Patriarchs

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The Patriarchs (also known as the Avot in Hebrew) according to the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob^{[citation needed]}. Collectively, they are referred to as the three patriarchs of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal period.

Their primary wives – Sarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac), and Leah and Rachel (the wives of Jacob) – are known as the Matriarchs. Thus, classical Judaism considers itself to have three patriarchs and four matriarchs.^{[citation needed]}

Other uses

In the New Testament, King David is referred to as a patriarch, as are Jacob's twelve sons the ancestors of the Twelve tribes of Israel).

In addition, the title patriarch is often applied^[where?] to the ten antediluvian figures Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. According to the Book of Genesis, these ten men are the ancestors of the entire human race^{[citation needed]}. Strictly speaking, it could be argued that Enoch and Lamech never held the status of patriarch, as they departed the earthly world prior to the deaths of their own fathers. Moses and Joseph are also known as patriarchs.

The Testament of the Twelves Patriarch (in French): http://www3.sympatico.ca/jjosianelegrand/index_fichiers/Le_Testament_des_Douze_Patriarches.htm

Ages of the Patriarchs

In the conventional reading of the Bible, these are the lifetimes given.

Adam 930; Seth 912; Enosh 905; Kenan 910; Mahalalel 895; Jared 962; Enoch 365 (did not die, but was taken away by God); Methuselah 969; Lamech 777; Noah 950.^[1]

However, as well as being much greater than human lifetimes today, they cause problems of chronology for Bible scholars, as the following quotation shows.

“The long lives ascribed to the patriarchs cause remarkable synchronisms and duplications. Adam lived to see the birth of Lamech, the ninth member of the genealogy; Seth lived to see the translation of Enoch and died shortly before the birth of Noah. Noah outlived Abram’s grandfather, Nahor, and died in Abram’s sixtieth year. Shem, Noah’s son, even outlived Abram. He was still alive when Esau and Jacob were born!” ^[2]

Alternative readings and discussion of the ages are given under Methuselah.

Genesis 5

These two tables and figure are a graphical depiction of the genealogy of Genesis 5, assuming that the pre-Flood patriarchs were all in father-son relationships.

Table 1: Age of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5

Notes:

(a) Assuming that the relationships are all father to son, which is

doubtful (see for example Green W.H., "Primeval Chronology," Bibliotheca Sacra, April, 1890, pp. 285–303).

(b) Enoch did not die, but "God took him" (Gn 5:24).

Table 2: Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5

Notes:

(a) See note (a), Table 1 above.

(b) See note (b), Table 1 above.

Figure 1: Timeline of Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5

            0   500 1000 1500 2000 2500 
            |....|....|....|....|....|
Adam        xxxxxxxxxx
Seth          xxxxxxxxx
Enosh         xxxxxxxxxx
Kenan          xxxxxxxxxx
Mahalalel       xxxxxxxxxx
Jared           xxxxxxxxxxx
Enoch             xxxx
Methuselah         xxxxxxxxxx
Lamech               xxxxxxxx
Noah                  xxxxxxxxxxx

Notes:

(a) See note (a), Table 1 above.

(b) See note (b), Table 1 above.

Relation to other tribes

Many of the tribes living in the Middle East, between the time of Abraham and the time of Christ, have a genealogical connection to the Patriarchs or their descendants. This list, taken from the Book of Genesis, gives the details of that genealogy.

• Noah, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth

• Ham, father of Canaan (Canaanites)

• Canaan, father of Sidon, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashities, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites

• Terah (descendant of Shem), father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran

• Abram and Hagar, parents of Ishmael (Ishmaelites)
• Abram and Keturah, parents of Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian (Midianites), Ishbak, Shuah
• Nahor and Milcah, parents of Uz, Buz, Kemuel,Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel

• Kemuel, father of Aram (Arameans)
• Bethuel, father of Laban and Rebeccah

• Laban, father of Leah and Rachel

• Nahor and Reumah, parents of Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah
• Haran, father of Lot

• Lot and his older daughter, parents of Moab (Moabites)
• Lot and his younger daughter, parents of Ben-ammi (Ammonites)

• Abraham and Sarah, parents of Isaac

• Isaac and Rebekah, parents of Jacob, Esau (Edomites)

• Esau and Adah, parents of Eliphaz

• Eliphaz and Timna, parents of Amalek (Amalekites)

• Jacob and Leah, parents of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
• Jacob and Rachel, parents of Joseph, Benjamin
• Jacob and Bilhah, parents of Dan, Naphtali
• Jacob and Zilpah, parents of Gad, Asher

• Joseph and Asenath, parents of Manasseh, Ephraim

The twelve tribes of Israel include ten of the sons of Jacob, (excluding Levi and Joseph) and the two sons of Joseph.

Family Tree of Certain Patriarchs Mentioned in the Book of Genesis

Matriarchs

The Matriarchs (Hebrew: אמהות, Imahot ; "mothers") are four important women mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the wives of the Biblical Patriarchs. They are:

• Sarah, wife of Abraham;
• Rebekah, wife of Isaac;
• Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob.
• Joseph and Reuben and Benjamin and Simon

See also

• Patriarch
• Timeline of the Bible

References

1. ^ Ages of the patriarchs in Genesis
2. ^ Von Rad, G. (trans Marks, J. H.) 1961 Genesis - a commentary Philadelphia: Westminster Press

External links

• Dark Mirrors of Heaven: Timeline of the Patriarchs