From Shem to Abraham

The line from Shem to Abraham in Genesis 11. Each bar is a life; its colour changes in the year the next man of the line was born. In the Septuagint the line has one more name, Cainan (compare Luke 3:36).

Read in the Bible: Genesis 11

By Genesis 11:26 Abram was born when Terah was 70. But Acts 7:4 says Abram left Haran only after his father died, and Terah died at 205 (Genesis 11:32) while Abram left at 75 (Genesis 12:4). Taking Acts at its word, Abram was born when Terah was 130, not 70. The switch rebuilds the charts by this reckoning. In the Samaritan Pentateuch Terah died at 145, and Abram leaves in the year of his death with no rebuilding needed: 145 − 75 = 70.

Masoretic text

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	1558	100	1658	2158	600
Arphaxad	1658	35	1693	2096	438
Shelah	1693	30	1723	2126	433
Eber	1723	34	1757	2187	464
Peleg	1757	30	1787	1996	239
Reu	1787	32	1819	2026	239
Serug	1819	30	1849	2049	230
Nahor	1849	29	1878	1997	148
Terah	1878	70	1948	2083	205
Abraham	1948	100	2048	2123	175

Masoretic text — Abram left Haran after Terah's death (Acts 7:4)

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	1558	100	1658	2158	600
Arphaxad	1658	35	1693	2096	438
Shelah	1693	30	1723	2126	433
Eber	1723	34	1757	2187	464
Peleg	1757	30	1787	1996	239
Reu	1787	32	1819	2026	239
Serug	1819	30	1849	2049	230
Nahor	1849	29	1878	1997	148
Terah	1878	130	2008	2083	205
Abraham	2008	100	2108	2183	175

Septuagint, Codex Alexandrinus

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	2164	100	2264	2764	600
Arphaxad	2264	135	2399	2829	565
Cainan	2399	130	2529	2859	460
Shelah	2529	130	2659	2989	460
Eber	2659	134	2793	3163	504
Peleg	2793	130	2923	3132	339
Reu	2923	132	3055	3262	339
Serug	3055	130	3185	3385	330
Nahor	3185	79	3264	3393	208
Terah	3264	70	3334	3469	205
Abraham	3334	100	3434	3509	175

Septuagint, Codex Alexandrinus — Abram left Haran after Terah's death (Acts 7:4)

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	2164	100	2264	2764	600
Arphaxad	2264	135	2399	2829	565
Cainan	2399	130	2529	2859	460
Shelah	2529	130	2659	2989	460
Eber	2659	134	2793	3163	504
Peleg	2793	130	2923	3132	339
Reu	2923	132	3055	3262	339
Serug	3055	130	3185	3385	330
Nahor	3185	79	3264	3393	208
Terah	3264	130	3394	3469	205
Abraham	3394	100	3494	3569	175

Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	2144	100	2244	2744	600
Arphaxad	2244	135	2379	2779	535
Cainan	2379	130	2509	2839	460
Shelah	2509	130	2639	2969	460
Eber	2639	134	2773	3043	404
Peleg	2773	130	2903	3112	339
Reu	2903	132	3035	3242	339
Serug	3035	130	3165	3365	330
Nahor	3165	179	3344	3469	304
Terah	3344	70	3414	3549	205
Abraham	3414	100	3514	3589	175

Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus — Abram left Haran after Terah's death (Acts 7:4)

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	2144	100	2244	2744	600
Arphaxad	2244	135	2379	2779	535
Cainan	2379	130	2509	2839	460
Shelah	2509	130	2639	2969	460
Eber	2639	134	2773	3043	404
Peleg	2773	130	2903	3112	339
Reu	2903	132	3035	3242	339
Serug	3035	130	3165	3365	330
Nahor	3165	179	3344	3469	304
Terah	3344	130	3474	3549	205
Abraham	3474	100	3574	3649	175

Samaritan Pentateuch

Numbers

Name	Born, year	Age at son's birth	Son born, year	Died, year	Lived, years
Shem	1209	100	1309	1809	600
Arphaxad	1309	135	1444	1747	438
Shelah	1444	130	1574	1877	433
Eber	1574	134	1708	1978	404
Peleg	1708	130	1838	1947	239
Reu	1838	132	1970	2077	239
Serug	1970	130	2100	2200	230
Nahor	2100	79	2179	2248	148
Terah	2179	70	2249	2324	145
Abraham	2249	100	2349	2424	175