Birth of Noah and Terah’s Sons
When calculating a chronology based on the Bible there are some difficulties. This is true in the case of Shem and Avram. The age of Shem and Avram’s fathers Noach and Terach at the birth of their sons is not easily determined from Scriptures.
In the case of Shem, Bereishis 5:32.
32 And Noach was five hundred years old and Noach begat Shem, Cham and Yefes.
This is the first mention of Shem. At 500 years of age, Noach fathered Shem, Cham and Yefes. This tells the reader that Noach had three sons. Whether they were all born at the same time, prior to Noach reaching 500 years of age or the first son was born when Noach was 500 years of age cannot be stated for certain. It cannot be assumed that Shem was the oldest.
The Bible is not a history book nor is it to be taken as a literal source. The Bible is God’s Word that teaches through the Spirit all the information that a disciple will need to navigate through the waters of life.
In calculating a chronology, adding years based on Bereishis 5 is relatively easy, refer to Chronology. Then in Bereishis 7:11 one can determine when the flood began.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noach’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
This would be a 100 years after Bereishis 5:32. Noach stays on the ark 370 days. Then in Bereishis 11:10.
10 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood.
So two years after the flood, Shem gives birth to Arphaxad. Therefore, Noach is 602 years old when Arphaxad is born. Additionally, it can be determined that Shem was not the first born although listed first in Bereishis 5:32. Shem was born when Noach was 502 years of age. Then in Bereishis 10:21 Yefes is the firstborn.
21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Ever (Eber), the brother of Yefes the elder, even to him were born.
Remember Yefes was the last one listed in Bereishis 5:32.
There are cases in the Bible when firstborn is specifically stated as in Bereishis 38:6.
6 And Yehudah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
In the case of Avram, resolving issues with the chronology is not easily done without the assistance of the Beriys Chadasha. As a matter of fact, it may not even be possible.
Based on what is stated in Bereishis 5:32, there is no reason to assume that Avram is first born in Bereishis 11:26.
26 And Terach lived seventy years, and begat Avram, Nachor, and Haran.
If anything, Avram is more than likely the second born. There is a trend in the Bible that the spiritual blessing goes to the second born. This happened in the case of Hevel (Abel), Yitzchaq, Yaaqov, Efrayim, Perez and many more. This was even the case with Yeshua, 1 Corinthians 15:45.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.
So Yeshua was the second born of the Father, God Yehovah. Yeshua received the greater spiritual blessing.
There is always the possibility that Avram was the third born. This would mirror what happened in the case of Qayin (Cain), Hevel and Shes (Seth).
There is nothing specified about Avram’s age at this time with the exception of Bereishis 12:4.
4 So Avram departed, as Yehovah had spoken to him; and Lot went with him: and Avram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Charan.
And what Stephen states in Acts 7:2-4.
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared to our father Avraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan, 3 and said to him, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into the land which I shall show you. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Kasdim (Chaldeans), and dwelt in Charan. And from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell.
It seems that Avram heard the call in Mesopotamia. This is the same as Ur of Kasdim. Apparently, Avram left Kasdim with His father and settled in Charan. How long we do not know.
Additionally, it is unknown how old Avram was when Terach left Ur or when Avram married Sarai. The only thing that can be stated with certainty is Devarim 29:29.
29 The secret to Yehovah our Redeemer. But those revealed to us and to our children for ever, that may do all the words of this Torah.
God knows, but has chosen not to reveal this to His people. However, we can still construct a chronology with some accuracy.
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