Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

Walter wrote:
> Genesis' Massoretic Text's chronology, suggests the flood is dated some 1656
> years after the creation (cf. p.581, Vol.1, S.J. De Vries, "Chronology of
> the OT," G.A. Buttrick, Ed., The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible,
> Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1962, ISBN 0-687-19270-6). Taking Ussher's rough
> calculation of the beginning of creation being about 4000 BCE in round
> numbers, we arrive at a flood occuring about 2344 BCE. Moses is dated circa
> 1440 BCE (the Exodus), so the flood is conceived of as occuring at least 900
> years before the Exodus.

I'm afraid this is a bit of a straw man, because I don't know of any 
scholar, conservative or otherwise, who holds to Ussher's 
chronology.  In fact, every conservative scholar I've ever met or read 
finds Ussher a bit of an embarrassment and feels the need to 
explain that Ussher was sincere, but sincerely wrong.  Hence, 
what we have in the above paragraph is a theoretical construct, not 
really a representation of any current viewpoint.


Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.
                                   Psalm 86:11