Biblical Family Tree Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Matt Baker
• Topic: Entire family tree of the Bible from Adam and Eve to Jesus.
• Mention of the new biblical family tree chart available as a poster on usefulcharts.com.

Adam and Eve

• First two humans created by God.
• Children: Cain and Abel (Cain kills Abel), followed by Seth.
• Question about Seth's spouse: Assumed to be a sister due to unnamed siblings.

Early Generations

• Seth’s lineage continues with son Enosh.
• Noah appears seven generations later.
• Noah's family survives the great flood: Noah, his wife, three sons (Shem, Ham, Jepheth) and their wives.
• Total survivors: 8.
• Noah’s grandsons: 16 total (e.g., Asher = Assyria, Mizraim = Egypt).

Shem's Lineage

• Focus on Shem's son Arphashad, then Selah, and Eber (possible origin of 'Hebrew').
• Terah (in Mesopotamia) has three sons: Abraham, Nahor, Haran.
• Haran dies; Terah dies in Syria.
• Abraham moves to Canaan with Lot, promised land.

Abraham's Family

• Abraham's wife: Sarah (also his half-sister).
• Children issues lead to Hagar giving birth to Ishmael.
• Miraculously, Sarah bears Isaac at 90.
• After Sarah's death, Abraham marries Keturah.
• Isaac marries Rebekah (granddaughter of Nahor); they have two sons: Jacob and Esau.

Descendants and Neighboring Nations

• Moabites and Ammonites descended from Lot; Edomites from Esau; Midianites from Midian; Arabs from Ishmael.
• Relation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to Abraham.
• Job's uncertain position in the family tree.

Jacob and the Tribes of Israel

• Jacob marries sisters Leah and Rachel (daughters of Laban), plus their servants Bilhah and Zilpah.
• 12 sons become progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel.
• Significant tribes: Levi (red), Judah (blue), others (yellow).
• Notable story of Joseph: Sold into Egypt, becomes second-in-command.

Egypt and Exodus

• Jacob's family migrates to Egypt during famine.
• Israelites grow in number and become enslaved; Moses (of Levi tribe) leads Exodus.
• Key events: Parting of the Red Sea, receiving the Ten Commandments.
• Wandering in the desert for 40 years; Moses dies before entering Canaan.

Leadership of Israel

• Joshua (of Ephraim tribe) leads Israelites into Canaan.
• Judges arise as leaders (e.g., Gideon, Deborah, Samson).
• Merneptah stele: oldest reference to Israel outside the Bible.

Establishment of Kings

• Samuel anoints Saul (first king), later David (from Judah).
• David defeats Goliath, ultimately becomes king of all tribes.
• David's son Solomon: builds the first temple, credited with wisdom.

Division of Kingdoms

• After Solomon's reign, Israel divides into two kingdoms: Judah (south) and Israel (north). Kings with reign dates included.
• Important dates: 930 BCE (start of division), 966 BCE (temple construction).

Kings and Historical Context

• Kings of Israel: Jeroboam, Nadab, Basha, etc. until Assyrian conquest (722 BCE).
• Kings of Judah: Rehoboam, Jehoram (intermarriage with Ahab), Hezekiah (defeated Assyrians), Josiah (flourishing period).
• Jerusalem destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE.

Babylonian Exile and Return

• Exiles include prominent figures (Ezekiel, Daniel). Return led by Sheshbazar, Joshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah.
• Hebrew Bible mostly written during the Babylonian and Persian periods.

Intertestamental Period

• Alexander the Great’s conquests; Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule.
• Hasmoneans rise to power, establish a legislative body (Sanhedrin).
• Civil war leads to Roman intervention; Judea becomes a client state of Rome.

Life of Jesus

• Birth during Herod the Great's reign.
• Jesus related to John the Baptist; genealogy through Joseph and Mary.
• Distinctions in genealogies between Matthew and Luke.
• Herod Antipas involved in the beheading of John the Baptist.

Destruction of Jerusalem

• 70 CE: destruction of Jerusalem and Second Temple under Simon, son of Gamaliel.
• Transition of Jewish law leadership to Yohanan ben Zakkai.
• Babylonian Exilarchs trace descent from David.

Conclusion

• Differences in Jewish and Christian traditional dates explained (e.g., Creation at 3761 BCE for Jews).
• Invitation to purchase the family tree chart at usefulcharts.com.