Genesis 5 DECODED: Do Bible Timelines Contradict? | Masoretic vs Septuagint | Genesis Series Pt 8

Have you ever wondered if the Bible you read today is 100% perfect and accurate? What if the ancient manuscripts tell different stories, especially when it comes to the biblical timeline from Adam to Noah?

In Part 8 of the Genesis Series, Christopher Enoch dives deep into the genealogies of Genesis chapter 5, comparing five of the most important ancient manuscripts side-by-side: the Masoretic Text, the Greek Septuagint, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Latin Vulgate.

Using a detailed comparison chart, Christopher reveals surprising and significant discrepancies in the ages of the patriarchs. Are these simple scribal errors due to poor handwriting, or evidence of deliberate changes over the centuries? This investigation challenges the idea of a single, perfect biblical text and explores the complexities of textual transmission.

In this video, we cover:

A chronological overview of the five major manuscripts being compared.

A line-by-line comparison of the ages of Adam, Seth, Enoch, Lamech, and more.

Discussion on potential scribal errors versus intentional alterations.

How the Vulgate and Syriac texts align with (or diverge from) the others.

 

Q&A on the Masoretes, why people lived so long before the flood, and more.

Join Christopher Enoch for this critical examination of scripture in the ongoing Genesis Series.

Chapter Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction: Comparing 5 Ancient Manuscripts
00:00:52 Q&A: Is the Masoretic Text Just an 11th-Century Update?
00:02:40 Q&A: Is the Masoretic Text the "Worst" Manuscript?
00:04:53 Q&A: Did the Masoretes Deliberately Change the Text?
00:05:42 Introducing the Genealogy Comparison Chart
00:07:37 The Problem of Discrepancies for a "Perfect" Bible
00:08:12 Explaining the Chart's Color Code
00:10:12 Theory: Are 100-Year Gaps Just Scribal Errors?
00:13:45 Adding the Vulgate and Syriac to the Comparison
00:15:50 Comparing Patriarch 1: Adam
00:19:17 Comparing Patriarch 2: Seth
00:22:37 Q&A: Do These Discrepancies Make Every Calendar Wrong?
00:25:00 Comparing Patriarch 3: Enos
00:27:16 Comparing Patriarch 4: Kenan
00:28:29 Comparing Patriarchs 5 & 6: Mahalalel & Jared
00:33:08 Q&A: Why Did People Live So Long?
00:35:42 On Wisdom and Humility
00:38:13 Comparing Patriarch 8: Methuselah
00:40:47 Comparing Patriarch 9: Lamech, the "Disagreement"
00:43:15 Comparing Patriarch 10: Noah
00:44:15 Conclusion and Future Plans