Only answers from serious biblical scholars needed:?

Question

The gospel of Luke ch. 3 lists the complete geneology of Jesus Christ, tracing his lineage ultimately to the first person Adam. the number of generations listed is 75 in all. If we substititute 33.33 years for a generation, and understanding Christ lived approximately 2000 years ago, we arrive at 4500 years to account for all of human history. This figure is preposterously low, partially because it requires us to ignore data that dates art discovered in caves, art that illustrates modern humans, in the range of 60000 years ago. The 4500 year figure is also hardly enough time to account for the differences in the human gene pool. Considering that different races of people existed in biblical times, we can expect an entire new race of people to appear every 1000-1500 years; a phenomenon that obviously doesn't happen. My question is what does this information imply for the literalist view that contends the Hebrew Bible reveals the beginning and end of all human history?

33.33 years is a standard measure for a generation and not arbitrary; just so you'd know. I also think some of you aren't following my logic, so I'll expound further. If it were possible to discover the first person who ever lived, and we knew all his descendants, and their descendants up to a point in history of which we are near certain (like the date Jesus was born), than it's possible to figure out how long humans have existed. It's not that complicated folks. More thoughtful answers needed.

In response to Bobby Jim:
If we subsititute the figures you provide, and allow 80 years between the generations listed before Jesus was born, and allow the standard 33.33 for the generations after Jesus was born, you arrive at 7980 years to accout for all human history. That figure is still too low.

Answer 1

----I find your estimation intriguing and well thought out, but I think you are short changing the length of lifespan in view of what Moses wrote.

(Psalm 90:10) “10 In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; And if because of special mightiness they are eighty years,. . .”

--Biblically our organization(JW) have estimated Adams creation to have been 4026 B.C.E.

--TRUE SCIENCE seems to be in agreement with approximation to about 6000 years of actual human history Please note:

*** ce chap. 7 pp. 96-98 pars. 39-41 “Ape-Men”—What Were They? ***

39 For example, the radiocarbon “clock.” This method of radiocarbon dating was developed over a period of two decades by scientists all over the world. It was widely acclaimed for accurate dating of artifacts from man’s ancient history. But then a conference of the world’s experts, including radiochemists, archaeologists and geologists, was held in Uppsala, Sweden, to compare notes. The report of their conference showed that the fundamental assumptions on which the measurements were based had been found untrustworthy to a greater or lesser degree. For example, it found that the rate of radioactive carbon formation in the atmosphere has not been consistent in the past and that this method is not reliable in dating objects from about 2,000 B.C.E. or before.54

40 Keep in mind that truly reliable evidence of man’s activity on earth is given, not in millions of years, but in thousands. For example, in The Fate of the Earth we read: “Only six or seven thousand years ago . . . civilization emerged, enabling us to build up a human world.”55 The Last Two Million Years states: “In the Old World, most of the critical steps in the farming revolution were taken between 10,000 and 5000 BC.” It also says: “Only for the last 5000 years has man left written records.”56 The fact that the fossil record shows modern man suddenly appearing on earth, and that reliable historical records are admittedly recent, harmonizes with the Bible’s chronology for human life on earth.

41 In this regard, note what Nobel prize winning nuclear physicist W. F. Libby, one of the pioneers in radiocarbon dating, stated in Science: “The research in the development of the dating technique consisted of two stages—dating of samples from the historical and the prehistorical epochs, respectively. Arnold [a co-worker] and I had our first shock when our advisers informed us that history extended back only for 5000 years. . . . You read statements to the effect that such and such a society or archeological site is 20,000 years old. We learned rather abruptly that these numbers, these ancient ages, are not known accurately.”57

--In view of the length of a generation as Moses wrote that even applies to our day--SO I think you could be more liberal in your averaging the estimation of life span.

--As far as the end of human history, the Bible does not support that thought:

(Psalm 37:29) “29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.”

(Matthew 5:5) “5 “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.”

(Isaiah 45:18) “18 For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the [true] God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. . .”
---There is no indication of that habitation ever ending in the Bibles teachings.

Answer 2

Very interesting question. Unfortunately, it is highly inaccurate on several accounts. First, generations were not, on average, 33.33 years so it is important to figure out how long the actually was between EACH generation. It is actually longer than 4500 years. Actually, if you research in the Old Testament, it states how old each person was when they had the next person in the line of Christ's lineage.

Second, the Bible also states that other humans were created AFTER Adam and Eve. The reason these groups were not mentioned in detail is due to the relative unimportance between them and the bloodlines God was establishing for His people.

Third, there have been developments in the recent past which questions the accuracy of many of the dating systems used (e.g. carbon dating for one).

Answer 3

Wow, you based your conclusion on many "assumptions". I am not sure that is safe.
From the Bible we believe that the earth is actually about 6200 years old +/- at most 50 years. We can count forward from creation to the time of Jacob to within 1 year. Then from secular history and archaeological information we can go backwards to the time of Saul (1050B.C.) almost to the day. Between the time Saul and Jacob the dates are debatable, but not by more than a range of 100 years max.
I must remind you that your allowance of 33.3 years per generation and the 60,000 year old cave paintings, and 1000-1500 years for new races, and differences in the gene pool, are only assumptions-and nothing more.

Answer 4

Your making an assumption here that might throw all your calculations off. Genealogy was not exactly recorded before Abraham. Although genealogy became of utmost important after the exodus from Egypt it was not as carefully followed in the earliest times. Like most cultures without a written word they connected themselves by relation to someone who was of importance or accomplished something major. For example, they may have identified themselves as the offspring of Enos until the next major event brought out a leader who would then be know as the son of Enos but the gap would cover several generations. I'm not making this up, there have been several studies by anthropologists relating to the methods people without writing keep records and remember events usually with a high degree of accuracy.

Answer 5

This information implies nothing for the literalist view.
The literalist view would take exception to almost every point you make. Most notably, the lifespan of the earliest humans, some of which surpased 900 years and others who did not produce "the next generation until they were 60, 70, or even 80 years of age.

You are applying natural human logic to Biblical truths taken by faith. The logic you need is super-natural, not merely natural.

Answer 6

You must remember that people lived hundreds and hundreds of years! He is in the line of Methuselah-Methuselah is the oldest person ever. He lived over 960 years! That is almost a thousand in itself. I am a serious Bible scholar, in school it is a part of my required classes, and Bible is my favorite class, however, we are studyin the Old Testament, and therefore, I can't say I truly know the answer. But, I am sure that it is possible that the world is only 4500 years, but I am guessing it is about 10000 years. I will talk to someone, I probably cannot get back to you on this, but I am sure there is an explanation.

Answer 7

First of all the Greek never begs that this is a complete genealogy. Also this genealogy only covers Jospeh's side and not Mary's. Im not sure where you are getting your "new race" of people every 1000-1500 yrs. I am pretty sure since Christ came I have not seen any new species walking around or heard of a 'new race' of people during that time.

Answer 8

Humans lived longer from Adam to Noah.., the generations would have been much longer - then decreasing.

Adam was more prefect, and the genome breaks down with time and levels off a bit.., you gotta remember these things when you are attempting to calculate a generation. That throws your figures off considerably.

Answer 9

I'd say a generation is more like 100/4 or 100/5 years rather than 100/3. Of course, that gives a little more force to your question, so whatever.

Answer 10

The NT was written at different stages after the death of Christ. Before it was written down it was passed down by oral tradition, in some cases, for generations. Most of the bible was written in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek in the early texts. The earliest complete edition of the Christian bible was formalized at the Nicean Council in the 200 AD's. It was in Latin. I'm not totally up on the OT. But I know it was also compiled over time. I'm not thinking there was any aramic in it.