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House of Shem

From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

The House of Shem consists of the descendants of Shem in direct line to Terah, father of Abraham.

1 The Synoptic table
2 Chronological placement
3 Life spans
4 Meanings of the names
5 References
6 See Also

The Synoptic table

This synoptic table lists all the members of the House of Shem, from Genesis 11:10-25 .

Name	Born	Age of parenthood	Life span	Died	Name means	Authority
Shem	24 June 2446 BC24 June 2446 BC 30 Sivan 1315 H 1 Tammuz 1558 AM	100 yr	600 yr7,420.96 mon 219,145.319 da	21 June 1846 BC21 June 1846 BC 1 Tammuz 1915 H 1 Tammuz 2158 AM	renown, prosperity, name	Genesis 11:10-11
Arpachshad	29 June 2346 BC29 June 2346 BC 2 Tammuz 1415 H 1 Tammuz 1658 AM	35 yr	438 yr5,417.301 mon 159,976.083 da	15 July 1908 BC15 July 1908 BC 2 Av 1853 H 1 Tammuz 2096 AM	healer, releaser	Genesis 11:12-13
Salah	1 July 2311 BC1 July 2311 BC 1 Tammuz 1450 H 1 Tammuz 1693 AM	30 yr	433 yr5,355.46 mon 158,149.872 da	14 July 1878 BC14 July 1878 BC 1 Av 1883 H 1 Tammuz 2126 AM	mission, sending	Genesis 11:14-15
Eber	29 June 2281 BC29 June 2281 BC 2 Tammuz 1480 H 1 Tammuz 1723 AM	34 yr	464 yr5,738.876 mon 169,472.38 da	29 June 1817 BC29 June 1817 BC 1 Tammuz 1944 H 1 Tammuz 2187 AM	one that passes, anger	Genesis 11:16-17
Peleg	14 July 2247 BC14 July 2247 BC 2 Av 1514 H 1 Tammuz 1757 AM	30 yr	239 yr2,956.016 mon 87,292.886 da	11 July 2008 BC11 July 2008 BC 2 Av 1753 H 1 Tammuz 1996 AM	division	Genesis 11:18-19
Reu	12 July 2217 BC12 July 2217 BC 3 Av 1544 H 1 Tammuz 1787 AM	32 yr	239 yr2,956.016 mon 87,292.886 da	10 July 1978 BC10 July 1978 BC 1 Av 1783 H 1 Tammuz 2026 AM	his friend, his shepherd	Genesis 11:20-21
Serug	18 July 2185 BC18 July 2185 BC 3 Av 1576 H 1 Tammuz 1819 AM	30 yr	230 yr2,844.701 mon 84,005.706 da	26 June 1955 BC26 June 1955 BC 2 Tammuz 1806 H 1 Tammuz 2049 AM	branch, layer, twining	Genesis 11:22-23
Nahor the Elder	17 July 2155 BC17 July 2155 BC 3 Av 1606 H 1 Tammuz 1849 AM	29 yr	148 yr1,830.504 mon 54,055.845 da	30 June 2007 BC30 June 2007 BC 30 Sivan 1754 H 1 Tammuz 1997 AM	hoarse, dry, hot	Genesis 11:24-25
Terah	26 June 2126 BC26 June 2126 BC 1 Tammuz 1635 H 1 Tammuz 1878 AM	70 yr	205 yr2,535.495 mon 74,874.651 da	18 September 1922 BC18 September 1922 BC 2 Tishrei 1840 H 1 Eitanim 2083 AM	breathe, scent, blow	Genesis 11:26-32

Chronological placement

Main Article: Biblical chronology dispute

The beginning anchor event of this chronology is settled: it is the global flood. The ending anchor point is disputed. At issue is whether Terah was 70 years old when he begat Abraham, or 70 years old when he began begetting his three named sons. James Ussher (The Annals of the World) and his editor Larry Pierce state that Terah was in fact 130 years old when he became the father of Abraham, because the Bible described Terah's death ahead of Abraham's departure for Canaan.^[1] Jones, in The Chronology of the New Testament, agrees.^[2] The testimony given by Stephen to the Sanhedrin provides further support.^[3] Other commentators cite the Seder Olam, which assumes that Terah was 70 years old; they reconcile the apparent discrepancy by saying that the "death" of Terah in Haran was spiritual, and the physical death would not follow until sixty years later.

Life spans

In the earlier generations of Adam, the average life span of each of the patriarchs was more than 900 years. Suddenly, in one generation (from Noah to Shem), it decreased by one-third. In eight more generations, the life span of man declined by more than seventy-five percent—and it declined further throughout the line of Abraham, this although the Hebrews generally lived longer than did members of other races.

Meanings of the names

Dean Thomas Coombs has suggested a possible meaning of the names of the House of Shem, in their birth order. To do this, he takes an alternate meaning of the name of Arpachshad: stronghold of Babylon, or Babel as it was likely then known. The names would then make two whole sentences, thus:

“

The renown of the stronghold of Babylon shall extend like a plant past the region of division. A friend branches out, snorting with fury!

”

^[4] Or literally, "with (heavy) breathing."

The name Peleg does stand for "division," and the assumption, common to Ussher and others, is that the Tower of Babel Incident took place during his life. The names Reu and Serug ("shepherd" and "branch") both presage Jesus Christ, because both of these are alternate Names for Him. Finally, the book of Revelation is mostly a story of the rise (again) and fall of Babylon and the outpouring of the Wrath of God.

References

↑ Ussher, James. The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003, pghh. 64, 71
↑ Jones, Floyd N. The Chronology of the New Testament, Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2004 (ISBN 9780890514160), pp. 25, 259 and Charts 1 and 6
↑ Acts 7:4
↑ Coombs, Dean Thomas. "Meaning of names: genealogy of Adam to Abraham." Bible Codes. Accessed December 25, 2007.