Tracing the Lord’s genealogy from Adam to Jesus Christ

It is important that we, Christians should know the direct descending lines from the first man to the son of God, and trace the lines from Adam to Noah, to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel to the lines of Jesse, David, Solomon, to Levi, all the way to Jesus Christ. I bought an ancient book in Jerusalem a few years back when I visited the Holy Land again. Let me share with you my findings. Let this be my gift of knowledge to you this Christmas.

The complete story, from Creation to the Crucifixion, was traced by the great Archbishop James Ussher, primate of Ireland, in 1650, based on his extensive research into the Old and the New Testament, from Genesis to the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

Between Adam and Noah, there were 8 generations and 1,657 years from Creation to the Great Flood, which took place some 2,243 years before the first Christmas. There were 9 generations between Noah and Abraham or some 436 years. There were 12 generations between Abraham and King David or some 917 years. There were 9 generations that separated David and Levi. There were 11 generations that separated Levi and Zorobabel. There were 9 generations between Zorobabel and Naum, and another 9 generations between Naum and Jesus Christ. There were 77 generations between Adam and Jesus Christ. The basis of these calculations by Archbishop Ussher were the Book of Chronicles from Adam to Abraham, as well as the Gospel of Saint Matthew from Abraham to Jesus.

God's call to Abraham to become the primate of God's people were 1,917 years before Christ. King David built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem 3,000 years after the Creation and 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus. This Temple was burned 584 years before Christ, and was rebuilt by Zorobabel 70 years afterwards. Do not get confused on the calculations of the timelines because the counting of years before were not the same as today. In fact, Adam lived for 130 years; Seth for 105 years, Jared for 162 years and Methuselah for 187 years. Abraham lived for 100 years, Isaac died at 60 and Jacob at 68. King David died at age 70 and King Solomon at 58. Both branches of King David's genealogy converged in Zorobabel. Then it separated into the line of the carpenter Joseph and the young maiden, Mary.

Joseph, the carpenter, foster father of Jesus was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Mathan, whose father was Eleazar, son of Eluid, whose father was Achim. Sadoc, the father of Achim was the son of Azor whose father was Eliakim, son of Abiud, whose father was Zorobabel. On the side of Mary, Abiud had a brother Ressa who sired Joanna, whose son was Judah, father of Joseph. Don't get confused, there are so many Josephs, Jacobs and other names for they had a custom to name their descendants after their ascendants. This was the maternal lineage of Jeus from the side of Mary, and that means that both Mary and Joseph descended from Zorobabel, who was a distant descendant of King David. They were all relatives who had no one else to marry.

Since Mary was the first-degree cousin of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, then Jesus and John were second degree cousins. And John the Baptist is a different guy from John the Evangelist, the brother of James, the two being sons of Zebedee. They were fishermen doing business in Bethsaida, near the sea of Galilee. In my thirst for knowledge, I visited all these places from the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem to the Mountain of the Crucifixion which are now both covered by temples, synagogues, mosques and Churches. I travelled to Jericho to trace the path of the Good Samaritan. I climbed up to the Mountain of the Transfiguration, I prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, I visited the House of Elizabeth and I married my wife again in Cana. I immersed myself in River Jordan, and I went to the Dead Sea. I carried the cross along 14 stations in Calvary, and I kissed the spot where Christ was born.

It is a different kind of experience to trace the footsteps of Christ and see the exact spots described in the Holy Book. I am not rich enough to fund all my peregrinations. But the Lord gave me a rich Arab client, who paid for all my travels while I served all his legal needs. God is good all the time. Merry Christmas.