will find in ch. 10, some explanations regarding the systems of Chronology by Ussher and Hales.
Hales professes to follow the text of the Greek or LXX translation of the Old Testament, correcting it by the
Jewish historian Josephus, whose dates, however, are often manifestly very inaccurate. Ussher professes to
follow the Hebrew text. The modern Jewish chronology places the birth of Isaac, when Abraham was one
hundred years old, in the year of the world 2048. With this latter very nearly agrees the chronology adopted
by a celebrated modern German commentator, Professor Keil, who places it only two years earlier, viz. in
2046. We have given in the last column, according to the chronology of Keil, the succession of events after
the migration of Abram into Canaan. Keil places the latter event in the year of the world 2021, and before
Christ 2137. From this the reader will easily be able to calculate all the other dates according to the
chronology of Keil, which on the whole seems to us the most reliable. He bases it on the following data:
according to 1 Kings 6:1, the Temple of Solomon was built 480 years after the Exodus, while the deportation
of Israel into Babylon took place 406 years after the building of the Temple, that is, in all, 886 years after the
Exodus. But as the commencement of the Exile must have fallen in the year 606 before Christ, we have the
year 1492 before Christ (or 2666 after the Creation) as that of the Exodus. The year 606 before Christ is fixed
as that of the commencement of the Babylonish exile, because it ended after 70 years, in the first year of the
sole reign of Cyrus, which we know to have been the year 536 before Christ.
Description:One of the most marked and hopeful signs of our time is the increasing attention given on all sides to the study of Holy Scripture. Those who believe
