Patriarchs (Bible)

The Patriarchs (also known as the Avot in Hebrew) according to the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Collectively, they are referred to as the three patriarchs of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal period.
Their primary wives – Sarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac), and Leah and Rachel (the wives of Jacob) – are known as the Matriarchs. Thus, classical Judaism considers itself to have three patriarchs and four matriarchs. However, although the matriarchs are key personages, they have little or no authority over the clan. 
==Other uses==
In the New Testament, King David is referred to as a patriarch, as are Jacob's twelve sons the ancestors of the Twelve tribes of Israel).
In addition, the title patriarch is often applied t the ten antediluvian figures Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. According to the Book of Genesis, these ten men are the ancestors of the entire human race. Strictly speaking, it could be argued that Enoch and Lamech never held the status of patriarch, as they departed the earthly world prior to the deaths of their own fathers. Moses and Joseph are also known as patriarchs.
The Testament of the Twelves Patriarch (in French): http://www3.sympatico.ca/jjosianelegrand/index_fichiers/Le_Testament_des_Douze_Patriarches.htm
==Ages of the Patriarchs==
In the conventional reading of the Bible, these are the lifetimes given.
Adam 930; Seth 912; Enosh 905; Kenan 910; Mahalalel 895; Jared 962; Enoch 365 (did not die, but was taken away by God); Methuselah 969; Lamech 777; Noah 950.Ages of the patriarchs in Genesis
However, as well as being much greater than human lifetimes today, they cause problems of chronology for Bible scholars, as the following quotation shows.
“The long lives ascribed to the patriarchs cause remarkable synchronisms and duplications. Adam lived to see the birth of Lamech, the ninth member of the genealogy; Seth lived to see the translation of Enoch and died shortly before the birth of Noah. Noah outlived Abram’s grandfather, Nahor, and died in Abram’s sixtieth year. Shem, Noah’s son, even outlived Abram. He was still alive when Esau and Jacob were born!”
Von Rad, G. (trans Marks, J. H.) 1961 Genesis - a commentary Philadelphia: Westminster Press
Alternative readings and discussion of the ages are given under Methuselah.
==Genesis 5==
These two tables and figure are a graphical depiction of the genealogy of Genesis 5, assuming that the pre-Flood patriarchs were all in father-son relationships.
Table 1: Age of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
 	Age at 	Age at	
Name 	Birth of Son	Death 	Refs.
Adam 	130 	930 	Gn 5:3,5
Seth 	105 	912 	Gn 5:6,8
Enosh 	90 	905 	Gn 5:9,11
Kenan 	70 	910 	Gn 5:12,14
Mahalalel 	65 	895 	Gn 5:15,17
Jared 	162 	962 	Gn 5:18,20
Enoch 	65 	365(b)	Gn 5:21,23
Methuselah	187 	969 	Gn 5:25,27
Lamech 	182 	777 	Gn 5:28,31
Noah 	500 	950 	Gn 5:32; 9:29
Note: Enoch did not die, but "God took him" (Gn 5:24).
Table 2: Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
 	Year(a)	Year(a)	Year(a)
Name 	Born 	Son(a) 	Died
Adam 	0 	130 	930
Seth 	130 	235 	1042
Enosh 	235 	325 	1140
Kenan 	325 	395 	1235
Mahalalel 	395 	460 	1290
Jared 	460 	622 	1422
Enoch 	622 	687 	987
Methuselah	687 	874 	1656
Lamech 	874 	1056 	1651
Noah 	1056 	1556 	2006
Notes:
:(a) See note (a), Table 1 above.
:(b) See note (b), Table 1 above.
Figure 1: Timeline of Year(a) of Birth and Death(b) of Pre-Flood Patriarchs in Genesis 5
 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 
 |....|....|....|....|....|
Adam xxxxxxxxxx
Seth xxxxxxxxx
Enosh xxxxxxxxxx
Kenan xxxxxxxxxx
Mahalalel xxxxxxxxxx
Jared xxxxxxxxxxx
Enoch xxxx
Methuselah xxxxxxxxxx
Lamech xxxxxxxx
Noah xxxxxxxxxxx
Notes:
:(a) See note (a), Table 1 above.
:(b) See note (b), Table 1 above.
== Relation to other tribes ==
Many of the tribes living in the Middle East, between the time of Abraham and the time of Christ, have a genealogical connection to the Patriarchs or their descendants. This list, taken from the Book of Genesis, gives the details of that genealogy.
*Noah, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth
:*Ham, father of Canaan (Canaanites)
::*Canaan, father of Sidon, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashities, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites
*Terah (descendant of Shem), father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran
:*Abram and Hagar, parents of Ishmael (Ishmaelites)
:*Abram and Keturah, parents of Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian (Midianites), Ishbak, Shuah
:*Nahor and Milcah, parents of Uz, Buz, Kemuel,Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel
::*Kemuel, father of Aram (Arameans)
::*Bethuel, father of Laban and Rebeccah
:::*Laban, father of Leah and Rachel
:*Nahor and Reumah, parents of Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah
:*Haran, father of Lot
::*Lot and his older daughter, parents of Moab (Moabites)
::*Lot and his younger daughter, parents of Ben-ammi (Ammonites) 
*Abraham and Sarah, parents of Isaac
*Isaac and Rebekah, parents of Jacob, Esau (Edomites)
:*Esau and Adah, parents of Eliphaz
::*Eliphaz and Timna, parents of Amalek (Amalekites)
*Jacob and Leah, parents of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
*Jacob and Rachel, parents of Joseph, Benjamin
*Jacob and Bilhah, parents of Dan, Naphtali
*Jacob and Zilpah, parents of Gad, Asher
*Joseph and Asenath, parents of Manasseh, Ephraim
The twelve tribes of Israel include ten of the sons of Jacob, (excluding Levi and Joseph) and the two sons of Joseph.
==Family Tree of Certain Patriarchs Mentioned in the Book of Genesis==
 
==Matriarchs==
The Matriarchs () are four important women mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the wives of the Biblical Patriarchs. They are:
*Sarah, wife of Abraham; 
*Rebekah, wife of Isaac; 
*Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob.
==See also==
* Patriarch
* Timeline of the Bible
==References==
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==External links==
* Dark Mirrors of Heaven: Timeline of the Patriarchs
Category:Torah people
 
Category:Christian terms