More on Exodus, not on Tim Zeak, for now

Ibn Khaldun, a Neglected Source of Antichristianity or Attacks on the Bible · Responding to Tim Zeak on Exodus, part I · More on Exodus, not on Tim Zeak, for now · Some Have Claimed Ezra Wrote Moses · Israelites at the Exodus

Does the genealogy in Exodus 6 between Levi and Moses add up to the 430 years Israel was in Egypt according to Exodus 12?

Exodus 12:[40] And the abode of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

In fact, this seems to have a connection to the actual present feast, Christmas, since there is a genealogy in Matthew too ...

Here is that of Moses:

Exodus 6:[16] And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty seven. [17] The sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei, by their kindreds. [18] The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel. And the years of Caath's life were a hundred and thirty-three. [19] The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. These are the kindreds of Levi by their families. [20] And Amram took to wife Jochabed his aunt by the father's side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of Amram's life were a hundred and thirty-seven.

137
133
137
________
407

And worse, they are not 407 consecutive years, since they are life years of three consecutive generations, Levi did not die when Caath was born, Caath did not die when Amram was born. Assuming they so had died and that Amram had died when Moses was born and the rest, would have put the Exodus too late, on the other hand ... 407+80 = 487.

So, what is going on?

I see another problem, which is worse:

Exodus 6:[2] And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord, [3] That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.

ADONAI is a rendering of another name, which comes in a shortened version in the beginning of - Moses' mother: Jochabed.

Meaning

Yah Gives Weight, Yah Is Impressive

Etymology

From (1) יה (yah), the shortened name of the Lord, and (2) the verb כבד (kabed), to be impressive.

https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Jochebed.html#anc-3

How could someone be named with reference to a name of God that wasn't revealed yet? Manis Friedman might speak of time travel, but ... it is as simple as the name of God being known by other means than revelation to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - for instance, by human conjecture based on Adam's knowledge or by God revealing it to Adam:

Genesis 4:[26] But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos; this man began to call upon the name of the Lord.

The Lord here is, like ADONAI, this name of God which He had not revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But back to Genesis 6 genealogy ... as father's and son's years overlap, we don't get 430 years.

Here is one solution, claiming genealogies tended to be gapped:

I Dream of Genealogies
23 déc. 2019 | tektontv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nRTs30Wny8

I don't agree. Gaps in Biblical genealogies are there for a purpose. The gaps in Matthew 1 are generations for some reason falling foul of God - descendants of Athaliah, for instance, three generations shorter, and another one, I think.

So, what is the solution?

The stay in Egypt from when Jacob's family moved to Goshen was not 430 years. Here is (English translation from) LXX on Exodus 12: 40 And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan, [was] four hundred and thirty years.

The soujourning in a foreign land begins when Abraham receives the promise. This is confirmed by St. Paul:

Galatians 3:[16] To Abraham were the promises made and to his seed. He saith not, And to his seeds, as of many: but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. [17] Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect.

So, no wonder the genealogy of Moses from Levi doesn't add up to 430 years, these years had begun before Abraham even had Isaac.

This also explains why both the Roman martyrology for Christmas Day and George Syncellus have a time scale from birth of Abraham to Exodus as consistent with "a short stay" in Egypt. Abraham's birth + 75 years (when he gets the promise) + 430 years = 505 years (like 2015 to 1510 BC in Roman martyrology).

Hans Georg Lundahl
Paris
St. Stephen's Day
26.XII.2020