The Biblical Calendar of History

Camping's Calendar of History

In Harold Camping's book The Biblical Calendar of History (Printed and Published by Family Stations, Inc., 1995, and still availible as a free download at familyradio.com), Camping lists the following "key dates" in history:

A few dates should immediately jump out:

• The flood, 4990-4989 B.C.
• Entrance into Egypt, 1877 B.C. then the Exodus, 1447 B.C. (total of 430 years)

These are dates Camping uses in his most recent predictions of Christ's return, judgement day and the end of the world. Accuracy of these dates are paramount, as it would seem that the timeline of events unfolding for ALL of Camping's teachings depend on this calander being accurate. For instance:

Camping cites the 430 years in Egypt timeline as his primary "proof" for the "called his name" "clue phrase". As such the validity of this proof should be examined.

Here is how Camping details the time in Egypt:

As always, scripture must be compared with scripture. The remainder of this page is dedicated to comparing Camping's calendar with scripture.

Levi's Years in Egypt

How old was Levi when he entered into Egypt?

Jacob worked for Laban a total of 20 years:

Jacob spent the first 7 years working to have Rachel. At the end of those 7 years, Jacob married Leah and Rachael (Gen 29:20-28).

In the years that followed, before leaving Laban, Jacob's wives bore him 12 children: 11 sons and 1 daughter. We know this because Joseph was the 12th child born (see Gen 29:31 - 30:23) and it was shortly after Joseph was born that Jacob left Laban:

From the above verses, we must conclude that Jacob stayed with Laban 13 years after marrying Leah and Rachel (7 + 13 = 20). And it was during those 13 years that 12 children were born. That is, 1 child born every 13 months on average.

Since Levi was the third child born to Leah, we can assume that he was born about 3 years after Jacob married Leah. That would mean Levi was born around Jacob’s 10th year working for Laban (7 + 3 = 10). Since Joseph was born before or during Jacob’s 20th year with Laban (see preceding verses), that would put Levi as approximately 10 years older than Joseph.

Now, Joseph was approximately 39 years old when Jacob/Israel and his family, including Levi (Genesis 46:11), entered Egypt. We can be sure of this because Genesis 41:46 says that “Joseph [was] thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt” and interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams. According to the interpretation of those dreams and the following verses, this event was followed by 7 years of plenty and then 7 years of famine. It was during the second year of this famine that Isreal moved to Egypt (Genesis 45:6). Added together we draw the following conclusion: 30 years (Joseph’s age) + 7 years plenty + first 2 years of famine = 39 years.

If Levi is approximately 10 years older than Joseph, as already established, then Levi must have been about 49 years old when he entered Egypt. 

Exodus 6:16 tells us that Levi lived to be 137 years old. Therefore Levi would have lived in Egypt for the remaining 88 years of his life (49 + 88 = 137).

Conclusion: Levi lived in Egypt for 88 years, not 77 as required to prove Camping's Patriarchal calendar method.

Kohath came into Egypt with Levi

Kohath: A Problem for Camping's Patriarchal Calendar Proof

Camping includes the entirety of Kohath's lifespan, 133 years (Exodus 6:18), within the 430 year Egyptian sojourn: 77 + 133(Kohath) + 137 + 83 = 430.

According to Camping's rule: Levi has to die the same year that Kohath died, Kohath must die the year Amram died, Amram must die the year Aaron died, etc. If any of the patriarchs lifespans overlap then you fall short of the required 430 years required to prove the method.

The problem is that the bible says Kohath was born before he entered Egypt. Kohath is named as one of the 70 souls that entered with Israel/Jacob and Levi (Genesis 46:8-26, especially vs. 11 and 27). Any years Kohath lived before entering cannot be included. Kohath sojourned in Egypt less than 133 years. 133 years is inaccurate.

Since Kohath was born before he entered Egypt, his father's lifespan (77 years according to Camping) should not be included in the 430 years. Their time would be overlapping. The result is far less than 430.

Camping says:

Kohath was Levi's son (Exodus 6:16). Kohath was born before Levi entered Egypt (Genesis 46:8-26, especially vs. 11 and 27). Levi died many years after entering Egypt (77 years according to Camping).

Conclusion: "Patriarchs" lifespans may overlap by many years. Simply adding patriarch's ages together results in an inaccurate calendar.

Aaron and Moses

Aaron's Brother: Another Problem for Camping's Patriarchal Calendar Proof

Scripture agrees with Camping's assertion that Aaron was in Egypt for 83 years. Also, Amram was in Egypt his whole life, which was 137 years. There is, however, another small problem with Mr. Camping's math: Amram is the father of Aaron. We know this from Exodus 6:20, the same place that we know that Amram lived to be 137 years old:

This direct father-son relationship is confirmed three additional times in scripture:

This relationship is further confirmed where the bible refers to Moses and Aaron as brothers:

Mr. Camping insists that Amram died the year that Aaron was born: "Aaron in turn was born the year of Amram’s death" (Biblical Calendar of History, p. 3). The problem is that Amram is also the father of Moses (as we saw above), and Moses was three years younger than Aaron, which means Amram must have died at least three years after fathering Aaron:

Because Amram must have died at least three years after fathering Aaron, it does not make sense to simply add his age to Aaron's age (137+83), according to Camping's rule, because Amram did not die the year Aaron was born. You have to subtract 3 years from Amram's life or exclude the first 3 years of Aaron's life - either way there is a 3 year difference!

Conclusion: Amram would have been no older than 134 years old when Aaron was born, not 137 as Camping uses in his calendar. Campings math is off by at least 3 years. 427 is not 430.

430 Years in Egypt?

***THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS HERE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

This would seem to be in line with the scriptural account at first glance:

The numbers do sum to four hundred, thirty years (77+133+137+83=430). There is, however, a small problem with Mr. Camping's methodology.

Did the Israelites sojourn 430 years in Egypt?

Some would say that the 430 years should be counted not from the entry into Egypt by Jacob and his sons and grandsons, but from the date of the promise. Read carefully; you will notice that neither of these verses say that the Hebrews were in Egypt for 430 years, but that they were sojourning for 430 years:

When we compare Scripture to Scripture, we discover what the starting point of the 430 years is. Paul clearly explains that the promise came to Abraham 430 years before the giving of the law:

Acts would seem to agree:

Mr. Camping's chronology makes the period from the promise to the law much longer than 430 years. In fact, Mr. Camping dates the birth of Isaac at 2068 B.C. and the exodus at 1447 B.C., over 600 years later. (Biblical Calendar of History, pp. 6-7)

Let's look at the promise:

Abraham died seeing only his grandson Jacob, but not his great-grandchildren from Jacob. We know this from the fact that Abraham died at 175 (Genesis 25:7), that his son Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 (Genesis 17:17), and that Jacob was born when Isaac was 60 (Genesis 26:26).

Who then is the fourth generation? It is the fourth generation of descendants that Abraham did not see.

1. Levi, the son of Jacob
2. Kohath, the son of Levi
3. Amram, the son of Kohath
4. Aaron and Moses, the sons of Amram

The book of Job would seem to support this understanding of direct children-generations. Job lived to see four generations:

According to some, the countdown of 400 years began with Isaac's birth. They explain "God's promise does not refer to Egypt by name, rather to a 'land that is not theirs.'" As soon as Abraham had a child, his seed were subjected to living in lands that were not theirs, including Canaan which wasn't "theirs" at the time. By this account, The Israelites spent only a total of 210 years in Egypt:

Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born, Jacob was 130 years old when he went down to Egypt. A total of 190 years. Subtract 190 from 400 and you have 210 years actually spent in Egypt. This, however, does not explain the additional 30 years.

"With respect to the omission of the thirty years in the 15th chapter of Genesis, in this there is no contradiction, because the land had already been promised to Abraham some years previously, though, so far from obtaining dominion over it, he had scarcely been permitted to occupy it as “a stranger.” Therefore God apprizes him, that 400 years still remained before he would put his descendants into possession of it" -- John Calvin

The Clue Phrase "Called His Name"

Mr. Camping is wrong about the claim that it is "invariably ... indicative of parent and child." In fact, the very first instance of the word is when Adam calls his wife's name, Eve:

Additionally, the expression is used of inanimate objects such as a rock:

or a city:

More importantly, the expression is used of naming children, when the person naming the child is plainly not his father or mother:

Both "gave" and "called" are from qara.

And most amusingly, this is even the case with Moses, who was called Moses not by his parents (Amram and Jochabed) but by Pharaoh's daughter:

A couple more examples for posterity:

More Reasons the "Clue Phrase" Doesn't Make Sense"

The justification for this arrangement, argues Camping, is the "clue phrase," "called his name" (Heb. qara), which he claims "invariably . . . is indicative of parent and child." This phrase occurs in Gen. 4:26, 5:3, and 5:28, and therefore it indicates that the relationships of Adam and Seth, Seth and Enosh, and Lamech and Noah are all father-son. As for the rest of the patriarchs, since the Bible does not use the term qara with respect to the relationships between them, they are not immediate father-son pairs, but merely ancestors or descendants. Their lifespans are actually successive generations of history named after the significant figure of each period, and the terms "father" or "son" used in reference to them are figurative of an undetermined ancestor-descendant relationship.

Take the following passage as typical of the generations of Genesis 5:

The plainest sense of this passage is that Enosh was the father of Kenan, born to him when he was 90 years old, and then he lived 815 more years and died at the age of 905. However, Camping is arguing that it actually means something like this:

When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the ancestor of Kenan. And after he became the ancestor of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other descendants. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.

What does it even mean? If Enosh is the ancestor of Kenan, was he not always the ancestor of Kenan? Of what relevance is the fact that he “became” such at 90 years of age - unless the point is to state that Kenan was born when Enosh was 90? In that case, it doesn’t matter whether Enosh is Kenan’s father, grandfather, or father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate: Kenan is still 90 years younger than Enosh.

Biblical Calander, Time Period Definitions

***THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS HERE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

God created everything, including methods for tracking time:

How long is a day? Answer: One evening and one morning (Gen 1:5)

How long is a week? Answer: 7 days

How long is a month? Answer: 30 days

Example from the flood:

The ark was on the water from the 17th day of the 2nd month through 17th day of the 7th month, that is exactly 5 months, to the day (Not inclusive?): 5(months) x 30(days per month) = 150 days

Abib, the first month of the year was that of "ears of grain"; in the Passover in it, on the second day, the sheaf of harvest firstfruits was waved to the Lord (Leviticus 23:10-12-34-39; Joel 2:28). So the feast of tabernacles in the seventh month celebrated the ingathering of the autumnal fruits; so that a solar year must have regulated the months.

How long is a year? Answer: 12 months, with the following exceptions:
 - Sabbath years = 13 months,
 - Jubilee years = 13 months

1Ki 4:7 "And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision."

The total duration of the flood was eleven days above a year (Genesis 7:11; Genesis 8:14)

The 360 day year, 12 months of 30 days each, is indicated in Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7, time (i.e. one year) times and dividing of a time, or 3 1/2 years; the 42 months (Revelation 11:2), 1260 days (Revelation 5:3; Revelation 12:6).

Also between the tenth month, first day, and the first day of the first month, the second year, at least 54 days, namely, 40 + 7 + 7 (oxen. Genesis 8:5-6; Genesis 8:10; Genesis 8:12-13).

360 days in common years.

390 days in Sabbath and Jubilee years.

Which month is the first month of the year? ?

Exd 12:2 "This month [shall be] unto you the beginning of months: it [shall be] the first month of the year to you."

They may have determined their new year's day by observing the heliacal or other star risings or settings marking the right time of the solar year (compare Judges 5:20-21; Job 38:31)

(6 * 360) + 390 = 2550 days in Sabbath periods.
(7 * 2550) + 390 = 18240 days in Jubilee periods.
70 * 18240 = 1,276,800 days in 3500 Biblical years.

365.2422 days per year * 3500 years = 1,278,347.7 days (1,547.7 day difference)

MORE UNFINISHED REFERENCES AND INFO:

From the time you can just barely see the new crescent until the moon is at its brightest (full moon) takes 14 days.  Psalm 81:3: “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” Here the only feast that begins on the first day of a month (Ethanim) is mentioned – Trumpets. Other “chodesh” verses abound in the Bible (over 200 of them), all meaning “new moon.” --- 1 - "ABIB" / "NISAN" 2Ch 29:17 Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. Neh 2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, [that] wine [was] before him: and I took up the wine, and gave [it] unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence. Est 3:7 In the first month, that [is], the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that [is], the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], that [is], the month Adar. Exd 13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib. Exd 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD'S passover. Eze 45:21 In the first [month], in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. Exd 9:31 And the flax6594 and the barley8184 was smitten5221 : for the barley8184 [was] in the (((ear24)))=abib, and the flax6594 [was] bolled1392. Abib and the Harvest The month of the Abib is the month which commences after the barley has reached the stage of Abib. 2-3 weeks after the beginning of the month the barley has moved beyond the stage of Abib and is ready to be brought as the "wave-sheaf offering" (Hanafat HaOmer). The "wave-sheaf offering" is a sacrifice brought from the first stalks cut in the harvest and is brought on the Sunday which falls out during Passover (Hag HaMatzot). This is described in Lev 23,10-11: "When you come to the land which I give you, and harvest its harvest, you will bring the sheaf of the beginning of your harvest to the priest. And he will wave the sheaf before YHWH so you will be accepted; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest will wave it." From this it is clear that the barley, which was Abib at the beginning of the month, has become harvest-ready 15-21 days later (i.e by the Sunday during Passover). Therefore, the month of the Abib can not begin unless the barley has reached a stage where it will be harvest-ready 2-3 weeks later. That the barley must be harvest-ready 2-3 weeks into the month of the Abib is also clear from Dt 16,9 which states: "From when the sickle commences on the standing grain you will begin to count seven weeks." From Lev 23,15 we know that the seven weeks between Passover (Hag Hamatzot) and Pentecost (Shavuot) begin on the day when the wave-sheaf offering is brought (i.e. the Sunday which falls out during Passover): It should be noted that not all the barley ripens in the Land of Israel at the same time. The wave-sheaf offering is a national sacrifice brought from the first fields to become harvest-ready. However, the first-fruit offerings brought by individual farmers can vary in ripeness anywhere from "Abib parched in fire" to fully ripe grain which may be brought "crushed" or "coarsely ground". This is what is meant in Lev 2,14: "And when you bring a first-fruit offering to YHWH; you shall bring your first-fruit offering as Abib parched in fire or crushed Carmel" (Carmel is grain which has hardened beyond Abib to the point where it can be "crushed" or "coarsely ground"). All of the above passages have been translated directly from the Hebrew and it is worth noting that the King James translators seem to have only understood the various Hebrew agricultural terms very poorly. In Lev 2,14 they translated Carmel as "full ears" and "Abib" as "green ears" whereas in Lev 23,14 they translated Carmel as "green ears"! Exodus 9:“And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and Yahweh sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and Yahweh rained hail upon the land of Egypt. ... And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field...And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up” (vv. 23, 25, 31-32). 1. Start and end days at sunset (Genesis 1:5). 2. Start weeks at day one and end on day seven, the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). 3. Start months with the sighting of the new moon (Deuteronomy 16:1). 4. Start years in the month barley will be harvestable by the middle of that month (Leviticus 23:4-14). 2 - "ZIF" 1Ki 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. 1Ki 6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: 3 - "SIVAN" Est 8:9 Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that [is], the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which [are] from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language. 4 - ? Jer 39:2 [And] in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth [day] of the month, the city was broken up. 5 - ? 2Ki 25:8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh [day] of the month, which [is] the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: 6 - "ELUL"? Neh 6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty and two days. 7 - "ETHANIM" 1Ki 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month. 8 - "BUL" 1Ki 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which [is] the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. 9 - "CHISLEU" Neh 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, Zec 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, [that] the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [even] in Chisleu; 10 - "TEBETH" 2Ki 25:1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. Est 2:16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which [is] the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 11 - "SEBAT" Deu 1:3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first [day] of the month, [that] Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; Zec 1:7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which [is] the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 12 - "ADAR" Ezr 6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 2Ki 25:27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; Est 3:7 In the first month, that [is], the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that [is], the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], that [is], the month Adar. Est 3:13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, [even] upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey. Est 8:12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, [namely], upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which [is] the month Adar. Est 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that [is], the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) Eze 32:1 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first [day] of the month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 13 - "Second Adar?" or "After Adar"?