Age

Years From Creation:

Year BC

147

2186

1843BC

Jacob lived 147 years.
 

Gen 47:28
“And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty years.”
 

2315

1696BC

2298

1713BC

Gen 47:9
“So Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.’”

A little under half the book of Genesis is dedicated to the story of Jacob and his struggle with his brother Esau followed by the story of Jacob, his family and the trials they endure. This fact should not escape us because in these chapters we read of the struggle from birth of two brothers, followed by the birth of a nation. A nation that would bring salvation to the world through the birth of our Lord Jesus, through him the world would be reconciled to God (John 3:17).

Like Isaac his father, Jacob travelled to his grandfather’s (Abraham’s) home land, Ur of the Chaldeans to find his wife. Isaac his father sent him off, insisting that he not take a Canaan girl for a wife. See the notes on Isaac for more details on this.

Jacob met a girl called Rachel, the daughter of Laban, the brother of his mother. Apparently it was love at first sight, so he made an arrangement with Laban, Rachel’s father to work for him for seven years to earn the right to marry her (Gen 29:18). After the seven years were up, the wedding week of celebrations began (Gen 29:21-22).

On his wedding night Jacob slept with his wife, whom he believed to be Rachel the girl he chose and arranged to marry (Gen 29:23). The next morning when he awoke, he found that the girl he spent the night with was Leah, Laban’s older daughter. Of course Jacob went straight to Laban to enquire as to why he deceived him (Gen 29:25). Laban informed Jacob that it is customary to give the older daughter in marriage first (Gen 29:26), and this was the reason he deceived him.

Jacob then agreed to work another seven years for the right to marry Rachel (Gen 29:27). Laban allowed him to marry Rachel after Leah’s wedding week (Gen 29:28) was completed, but he was to work for Laban for another seven years (Gen 29:30). When Rachel got married her father (Laban) gave her a handmaid called Bilhah (Gen 29:29), Leah also was given a handmaid by her father (Laban) called Zilpah, when she married Jacob (Gen 29:24).
 

Genesis Chapter 29 Verses 32 to 35 tells us that Leah gave Jacob four sons, they were Reuben (his oldest, Gen 35:23), Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Genesis Chapter 30 starts with Rachel envying her sister (Leah), for she had not conceived a child to bear Jacob, Genesis Chapter 29 Verse 31 tells us that Rachel was barren.

To compete with her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her handmaid (Bilhah) to marry and bear her children (Gen 30:4), that is to bear Jacob children on her behalf. Bilhah had two sons to Jacob, the first was called Dan (Gen 30:6), and the second was called Naphtali (Gen 30:8).

Leah, Jacob’s first wife saw this and wanted to bear her husband another child, but her efforts appeared to be in vain (Gen 30:9). Jacob and Esau were born competing with each other, now Jacob’s first two wives (who were sisters) were competing for their husband’s affections and attention. So Leah gave Jacob her handmaid Zilpah to marry and bear children (Gen 30:9).

Leah’s handmaid Zilpah bore Jacob a son which Leah named Gad (Gen 30:11), then Zilpah had a second son which Leah called Asher (Gen 30:13).

Then Leah conceived and bore Jacob another son, she named him Issachar (Gen 30:18). Issachar was Leah’s fifth son (Gen 30:17). Leah conceived again and gave birth to another son her sixth (Gen 30:19), and she named him Zebulun (Gen 30:20). Leah then gave birth to a daughter called Dinah (Gen 30:21).

Jacob now had ten sons and one daughter, but God was not finished yet, as he opened Rachel’s womb (Gen 30:22) and she bore Jacob his eleventh son, called Joseph (Gen 30:24). Joseph became Jacobs’s favourite son, so much so that his brothers were jealous of him and plotted to kill him (Gen 37:18).

Jacob was led by God to return to the land God promised this father (Isaac) and his grandfather (Abraham). So he packed up his family and headed for Canaan; as with all things in Jacob’s life this was not without controversy as Laban his father in law pursued him (you can read the account of this in Gen Chapter 31).

When Jacob arrived in Canaan, God appeared to him, and changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Gen 35:10). The name that the nation he gave birth to would become known by.
 

Gen 35:10
“And God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.’”

After this Jacob and his family journeyed from Bethel towards Ephrath (later to be known as Bethlehem (Gen 35:19)). While they were still some distance from Ephrath Rachel went into labour, the Bible describes this as a severe labour (Gen 35:16 and 17).

Rachel gave birth to her second son and Jacob’s (now Israel) twelfth son; she named him Ben-oni (Gen 35:18). Unfortunately the severe labour was too much and Rachel died soon after naming her son (Gen 35 18). We are not told why, but Gen 35:18 ended with the statement that Jacob called his twelfth son Benjamin instead of Ben-oni.
 

Jacob now had twelve sons; Reuben (his first born (Gen 35:23)), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun all born to his wife Leah (his first wife) (Gen 35:23). Then Joseph, and Benjamin, born to Rachel (Gen 35:24). Then Dan, and Naphtali, born to Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid (Gen 35:25). Last but not least, Gad, and Asher, born to Zilpah Leah’s handmaid (Gen 35: 26).

The names of these twelve sons would become the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The descendants of these twelve sons would become a nation. Through the trials and tribulation of this family a nation was born, that God promised Abraham would one day be a great nation. It is important that you and I as part of the Church remember that, there is no salvation for the Gentile nations without Israel, and there is no salvation for Israel without the Gentiles.

Without Israel, Jesus Christ could not have been born, without the birth of Christ the Gentiles could not have reconciled to God. Without the Gentiles, God could not fulfil His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s plan was always to redeem all nations of the world not just one nation.

As time went on, a serve famine hits the land of Canaan, and Jacob and his household were forced to move to Egypt to find food. Jacob was 130 years old when he and his household moved to Egypt (Gen 47:9). By this time Jacob’s family had now grown to 70 in number.

Gen 46:26-27
“(v26) All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty six persons in all, (v27) and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt, were seventy.”
 

Age

Years From Creation:

Year BC

110

2259

1752BC

Joseph lived 110 years.

Gen 50:22
“Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s house-hold, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.”

And

Gen 50:26
“So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.”

This section of our timeline gives us our first real problem to solve. The Bible does not give us the age of Jacob when any of his children were born, and with the exception of Levi, and Joseph we are not told how old Jacob’s children were when they died. To make this even more difficult, we are not told how old Jacob’s children were when their children were born. In fact, as time goes on we are only told the names of each generation’s children.

For example, the Bible does not tell us how old Jacob was when Joseph was born, but we can calculate this from other facts that the Bible does give us.

So, what do we know?

We know Joseph was 110 when he died (Gen 50:22 and 26),
 

2276

1735BC

This may tell us how old Joseph was when he was pulled from the pit where his brothers had placed him, by some Midianite traders (Gen 37: 28). Genesis 37:28 goes on to tell us that Joseph was sold to some Ishmaelites (descendants of Abrahams first son Ishmael) for twenty shekels of silver. The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard (Gen 37:36).

After planning to kill him, then deciding to leave him in a pit for the Midianite traders to find, his brothers took Joseph’s coat or tunic; they killed a goat, and dipped Joseph’s tunic in the goat’s blood (Gen 37:31). Joseph’s father (Jacob) had specially made the coat or tunic for his favourite son (Gen 37:3). Here is a lesson for all parents, not to favour one child over the other children in the family, it will only lead to division in the family, jealousy, envy, deception, and perhaps even murder or attempted murder.  Joseph’s brothers returned home to their father, and asked him to identify the coat. Jacob confirmed that the coat belonged to his son Joseph (Gen 37:32 and 33).

Joseph had been imprisoned for some years when at the age of 28 years old he interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and the chief baker. A few days later the cupbearer was released from prison and the chief baker was put to death.

One of Josephs many gifts was his God given ability to interpret dreams, both his own and the dreams of others. Joseph interpreted the chief baker’s dream while in prison (Gen 40:12 and 13), the interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream is recorded in Gen 40:18 and 19. After interpreting the chief bakers and the cupbearers dream Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him to Pharaoh, but when the interpretation of the dream was fulfilled the chief cupbearer forgot Joseph (Gen 40:23).

How do we know Joseph was 28 when these events took place? We know that two years later Pharaoh had a dream, and sent for all the wise men and magicians of Egypt (Gen 41:8). But not one of them was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream (Gen 41:8). Suddenly the cupbearer’s memory was jogged and he told Pharaoh about Joseph who wais still in prison (Gen 41:9-13). Pharaoh sent for Joseph (Gen 41:14) immediately, Joseph was bought before Pharaoh. Pharaoh then told Joseph about his dream (Gen 41:17-24).

Joseph told Pharaoh that it is not within him to interpret his dream, but God would give Pharaoh a favourable answer (Gen 41:16). Whenever God gives a person such a visibly dynamic and seemingly powerful gift, a sign of the maturity of the gift is the humility of the person it is given to. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to Gods people, the Holy Spirit uses the gifts he has imparted to work God’s will, without him we are nothing, and can do nothing. The greater the gift the greater the humility required.

Joseph successfully interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, he told Pharaoh, that there would be seven good years where food would be plentiful, followed by seven years of famine (Gen 41:29 and 30).

Gen 41:29-30
“(v29) Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; (v30) and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt and the famine will ravage the land.”

After this Pharaoh appointed Joseph ruler of Egypt second only to himself, Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name “Zaphenath-paneah” (Gen 41:45), and a wife. Gen 41:46 tells us that Joseph was 30 years old when he appeared before Pharaoh for the first time.

Gen 41:46
“Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt.”

So how do we know Joseph was 28 years old when he interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer, and chief baker while in prison? Because Joseph was 30 years old when he appeared before Pharaoh (Gen 41:46): this event occurs two years after Joseph interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and chief baker (Gen 41:1), while in prison.
Thus, 30 years – 2 years = 28 years old.

During the seven years of plenty Joseph had two sons, the first he named Manasseh (Gen 41:51), and the second Ephraim (Gen 41:52). The famine had spread to the land of Canaan and Jacob and his household were running out of food, so Jacob sent his sons (all except Benjamin (Gen 42:4)) to Egypt to buy food.

Gen 42:2
“And he said, ‘Behold I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some food for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.’”

The brothers arrived in Egypt, and found themselves before their brother Joseph. Joseph recognized them and disguised himself so they would not recognize him (Gen 42:7). The brothers bought food and returned home to their father, but Joseph kept Simeon in Egypt telling the brothers that they must return with their youngest brother Benjamin (Gen 42:15, Gen 42: 24).

When the brothers arrived back in Canaan they told their father Jacob all that had happened to them in Egypt (Gen 42:29). Gen 43:1 tells us that the famine was severe, and the food they bought back from Egypt was soon gone. When Jacob sent his sons back to Egypt to buy more food; he reluctantly agreed to let Benjamin go with his older brothers (Gen 43:15).

After some time Joseph revealed himself to his brothers (Gen 45:1-3). Joseph told his brothers that the famine was 2 years old, with 5 years still to go.

Genesis 45:6
“For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there is still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.”

Joseph instructed his brothers to return home to the land of Canaan, and come back with their father and his household. He told them that he will provide for them, for there were still five years of the famine to go (Gen 45:11). He also told them that they must tell his father of “all my splendour in Egypt, and all that you have seen” (Gen 45:13).
 

Gen 45:13
“Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.”

As we read on in Genesis Chapter 45 we read.

Gen 45:16-20
“(v16) Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. (v17) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brother’s, do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, (v18) and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ (v19) ‘Now you are ordered, do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your father and come. (v20) And do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

Genesis 45:6 and 11 gives us a very important piece of information. We know that Joseph was 30 years old when he first stood before Pharaoh. If the seven good years began straight away then Joseph would now be 39 years old.

Thus, 30 + 7 good years + 2 years of famine = 39 year old.
All we need to do is fix this information to a known point on our timeline.

After hearing all the events that happened in Egypt, Jacob (now Israel) wanted to go and see his son, the son he thought was dead. To add weight to this God spoke to Israel (Jacob), and told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt for He will make them into a great nation (Gen 46:2-3).

Gen 46:2-3
“(v2) And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ (v3) And He said, ‘I am the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.’”

So Jacob moved his family from Beersheba in Canaan to Egypt.
 

Gen 46:5-7
“(v5) Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. (v6) And they took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: (v7) his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he bought with him to Egypt.”

Jacob was an old man of 130 years, when he came to Egypt. When he arrived in Egypt he met Pharaoh who asked how old he is.
 

Gen 47:7-9
“(v7) Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. (v8) And Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many years have you lived?’
(v9) So Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.’”

Jacob was 130 years old when he arrived in Egypt. His sons had travelled from Egypt to Canaan and now he and all his family had travelled to Egypt to escape the famine that had engulfed Egypt and their home land, the land of Canaan. We are not told how long it took to make the journey from Egypt to Canaan, or Canaan to Egypt. It would have taken them several weeks to make the journey in either direction, but the trip from Egypt to Canaan and back to Egypt would have been completed in just a few months, therefore less than one year.

Thus, when Jacob was 130 years old, Joseph was 39 years old; this would make Jacob 91 years old when Joseph was born. Jacob was born 2168 years after creation, so Joseph was 2259 years after creation, 91 years later. Joseph dies when he is 110 years old or 2369 years after creation.

Age

Years From Creation:

Year BC

110

2259

1752BC

2369

1642BC

2289

1722BC

2289

1722BC

2296

1715BC

2289

1713BC

2303

1708BC

God told Abraham that the fourth generation after the children of Israel went into Egypt would again return to the land of Canaan.

Gen 15:16
“Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, four the inequity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”