Era 3 of 13

The patriarchs

1921–1706 BC215 years

Genesis 12–46

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, until Jacob’s family moves to Egypt.

How the dates are set: Boundaries from Ussher: Abram’s call 1921 BC; Jacob enters Egypt 1706 BC.

Events 30

• Abram arrives in Canaan 1921 BC
  Abram, Sarai, and Lot reached Canaan; at Shechem God promised the land to Abram's offspring, and Abram built an altar.
• Abram in Egypt 1921 BC
  A famine drove Abram to Egypt, where he passed Sarai off as his sister and Pharaoh took her into his palace until God intervened.
• Abram and Lot part ways 1921 BC
  Their herds grew too large to share the land, so Abram let Lot choose; Lot took the well-watered Jordan plain near Sodom.
• Abram rescues Lot; Melchizedek blesses Abram 1912 BC
  Abram led 318 trained men to rescue Lot from four invading kings, and Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, blessed him.
• God's covenant with Abram 1912 BC
  God promised Abram offspring as countless as the stars; Abram believed, and God counted it as righteousness.
• Hagar bears Ishmael 1910 BC
  After ten years in Canaan without a child, Sarai gave her servant Hagar to Abram; Hagar bore Ishmael when Abram was 86.
• Abram becomes Abraham; covenant of circumcision 1897 BC
  When Abram was 99, God renamed him Abraham, renamed Sarai Sarah, gave circumcision as the covenant sign, and promised a son within a year.
• Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed 1897 BC
  After Abraham pleaded for the city, God rescued Lot's family and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulfur.
• Isaac born 1896 BC
  As God had promised, Sarah gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100 and she was 90.
• Hagar and Ishmael sent away 1891 BC
  At the feast for Isaac's weaning, Ishmael mocked him; Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away, and God cared for them in the wilderness.
• Abraham offers Isaac on Moriah 1871 BC
  God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac; at the last moment God stopped him and provided a ram instead.
• Sarah dies 1859 BC
  Sarah died at 127 in Hebron, and Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah to bury her, his first piece of the Promised Land.
• Isaac marries Rebekah 1856 BC
  Abraham's servant traveled to Nahor's family in Mesopotamia and, guided by God, brought back Rebekah as Isaac's wife.
• Jacob and Esau born 1836 BC
  After twenty years of waiting and prayer, Rebekah gave birth to twins; Jacob came out holding Esau's heel.
• Abraham dies 1821 BC
  Abraham died at 175 and was buried by Isaac and Ishmael beside Sarah at Machpelah.
• Esau sells his birthright 1821 BC
  Coming in famished from the field, Esau traded his rights as firstborn to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.
• Jacob takes Esau's blessing 1760 BC
  With Rebekah's help, Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the blessing of the firstborn from his blind father Isaac.
• Jacob's dream at Bethel 1760 BC
  Fleeing to Haran, Jacob dreamed of a stairway to heaven, and God gave him the promises made to Abraham and Isaac.
• Jacob marries Leah and Rachel 1760 BC
  Jacob agreed to work seven years for Rachel, but Laban tricked him into marrying Leah first; he married Rachel a week later.
• Joseph born 1745 BC
  After years of barrenness, Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob's eleventh son and his favorite.
• Jacob wrestles with God and becomes Israel 1739 BC
  Returning to Canaan after 20 years with Laban, Jacob wrestled through the night with God at Peniel and was renamed Israel; the next day he reconciled with Esau.
• Benjamin born; Rachel dies 1735 BC
  On the road near Bethlehem, Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, Jacob's twelfth son.
• Joseph sold into slavery 1728 BC
  Jealous of their father's favorite and his dreams, Joseph's brothers sold him, at 17, to traders bound for Egypt.
• Joseph in prison interprets dreams 1717 BC
  Falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, Joseph was imprisoned, where he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker.
• Isaac dies 1716 BC
  Isaac died at 180, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him together.
• Joseph becomes ruler of Egypt 1715 BC
  At 30 Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams of seven good years and seven years of famine, and Pharaoh made him second in command over Egypt.
• Seven years of famine 1708–1702 BC
  The famine Joseph foretold struck Egypt and the surrounding lands, but Egypt had grain stored up.
• Joseph's brothers come to buy grain 1707 BC
  Ten of Jacob's sons traveled to Egypt for grain and bowed before Joseph without recognizing him.
• Joseph reveals himself to his brothers 1706 BC
  When Judah offered himself as a slave in Benjamin's place, Joseph revealed who he was and forgave his brothers.
• Jacob's family moves to Egypt 1706 BC
  At God's word, Jacob, now 130, moved his family of seventy to Egypt, where Pharaoh gave them the land of Goshen.

People alive in these years 12

ShemArpachshadShelahEberTerahAbram (Abraham)Sarai (Sarah)IshmaelIsaacJacob (Israel)LeviJoseph

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