Whole-Bible reference
Genealogy
Two views of the family line: the overlapping lifespans of the patriarchs from Adam to Joseph, and the genealogy of Jesus, which forks at David and comes back together in Christ.
Lifespans of the patriarchs and later figures
Major persons from Adam to Nehemiah, shown from birth to death on a single scale of years from creation (Anno Mundi). Scroll sideways to move through time; the thin lines drop from each father to his son at the year the son was born. Hover or tap a bar for details.
The patriarchs (Adam to Joseph) are placed by the exact ages in the Masoretic text (Genesis 5; 11; and the patriarchal accounts). Below the divider, the later figures (Moses through Nehemiah) are placed by approximate dates on the traditional chronology used across this site, since Scripture does not give their years in the same running total. Their bars mark a lifespan where an age is recorded, or a prophet's active ministry otherwise.
Anno Mundi = years from creation. Abraham’s birth follows the traditional harmonisation with Acts 7:4 (born when Terah was 130). Note how the early lifespans overlap: Methuselah dies the very year of the Flood (AM 1656), and Eber, ancestor of the Hebrews, outlives even Abraham. Dates for the later figures are approximate and some details of this chronology are debated.
View the figures as a table
| Person | Born (AM) | Died (AM) | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam | 0 | 930 | 930 | |
| Seth | 130 | 1042 | 912 | |
| Enosh | 235 | 1140 | 905 | |
| Kenan | 325 | 1235 | 910 | |
| Mahalalel | 395 | 1290 | 895 | |
| Jared | 460 | 1422 | 962 | |
| Enoch | 622 | taken up | 365 | Walked with God; taken up without dying (Gen 5:24). |
| Methuselah | 687 | 1656 | 969 | Longest life recorded; dies the year of the Flood. |
| Lamech | 874 | 1651 | 777 | |
| Noah | 1056 | 2006 | 950 | The Flood came in his 600th year (AM 1656). |
| Shem | 1558 | 2158 | 600 | Lived on into Abraham's lifetime. |
| Arphaxad | 1658 | 2096 | 438 | Born two years after the Flood. |
| Shelah | 1693 | 2126 | 433 | |
| Eber | 1723 | 2187 | 464 | Ancestor of the Hebrews; outlives Abraham. |
| Peleg | 1757 | 1996 | 239 | In his days the earth was divided (Gen 10:25). |
| Reu | 1787 | 2026 | 239 | |
| Serug | 1819 | 2049 | 230 | |
| Nahor | 1849 | 1997 | 148 | |
| Terah | 1878 | 2083 | 205 | Father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. |
| Abraham | 2008 | 2183 | 175 | Called from Haran; father of the covenant people. |
| Isaac | 2108 | 2288 | 180 | The child of promise. |
| Jacob | 2168 | 2315 | 147 | Renamed Israel; father of the twelve tribes. |
| Joseph | 2259 | 2369 | 110 | Preserved his family in Egypt. |
| Later major figures, approximate dates | ||||
| Moses | ~2648 | ~2768 | 120 | c. 1526–1406 BC. Led the Exodus; died on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:7). |
| Aaron | ~2645 | ~2767 | 123 | c. 1529–1407 BC. Israel's first high priest (Numbers 33:39). |
| Joshua | ~2674 | ~2784 | 110 | c. 1500–1390 BC. Led Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 24:29). |
| Samuel | ~3074 | ~3162 | 90 | c. 1100–1012 BC. The last judge; anointed Saul and David. Age approximate. |
| David | ~3134 | ~3204 | 70 | c. 1040–970 BC. Shepherd, king, and psalmist (2 Samuel 5:4). |
| Solomon | ~3183 | ~3243 | 60 | c. 991–931 BC. Built the temple; wrote much of the wisdom literature. Age approximate. |
| Elijah | ~3299 | taken up | unknown | c. 875–848 BC (ministry). Prophet to Israel; taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2). |
| Elisha | ~3322 | ~3377 | unknown | c. 852–797 BC (ministry). Succeeded Elijah with a double portion of his spirit. |
| Isaiah | ~3434 | ~3493 | unknown | c. 740–681 BC (ministry). Prophet of the Servant and the coming King. |
| Jeremiah | ~3547 | ~3592 | unknown | c. 627–582 BC (ministry). The weeping prophet of Judah's fall and the new covenant. |
| Daniel | ~3554 | ~3639 | 85 | c. 620–535 BC. Faithful through the Babylonian and Persian exile. Age approximate. |
| Nehemiah | ~3729 | ~3754 | unknown | c. 445–420 BC (ministry). Governor who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. |
The genealogy of Jesus
One line runs from Abraham down to King David, then forks. Matthew traces the royal, legal line of kings through Solomon down to Joseph; Luke traces the line through David’s son Nathan down to Heli, understood traditionally as the father of Mary. The two lines meet again in Jesus, Joseph’s legal son and Mary’s true son. Remarkably, both lists pass through Shealtiel and Zerubbabel before diverging again.
A traditional reading of the two Gospel genealogies (Matthew 1; Luke 3). Some names differ in spelling between translations, and the relationship of the two lists has long been discussed; this follows the common view that Luke records Mary’s lineage.