House of Shem

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The House of Shem consists of the descendants of Shem in direct line to Terah, father of Abraham.

The Synoptic table

This synoptic table lists all the members of the House of Shem, from Genesis 11:10-25 .

Name	Born	Age of parenthood	Life span	Died	Name means	Authority
Shem	Tammuz 1558 AMJuly 2445 BC Tammuz 1315 He Tammuz 1558 AM	100 yr	600 yr7,420.964 mon 219,145.44 da	Tammuz 2158 AMJuly 1845 BC Tammuz 1915 He Tammuz 2158 AM	renown, prosperity, name	Genesis 11:10-11
Arpachshad	Tammuz 1658 AMJuly 2345 BC Tammuz 1415 He Tammuz 1658 AM	35 yr	438 yr5,417.304 mon 159,976.171 da	Tammuz 2096 AMJuly 1907 BC Av 1853 He Tammuz 2096 AM	healer, releaser	Genesis 11:12-13
Salah	Tammuz 1693 AMJuly 2310 BC Tammuz 1450 He Tammuz 1693 AM	30 yr	433 yr5,355.463 mon 158,149.959 da	Tammuz 2126 AMJuly 1877 BC Av 1883 He Tammuz 2126 AM	mission, sending	Genesis 11:14-15
Eber	Tammuz 1723 AMJuly 2280 BC Tammuz 1480 He Tammuz 1723 AM	34 yr	464 yr5,738.879 mon 169,472.474 da	Tammuz 2187 AMJuly 1816 BC Tammuz 1944 He Tammuz 2187 AM	one that passes, anger	Genesis 11:16-17
Peleg	Tammuz 1757 AMJuly 2246 BC Av 1514 He Tammuz 1757 AM	30 yr	239 yr2,956.017 mon 87,292.934 da	Tammuz 1996 AMJuly 2007 BC Av 1753 He Tammuz 1996 AM	division	Genesis 11:18-19
Reu	Tammuz 1787 AMJuly 2216 BC Av 1544 He Tammuz 1787 AM	32 yr	239 yr2,956.017 mon 87,292.934 da	Tammuz 2026 AMJuly 1977 BC Av 1783 He Tammuz 2026 AM	his friend, his shepherd	Genesis 11:20-21
Serug	Tammuz 1819 AMJuly 2184 BC Av 1576 He Tammuz 1819 AM	30 yr	230 yr2,844.703 mon 84,005.752 da	Tammuz 2049 AMJuly 1954 BC Tammuz 1806 He Tammuz 2049 AM	branch, layer, twining	Genesis 11:22-23
Nahor the Elder	Tammuz 1849 AMJuly 2154 BC Av 1606 He Tammuz 1849 AM	29 yr	148 yr1,830.505 mon 54,055.875 da	Tammuz 1997 AMJuly 2006 BC Tammuz 1754 He Tammuz 1997 AM	hoarse, dry, hot	Genesis 11:24-25
Terah	Tammuz 1878 AMJuly 2125 BC Tammuz 1635 He Tammuz 1878 AM	70 yr	205 yr2,535.496 mon 74,874.692 da	Ethanim 2083 AMSeptember 1921 BC Tishrei 1840 He Ethanim 2083 AM	breathe, scent, blow	Genesis 11:26-32

Chronological placement

Main Article: Biblical chronology dispute

The beginning anchor event of this chronology is settled: it is the global flood. The ending anchor point is disputed. At issue is whether Terah was 70 years old when he begat Abraham, or 70 years old when he began begetting his three named sons. James Ussher (The Annals of the World) and his editor Larry Pierce state that Terah was in fact 130 years old when he became the father of Abraham, because the Bible described Terah's death ahead of Abraham's departure for Canaan.^[1] Jones, in The Chronology of the Old Testament, agrees.^[2] The testimony given by Stephen to the Sanhedrin provides further support.^[3] Other commentators cite the Seder Olam, which assumes that Terah was 70 years old; they reconcile the apparent discrepancy by saying that the "death" of Terah in Haran was spiritual, and the physical death would not follow until sixty years later.

Life spans

In the earlier generations of Adam, the average life span of each of the patriarchs was more than 900 years. Suddenly, in one generation (from Noah to Shem), it decreased by one-third. In eight more generations, the life span of man declined by more than seventy-five percent—and it declined further throughout the line of Abraham, this although the Hebrews generally lived longer than did members of other races.

Meanings of the names

Dean Thomas Coombs has suggested a possible meaning of the names of the House of Shem, in their birth order. To do this, he takes an alternate meaning of the name of Arpachshad: stronghold of Babylon, or Babel as it was likely then known. The names would then make two whole sentences, thus:

“

The renown of the stronghold of Babylon shall extend like a plant past the region of division. A friend branches out, snorting with fury!

”

^[4] Or literally, "with (heavy) breathing."

The name Peleg does stand for "division," and the assumption, common to Ussher and others, is that the Tower of Babel Incident took place during his life. The names Reu and Serug ("shepherd" and "branch") both presage Jesus Christ, because both of these are alternate Names for Him. Finally, the book of Revelation is mostly a story of the rise (again) and fall of Babylon and the outpouring of the Wrath of God.

References

↑ Ussher, James. The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003, pghh. 64, 71
↑ Jones, Floyd N. The Chronology of the Old Testament, Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2004 (ISBN 9780890514160), pp. 25, 259 and Charts 1 and 6
↑ Acts 7:4
↑ Coombs, Dean Thomas. "Meaning of names: genealogy of Adam to Abraham." Bible Codes. Accessed December 25, 2007.