J. A. Moorman - Pastor: Jack Moorman

CHAPTER 1: SEVEN CHRONOLOGIES COMPARED
1. JAMES USSHER
The learned Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland and opponent of Romanism produced his great
chronological work the Annals of the World in 1658. His dates were slightly revised by William
Lloyd in 1701 and thereafter appeared in the margins of many printings of the Authorized
Version. With one or two exceptions (see Anstey p.48) he adhered firmly to the text of
Scripture, and took none of the liberties that some later chronologists have.
Ussher believed the 480 years of I Kings 6:1 to be an absolute figure and that the reigns of some
of the judges overlapped. For the most part, he accepted Ptolemy's Canon for the captivities to
Christ, but did not address the Scriptural problems that this entails. He is apparently the first to
calculate that Terah was 130 rather than 70 at the birth of Abraham. These principal
considerations resulted in the famous 4004 BC date for Creation.
Unless compelled by alternative evidence - and some of the evidence appears to be compelling -
it is always best to stay with Ussher.
A modern counterpart who comes independently to most of Ussher's conclusions and to whom
we will refer frequently is -
2. FLOYD JONES
Floyd Jones is a fervent Biblicist. His huge work with elaborate charts is one of the very best
chronological sources we have today. 3 It is a rare combination of fidelity to the Authorized
Version and scholarly attention to historical detail. Yet in accepting the 480 years of I Kings 6:1
as an absolute figure, even he has to take some measures that I doubt he is comfortable with.
When over 600 years of data are squeezed into 480 years, something has to give ! Jones is
forced to place an unnatural strain and interpretation on the AV wording in Judges 3:30 and
Acts 13:17-22, and proposes a number of overlaps to reduce the 450 years (Acts 13:20) to 299
years. 4
Regarding the second major divide, Floyd Jones basically accepts Ptolemy's chronology for the
period from Cyrus to Christ, and argues against the opposing views of Anstey and Bullinger. In
contrast to many others, he addresses at length the question of how Neh. 10 and 12 can be
reconciled to Ptolemy's dates. That is, how could Nehemiah in Artaxerxes' 20th year (445 BC)
build the walls and seal the covenant with at least 16 priests and Levites who returned from the
captivity in 536 BC?
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