Not The Beginning Of The World

Oct 23, 2023

The hosts explore Archbishop James Usher's calculation of the date and time of the beginning of the world, the controversy surrounding his views, and the impact of his work. They discuss the historical context of dating the Bible, the methodology behind Usher's breakthrough, and the futility of his chronology. The chapter also mentions the Holderness Family podcast and provides highlights of its content.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Controversial Chronology of the Bible and James Usher's Impact

01:47 • 2min

Calculating the Date of Creation and Historical Chronology

03:20 • 2min

A Discussion on the Bible's Chronology and James Usher's Breakthrough

05:19 • 4min

The Pointlessness of Usher Chronology and Comparisons to Everyday Activities

09:26 • 2min

According to the 17th-century Archbishop James Ussher, the world began on 23rd October, 4004 BC at precisely midday.

Today, it is easy to ridicule Ussher’s date – and plenty of people do – but his methodology was scrupulous and his calculations were in line with most of the best estimates of his age.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss what was behind the 17th Century fascination with the age of the Earth; investigate how the Gideon Society made Ussher a household name; and ask whether Ussher was the original superfan (with the caveat that his area of nerdy obsession happened to be Biblical chronology)...