NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Genealogy of Christ

The genealogy of Jesus through either one or both of his earthly parents (Mary and Joseph) is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew 1:2–16 and Luke 3:23–38. Both of them trace Christ's line back to King David and from there on to Abraham; Luke traces the line all the way back to Adam. These lists are identical between Abraham and David, but they differ radically from that point onward. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1354x1741, 344 KB) Folio 200 recto from the Book of Kells. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1354x1741, 344 KB) Folio 200 recto from the Book of Kells. ... This page (folio 292r) contains the lavishly decorated text that opens the Gospel of John. ... Celtic Christianity, or Insular Christianity (sometimes commonly called the Celtic Church) broadly refers to the Early Medieval Christian practice that developed around the Irish Sea in the fifth and sixth centuries, that is among â€œCelticâ€/â€œBritishâ€ peoples such as the Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, etc. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Î¸Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½ or ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Ï„Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... The angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac (Rembrandt, 1634) Abraham (Hebrew: , Standard Avraham Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom Tiberian ; Arabic: , ; Geez: , ) is a figure in the Bible and Quran who is by believers regarded as the founding patriarch of the Israelites and of the Nabataean people in Jewish, Christian and... Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. ...

Genealogical texts

Artists depiction of Solomons court (Ingobertus, c. ... Rehoboam was king of Judah, succeeding his father Solomon. ... Abijah means father (i. ... Asa may refer to: Asa (name), given name Asa Shigure, character in the Shuffle! media franchise Asa RÄga, Indian format of musical rules Asa, god of the Kamba ethnic group, Kenya Ãsa, genitive of Ã†sir, the predominant group among the Norse gods Adaptive Security Appliance, made by Cisco Systems... In the Bible, Jehoshaphat or Josaphat or Yehoshafat (יְהוֹשָׁפָט The LORD is judge, Standard Hebrew Yəhošafat, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhôšāp̄āṭ) was the son and successor of Asa, king of... Jehoram (meaning exalted in Biblical Hebrew) was the name of several individuals in the Old Testament. ... Ahaziah (held by Jehovah) was the name of two kings: Ahaziah of Israel, king of Israel Ahaziah of Judah, king of Judah. ... Jehoash (Jehovah-given), was the name of two kings mentioned in the Bible: Jehoash of Judah, king of Judah, Jehoash of Israel, king of Israel. ... Amaziah (strengthened by God) was the name of several individuals in the Hebrew Bible. ... Azariah, meaning God[s] help[ed] in Hebrew, is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible, including the following: Azariah in the Books of Kings 2 Kings 15:1-12 he is the king of Judah [1], (also known as Uzziah of Judah in rabbinical scholarship). ... Jotham (Jehovah is perfect) is the name of two people of the Old Testament: 1. ... This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... Hezekiah (or Ezekias) (Hebrew: ×—×–×§×™×” or ×—×–×§×™×”×•, God has strengthened) was the 13th king of indepedent Judah and the son of King Ahaz and Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1), who was a daughter of a man (who was not the prophet) named Zechariah. ... This entry incorporates text from the public domain Eastons Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. ... Amon can refer to: Amun, Egyptian god, also known sometimes as Amon Amon, god of rage Amon (demon) Amon (Formula One team) Deicide (band), formerly called Amon Amon, one of the four Sinsitrals and main villains of Lufia Amon, mountain in Sindarin, an artificial language by J. R. R. Tolkien... Josiah or Yoshiyahu (×™Ö¹××©Ö´××™Ö¸Ö¼×”×•Ö¼ supported of the LORD, Standard Hebrew YoÅ¡iyyÃ¡hu, Tiberian Hebrew YÃ´Å¡iyyÄhÃ») was king of Judah, and son of Amon and Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ... Jehoiakim ben Josiah II ben Amon King Jehoiakim is a biblical character, sometimes referred to as Eliakim. ... Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin, Joachin, and Coniah) was king of Judah. ... Shealtiel (Hebrew: , ShÉ™â€™altÃ®â€™Ä“l) or Greek-derived variant Salathiel (Greek: ÏƒÎ±Î»Î±Î¸Î¹Î·Î», SalÄƒthiÄ“l) is a significant but problematic member in the genealogies of the kings of Yehuda (Judah), all of who belong to the Davidic Dynasty being the descendents of King David through his son King Solomon. ... Zrubavel (Hebrew: , ZÉ™rubbÄvel; traditional English: Zerubbabel; Greek: Î¶Î¿ÏÎ¿Î²Î±Î²ÎµÎ», ZÅrobabel) was the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate King of Judah. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1250x730, 181 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1250x730, 181 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6, 1475 â€“ February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1295x700, 170 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1295x700, 170 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x750, 174 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x750, 174 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ...

Variations between the genealogies

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give different accounts of Jesus' genealogy, (Matthew 1:2–16, Luke 3:21-38). Both trace his ancestors back to Abraham through King David but via different sons of King David: King Solomon and Nathan, respectively. Thus, the lines differ between David and Jesus's father Joseph. Since antiquity, scholars have disagreed about the significance of two genealogies. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x1233, 418 KB) from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x1233, 418 KB) from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 13th representation of the Tree of Jesse, ivory panel, Louvre The Tree of Jesse, in traditional Christian art, is a visual representation of Jesus ancestry. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... The angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac (Rembrandt, 1634) Abraham (Hebrew: , Standard Avraham Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom Tiberian ; Arabic: , ; Geez: , ) is a figure in the Bible and Quran who is by believers regarded as the founding patriarch of the Israelites and of the Nabataean people in Jewish, Christian and... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... Artists depiction of Solomons court (Ingobertus, c. ... Nathan was the son of King David and Bathsheba. ...

Matthew's genealogy involves Jesus's title "Christ", in the sense of an "anointed" king. It starts with Solomon and proceeds through the kings of Judah up to and including Jeconiah. A few of the Judean kings are left out though, for instance; Azariah/Uzziah is given as the son of Jehoram/Joram thus skipping four generations (1 Chronicles 3:11-12, Matthew 1:9). (In Old Testament times, many records were also abridged [see and compare Ezra 7:3 with 1st Chronicles 6:7-10], thus giving precedence to Matthew’s stylistic choices.) Thus Jesus is established as legal heir to the throne of Israel. At Jeconiah the line of kings was terminated due to Israel being conquered by Babylonians. The names continue with Jeconiah's son and his grandson Zerubbabel, who is a notable figure in the Book of Ezra. The names between Zerubbabel and Joseph do not appear anywhere in the Old Testament or other texts, with a couple of exceptions. At the conclusion, Jesus being identified as a new king is called "Christ". Artists depiction of Solomons court (Ingobertus, c. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew ×žÖ·×œÖ°×›×•Ö¼×ª ×™Ö°×”×•Ö¼×“Ö¸×”, Standard Hebrew Malá¸«ut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malá¸µÃ»á¹¯ YÉ™hÃ»á¸Äh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin, Joachin, and Coniah) was king of Judah. ... Uzziah of Judah (×¢×•×–×™×”×•) (also known as Azariah), was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and one of Amaziahs sons, whom the people appointed to replace his father (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chronicles 26:1). ... Jehoram of Judah was the king of Judah, and the son of Jehoshaphat (2 Kings 8:16). ... Babylon (in Arabic: Ø¨Ø§Ø¨Ù„; in Syriac: Ü’Ü’Ü™Ü in Hebrew:×‘×‘×œ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 80km south of Baghdad. ... Zrubavel (Hebrew: , ZÉ™rubbÄvel; traditional English: Zerubbabel; Greek: Î¶Î¿ÏÎ¿Î²Î±Î²ÎµÎ», ZÅrobabel) was the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate King of Judah. ... The Book of Ezra is a book of the Bible in the Old Testament and Hebrew Tanakh. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ...

Alternatively, Luke's genealogy descends through Nathan, who is an otherwise little-known son of King David, mentioned once in the Hebrew Bible (1 Chronicles 3:5), with only an indirect claim to the Davidic throne. Notably, because each generation averages about 25 years,^[1] including children who are not firstborn, Luke's list of 40 generations between David and Joseph approximates a realistic one thousand years. By contrast, Matthew's list of 25 generations is too short and can only represent a "telescoped", schematized or otherwise interrupted line.

Luke's genealogy involves Jesus's title "son of God" in the sense of being a descendant of Adam who was created by God. Luke opens the genealogy with the heavenly voice at Jesus' baptism saying, "You are my son", and concludes it with the addition of earlier ancestors before Abraham back to Adam, who is called "son of God". Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ...

Explanations for discrepancies

Several theories have been proposed to explain the discrepancies between Matthew and Luke:

Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian traveller and historian of the 3rd century, was probably born in Libya, and may have served under Septimius Severus against the Osrhoenians in AD 195. ... Levirate marriage is the practice of a woman marrying one of her husbands brothers after her husbands death, if there were no children, in order to continue the line of the dead husband. ...

Joseph the son of a Levirate marriage?

The earliest Christian tradition to explain the existence of two genealogies is still not impossible. The tradition records a complex scenario that involves the Jewish custom of Levirate marriage. Augustine learned this tradition from Julius Africanus and accepted it as authoritative. (Eusebius of Caesaria, Church History 1:7, 6:31; Augustine of Hippo, De Consensu Evangelistarum 2.) Levirate marriage is the practice of a woman marrying one of her husbands brothers after her husbands death, if there were no children, in order to continue the line of the dead husband. ... â€œAugustinusâ€ redirects here. ... Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian traveller and historian of the 3rd century, was probably born in Libya, and may have served under Septimius Severus against the Osrhoenians in AD 195. ...

Joseph was part of the linage back to Abraham and Adam. Luke 3:21-38 Linage of Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, Israel, Son of Joseph to Abraham to Adam to Son of God.

Mary, the daughter of Heli?

The confusion over the name of Joseph’s father encouraged explanations to reconcile the two genealogies. One suggestion ^[4] assigns Luke's genealogy to Jesus's mother Mary, and not to his father Joseph at all. So Jacob would be the father of Joseph, and Heli the father of Mary. Therefore, no contradiction.

The use of the term 'son' was often used in the sense of a 'descendant' or a head of a household's relative living under the same roof. An example of this in the Hebrew Bible would be Manasseh, who was described in Numbers 32:41, Deuteronomy 3:14 and 1st Kings 4:13 as the 'son' of Jair. However, it is revealed in 1st Chronicles 2:21-23 and 7:14-15 that he is actually the distant son-in-law of Jair. Thus calling Jesus the 'son of Joseph' could be interpreted to mean Jesus was a member of Joseph's household without being a biological son.

Assuming a virgin birth through Mary, Jesus's patrilinear genealogy could follow Mary's father. (A similar legal scenario was in place for the ancient concubines whose children did not inherit their father's property, but instead inherited property from their mother's father.)

The suggestion focuses on the language of Luke's Greek text. Luke adds a phrase that today would be considered a parenthetical comment. Luke 3:23 says literally: "And Jesus himself was ... a son (being thought) of Joseph of Heli" (Greek: και αυτος ην ιησους ... υιος ως ενομιζετο ιωσηφ του ηλι). The plain meaning of the text is usually understood as communicating the notion that Jesus was believed to be the son of Joseph but was actually the product of virgin birth. The suggestion simply expands the parenthesis to literally comment Joseph out of the genealogy altogether. "And Jesus himself was ... a son (being thought of Joseph) of Heli". In other words, people believed Jesus was the son of Joseph, but really he was the son of Mary's father Heli. Thus Joseph would be irrelevant to this genealogy.

The suggestion accepts the accuracy of the exact wording of the biblical text, it resolves an apparent contradiction between two biblical texts, and it expands the reputation of Jesus's mother Mary by explicating her aristocratic origins all the way back to King David.

Nevertheless, the genealogy does not actually mention Mary: making it her genealogy is therefore a "daring" interpretation. More problematically, the Early Christians preserve no tradition identifying Luke's genealogy as Mary's. It was not until the 15th century AD, when Annius of Viterbo first suggested this reassignment of the genealogy to Mary, with it gaining popularity only in the following centuries since. Most scholars "safely" discount the possibility that the genealogy belongs to Mary. [2] Annius of Viterbo (c. ...

Admin and Arni

Instead of calling Amminadab son of Ram, who was a son of Hezron (1. Chr 2:9,10; Ruth 4:8-10), the genealogy of Luke states: "...Amminadab, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron..." In some manuscripts the name Admin is inserted between Arni and Amminadab: "...Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron..." Most likely, Arni is a variant of the Greek equivalent of the name Ram. Ram is rendered Aram in Septuaginta. The name Admin can be a corruption of the name Amminadab, and the insertion of the name Admin is likened to be an error. Today, Bible translations varies on this issue, some have both Arni and Admin, some have only Arni, and yet some have Ram instead of Arni. Amminadab is a Hebrew/Canaanite name meaning my people are generous. The name is held by several individuals. ... In the Book of Genesis, Hezron or Hetzron (חֶצְרוֹן Enclosed, Standard Hebrew Ḥeẓron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeṣrôn) is the name of two men. ...

The curse on Jehoiakim

Jeremiah prophesied that King Jehoiakim would be killed by the enemy and no biological descendant of his would claim the throne. "Now this is what the LORD says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied- exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.". (Jeremiah 36:30.) Here is yet another problematic issue raised by the genealogies. However, the solution offered by many Christians is this: Luke's genealogy, as seen by what may be considered linguistic evidence, is in fact Mary's, not Joseph's, and the record in Matthew is his. If this is the case, the point is continued, then God's curse is not undermined, seeing as how Jesus wasn't the biological son of Joseph.

Are there two Shealtiels and two Zerubbabels?

Although Shealtiel and his son Zerubbabel have unusual names, the ones who have these names in Luke's genealogy are sometimes explained to not be the same as the famous ones who have these names in Matthew's genealogy.^[5] Matthew's Zerubbabel is the famous one who led the Jews back from Babylon to Jerusalem around 520 BCE, and who was perhaps born around 570 BCE. By contrast, if each generation is about 25 (or 23.8) years, then Luke's Zerubbabel was born around 502 (or 478) BCE. In other words, Luke's Shealtiel lived about three or four generations after the famous Shealtiel. He was named after the famous one and likewise named his own son after his famous son Zerubbabel. The famous names frequent the later books in the Hebrew Bible, with positive connotations of restoration from disaster. As different people, there would be no contradiction between the famous Shealtiel's father being King Jeconiah/Jehoiachin in Matthew but an otherwise unknown Neri in Luke, and likewise the famous Zerubbabel's son being Abiud in Matthew but Rhesa in Luke.

The sons of Zerubbabel

The book of Chronicles mentions numerous children of Zerubbabel, but neither Abiud nor Rhesa is in this list. Some scholars suggest this section appears garbled by scribal errors. By extension, if a genealogical list survived elsewhere, it may have mentioned Abiud as part of the original list. Some think that Abiud could be identical with Meshullam, who is listed as the first son of Zerubbabel. Or he could be a descendant of Zerubbabel, but not his immediate son. He could for example be a grandson, and son of one of Zerubbabel's sons. Alternatively, Abiud may not be Zerubbabel's biological descendent but a son in some other sense, such as Levirate marriage.^{[citation needed]} A non-biological inheritor would bypass the curse on Jehoiakim, and enable Abiud to be part of a list of eligible claimants to sit on a restored throne of David (another solution offered in regards to Joseph's apparent entanglement in the curse due to his family line.) Some have thought that Rhesa could be Zerubbabel's son in law. Or either Rhesa or Abiud could be a son in law. Yet another explanation is that Abiud can be the same as Joda in Luke's genealogy, which would mean that the two genealogies have some generations in common. Some have thought that Rhesa could be another name of one of Zerubbabel's sons, born during the Persian time. They have pointed out that Rhesa can be derived from a Persian word meaning "prince", which would be fit for someone born in a family with royal ancestry.

Brevity

Amongst others, Brown has remarked that Matthew's genealogy seems to be moving much too quickly - it gives 12 generations between King Jechonias (alternate spellings: Jeconiah, Jehoiachin) of the Babylonian Exile of Judah of ca 595 BC and Joseph, giving an approximate average length of generation of 50 years, extremely long for an ancient genealogy. This first part of Matthew 1:8 coincides with the list of the Kings of Judah that is present in a number of other parts of the Bible. However these other lists have Jehoram's son being Ahaziah while Uzziah is a quite different monarch who lives several generations later. This means that Matthew's genealogy skips Ahaziah, Athaliah, Jehoash, and Amaziah. Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew ×žÖ·×œÖ°×›×•Ö¼×ª ×™Ö°×”×•Ö¼×“Ö¸×”, Standard Hebrew Malá¸«ut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malá¸µÃ»á¹¯ YÉ™hÃ»á¸Äh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... This entry is not about King Ahaziah of Israel. ... Uzziah of Judah was king of Judah, and one of Amaziahs sons, whom the people appointed to replace his father (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chronicles 26:1). ... Athaliah (Hebrew Atalyahu (×¢×ª×œ×™×”), God is exalted) was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for five years. ... Jehoash (Jehovah-given), was king of Judah, and sole surviving son of Ahaziah. ... Categories: Stub | Kings of ancient Judah ...

Those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible contend that the genealogy was never meant to be complete. The incompleteness would be consistent with the writing in Matthew, and not considered an error, such as Matthew 1:20 where Joseph is referred simply as "Son of David." It is possible then, that the author of Matthew deliberately dropped those who were not needed from the list, either because of a lack of significance or because, as others conjecture, because of a political motive. Another viewpoint [3], is that Matthew was emphasising that Jesus is the Son of David [4] by using the fact that the consonants in the name David add up to 14 in the Hebrew alphabet. D is the 4th letter, V is the 6th letter, and so DVD (David) then works out to 4 + 6 + 4 = 14. Hence his groups of 14 names. Note: This article contains special characters. ...

One theory is that they were excised owing to their wickedness, or because they were murdered, but the even more unpleasant Ahaz, Manasseh and Amon are left in the list. Gundry supports the popular theory that these monarchs were left out because they were all descendants of Ahab, through his daughter Athaliah, both targets of a large degree of scorn in Jewish perception. Gundry also believes their removal was because the author was trying to contrive a division of the genealogy into three even divisions of fourteen names, hence contriving Jesus to seem to be the natural conclusion to the history. This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... This entry incorporates text from the public domain Eastons Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. ... Amon can refer to: Amun, Egyptian god, also known sometimes as Amon Amon, god of rage Amon (demon) Amon (Formula One team) Deicide (band), formerly called Amon Amon, one of the four Sinsitrals and main villains of Lufia Amon, mountain in Sindarin, an artificial language by J. R. R. Tolkien... Ahab or Achav (×Ö·×—Ö°×Ö¸×‘ Brother of the father, Standard Hebrew Aá¸¥Ê¼av, Tiberian Hebrew Ê¼Aá¸¥ÄƒÊ¼Äá¸‡, Ê¼Aá¸«Ê¼Äá¸‡) was King of the province of Samaria in the greater Kingdom of Israel, and the son and successor of Omri (1 Kings 16:29-34). ... Athaliah (Hebrew Atalyahu (×¢×ª×œ×™×”), God is exalted) was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for five years. ...

As stated earlier, it was also quite common in the NT period to abridge and shorten genealogies for the sake of aiding memorisation. Many Christians and Bible scholars might claim that since the style was fairly common, Matthew had more than enough precedence to do so, also.

Albright and Mann have a different theory, though, proposing that the author, or a later scribe, made a common scribal transcription error, known as homoioteleuton, confusing Achaziah and Uzziah due to the similarity of their names. Under this proposal, the three divisions of fourteen names were not originally present, only discovered after the scribal error, with Matthew 1:17, which discusses this division, being a later addition to the text. A Homoioteleuton (also Homoeoteleuton, Omoioteliton, Omoioteleton) is a figure in Rhetoric. ...

Luke's genealogy is considerably longer than is Matthew's, presenting a far more plausible number of names. That Luke goes through David's much less acclaimed son Nathan and does not include the kings of Israel in Jesus' lineage is also seen as adding to Luke's credibility. (Another key difference in the two is that while Matthew’s genealogy goes back to Abraham, Luke’s continues all the way back to Adam. The reason was likely because while Matthew’s audience was presumably Jews, and therefore he was concerned with showing the fulfillment of messianic prophecy, Luke’s was that of Greeks, and he would therefore be more interested in tracing Christ back to God, since the Gentiles would not be very concerned with Jewish prophecy.) However while names in Matthew's genealogy match the historical period in which they are meant to have lived, the names on Luke's list seem to lack historical accuracy - Luke's names reflect names and spelling of the first century, rather than the periods in which the people actually lived.^{[citations needed]}

Duplication, telescoping, and copying

Zadok is generally placed as having lived some 150 years after the start of Zerubbabel's period. This is a long period of time for just Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, and Azor to cover, and so many scholars feel an accurate list would be longer than Matthew's, more like Luke's genealogy which has far more names for the period. That this part of the genealogy in Matthew lacks papponymics has lead Albright and Mann to speculate that the original names covering this period became telescoped together, owing to repetitive re-occurrences of names; whereas Luke's genealogy contains several repeated groups of closely similar names, suggesting that Luke inadvertently, or deliberately, duplicated them. A papponymic is a personal name based on the name of ones grandfather, similar to how a patronymic name is one derived form the name of ones father. ...

The names between Zerubbabel and Zadok - Abiud, Eliakim, and Azor - are not known in any records dating from before the Gospel of Matthew, immediately leading many scholars, including Gundry, to believe that the author of Matthew simply made them up. In the eyes of such scholars, once the list moves away from the accepted genealogy of Jewish leaders it is fabricated until it reaches the known territory of Joseph's grandfather. The names listed are names that were frequent in the period of history, and so Gundry sees the author as having drawn the names from random parts of 1 Chronicles, disguising them to not make the copying obvious: According to Gundry (Redirected from 1 Chronicles) The Book of Chronicles is a book in the Hebrew Bible (also see Old Testament). ...

Categories: Hebrew Bible/Tanakh-related stubs | Torah people ... Eliezer (×Ö±×œÖ´×™×¢Ö¶×–Ö¶×¨ / ×Ö±×œÖ´×™×¢Ö¸×–Ö¶×¨ Help/Court of my God, Standard Hebrew EliÊ¿Ã©zer / EliÊ¿Ã¡zer, Tiberian Hebrew Ê¾Ä”lÃ®Ê¿Ã©zer / Ê¾Ä”lÃ®Ê¿Äzer) was Moses and Zipporahs second son. ... Isaiah the Prophet in Hebrew Scriptures was depicted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. ... King Jehoiakim (he whom God has set up, Hebrew language: ×™×”×•Ö¹×™Ö¸×§Ö´×™×) is a biblical character, whose original name was Eliakim. ... Theophory is a reference to the naming practice of adding a gods name (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individuals proper name. ... Achimaas may refer to one of several people: Achimaas, the father of Achinoam, wife of Saul (1 Samuel 14:50). ...

Son of David

In a later passage present in all the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus goes to the Temple courts, and during teaching asks the people: Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time? This article is on the biblical chapter. ... The Synoptic Gospels is a term used by modern New Testament scholars for the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke of the New Testament in the Bible. ... A drawing of Ezekiels Visionary Temple from the Book of Ezekiel 40-47 The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: ×‘×™×ª ×”×ž×§×“×©, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. ...

This has caused much debate, predominantly since at face value it appears to contradict the apparent intent of the genealogies, as well as making them appear somewhat pointless. Some scholars have argued that the passage is figurative, and instead is a justification of how someone from a background of poverty could claim to be the heir of David. Face Value is the title of Phil Collins debut solo album, released in February of 1981. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ...

While Jesus points out that even though the Messiah would be the offspring of David, he would also be his Lord. He then continues to ask why if the Messiah would be a mere human ancestor David would call him his “Lord.” Theologians and Christians attempting to examine this passage tend to see it in this way, implying that Christ was both before David and after him-- the “Root and the Offspring of David,” as put by Christ in Revelation. Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the TrÃ¨s Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

The passage is followed by a quotation from the Book of Psalms, which had previously been used at many coronations of the earlier Kings of Israel and Judea (Psalm 110:1). Since the psalm was, like many of the others, traditionally ascribed to David, the reference in the quotation to my Lord as a distinct entity from Yahweh, would seem to imply that David saw a higher authority between him and Yahweh. Although most Jews saw this as referring to the Jewish Messiah, as do many Christians, many Christians put emphasis on how it implies greater authority than David, rather than excluding his ability to be an ancestor. Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... 10th century BCE: The Land of Israel, including the United Kingdom of Israel Commonwealth of Israel redirects here. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew ×žÖ·×œÖ°×›×•Ö¼×ª ×™Ö°×”×•Ö¼×“Ö¸×”, Standard Hebrew Malá¸«ut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malá¸µÃ»á¹¯ YÉ™hÃ»á¸Äh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Phoenician silver drachm from ca. ... In Judaism and Jewish eschatology, the Messiah (Hebrew: ×ž×©×™×—; Mashiah, Mashiach, or Moshiach, anointed [one]) is a term traditionally referring to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (the meaning of the Hebrew word ×ž×©×™×—) with holy anointing oil and inducted to rule the Jewish people during...

Women

By mentioning five women — Tamar, Ruth, Rahab, Bathsheba and Mary — Matthew's genealogy is unusual compared to those of the time, where women were not generally included at all; for example, the genealogy of Luke does not mention them. Albright and Mann support the theory that these women are mentioned to highlight the important roles women have played in the past, to imply that the other woman mentioned in the genealogy — Mary — is the equal of these. Feminist scholars such as Levine hold the idea that the presence of women in the genealogy serves to undermine the patriarchal message of a long list of males, while Brown feels that the presence of women is to deliberately show that God's action is not always in keeping with the moral politics of the time. In the Bible Tamar - ×ªÖ¸Ö¼×žÖ¸×¨ Date Palm, Standard Hebrew Tamar, Tiberian Hebrew TÄmÄr was the daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she was married (Gen. ... Naomi entreating Ruth and Orpah to return to the land of Moab by William Blake, 1795 Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld: Ruth in Boazs Field, 1828 The Book of Ruth (Hebrew: ×ž×’×™×œ×ª ×¨×•×ª, Megilat Rut, the Scroll of Ruth) is one of the books of the Ketuvim (Writings) of the Tanakh (the... For the video game character from Legacy of Kain Series, see Rahab (Legacy of Kain). ... Bathsheba (×‘×ª ×©×‘×¢) is the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of King David in the Hebrew Bible. ... According to the New Testament, Mary (Judeo-Aramaic ×ž×¨×™×, MaryÄm, from Hebrew Miriam) was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth; at the time of his conception she was betrothed (or engaged) to Joseph and was a virgin. ... Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ... A patriarch (from Greek: patria means father; arché means rule, beginning, origin) is a male head of an extended family exercising autocratic authority, or, by extension, a member of the ruling class or government of a society controlled by senior men. ... Raymond Edward Brown (May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998), was an American Roman Catholic priest and Biblical scholar. ...

Tamar deceived and had sex with her father-in-law when he failed to provide proper support for her after she was widowed, Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth was a foreigner, and Bathsheba was seduced into adultery by David: all of them women who were either despised or abused by their contemporaries or who didn't conform to their society's expectations of virtue. Greater, more notable and virtuous women are not mentioned, leading Jerome to suggest that Matthew had included these women to illustrate how pressingly moral reform was needed, while Gundry sees them as an attempt to justify Jesus' undignified origin by showing that great leaders of the past had also been born to women of a dubious nature. Rahab was a Canaanite, as most likely was Tamar, Ruth was a Moabite and Bathsheba was married to a Hittite and conceivably was one herself. According to John Chrysostom, the first to remark on their foreignness, their inclusion was a device to imply that Jesus was to be a saviour not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. This page is about the Biblical king David. ... â€œSaint Jeromeâ€ redirects here. ... Robert Horton Gundry is a noted Biblical scholar. ... For other uses, see Canaan (disambiguation). ... The Moabite language is an extinct Hebrew Canaanite dialect, spoken in Moab (modern-day northwestern Jordan) in the early first millennium BC. Most of our knowledge about Moabite comes from the Mesha Stele, as well as the El-Kerak Stela; this is sufficient to show that it was extremely similar... Relief of Suppiluliuma II, last known king of the Hittite Empire The Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language, and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa (Hittite URU) in north-central Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite empire was... John Chrysostom (349â€“407, Greek: , Ioannes Chrysostomos) was the archbishop of Constantinople. ... The word gentile is an anglicised version of the Latin word gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe. ...

Terminology

The phrase "book of the genealogy" or biblos geneseos has several possible meanings; most scholars agree that the most logical explanation is that this is simply toledot, although a small minority translate it more widely as "the book of coming" and thus consider it to refer to the entire Gospel. Brown stretches the grammar considerably to make it read "the book of the genesis brought about by Jesus", implying that it discusses the recreation of the world by Jesus. Toledot, Toldot, or Toldoth (×ªÖ¼×•Ö¹×œÖ°×“Ö¹×ª â€” Hebrew for â€œlineâ€ or â€œstory,â€ the second word and the first distinctive word in the parshah) is the sixth weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. ... Raymond Edward Brown (May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998), was an American Roman Catholic priest and Biblical scholar. ...

In modern times the term Christ is considered to apply exclusively to Jesus, but in Matthew's day it had a more general meaning, and Matthew is not specific as to whether he is describing Jesus as the Christ or merely a Christ.^{[citation needed]} The form Matthew uses indicates that the word Christ is being used as a title, rather than an adjective or ordinary noun. Elsewhere Matthew uses "the Christ". Christ is the English of the Greek word (ChristÃ³s), which literally means The Anointed One. ...

According to Brown some have theorized that David's name precedes that of Abraham since the author of Matthew is trying to emphasize Jesus' Davidic ancestry. Gundry states that the structure of this passage attempts to portray Jesus as the culmination of the Old Testament genealogies. Robert Horton Gundry is a noted Biblical scholar. ...

Spelling

The author of Matthew has a tendency to use spellings of names that correspond to the spellings in the Septuagint rather than the Masoretic text, suggesting that the Septuagint formed the source for the genealogy. However, Rahab's name is spelt as Rachab, a departure from the Septuagint, though the spelling Rachab also appears in the works of Josephus, leading to speculation that this is a symptom of a change in pronunciation during this period. Additionally, Rahab's position is also peculiar, as all other traditions place her as the wife of Joshua not of Salmon. The Septuagint: A page from Codex vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brentons English translation. ... The Masoretic Text (MT) is the Hebrew text of the Tanakh approved for general use in Judaism. ... A fanciful representation of Flavius Josephus, in an engraving in William Whistons translation of his works Josephus (37 â€“ sometime after 100 AD/CE)[1], who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Flavius Josephus[2], was a 1st-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and... Salmon is a person in the Hebrew Bible. ...

The author of Matthew adds a "φ" to Asa's name. Gundry believes this is an attempt to make a connection with Psalm 78, which contains messianic prophecies, Asaph being the name to which Psalm 78 is attributed. However, most other scholars feel this is more likely a typographic error than a scheme, and most modern translators of the Bible "correct" Matthew in this verse. Whether it were the author of Matthew, or a later copyist, that would have made the error, is uncertain. Look up Î¦, Ï† in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Amon has a similar feature. Matthew actually has Amos, rather than Amon, which Grundy has argued might have been an attempt to link to the minor prophet Amos, who made messianic predictions, but once again, other scholars feel this is most likely simply a typographical error. Amos (×¢Ö¸×ž×•Ö¹×¡ Burden, Standard Hebrew Ê¿Amos, Tiberian Hebrew Ê¿Ä€mÃ´s) is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and putative author of the speeches reported in the Book of Amos. ...

Forty-two

The dividing of Matthew's genealogy into three groups of fourteen helps for the memorization of the list, and the author of Matthew emphasizes that the names have been grouped into sets of 14, pointing out that "all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations" (Mt. 1:17). The number 14 is itself important; not only is it twice 7, a holy number at the time, 14 is also the gematria of David. The division also makes it seem as though Jesus should be an important event simply by virtue of being at the end of the last set of 14. Calculations based on this division into 14s led Joachim of Fiore to predict that the Second Coming would occur in the thirteenth century. 14 (fourteen) is the natural number following 13 and preceding 15. ... Seven Days of Creation - 1765 book, title page 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Joachim of Flora (medieval engraving). ... The Second Coming refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy such as the resurrection of the dead, last judgment and full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the Reign of God), including the...

There is a significant complication with this division - there are only 41 names listed in the direct line (including Jesus), not 42 (14x3), either leaving one of the divisions a member short, or implying that Jesus would have a son who, rather than Jesus, is to be the Messiah. A number of explanations have been advanced to account for this numerical feature. One is that David's name should appear twice just since he is mentioned twice in the genealogy, and so appears both in the 14 prior to the period of Kings, and the 14 covering it. However, this logic also implies that as the exile in Babylon is mentioned twice, so the king involved - Jeconiah - should appear twice, resulting in 43 names in the list.

Other theories that have been advanced include that Mary counts as one of the 14, though discounting all the other women, or that Jeconiah legally counts as two separate people, one as king the other as dethroned civilian. However, the explanation that scholars today find most probable is that the problem lies in confusion of Jeconiah and an individual of a similar name. Almost all other sources report that a king named Jehoiakim lay between Josiah and Jeconiah, and since the second theophory in the name Jeconiah (the ..iah) is transposed to the middle of his name in the Book of Kings, as Jehoiachin, it is plausible that the author of Matthew or a later scribe confused Jehoiakim for Jehoiachin. This would also explain why the text identifies Josiah as Jeconiah's father rather than grandfather, and why Jeconiah, usually regarded as an only-child, is listed as having a number of brothers, a description elsewhere considered more appropriate for Jehoiakim. King Jehoiakim (he whom God has set up, Hebrew language: ×™×”×•Ö¹×™Ö¸×§Ö´×™×) is a biblical character, whose original name was Eliakim. ... Theophory is a reference to the naming practice of adding a gods name (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individuals proper name. ... Book of Kings may refer to: The Books of Kings in the Bible. ...

Virgin birth

Matthew 1:16 breaks with the pattern preceding it; it is at pains to distance Joseph from Jesus' actual parentage and point out that Joseph did not beget Jesus, but was simply the husband of the woman who was his mother. In the original Greek, the word translated as whom is unambiguously feminine. The shift to the passive voice also symbolizes the Virgin Birth. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... In grammar, voice is the relationship between the action or state expressed by a verb, and its arguments (subject, object, etc. ...

Matthew 1:16 has attracted considerable scholarly attention because unusually the ancient sources show several different versions of it. For example, the Codex Koridethi has: The Codex Koridethi (Î˜, 038, Q, or theta) is a 9th century manuscript of the four Gospels. ...

While the Old Syriac Sinaiticus has A portion of the Codex Sinaiticus, containing Esther 2:3-8. ...

The first version represents the same pattern as that used in most modern translations - unlike the prior genealogy, its convoluted wording, shifting to the passive voice, is at pains to distance Joseph from the parentage of Jesus, to support a Virgin Birth. The other version states clearly that Joseph was actually the father of Jesus, and while it does appear to state Mary is a virgin, the word now translated virgin actually corresponds to the Greek word parthenekos which translates literally more as maid. Some scholars see these latter versions as evidence against the doctrine of the Virgin Birth, while others postulate that the original text only had words of the form "and Joseph was the father of Jesus", following the pattern of the prior verses, which later scribes altered to clarify that this didn't amount to biological parentage. In grammar, voice is the relationship between the action or state expressed by a verb, and its arguments (subject, object, etc. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

Raymond Brown has proposed that these variants are not so much concerned with arguing for or against the Virgin Birth, but for the doctrine of perpetual virginity of Mary, which became prominent at the time the variants were created; both appear to be attempts to avoid making Joseph a husband to Mary, and hence to suppress the suggestion of sexual activity between them. Perhaps the most obvious issue of all surrounding this aspect of the genealogy is that if Joseph is no more than a step father to Jesus, the question arises as to why Matthew devoted the prior verses to his genealogy. At the time legal kinship was generally considered more important than biological descent, and thus by demonstrating that Joseph was a member of the House of David, even an adopted son would be legally considered part of the same dynasty. The perpetual virginity of Mary is a doctrine of faith of Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic Christianity, as well of Islam, stating that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained an actual virgin, implying both virginal disposition and physical integrity, before, during, and after the birth of Jesus, and thus is...

The known family of Jesus

The Desposyni (from Greek δεσπόσυνος (desposunos) "of or belonging to the master or lord") was a sacred name reserved only for Jesus' blood relatives. The closely related word δεσπότης (despotes), literally meaning despot, but more generally meaning a lord, master, or ship owner, is commonly used of God, human slave-masters, and of Jesus in the reading Luke 13:25 found in Papyrus 75, in Jude 1:4, and possibly in 2nd Peter 2:1. In Ebionite belief, the desposyni included his mother Mary, his father Joseph, his un-named sisters, and his brothers James the Just, Joses, Simon and Jude; in modern mainstream Christian belief, Mary is counted as a blood relative, Joseph as a foster father or step father and the rest as siblings (Protestant belief) or half-siblings or cousins (Catholic and Orthodox). The Desposyni (from Greek (desposunos) of or belonging to the master or lord[1]) was a sacred name reserved only for Jesus blood relatives. ... The Desposyni (from Greek (desposunos) of or belonging to the master or lord[1]) was a sacred name reserved only for Jesus blood relatives. ... Despotism is government by a singular authority, either a single person or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute power. ... The Ebionites (from Hebrew; Ebionim, the poor ones) were a sect of Judean followers of John the Baptizer and later Jesus (Yeshua in Aramaic) which existed in Judea and Palestine during the early centuries of the Common Era. ... Saint James the Just (×™×¢×§×‘ Holder of the heel; supplanter; Standard Hebrew YaÊ¿aqov, Tiberian Hebrew YaÊ¿ÄƒqÅá¸‡, Greek IÎ¬ÎºÏ‰Î²Î¿Ï‚), also called James Adelphotheos, James, 1st Bishop of Jerusalem, or James, the Brother of the Lord[1] and sometimes identified with James the Less, (died AD 62) was an important figure... Joses, in Hebrew, means He that forgives. Joses is one of the brothers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Mark 6:3 and its parallel passage in Matthew 13:54 - 57. ... Jude (alternatively Judas or Judah) is the third of the brothers of Jesus appearing in the New Testament. ...

Notes

^ Some sources date a "generation" to roughly 25 years per generation, however calculations involving some genealogies in the Book of Chronicles (and perhaps in the Gospel of Luke) seem to be closer to 23.8 years per generation. "The number twenty [years per generation] is only a very approximate round number and perhaps should be considerably higher. Kalimi lists proposals ranging from twenty to thirty years per generation. Kalimi himself chooses twenty-three or twenty-four." (Isaac Kalimi, “Die Abfassungszeit der Chronik: Forschungsstand und Perspectiven,” Zeitschrift Fuer Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (ZAW) Vol. 105 (Berlin 1993) p. 230, cited in R. W. Klein, "Introduction to the Book of Chronicles," in The Harper Collins Study Bible: New revised standard edition. Edited by W. A. Meeks (London: Harper Collins 1993), p.25.) [1]
^ Eusebius Church History i. 7; vi. 31, letter to Aristides
^ Vermes, Geza "The Nativity: History and Legend". Penguin (2006) ISBN 0-14-102446-1
^ Emmerich, Anne Catherine The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary p. 21
^ Second Difficulty in "Genealogy of Christ", Catholic Encyclopedia.

Geza Vermes (born 22 June 1924) is a Jewish scholar and writer on religious history, particularly Jewish and Christian. ...

References

William Foxwell Albright (May 24, 1891 - September 19/20, 1971) was an evangelical Methodist archaelogist, biblical authority, linguist and expert on ceramics. ... The Anchor Bible Series is a scholarly and commercial co-venture that has been setting a high standard since the early 1960s, when individual volumes of the series began publication. ... Raymond Edward Brown (May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998), was an American Roman Catholic priest and Biblical scholar. ... Robert Horton Gundry is a noted Biblical scholar. ...

Contents

Genealogical texts

Variations between the genealogies

Explanations for discrepancies

Joseph the son of a Levirate marriage?

Mary, the daughter of Heli?

Admin and Arni

The curse on Jehoiakim

Are there two Shealtiels and two Zerubbabels?

The sons of Zerubbabel

Brevity

Duplication, telescoping, and copying

Son of David

Women

Terminology

Spelling

Forty-two

Virgin birth

The known family of Jesus

Notes

References

See also

External links

Contents

Genealogical texts GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Variations between the genealogies

Explanations for discrepancies

Joseph the son of a Levirate marriage?

Mary, the daughter of Heli?

Admin and Arni

The curse on Jehoiakim

Are there two Shealtiels and two Zerubbabels?

The sons of Zerubbabel

Brevity

Duplication, telescoping, and copying

Son of David

Women

Terminology

Spelling

Forty-two

Virgin birth

The known family of Jesus

Notes

References

See also

External links

Genealogical texts