On what basis is it said that Earth was created in 4000BC?

Question

I had a chance to see the chronology of Bible that the incidence in the Garden of Eden happened somewhere around at 4000BC, which is about 6000 thousand years ago. What says so? Isn't this one of the numerous theories given by Catholic scholars hundreds of years ago? Does the Bible says certain time concerning the creation?

Answer 1

This is based on the geneologies back to Adam. But that really doesn't explain the age of the earth per Genesis.

Notice that Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Bible just does not say when the "beginning" was.

THEN Genesis 1:2 says "Now the earth was [a] formless and empty..."

We don't know what caused the earth to become formless and empty before the days of creation. Some have speculated a previous creation but the text is silent about what happened.

So the heavens and the earth actually preexisted before the days of creation described later. 4000BC is merely when man showed up here. And all archeology confirms this as a fact.

See Genesis text here:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=1&version=31

Answer 2

It is an error by Bishop Usher. He added the years in the Genesis 4 genealogy and arrived at 4004 B.C. for a creation date.

It was added to the footnotes in many bibles and caught on like wildfire. However, this date has not been universally held by Christians.

Usher overlooked two facts:

1. Biblical genealogies do not include every generation in a family line. They include important people in a family line.

2. The Hebrew word translated "father of" (or begat) meant ancestor. And "was the son of" could mean distant or immediate descendant.

Answer 3

As a Catholic I can tell you that this is not a Catholic belief. At no time was I ever taught this theory. The theory is based in the mathematical calculations adding up the 2000 years since Christ with the generational records in the Bible from before Christ. Basically take every person before Jesus in a line and start adding ages, apparently it works out to about 4000 BC.

Answer 4

basically an Irish Priest James Usher. Tried to work out when the creation was. I think it was in the 1700's. He basically added together all the begats in the bible together and came to the conclusion that Adam was created in 4004bc.There are other creation dates but Ushers is the one that is the most widely accepted.

Answer 5

Kind of crazy, huh. I was told that satan planted the dinosaur bones to make everyone think the Earth is much older. That crafty little devil.

Answer 6

Misinterpretation of Scripture.

Answer 7

I suggest you pick up the good book and read through Genesis. Maybe also do some research (if you are serious, and open and objective about the subject) on www.creationontheweb.org or http://www.ridgenet.net/~do_while/sage/topics.htm