A HISTORICAL RECORD: CREATION TO PATRIARCHS

History is a strange beast. Most people think they know it, or at least the history of their own family and culture – until they start asking questions, and find out how little they really know!
 
The same is true of Biblical history: everybody exposed to the Bible think they know it well, until we start asking questions.... We think because we read the Bible, we know it. We only know bits and pieces, because that's mostly how we read the Bible: a chapter here, a chapter there, our favourite stories – we don't really read the Bible as a unified book, and so our knowledge of it is also fragmentary.
 
If you find yourself in this position, please have a look at our Bible Reading section, where we have an easy reading plan that you can implement on your own, as well as background notes on the Bible books (most of the New Testament, more will follow).
 
On top of that, social media, and even "Bible scholars", are telling us that it is just stories, metaphores, legends,...take your pick. Worthy of attention, but not true history.
 
As we have said in previous units, the Bible is a historical narrative, and wherever we have facts available from archaeology and similar disciplines, the Biblical facts have been validated. (We might refer to archaeological discoveries here and there, but it is not the main focus of this study. See the "Resources" page for suggested material on achaeology.)
 
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Salvation History

Compiling a record is more than just collecting facts about a past narrative. Every writer, Bible or other, will record history from a certain perspective or angle, and so we get many types of historical records: cultural history, political history, economic history, family history, usually with emphasis on our genealogy, and many more.
 
Even when looking at the same time window, different approaches will result in vastly different books. Selection of facts to include will depend on the specific angle of a particular author, and also on the target audience: an artbook for grade school will be very different from a book for post-graduate students.
 
These factors also apply to the historical record in the Bible: only what is important to its central message was recorded for us.
 
Biblical history is a special type of history, salvation history: historical facts, but focused on salvation. It is the history of God's ongoing work to restore humanity to a right relationship with Him after the Fall, emphasising God's initiative and involvement in the lives of His people. The first two chapters of the Bible give us a brief picture of the original relationship, and everything else deals in some or other way with the breaking and restoration of that relationship.
 
As salvation history, Biblical history is
¤ about God and his actions in human history. Behind all the colourful characters stands the main Character, and without Him none of the narratives are worth anything.
¤ revelation – it is history revealed to us, not thought out by us.
¤ progressive – it plays out in time, with gradual historical development, always with a specific goal in mind.
¤ selective – as we have seen in Unit 5, it is a highly selective history, giving us everything we need "for a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3). (Not to satisfy our curiosity!)
¤ purpose-driven – Biblical history is more that just facts, it is facts given with a specific goal in mind. In the words of Moses, there are some secret things we will probably never know, The apostle Paul confirms this in Romans 15:4:
What we need to know has been recorded and preserved through the ages, with the expectation that it will be applied to daily life.
 
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A Roadmap

If we are going to cover thousands of years of history, it will not be a proper study, more like a quick flyby. Here is a basic roadmap of the Biblical version of human history, up to the first century AD, which we will dissect further as we go. [1]
 
Whenever you feel lost, come back to the map!
 

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BASIC OUTLINE OF BIBLICAL HISTORY

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DATES (All dates are approximately)	PERIOD	DESCRIPTION
OLD TESTAMENT
? - 2166 BC	Pre-history	Creation, Flood, Repopulation of Earth, Babel
2166 - 1805 BC	The Patriarchs	Abraham to the death of Joseph
1805 - 1406 BC	Birth of Israel	Slavery in Egypt, Exodus, Law given at Sinai, Wilderness Wanderings, death of Moses,
1406 -1043 BC	Beginnings in Canaan	Conquest under Joshua, Judges
1043 - 931 BC	United Monarchy	Saul, David, Solomon, kingdom divided
931 BC - 722 BC	Northern Kingdom (Israel)	From kingdom divided to Assyrian captivity, Israel cease to exist
931 BC - 586 BC	Southern Kingdom (Judah)	Kingdom divided to Babylonian Captivity
586 BC - 537 BC	Babylonian captivity of Judah	Fall of Jerusalem to the proclamation of Cyrus
537 BC - 430 BC	Return and rebuilding	Return of the Exiles, renewal of the covenant, rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, upo to the time of Malachi
430 BC - 5 BC	Inter-Testamental Period	"The Silent Years" with no prophets, political upheavals
NEW TESTAMENT
5 BC - AD 30	Time of Jesus	John the Baptist; birth, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus
AD 30 - AD 100	Early Church period	Pentecost to the death of the apostle John

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Pre-History

This is the part of Biblical history about which we know very little; at the same time it is the part igniting most controversy between Christians, and between Christians and non-believers.
 
Let's start with a simple question: how long was this period?
 
Using the genealogies in the first chapters of Genesis, some people say this period was 2000 years. Others, using the same genealogies interpreted differently, assert it was about 8000 years. And current cosmology declares it was more than 3 billion years...
 
We won't get involved in arguments about dates. Let's rather look at what happened during this period.
 
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Creation:
 
The first major event, setting everything else in motion, was creation. The Bible doesn't tell us when or why or how the universe and our planet was created, it tells us that God created everything (including humans) and gave certain responsibilities and authority to humanity.
 
Also, how long Adam and Eve lived in Eden before disobeying God and falling into sin, we do not know. Speculation will be just that, but I doubt the tempter would have approached them the day after God made them.
 
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The Fall
 
The second momentous event was the Fall, when humans disobeyed God and fell into sin. We've lived with the results of that ever since, but right there, even before banishing them from Eden, God gave the first promise of someone who would open a way back to God for the human race. It's fuzzy, open to interpretation, but it was a promise from God that the evil that came into the world will be dealt with one day. It was the beginning of the revelation of God's plan to reconnect God and humanity, God's testament [2] to humanity, and already two key elements of the promise are clear:
(Note that the offspring who would crush the serpent's head is specified by God as "hers" - the woman's offspring - fulfilled in the virgin birth of Jesus.)
 
From there things went downhill fast, as humanity's rebellion against God got worse and worse. About the only good news here is that in the time of Seth (Adam's third son) and his son Enosh, "people began to call on the name of the Lord" (Gen 4:26).
 
During this primeval period revelation occured on a simple, person-to-person basis; God met men almost as if He was another man, and the content of His verbal revelations related to His plans and actions, and expectations of humanity's conduct.
 
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The Flood
 
Eventually And so came the Flood, wiping out everything, and God started anew with Noah and his family.
 
But this second start was not a reset to the original creation. God again instructed Noah and his family to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth", but He also announced another major change in the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation, a process started as a result of the Fall:
 
¤ After the Fall, humans' original relationship to the soil and the plants growing from it changed dramatically as God pronounced a curse on it:
¤ Now, after the flood, our relationship with animals also changed:
But with the extension of judgement also came more revelation of God's testament, to be extended to the new human beginning: The promise of no destruction was indeed limited to universal flooding, but in time it became proverbial for God's redemptive protection of His own. And once again we see two crucial elements:
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Babel
 
The Flood was a major event barely survived by humanity, and yet we immediately got going on the old pattern of disobedience and rebellion. Instead of spreading out and "filling the earth", Noah's descendants said God stepped in, confused their language, and finally the different language groups scattered "from there all over the earth"
 
We have spent a lot of time on this obscure period in human history, because every major strand in the Biblical narrative traces back to the events described in the first ten-and-a half chapters of Genesis.
( Doctrines linked to pre-history )
 
Without the history contained in these few chapters, neither the Bible nor the state we find ourselves in, would make any sense. And the fact that we do not know how to interpret much of the narrative, and we have no archaeological evidence for or against it, doesn't change the fact that the Bible presents these events to us as real history involving real people in earth-shattering events. It happened, and we still live with its fallout.
 
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The Patriarchs

Now we are getting into more familiar territory. From here on it it also much easier to date events and individuals, although you will probably not be surprised to hear that there are still uncertainty and disagreements!
 
Part of the reason for that is the way the ancients approached dating of events. Remember there were no "BC" and "AD" to link to, so dating was linked to individuals and/or generations and/or events. That's why we often read "in the days of..." or something similar – in which case we first have to date "the days of", before we can attempt to date the event in question relative to "the days".
 
With the patriarchs came a major change in God's dealings with humanity. Up to this point He has dealt with the human race as a whole, but after Babel and the dispersion of the various language groups, God zeroes in on one man and the nation that would come from Him. He gives promises to Abraham and makes a covenant with him, taking care of his descendants and confirming the covenant and promises to them. From them would come the One who will bring reconciliation between God and humanity.
 
In this period revelation is not as casual as earlier, and it is restricted to God's chosen recipients (the patriarchs) and those associated with Him. The characteristic form of revelation is now the "theophany", the visible appearance of God to the chosen. How exactly it happened, we don't know, but its reality is attested by the patriarchs erecting altars after such appearances. They knew they have met with God Himself, and they responded.
 
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From the Flood to Abraham
 
The post-flood history starts off with a genealogy, once again covering an uncertain length of time. Depending on the translation and interpretation of one recurring word, it could have been just over 300 years, or more than 2500 years!
 
But from the time of Abraham, dates can often be linked to extra-Biblical records (which are also sometimes difficult to date!), and therefore we are reasonably sure that Abraham was born in 2166 BC in "Ur of the Chaldeans" (Gen 11: 27 - 28). Their family later moved to Harran, and after God called him, 75-year old Abraham and his nephew Lot moved to Canaan.
 
What the text doesn't tell us explicitly, is how big a change that was for Abraham: born in one of the most technologically advanced cities of his day, he moved to an unknown land to become a nomadic livestock farmer. Simply because of an instruction and a promise from God:
Unlike today, leaving his people and his father's household was a big decision in those days, especially as he was the firstborn son. But he trusted God on the basis of His promise, a promise with three distanct aspects, and three distinct fulfillments:

A promise like this needed confirmation, and in Genesis 15 God formally ratified his covenant with Abraham in a ceremony that seems very strange to us today, but that was how covenants were sealed in those days: this act mirrors a common covenant-making practice of the time known as a suzerain-vassal treaty. Such treaties were agreements between a greater party (the suzerain) and a lesser party (the vassal), symbolizing mutual obligations. In these ancient rituals, the divided animals represented a powerful visual and symbolic statement. By walking between the pieces, the parties essentially invoked a curse upon themselves: "May I be cut in half like these animals if I break this covenant". (The covenant ratification in Genesis 15 aligns with what we know about similar rituals in Mesopotamian and Hittite cultures - more here. ). Breaking a covenant like this meant death to the guilty party.

What made this "covenant" radically different is that only God passes between the animal halves: taking on Himself the penalty for any breaking of the "covenant" by both parties. God, who kept His promise, taking on Himself the penalty for Israel's covenant breaking, and finally for that of the whole world!
 
It was indeed a continuation of God's central testament to humanity: once again God takes the initiative, and once again it involves the shedding of blood, but then God adds a crucial element element of the testament, when He alone passes through the animal halves, identifying Himself as the Testator whose death will put the testament into effect. (We will discuss this in detail in later sections; for now, notice how this expression of the testament points directly to the death of Jesus, and salvation and blessing through His sacrifice.)
 
Even as He was fulfilling His personal promise to Abraham, and later to his decendants, God had His eye on what Paul calls "the fulness of time", when He would reveal "the mystery of His will...(which is)...to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ" (Eph 1:9 & 10), and open the blessing given to Abraham to all who would believe. (See the box on the left for more.)
 
After receiving the initial promises, a famine gets Abraham to Egypt and the infamous incident with Pharaoah, then he gets back to Canaan and successfully fights a war on Lot's behalf, after which he is blessed by Melchisedek.
 
God affirms the descendants promise covenant, and establishes circumcision as the sign of this covenant. He also renames Abram "Abraham", meaning "father of many nations", and Sarai "Sarah".
 
God visits Abraham in the form of three visitors and promises the birth of Isaac. He also reveals the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham intercedes for the cities, but only Lot's family is spared.
 
In spite of God's awesome covenant with Abraham, both Abraham and Sarah still laugh when God promised them a child! At Sarah's insistence Abraham fathers a child with her slave Hagar, creating problems that last to this day. A year after, when Abraham is 100 years old, Isaac is born and, once again at the insistence of Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael is sent away. Then comes what is known as "The Binding of Isaac", where Abraham is tested by God and commanded to sacrifice Isaac, though the sacrifice is ultimately halted by divine intervention.
 
At the age of 127 Sarah dies and is buried in the cave at Machpelah, which Abraham buys as a family tomb.
 
Abraham arranges Isaac's marriage to Rebekah to ensure the continuation of God's covenant, marries Keturah, and has additional children. Thirty-five years later Abraham dies at the age of 175, and is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.
 
The life of Abraham is a remarkable journey of faith, obedience, and covenant, demonstrating that faith, despite human imperfection, can lead to extraordinary fulfillment of God's purposes. He begins as an ordinary man but becomes the father of nations through his trust in God's promises. Despite moments of doubt, such as his deceit in Egypt and his attempt to fulfill God's promise through Hagar, Abraham consistently responds to God's call with faith and action.
 
His willingness to sacrifice Isaac illustrates his unwavering trust in God, making him a model of faith to all generations. Abraham's greatest legacy lies in the covenant God establishes through him, promising blessings for all nations and a relationship with God open to all of humanity.
 
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Isaac
 
Isaac's life is almost like catching a breath between the drama of Abraham and the scheming of Jacob. His life is less dynamic than theirs, and is often seen as a bridge between Abraham and Jacob, symbolizing continuity of God's covenant.
 
He is notable for being the child of promise, born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, fulfilling God's promise. He is named "Isaac", meaning "laughter", reflecting Sarah and Abraham's laughter at the promise of his birth. As a child he is nearly sacrificed by Abraham, but is spared when God intervenes.
 
After Sarah's death, Abraham sends a servant to find a wife for Isaac. Rebekah is chosen and brought back to Canaan, where Isaac marries her. After Isaac prays for her barrenness, Rebekah gives birth to twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Isaac favors Esau, a hunter, while Rebekah favors Jacob, resulting in a lot of tension in the family.
 
During a famine, Isaac moves to Gerar and interacts with the Philistines, where he pretends Rebekah is his sister out of fear for his safety. He prospers in Gerar, but disputes over wells with the Philistines force him to relocate multiple times before securing peace.
 
In his old age, Isaac intends to bless Esau, his firstborn, but is deceived by Jacob, who pretends to be Esau and receives the blessing. This act shifts the covenantal promise to Jacob and his descendants, and causes Jacob to flee to his uncle in Paddan-Aram. Isaac lives to see Jacob and Esau reconcile after years of estrangement. He dies at the age of 180 and is buried by his sons in the family tomb at Machpelah.
 
Isaac lived a relatively peaceful existence, re-digging his father's wells, and renewing the covenant with God. His interactions with the Philistines over land and water rights demonstrated his role as a stabilizing figure, emphasizing perseverance and faith in God's provision.
He is a figure of obedience and quiet faith, lacking the boldness of Abraham or the cunning of Jacob, but his steadiness and faithfulness contributed significantly to the unfolding of God's overall plan.
 
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Jacob
 
Jacob's life almost reads like a movie script. It is a story of struggle, transformation, and divine blessing. He begins as a cunning and self-serving individual, scheming to obtain the birthright and blessing. Over time, through hardships and divine encounters, Jacob matures into a man of faith and humility.
 
He is born the younger of twin sons to Isaac and Rebekah, grasping Esau's heel, symbolizing his future struggle for supremacy (Genesis 25:24-26). Before their birth Rebekah receives a prophecy that "the older will serve the younger".
 
Jacob persuades Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew, showing his opportunistic nature. Later, with Rebekah's help, Jacob deceives Isaac into giving him the blessing meant for Esau, sparking Esau's anger and forcing Jacob to flee to his uncle Laban. On the way he dreams of a ladder to heaven, makes a promise to God, and receives God's promise of blessing.
 
Jacob falls in love with Rachel but is tricked into marrying her sister Leah first, and eventually works for Laban for 14 years in return for marrying both sisters. Jacob fathered twelve sons and a daughter through Leah, Rachel, and their maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah, forming the foundation of the tribes of Israel.
 
Jacob prospers through clever breeding of livestock, leading to tension with Laban. He secretly leaves Haran with his family and possessions. Laban pursues him, but they reconcile and make a covenant of peace
 
On his way back to Canaan, dreading his brother Esau's reaction, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious being (God), earning the name "Israel", meaning "he struggles with God". This marks a turning point, symbolizing his spiritual growth and the fulfillment of his role in God's plan. Jacob meets Esau and is surprised by Esau's forgiveness, leading to a peaceful reunion.
 
But Jacob is never far from drama.
In Canaan his daughter Dinah is assaulted, and his sons take revenge on Shechem, causing Jacob to move to Bethel, where he built an altar and fulfilled the promise made while fleeing to Laban. There God also renews the covenant with him.
His favorite son, Joseph, is sold into slavery by his brothers, causing years of grief.
 
In old age, Jacob moves to Egypt after learning Joseph is alive and thriving. He blesses his sons and dies there at 147, requesting to be buried in Canaan.
 
Jacobs relationships are marked by conflict – with Esau, Laban, and even his own children – yet reconciliation and restoration often follow. As the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, Jacob's legacy is foundational to the history of Israel and its covenantal identity. Despite his flaws, Jacob's life demonstrates God's ability to use imperfect individuals to achieve His purposes.
 
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Joseph
 
Strictly speaking Joseph is not a patriarch of the whole nation of Israel, but without his achievements in Egypt and subsequent saving of his family from starvation, there probably would not have been a nation of Israel. Therefore we normally include him as one of the Patriarchs, the "founding fathers" of the nation of Israel
 
Reading his life story, one can only marvel how "in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).
 
He is the eleventh son of Jacob and the firstborn of Rachel, favored by his father, symbolized by a richly ornamented coat, which angers his brothers. On top of that, he tells his brothers about his dreams indicating his future supremacy over his family, which angers his brothers even more.
 
Jealous of him, they recognise a good opportunity and sell him to Midianite traders, who take him to Egypt. They deceive Jacob by presenting Joseph's coat stained with goat's blood, leading him to believe Joseph is dead.
 
In Egypt, Joseph is sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Due to his diligence and integrity he rises to prominence in Potiphars household. Potiphar's wife develops a crush on Joseph, and when he resisted her advances she falsely accuses him of attempted assault. Despite his innocence, he ends up in prison.
 
In prison, Joseph earns the trust of the warden and interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, accurately predicting their futures. The baker is executed, the cupbearer is restored to his position and forgets about Joseph. Two years later, Pharaoh has troubling dreams, and the cupbearer recalls Joseph's ability to interpret them. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams as foretelling seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, and advises him on a course of action. Pharaoh appoints Joseph as vizier, second only to Pharaoh, to manage the preparation for the famine.
 
During the famine, Jacob sends Joseph's brothers to Egypt seeking food. They don't recognise Joseph, and he tests their character by accusing them of being spies and demanding they bring Benjamin, their youngest brother. Eventually Jacob has to relent and allow them to go back with Benjamin. After further testing, Joseph reveals his identity, forgiving them and explaining that God used their actions for a greater purpose.
 
With the blessing of Pharoah Joseph invites Jacob and his entire family to Egypt and help them settle in a prime spot, providing for them during the famine.
 
He lives to see his family prosper in Egypt. Before his death, he reassures his brothers of his forgiveness and asks that his bones be taken to Canaan when God fulfills His promise to return Israel to the Promised Land.
 
Joseph's life is a powerful story of resilience, faith, and God's providence. Despite betrayal and suffering, Joseph remains faithful, demonstrating integrity in Potiphar's house, patience in prison, and wisdom in Pharaoh's court. Joseph's life demonstrates how personal trials can contribute to divine purposes far beyond individual circumstances. His story also foreshadows themes of redemption and salvation, as he becomes the means through which his family and countless others are saved from famine.
 
Full historical timeline of the Patriarchs
 
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In Summary

In this stretch of history two trends stand out clearly in God's dealings with humanity:
 

 
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