Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 24/02/2005 20:54, Yigal Levin wrote:

> ...
>
> > [Peter:]
> > The full genealogy from Perez son of Judah to David is given in Ruth
> > 4:18-22, 1 Chronicles 2:5,9-15, Matthew 1:2-6 and Luke 3:32-33. In each
> > case the list is (Jacob), (Judah), Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab,
> > Nahshon, Salmon/Salma, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David. So 11 recorded
> > generations to cover probably at least 700 years:
> >    
>
> Why 700 years. Assuming that the average male has his first son at age 25
> (which is probably high for ancient Israel, but would compensate for some
> late starters or cases in which the son listed is not the eldest), 11
> geneations would cover 275 years.
>  

Precisely, as I wrote in the continuation of this sentence:

> it looks as if
>  
>
> > something must have been left out ...

But don't count on the length of a generation being so short. In some 
societies it is common for men not to get married until their 40's, so a 
generation length could be as long as 40 years. My "700 years" came from 
estimates of the time between Jacob and David. I agree that this is 
rather uncertain, but no one suggests it was as short as 275 years. For 
one thing, there are I think also 11 recorded generations from Jacob to 
Joshua, which could not have taken much less than 200 years.


> > ... Four generations are unlikely to cover 230 years. So four
> > generations from the Conquest to David seems too few on almost any
> > chronology.
> >    
>
> Once again - 4 generations are about 200 years. 230 is not that far.
>
>  
No, on your assumptions 4 generations are about 100 years. 230 years 
means 57½ years per generation, not impossible but improbable.


--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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