Bishop Ussher s Dates No Proof Of A Young Earth
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Bishop Ussher's Dates: No Proof of a Young Earth
Overview
For centuries, many Christians have relied on the dates determined by 17th-century Bishop James Ussher. By using genealogies from Genesis 5 and 11 and other Biblical passages, Ussher constructed a timeline for Biblical events. This timeline is often found in the margins of many Bibles, indicating the estimated year for each event.
Some individuals still uphold these dates, particularly the one suggesting Genesis Chapter One began in 4004 B.C. Young-earth creationists frequently claim this year marks the start of the creation week. But is the assumption that 4004 B.C. is the Earth's beginning valid? How did Ussher derive this specific date?
Ussher and Old-Earth Belief
Ussher began with a recognized point in Biblical history: the fall of Jerusalem in 588 B.C. He then counted backward, using Biblical genealogies and the known lifespans of key figures, to reach the date of 4004 B.C. for Adam's creation.
For those who believe in an old Earth, there's no reason to be concerned about Ussher's timeline. His dates focus on the creation of Adam, the final event of God's creation during Day Six. Ussher's calculations don't extend beyond Adam, as the genealogies he used stop there, leaving the first five days of creation and most of Day Six unaddressed.
Ussher claimed October 23, 4004 B.C. as the creation date of the world. While he includes the six 24-hour creation days in his calculations, contemporary evidence indicates these creation days were much longer. If Ussher is taken at his word, Adam's creation would have been on October 28, 4004 B.C., his sixth day.
Therefore, it's possible to accept Ussher's dates while also believing that the creation days spanned billions of years. The key is dismissing his literal interpretation of the six-day timeline.
Many old-earth creationists, like Dr. Hugh Ross, have critiqued Ussher’s dates, arguing that they conflict with geological evidence. However, this inconsistency only arises from Ussher’s addition of the literal six creation days. It's a misconception to think Ussher's dates challenge the old-earth perspective since they solely concern Adam’s creation, not the prior billions of years of development.
Conclusion
Bishop Ussher is highly regarded among some fundamental Baptist circles, with his dates historically used to support a young-earth view. Yet, his calculations don't address the length of God's creation days, as they begin only with Adam’s life. Young-earth creationists lack evidence for the Earth's age based on Ussher's timeline. Conversely, old-earth creationists can still accept these dates if desired. If Ussher had embraced an old-earth viewpoint, his dates would remain unchanged, excluding the six literal creation days. Ultimately, Ussher's work doesn’t influence the debate over the Earth's age or support a young-earth narrative.
This article is adapted from the Answers In Creation website. The original source can be found at [Answers In Creation](http://www.answersincreation.org/ussher.htm).
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Bishop Ussher s Dates No Proof Of A Young Earth.
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