Many Christians find it hard to accept that the Bible teaches the earth is only about 6,000 years old. We are inundated with “Old earth theology” and the philosophy of evolution pawned off as science.  Before the advent of radiocarbon (C-14) dating, archaeologists were actively compressing their historical timeframes, bringing them more in alignment with biblical dates.

But when C-14 came into use in the 1950’s, scholars started expanding the dates. Since known dates of historical events or artifacts were much younger than these new C-14 dates, there were disagreements between the archeologists and C-14 advocates. Those disagreements continue today. The problems with radiocarbon dating are beyond the scope of his article, but in general, secular scientists usually come up with timeframes that are older than the Bible indicates. Therefore, many of these scientists, and even many archeologists, claim that events described in the Bible, such as Creation and the Exodus are allegorical and did not happen as described, or did not even happen at all.

The problem is that secular scientists, archeologists, and even many Christians do not see the biblical record as authoritative and historically accurate. They start with an evolutionary or “old earth” worldview and put their trust in C-14 dating or Egyptian chronologies and Kings Lists. Then they claim that the biblical record is inaccurate because it doesn’t align with their secular timelines and assumptions.

There are, however, many scientists who agree that the Bible gives an accurate scientific framework if you don’t rely on the unprovable evolutionary assumptions. Similarly, there are biblical archeologists[1] who agree that the Bible gives an accurate historical framework because often kings or pharaohs overlapped as co-regents, or ruled simultaneously in different parts of the region. They hold that some traditional dynasties overlapped or may not have even existed. All these factors shorten timelines and, using a Revised Chronology, they bring them into alignment with the true biblical record.

A “Short Sojourn” of 215 Years in Egypt

One example to consider is a “short sojourn” of 215 years rather than 430 years for the time the Israelites were in Egypt before the Exodus. There are three main reasons this author contends that the Israelites were not in Egypt, much less enslaved, for four centuries. In reality, these four centuries mentioned in the Bible had to include the sojourning (nomadic living) of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan as well.

First of all, the Bible says there were 430 years from God’s promise to, or covenant with, Abram (later named Abraham) until the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai (in the year of the Exodus).  Galatians 3:16,17 says, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made…that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul…”[2] Abram began his sojourn in Canaan when God first promised him a new land and to father a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Certainly, the promises apply to the descendants of Abraham as well, but it is logical to begin this 430-year timeframe with Abraham himself. This is how Bishop Ussher[3] and Rabbinic Judaism[4] interpret this. Yet some apply this promise to begin with Jacob, which allows them to extend the time in Egypt.

Secondly, the Bible says the Israelites were in Egypt for only four generations. In Genesis 15:16, God told Abraham, “But in the fourth generation they (his descendants) shall return here (from Egypt to Canaan)…” These four generations were represented by Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses (Exodus 6:16-20). Actually, we know Kohath, Levi’s son and Moses’ grandfather, was one of the 70 who went down with his father into Egypt (Genesis 46:8, 11), likely at a very young age. Therefore, it’s impossible they were there for 400 years.  That’s because Kohath died at age 133 (Exodus 6:18), his son Amram died at age 137(v. 20), and Amram’s son Moses was 80 (Exodus 7:7) when the Exodus occurred. Even if Kohath entered as a newborn baby, and Amram and Moses were born in the year of their fathers’ deaths (highly unlikely), the maximum time is 350 years(133 + 137 + 80). Some scholars claim the generations were centuries. Although the Hebrew word dowr <Strong’s 01755> can mean period or age, it is translated as “generation” in 133 out of 167 cases.


There is a simple way to account for these four generations. Genesis 12:1-7 tells us God called Abram out of Haran to begin his sojourn and established His covenant when he was 75 years old. Twenty-five years later, when Abraham was then 100 (Genesis 21:5), Isaac was born. Jacob was born when Isaac was 60 years old (Genesis 25:26) and Jacob was 130 years old when they entered Egypt (Genesis 47:9). This was 215 (25+60+130) years after the initiation of the Abrahamic covenant. This is exactly half the total of 430 years and therefore puts the Israelites in Egypt for the other half (215 years).

This period of 215 years is reasonable since Kohath and Amram could have been in their 60’s or even 70’s when these sons were born. This was not unusual for those times[5]. We can account for 215 years if Kohath was in Egypt for 65 years when Amram was born, and if Amram was 70 years old when Moses was born, and we know Moses was 80 years old at the Exodus (65+70+80=215).

Now consider the actual length of oppression in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14). At a minimum, it started when Moses was born, 80 years before the Exodus. Joseph died 71 years after Jacob entered Egypt (Genesis 41:46-47, 45:6, 50:26). Joseph’s fame had certainly waned by the time of his death and the new pharaoh did not know of Joseph, perhaps even before he died. That would put the maximum length at 144 years (215-71) or more.

The Confusion

There are other passages in scripture beside that in Galatians 3 that refer to the four-century sojourn. The confusion of how long the Israelites were in Egypt comes when we consider Genesis 15:13 (also quoted in Acts 7:6): “Then he said to Abram, ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.’” It appears the 400 years applies only to the affliction. But the total of 400 years could also apply to being “strangers in a land that is not theirs … and … serve …and …afflict … four hundred years.” The land not theirs certainly includes both Egypt and Canaan.

Another verse, Exodus 12:40, unfortunately, adds more confusion when some of the newer versions (NASB, ESV, NIV) change the original wording to something like, “Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” This wording does not match the original Hebrew, which says “And the living-time (sojourn) sons Israel’s which lived in Egypt, (was) thirty years and four hundred years”[6]. The KJV and NKJV more correctly translate the original verse as, “Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

Notice, the newer versions delete the relative pronoun and Hebrew word aher <Strong’s 0834>, translated here as which or who. The above adjective clause, “which (or who) lived in Egypt,” can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. It then reads, “Now the sojourn of the children of Israel was four hundred and thirty years.” The entire time of sojourn (living) would have been in Egypt and Canaan. In fact, the Septuagint (original Greek translation of the Old Testament) says “…lived in Egypt and Canaan” in this passage.

Conventional versus Revised Chronology

A third reason for a short rather than long sojourn in Egypt is that it compresses Egyptian chronology, aligning it with the Revised Chronology rather than the Conventional Chronology. The revised chronology answers many questions that have baffled archeologists for almost two centuries, and aligns well with biblical chronology. For example, the conventional chronology puts the first Egyptian Dynasty well before the date of Noah’s Flood, 2300 to 2350 BC, which is accepted by many. The first dynasty had to follow the Flood and Babel.

In summary, when considering historical events that are related to biblical history, our authoritative source should always start with the Bible. Written historical records are often a good source, but they should be considered in context. For example, historians (such as Manetho of Egypt) may tend to exaggerate positive facts and avoid negative facts. Remember, that many historians, such as Manetho, wrote many centuries after the events they describe. Archeological artifacts are usually very helpful but dating them can be problematic. Radiocarbon dating can be useful for more recent dates, but when looking back more than 2000 years, it has been shown to be unreliable, and should be viewed with skepticism. We can confidently read any biblical historical narratives (not poetry) in their literal-historical-grammatical context. But we should also be careful to consider the original Hebrew or Greek texts. The Revised Chronology, admittedly, is a minority view, even among Christian scholars. But this author contends that it aligns well with the Bible and historical and archeological evidence, especially when we consider the timeframe of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt.

In a future post, I will discuss how the revised chronology aligns well with the biblical timeframe of the Exodus and following events and how it is supported by archeological evidence.

Jack Snyder

[1] John Ashton & David Down, Unwrapping the Pharaohs, (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2006).

[2] Scripture in this article is quoted from the New King James Version (copyright ©1982 by Tomas Nelson, Inc) unless otherwise noted.

[3] Larry and Marion Pierce, James Ussher’s The Annals of the World, (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2003), para. 72

[4] https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/how-many-came-out-of-the-exodus-of-egypt.htm

[5] Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born and Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. We know this because Joseph was 30 at the start of the 7 plentiful years (Gen 41:46), and nine years later, 2 years into the famine (Gen 45:6) when Joseph was 39, Jacob entered Egypt, at age 130 (Gen 47:9).

[6] [Jay P. Green, A Literal Translation of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, 1985].