Timelines of Some Key Characters in the Old Testament

One of the enjoyable discoveries of working on the ESV Study Bible was that the timelines of some of the key OT characters could be plotted—either because of explicit reference (e.g., so-and-so was 75 years old when X happened), or through inference (e.g., 25 years later) or through comparison with the ages of other characters.

Here are some of the results:

Abraham’s Timeline

Event

Age of Abraham

Genesis

Abram departs from Haran, enters Canaan
75
12:4-5


Abram fathers Ishmael with Hagar
85-86
16:3-4


Abraham fathers Isaac with Sarah
100
21:5


Abraham’s wife Sarah dies
137
23:1


Abraham’s son Isaac marries Rebekah
140
25:20


Abraham dies
175
25:7

 

Isaac’s Timeline

Event

Age of Isaac

Genesis

Isaac’s mother Sarah dies
37
23:1


Isaac marries Rebekah
40
25:20


Isaac fathers Jacob and Esau with Rebekah
60
25:26


Isaac’s father Abraham dies
75
25:7


Isaac’s brother Ishmael dies
123
25:17


Isaac sends Jacob to Laban in Haran
137
28:5


Isaac’s grandson Joseph is born
151
30:25; 31:38-41


Isaac dies
180
35:28

 

Jacob’s Timeline

Event

Age of Jacob

Genesis

Jacob’s grandfather Abraham dies
15
25:7


Jacob sent to Laban in Haran
77
28:5


Jacob marries Leah and Rachel
84
29:21-30; 30:1, 22-26


Jacob fathers Joseph with Rachel
91
30:22-24


Jacob flees from Laban to Canaan
97
ch. 31


Jacob’s son Joseph sold into slavery
108
37:12-36


Jacob’s father Isaac dies
120
35:28-29; cf. 25:26 with35:28


Jacob reunites with Joseph and moves his family to Egypt
130
chs. 46-47; cf. 47:9, 28


Jacob dies
147
47:28

 

Joseph’s Timeline

Event

Age of Joseph

Genesis

Joseph’s father Jacob moves family from Haran to Canaan
6
31:17-21


Joseph sold to Potiphar in Egypt
17
ch. 37


Joseph interprets dreams of cupbearer and baker in prison
28
ch. 40


Joseph’s grandfather Isaac dies
29
35:28-29


Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, is released from prison
30
41:1-36


Seven years of plenty; sons Manasseh and Ephraim born during this time
30-37
41:47-52


Seven years of famine; two years into the famine Joseph reconciles with his brothers and father
37-44
41:53-47:26


Joseph’s father Jacob dies
56
47:28


Joseph dies
110
50:22-26

 

Three Stages of Moses’ Life

Location

Age

Reference

Egypt
0-40
Ex. 2:11; Acts 7:23


Midian
41-80
Ex. 2:15; 7:7; Acts 7:29-30


The wilderness
81-120
Deut. 31:2; 34:7; cf. Num. 14:33-34; Deut. 29:5