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First available on October 17, 2008 The Peshitta of the Old Testament - Part 5  | Subscribe… | | | |
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| | | | Author Bio | | | | | Dr. Shaw was born and raised in New Mexico. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico in 1977, the M. Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1980, and the Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1981, with an emphasis in biblical languages (Greek, Hebrew, Old Testament and Targumic Aramaic, as well as Ugaritic).
He did two year of doctoral-level course work in Semitic languages (Akkadian, Arabic, Ethiopic, Middle Egyptian, and Syriac) at Duke University. He received the Ph.D. in Old Testament Interpretation at Bob Jones University in 2005.
Since 1991, he has taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a school which serves primarily the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, where he holds the rank of Associate Professor.
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The numbers in Genesis 5 differ in the Samaritan Pentateuch from those in the Masoretic (Hebrew) text of the Old Testament. The numbers in the Samaritan Pentateuch are shown in the following chart.
| Patriarch
| Age at Fathering
| Additional Years
| Total Age
| | Adam
| 130
| 800
| 930
| | Seth
| 105
| 807
| 912
| | Enosh
| 90
| 815
| 905
| | Kenan
| 70
| 840
| 910
| | Mahalalel
| 65
| 830
| 895
| | Jared
| 62
| 785
| 847
| | Enoch
| 65
| 300
| 365
| | Methuselah
| 67
| 653
| 720
| | Lamech
| 53
| 600
| 653
|
The numbers given in the Septuagint differ both from the Masoretic text, and from the Samaritan Pentateuch. The numbers in the Peshitta are the same as those in the Septuagint. It is possible that the Peshitta is based on a Hebrew text that differs from the Masoretic text, but it seems more likely that here, as in a number of other places, the Peshitta follows the Septuagint. These numbers are shown below:
| Patriarch
| Age at Fathering
| Additional Years
| Total Age
| | Adam
| 230
| 700
| 930
| | Seth
| 205
| 707
| 912
| | Enosh
| 190
| 715
| 905
| | Kenan
| 170
| 740
| 910
| | Mahalalel
| 165
| 730
| 895
| | Jared
| 162
| 800
| 962
| | Enoch
| 165
| 200
| 365
| | Methuselah
| 167
| 802
| 969
| | Lamech
| 188
| 565
| 753
|
In order to make it easier to compare the numbers, and arrive at a reasonable solution, the three sets of numbers are set out in comparison in the following table.
| Patriarch
| Age at Fathering
| Additional Years
| Total Age
| |
| MT
| SP
| LXX
| MT
| SP
| LXX
| MT
| SP
| LXX
| | Adam
| 130
| 130
| 230
| 800
| 800
| 700
| 930
| 930
| 930
| | Seth
| 105
| 105
| 205
| 807
| 807
| 707
| 912
| 912
| 912
| | Enosh
| 90
| 90
| 190
| 815
| 815
| 715
| 905
| 905
| 905
| | Kenan
| 70
| 70
| 170
| 840
| 840
| 740
| 910
| 910
| 910
| | Mahalalel
| 65
| 65
| 165
| 830
| 830
| 730
| 895
| 895
| 895
| | Jared
| 162
| 62
| 162
| 800
| 785
| 800
| 962
| 847
| 962
| | Enoch
| 65
| 65
| 165
| 300
| 300
| 200
| 365
| 365
| 365
| | Methuselah
| 187
| 67
| 167
| 782
| 653
| 802
| 969
| 720
| 969
| | Lamech
| 182
| 53
| 188
| 595
| 600
| 565
| 777
| 653
| 753
|
The reader may contemplate these numbers and their problems. Next week we will begin to suggest a solution.
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