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Study Number 3—Measuring Events in the Stream of Time“All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial”
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9. (a) How is the record dated back to when the Abrahamic covenant went into effect? (b) How are the first 215 years of this period accounted for? (c) How old was Abraham when he crossed the Euphrates on his way to Canaan?
9 From 1513 B.C.E. to 1943 B.C.E. At Exodus 12:40, 41, Moses records that “the dwelling of the sons of Israel, who had dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” From the above wording, it is apparent that not all this “dwelling” was in Egypt. This time period begins with Abraham’s crossing of the Euphrates on his way to Canaan, at which time Jehovah’s covenant with Abraham went into effect. The first 215 years of this “dwelling” was in Canaan, and then an equal period was spent in Egypt, until Israel became completely independent of all Egyptian control and dependency, in 1513 B.C.E.c The New World Translation footnote on Exodus 12:40 shows that the Greek Septuagint, which is based on a Hebrew text older than the Masoretic, adds, after the word “Egypt,” the words “and in the land of Canaan.” The Samaritan Pentateuch does similarly. Galatians 3:17, which also mentions the 430 years, confirms that this period started with the validating of the Abrahamic covenant, at the time that Abraham crossed the Euphrates on his way to Canaan. This was therefore in 1943 B.C.E., when Abraham was 75 years old.—Gen. 12:4.
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Study Number 3—Measuring Events in the Stream of Time“All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial”
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c From Abraham’s crossing of the Euphrates to Isaac’s birth is 25 years; then to Jacob’s birth, 60 years; Jacob was 130 years old when he went down to Egypt.—Gen. 12:4; 21:5; 25:26; 47:9.
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