Adams Bible Timeline: The Bible on Adams’ Chart
The title printed at the foot of panel 1 reads “A chronological chart of Ancient, Modern and Biblical History, Synchronized by SEBASTIAN C. ADAMS”. Here is how the Bible runs along the chart, from the Creation to the birth of Christ, and where to look for each part.
In short: Adams’ chart begins with the Creation, which he dates to 4004 BC following Archbishop Ussher, and runs through ten panels to his own day. On the chart, the Creation (4004 BC) is printed in panel 1 and the note on the birth of Christ in panel 7.
Eight steps from Adam to Jesus
Each date is the one printed on Adams’ chart, which adopts the chronology of Archbishop Usher (see his notice below).
| Year | What happened | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 4004 BC | The creation of Adam, the beginning of the “year of the world” (A.M.) | Panel 1 |
| 2348 BC | The Flood, in the year of the world 1656 | Panel 3 |
| 1921 BC | The call of Abram, 427 years after the Flood | Panel 4 |
| 1491 BC | The Exodus from Egypt and the Law given at Sinai | Panel 5 |
| 1048 BC | David takes Jerusalem and makes it his capital | Panel 6 |
| 606 BC | The seventy years of captivity in Babylon begin | Panel 6 |
| 536 BC | Cyrus lets the Jews return and rebuild Jerusalem | Panel 6 |
| 4 to 6 BC | The birth of Christ, as Adams’ chart notes: “IT IS NOW HELD THAT CHRIST WAS BORN FROM 4 TO 6 B.C.” | Panel 7 |
Calculation: 2348 − 1921 = 427. The generations behind this table are on From Adam to Jesus.
How Adams begins
The era ANNO MUNDI. 4004. Before Christ according to Archbishop Usher, who follows the Hebrew Pentateuch, is here adopted.
Printed on Adams’ chart, panel 2
Before the Christian Era, dates are given both as BC and as A.M., “year of the world”; after it, as AD.
The patriarchs and the genealogy of Christ
The Key to the chart explains that colored lines trace the lives of the patriarchs from Adam to Moses. A line branching from its parent shows a birth, and the point where it ends shows a death, read on the scale of centuries and decades. A broken line below the stream of time shows the genealogy of Christ from Adam to Mary and Joseph.
- Genesis timeline: the dates of Genesis printed on the chart
- Bible genealogy timeline: Adam to Noah and Shem to Abram
- From Adam to Jesus: the generations
- The eight dates for the Flood
The Bible panel by panel
The chart reads from left to right in ten panels. Each page below walks through one panel.
| Panel | Title | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Panel 1 | The Creation and the First Patriarchs | c. 4004–3500 BC |
| Panel 2 | The Patriarchs Before the Flood | c. 3500–2900 BC |
| Panel 3 | Noah and the Deluge | c. 2900–2300 BC |
| Panel 4 | Abraham and the Early Empires | c. 2300–1700 BC |
| Panel 5 | The Exodus and the Age of the Judges | c. 1700–1100 BC |
| Panel 6 | From Saul to Cyrus: Kings, Prophets and Empires | c. 1100–500 BC |
| Panel 7 | Greece, Rome and the Beginning of the Christian Era | c. 500 BC–AD 100 |
| Panel 8 | The Fall of Rome and the Hegira | c. AD 100–700 |
| Panel 9 | Charlemagne, the Crusades and the Medieval Kingdoms | c. AD 700–1300 |
| Panel 10 | Discovery, Revolution and the United States | c. AD 1300–1878 |
Names for the same chart
The title page of the edition shown on this site reads “Adams’ Synchronological Chart of Universal History.” “Adams’ Map of History” is its popular name, and today it is also called the Adams Time Chart. More on the page What is Adams’ Map of History?
Keep exploring
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FreeSee it on Adams’ chart
- Open the chart at panel 1 and zoom into the names
- Search any name or date
- Nothing to download
-
For adults and teachersThe First Generations: the Study Edition
- Every detail of the panel explained
- Adams’ own words, the King James text and his sources
- The panel to print and assemble at home
Panel 1: 106 pages · $5 · all ten panels $39
See the book
All the books and files on one page: the shop.
Questions
What is the Adams Bible timeline?
It is Sebastian C. Adams’ chart, a single illustrated timeline of world and biblical history more than 20 feet long, first registered by Adams in 1871. On this site it is called the Adams Time Chart and is free to explore online.
Where does Adams’ Bible timeline begin?
With the Creation, which Adams dates to 4004 BC following Archbishop James Ussher. His notice reads: “The era ANNO MUNDI. 4004. Before Christ according to Archbishop Usher, who follows the Hebrew Pentateuch, is here adopted.”
How does Adams’ chart show the patriarchs?
The Key to the chart says that colored lines trace the lives of the patriarchs from Adam to Moses, that a line branching from its parent shows a birth, and that a broken line below the stream of time shows the genealogy of Christ from Adam to Mary and Joseph.
Is the Adams Bible timeline free?
The whole chart is free to explore online: zoom into every panel and search more than 13,000 transcribed entries. The books and the Printable Edition are digital PDFs sold separately; nothing is shipped.
Is the Adams Time Chart the same as Adams’ Map of History?
Yes. “Adams’ Map of History” is the popular name of the chart. The title page of the edition shown on this site reads “Adams’ Synchronological Chart of Universal History.” Today the chart is also called the Adams Time Chart.
Related topics
Text by Heritage Chronology Press. Dates and words as printed on Sebastian C. Adams’ chart; some other chronologies place certain events at different dates. Key to the chart, dates and panel titles as on the pages of this site. Spotted an error? Tell us at [email protected].