Bible Chronology and Textual Criticism Resources

BIBLE CHRONOLOGY AND TEXTUAL CRITICISM RESOURCES

The purpose of the 18 .pdf files presented on this page is to offer clear solutions to common criticisms of the Bible. Download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view the files. Enjoy.

A. BIBLE CHRONOLOGY

Is it important for the Christian to have a reliable text as the basis for his faith and conduct? Moreover, should not the text preserved and passed down throughout the centuries to today's generation be academically defendable? As the Biblical text contains much information of a chronological and mathematical nature, a careful and thorough investigation of this data accompanied by detailed charts should serve as a decisive test as to its reliability and trustworthiness. Conversely, the failure of such a study could be seen as a falsification of the divine inspiration/preservation doctrine of the Sacred Writ, long held by the conservative wing of Christianity.

Toward that end, a Standard Chronology of the Old Testament has been constructed utilizing diagrams, charts and other forms of graphic representation which addresses this complex subject in a Scriptural and scholarly yet easy to understand manner. Beginning with the Creation recorded in the first two Chapters of Genesis, the continuous unbroken line of dated events embedded within the Holy Scriptures is logically followed as it spans across forty centuries to the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be demonstrated that every chronological statement contained in the Sacred Writ is consistent with all other chronological statements contained therein.

Moreover, if the text, composed as it is by many human authors over a span of many centuries, yields itself to such analysis wherewith all the chronological data may be arranged without violation, contradiction or conflict into a harmonious systematic framework, faith should be all the more solidly founded. Such a framework would tend to substantiate and establish: (1) a Divine intellect undergirding both the Old and New Testaments; (2) the fact of the GOD of the Bible; (3) the divine inspiration of Scripture; and (4) faith in GOD through and in His word. These in turn should then act in concert pointing to and certifying the deity of Christ Jesus and His gospel. Indeed, if we can thus correctly interpret the history of the past by means of such a systematic framework, it should enhance our understanding of the present as well as greatly encourage our confidence in the great chronological predictions of Scripture with regard to the future.

The following materials resolve the supposed chronological contradictions of the Bible. The 1656 years from Creation to the Flood are rather easily calculated. Likewise, it is rather simple to count the 427 years from the Flood to the Abrahamic Covenant. Another 430 years are spanned until the Exodus, but this requires a more complex proof. Then, within 480 years, Solomon begins to build the Temple in the fourth year of his reign of 40 years. Upon the death of Solomon, the Kingdom is divided. The descendents of Solomon reign until 586 BC when Jerusalem is taken captive by Babylon, a date well-established by astronomy. This is the 390 years as revealed in Ezekiel 4, yet another long and arduous proof. Then after piecing together another 132 years, we come to the 20th year of Artaxerxes whose decree began a 483-year countdown to the death of the Messiah in the spring of 30 AD. This correlates with the 49-year cyclical Jubilees, the 30th of which was proclaimed by Jesus in the autumn of 27 AD when he quoted Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth.

Listed below are all the Biblical references which mention spans of hundreds of years, none of which are contradictory as have been supposed. But, rather, each one stands as a riddle of God to be solved by the faithful.

The 400 years of Genesis 15:13 .. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

The 430 years of Exodus 12:40 .. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

The 300 years of Judges 11:26 .. While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

The 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1 .. And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

The 390 years of Ezekiel 4:5 .. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

The 7 and 62 "weeks" of Daniel 9:25-26 .. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

The 400 years of Acts 7:6 .. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

The "about" 450 years of Acts 13:20 .. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

The 430 years of Galatians 3:17 .. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

The following charts are included with and best understood by studying Chronolgy of the Old Testament: A Return to the Basics, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. 335 pages.

Chart 1: Creation to Jesus Christ is a skeletal outline serving as an overview of the remaining charts. It shows the method used for discerning the major divisions of time from 4004 BC to 4 BC. 11x17 inches.

Chart 2: Jacob's Age Determined explores Genesis to validate the lifespan and events within the life of Jacob. 11x17 inches.

Chart 3: 430-year Sojourn reveals that the sojourn was actually two 215-year soujourns: the first in Caanan, the second in Egypt. 12x48 inches.

Chart 3a: The Four Generations of Genesis 15:14-16 supports the conclusion of Chart 3 in that it shows that four generations could not possibly cover a 430-year span, but would rather easily span 215 years. 12x48 inches.

Chart 3b: Possible Scenario for Judah's Family in Egypt further supports Chart 3's conclusion, reconciling and explaining the 400 years (Gen 15:13, Acts 7:6) and the 430 years (Exo 12:40, Gal 3:17). 12x48 inches.

Charts 3cdef includes four charts examining the lives of Jacob, Judah, and Joseph to solve the riddle of Jacob's 20 years with Laban, which supports Chart 3. 10.87x54.96 inches.

Chart 4: Judges to the First 3 Kings covers the 516 years from Moses as the first judge through the reign of Solomon. Solved are the riddles of the 480 years (1 Kings 6:1), 450 years (Acts 16:20), and the 300 years (Judges 11:26). 12x120 inches.

Charts 4ab includes two charts using the lineages of Judah (Chart 4a) and Moses (Chart 4b) to support Chart 4. 12x72 inches.

Chart 5: Kings of the Divided Monarchy covers the 652-year period from the death of Solomon to the death of Alexander the Great, solving the riddle of the 390 years (Ezekiel 4:5). It also includes a thorough explanation of the the 483 years (Daniel 9:25-26). 12x192 inches.

Chart 5a: Kings of the Divided Monarchy (Simplified) is to be consulted only after one has studied Chart 5 and is convinced of its accuracy. Covers the 459 years from the death of Solomon until the 2nd Temple is completed. 12x72 inches.

Chart 5c: Kings of the Divided Monarchy (Lined) is a version of Chart 5 with each January-to-December year marked by a line. It also includes a thorough explanation of the 390 years (Ezekiel 4:5). 12x192 inches.

Chart 6: Creation to Creator comprehensively covers the 4032.5 years from the Creation to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is a graphical representation of Chart 1. 12x144 inches.
The 17th Century work by Archbishop James Ussher, The Annals of the World, agrees almost completely with the above charts and modern book, and may be of use for those who wish to delve deeper. 1248 pages.
Moving into the New Testament, An Analytical Red Letter Harmony of the Four Gospels: A Return to the Historic Text (Authorized Version), by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D., is an excellent tool for piecing together the four parallel accounts of Jesus' life found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in chronological order to determine if any alleged contradictions exist. 283 pages.
B. TEXTUAL CRITICISM
How can today's "Bible" versions read so dramatically different in the relatively few yet numerically significant places that they diverge? After all, when the translators translate, it is understandable how one group may select different adjectives, conjunctions, synonyms etc., but our reader wonders – how can an entire word, indeed – a phrase, clause, sentence, verse and even a prolonged series of verses, be missing from one version to another? This is especially true when the King James (and all the many English versions prior to the KJB) is compared to all the newer versions. What is the basis for the many words which are present in the 1611 Authorized Version that are not to be found in these modern versions? Surely the 1611 translators did not just make them up out of thin air.

The ordinary reader naturally assumes that the changes have resulted from supposed advances made in the ongoing study of Greek which have sharpened the revisor's skill in translating. However, the shocking answer to these questions lies in the fact that there are two distinctly radically different Greek texts upon which the New Testament in English (or any other language) is based. Moreover, the Church for centuries has honored only one of these as the Holy Word of God. The other was rejected by the early Church during the 3rd to 5th centuries as a depraved gnostic alteration of the true text. The early Church's rejection of this second text relegated it to an early grave. However, with the advent of modern archaeology and the so-called "sciences" of higher and lower text criticism, it has arisen inexplicably from its sandy Egyptian grave. Thus that which was rejected as a spurious, heretical text by the early Church and its successors down through the centuries is today being accepted as genuine. Strangely, in the past one hundred years, this "mummy" has been resurrected and once again has been offered to the Church as authentic – only this time the sleeping Church has not seen the danger. Yea, most are totally unaware that such an entity exists.
Ripped Out of the Bible, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D., is a good introduction to the enormity of the problems introduced by the fake Bibles of today. Is your Bible missing words or even whole verses? If so, an enemy has tampered with it. 54 pages.
Which manuscripts we should even begin to translate? And why are there so many contradictory versions of the Bible? Where did they come from? A thorough answer to the question many English-speaking believers are asking is presented here in Which Version is the Bible?, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. 286 pages.
We also need to re-examine the so-called Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, or LXX. It has been weighed and found wanting in The Septuagint: A Critical Analysis, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. 64 pages.


		The 17th Century work by Archbishop James Ussher, The Annals of the World, agrees almost completely with the above charts and modern book, and may be of use for those who wish to delve deeper. 1248 pages.


		Moving into the New Testament, An Analytical Red Letter Harmony of the Four Gospels: A Return to the Historic Text (Authorized Version), by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D., is an excellent tool for piecing together the four parallel accounts of Jesus' life found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in chronological order to determine if any alleged contradictions exist. 283 pages.


		Ripped Out of the Bible, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D., is a good introduction to the enormity of the problems introduced by the fake Bibles of today. Is your Bible missing words or even whole verses? If so, an enemy has tampered with it. 54 pages.


		Which manuscripts we should even begin to translate? And why are there so many contradictory versions of the Bible? Where did they come from? A thorough answer to the question many English-speaking believers are asking is presented here in Which Version is the Bible?, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. 286 pages.


		We also need to re-examine the so-called Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, or LXX. It has been weighed and found wanting in The Septuagint: A Critical Analysis, by Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. 64 pages.