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.

See the timeline Open Genesis

Lifespans of the patriarchs

Every person from Adam to Joseph, 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 ages come from the Masoretic text (Genesis 5; 11; and the patriarchal accounts).

Adam
Seth
Enosh
Kenan
Mahalalel
Jared
Enoch
Methuselah
Lamech
Noah
Shem
Arphaxad
Shelah
Eber
Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph
Creation02002004004006006008008001000100012001200140014001600160018001800200020002200220024002400AM (years)The Flood (AM 1656)930912905910895962365969777950600438433464239239230148205175180147110

Anno Mundi = years from creation. Abraham’s birth follows the traditional harmonisation with Acts 7:4 (born when Terah was 130). Note how the lifespans overlap: Methuselah dies the very year of the Flood (AM 1656), and Eber—ancestor of the Hebrews—outlives even Abraham. Some details of this early chronology are debated.

View the figures as a table
PersonBorn (AM)Died (AM)AgeNotes
Adam0930930
Seth1301042912
Enosh2351140905
Kenan3251235910
Mahalalel3951290895
Jared4601422962
Enoch622—365Walked with God; taken up without dying (Gen 5:24).
Methuselah6871656969Longest life recorded; dies the year of the Flood.
Lamech8741651777
Noah10562006950The Flood came in his 600th year (AM 1656).
Shem15582158600Lived on into Abraham's lifetime.
Arphaxad16582096438Born two years after the Flood.
Shelah16932126433
Eber17232187464Ancestor of the Hebrews; outlives Abraham.
Peleg17571996239In his days the earth was divided (Gen 10:25).
Reu17872026239
Serug18192049230
Nahor18491997148
Terah18782083205Father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Abraham20082183175Called from Haran; father of the covenant people.
Isaac21082288180The child of promise.
Jacob21682315147Renamed Israel; father of the twelve tribes.
Joseph22592369110Preserved his family in Egypt.

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.

Royal / legal line (Matthew, via Joseph)Line to Mary (Luke, via Nathan)Named in both lists (Shealtiel, Zerubbabel)
AbrahamIsaacJacobJudahPerezHezronRamAmminadabNahshonSalmonBoazObedJesseDavidSolomonRehoboamAbijahAsaJehoshaphatJoramUzziahJothamAhazHezekiahManassehAmonJosiahJeconiahShealtielZerubbabelAbiudEliakimAzorZadokAchimEliudEleazarMatthanJacobJosephNathanMattathaMennaMeleaEliakimJonamJosephJudahSimeonLeviMatthatJorimEliezerJoshuaErElmadamCosamAddiMelkiNeriShealtielZerubbabelRhesaJoananJodaJosechSemeinMattathiasMaathNaggaiEsliNahumAmosMattathiasJosephJannaiMelkiLeviMatthatHeliMaryJesusRoyal line — Matthew 1(through Joseph)Line to Mary — Luke 3(through Nathan & Heli)

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.