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The Patriarchs (also known as the Avot in Hebrew) according to the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Collectively, they are referred to as the three patriarchs (shloshet ha-avot) of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal period.
Their primary wives – Sarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac), and Leah and Rachel (the wives of Jacob) – are known as the Matriarchs.
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The Patriarchs (also known as the Avot in Hebrew) according to the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Collectively, they are referred to as the three patriarchs (shloshet ha-avot) of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal period.
Their primary wives – Sarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac), and Leah and Rachel (the wives of Jacob) – are known as the Matriarchs. Thus, classical Judaism considers itself to have three patriarchs and four matriarchs.
Other uses
In the New Testament, King David is referred to as a patriarch, as are Jacob's twelve sons THESE ancestors of the Twelve tribes of Israel).
In addition, the title patriarch is often applied to the ten antediluvian figures Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. According to the Book of Genesis, these ten men are the ancestors of the entire human race. Moses and Joseph are also known as patriarchs.
The Testament of the Twelves Patriarch (in French): http://www3.sympatico.ca/jjosianelegrand/index_fichiers/Le_Testament_des_Douze_Patriarches.htm
Ages of the Patriarchs
In the conventional reading of the Bible, these are the lifetimes given.
Adam 930; Seth 912; Enosh 905; Kenan 910; Mahalalel 895; Jared 962; Enoch 365 (did not die, but was taken away by God); Methuselah 969; Lamech 777; Noah 950.
However, as well as being much greater than human lifetimes today, they cause problems of chronology for Bible scholars, as the following quotation shows.
“The long lives ascribed to the patriarchs cause remarkable synchronisms and duplications. Adam lived to see the birth of Lamech, the ninth member of the genealogy; Seth lived to see the translation of Enoch and died shortly before the birth of Noah. Noah outlived Abram’s grandfather, Nahor, and died in Abram’s sixtieth year. Shem, Noah’s son, even outlived Abram. He was still alive when Esau and Jacob were born!”
Alternative readings and discussion of the ages are given under Methuselah.
Genesis 5
These two tables and figure are a graphical depiction of the genealogy of Genesis 5, assuming that the pre-Flood patriarchs were all in father-son relationships.
Table 1: Age of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
| | Age at | |
|---|
| Name | Birth of Son(a) | Death | Refs. |
|---|
| Adam | 130 | 930 | Gn 5:3,5 | | Seth | 105 | 912 | Gn 5:6,8 | | Enosh | 90 | 905 | Gn 5:9,11 | | Kenan | 70 | 910 | Gn 5:12,14 | | Mahalalel | 65 | 895 | Gn 5:15,17 | | Jared | 162 | 962 | Gn 5:18,20 | | Enoch | 65 | 365(b) | Gn 5:21,23 | | Methuselah | 187 | 969 | Gn 5:25,27 | | Lamech | 182 | 777 | Gn 5:28,31 | | Noah | 500 | 950 | Gn 5:32; 9:29 |
Notes:
Assuming that the relationships are all father to son, which is
doubtful (see for example Green W.H., "Primeval Chronology,"
Bibliotheca Sacra, April, 1890, pp. 285-303).
Enoch did not die, but "God took him" (Gn 5:24).
Table 2: Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
| Year(a) |
|---|
| Name | Born | Son(a) | Died |
|---|
| Adam | 0 | 130 | 930 | | Seth | 130 | 235 | 1042 | | Enosh | 235 | 325 | 1140 | | Kenan | 325 | 395 | 1235 | | Mahalalel | 395 | 460 | 1290 | | Jared | 460 | 622 | 1422 | | Enoch | 622 | 687 | 987 | | Methuselah | 687 | 874 | 1656 | | Lamech | 874 | 1056 | 1651 | | Noah | 1056 | 1556 | 2006 |
Notes:
See note (a), Table 1 above.
See note (b), Table 1 above.
Figure 1: Timeline of Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
|....|....|....|....|....|
Adamxxxxxxxxxx
Seth xxxxxxxxx
Enosh xxxxxxxxxx
Kenan xxxxxxxxxx
Mahalalel xxxxxxxxxx
Jared xxxxxxxxxxx
Enoch xxxx
Methuselah xxxxxxxxxx
Lamech xxxxxxxx
Noah xxxxxxxxxxx
Notes:
See note (a), Table 1 above.
See note (b), Table 1 above.
Relation to other tribes
Many of the tribes living in the Middle East, between the time of Abraham and the time of Christ, have a genealogical connection to the Patriarchs or their descendants. This list, taken from the book of Genesis, gives the details of that genealogy.
- Ham, father of Canaan (Canaanites)
- Canaan, father of Sidon, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashities, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites
- Abram and Hagar, parents of Ishmael (Ishmaelites)
- Abram and Keturah, parents of Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian (Midianites), Ishbak, Shuah
- Nahor and Milcah, parents of Uz, Buz, Kemuel,Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel
- Kemuel, father of Aram (Arameans)
- Bethuel, father of Laban and Rebeccah
- Laban, father of Leah and Rachel
- Nahor and Reumah, parents of Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah
- Haran, father of Lot
- Lot and his older daughter, parents of Moab (Moabites)
- Lot and his younger daughter, parents of Ben-ammi (Ammonites)
- Isaac and Rebeccah, parents of Jacob, Esau (Edomites)
- Eliphaz and Timna, parents of Amalek (Amalekites)
- Jacob and Leah, parents of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
- Jacob and Rachel, parents of Joseph, Benjamin
- Jacob and Bilhah, parents of Dan, Naphtali
- Jacob and Zilpah, parents of Gad, Asher
The twelve tribes of Israel include ten of the sons of Jacob, (excluding Levi and Joseph) and the two sons of Joseph.
Family Tree of Certain Patriarchs Mentioned in the Book of Genesis
Matriarchs
The Matriarchs are four important women mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the wives of the Biblical Patriarchs. They are:
See also
External links
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