Dating the Book of Job (PDF) - Ancient Hebrew Research Center

Dating the Book of Job 15
the people of the time were using a six-month year – the Israelites were in Egypt 135 years, not
270.
There is yet further evidence embedded in the story of the blessing of Joseph’s 2 sons.
– Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him
his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and
Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at
Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you,
and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting
possession.’ And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before
I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget
after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me,
when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little
distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” Then Israel saw
Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has
given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel
were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and
embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown
me your offspring!” So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the
earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with
his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. (Genesis 48:1-13 NKJV)
We are told both here in Genesis 48 and in Genesis 46 that Ephraim and Manasseh were born
prior to the entrance into Egypt. Genesis 47:28 tells us that Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years and
died at 147 years of age. Put together, these scriptures indicate that Joseph’s children whom he
“brought from beside his knees” to Jacob were at least 17 years old! Either Ephraim and Manasseh
were extremely stunted in their growth or, more likely, they were much younger by our modern
reckoning of years. Again, if the Israelites were using a six-month year, then the 17 years in their
reckoning would be equivalent to 8.5 years in our reckoning which fits the story perfectly.
A similar case can be seen in the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Issac. According to the figures,
Issac was 30 and Abraham was 130. It is hard to imagine a 30-year-old grown man submitting to
a 130-year-old in the way that the story indicates. A 15-year-old youth submitting to the command
of his 65-year-old father is at least a little more plausible.
Also, Genesis 47:9 records that Jacob said to the pharaoh of Egypt at the time of his entrance
into Egypt that the years of his “pilgrimage” were 130 and “few and evil”. It is hard to imagine a
130-year-old referring to the years of his life as few, but ask anyone that is in their 60’s today and
they will testify that their life, in hindsight, has been short.
The numbers cited thus far all indicate that a six-month year was in use by most if not all
of mankind from the time of Noah to the time of king Solomon’s reign. We must also examine
whatever contrary evidence may be present in the same texts.
Table 3 shows the tallies and locations of the references to the months of the year in the books
of the Bible which chronicle events prior to king Solomon’s time (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, Job, Psalms).