What is in question: Luke includes a Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah, while the Masoretic Text, the traditional Hebrew text behind many Old Testament editions, goes directly from Arphaxad to Shelah.

One reading

Include Luke's Cainan

contested

Claim: Luke is followed as printed, with Cainan included between Arphaxad and Shelah.

Basis: Luke 3:35-36 names Cainan in the line between Arphaxad and Shelah.

Who holds it: not attributed to a named source in this dataset

Verses:

Another reading

Follow Masoretic Genesis directly from Arphaxad to Shelah

majority

Claim: Genesis is followed in its Masoretic form, where Arphaxad fathers Shelah directly.

Basis: Genesis 11:12 says Arphaxad became the father of Shelah and does not name Cainan between them.

Who holds it: not attributed to a named source in this dataset

Verses:

Scholarly weight: For Hebrew Genesis, the direct Arphaxad-to-Shelah link is the standard Masoretic reading. For Luke, printed New Testament texts include Cainan, so the apparatus treats this as a textual-tradition difference rather than forcing one combined genealogy.

Graph note: Both edges are retained because Luke and the Masoretic Genesis line differ at this point.

Where scholars differ

Which ancient textual tradition's ages should be used for Genesis 5 and 11?

What is in question: Genesis 5 and 11 preserve different age numbers in different textual traditions, so chronology depends on which tradition is being followed.

One reading

Use the Masoretic Text ages

majoritygraph path

Claim: The main display uses the Masoretic Text, the traditional Hebrew text behind many Old Testament editions, unless another tradition is named.

Basis: Genesis 5:3-32 and Genesis 11:10-26 are the sections where the ages appear; the local age data is tagged by textual tradition.

Who holds it: not attributed to a named source in this dataset

Verses:

Another reading

Account for Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch ages

contested

Claim: The Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation, and the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Samaritan form of the Torah, preserve different age figures in these chapters.

Basis: Genesis 5:3-32 and Genesis 11:10-26 are the same age lists, but the numbers differ across these textual traditions.

Who holds it: not attributed to a named source in this dataset

Verses:

Scholarly weight: The Masoretic Text is the default for most Hebrew-based Old Testament displays and for this site. The Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch remain important ancient witnesses, so chronology should be stated with the textual tradition named.

Graph note: The graph keeps dates and ages tradition-tagged rather than flattening them into a single chronology.

Arphaxad -> Shelah Luke 3:35-36 and the Greek Septuagint tradition insert a second Cainan between these two.

Cainan -> Shelah Greek · Septuagint Flagged for review. Luke 3:35-36 places Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah; absent from Hebrew Masoretic Genesis 11.