The Timeline from Adam to Christ 

The genealogy of Jesus Christ is far more than a record of names stretching across thousands of years. Behind every generation lies a story - of families and nations, faith and failure, kingdoms rising and falling, promises remembered and promises seemingly forgotten. From the earliest chapters of Genesis to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Scripture reveals a remarkable historical journey in which ordinary people, powerful rulers, faithful servants and deeply flawed individuals all occupy a place in the biblical account.

These interactive timelines invite you to explore that journey through the generations recorded in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Discover where these ancestors lived, the kingdoms and rulers that shaped their world, the prophets who spoke during their lifetimes and the Messianic promises associated with their generations. Follow the biblical references, explore the Hebrew and Greek meanings of their names, and consider how the story develops towards the coming of Jesus Christ.

The dates presented are approximate, following a traditional biblical chronology alongside established historical dates where available. Some dates are calculated from Scripture, while others are estimates intended to help place individuals within the broader historical narrative.

01. Creation to the Flood

c. 4004-2348 BC | Adam to Noah

The First Generations of Humanity

From the beginning of human history to the world that perished in the Flood.

The opening chapters of Genesis introduce humanity's earliest generations, beginning with Adam and continuing through Seth, Enosh, Enoch, Methuselah and Noah. These names represent more than a succession of fathers and sons. Their lives unfold against the backdrop of creation, the entrance of sin into the world, humanity's growing corruption and the continuing testimony of those who walked with God.

This period introduces some of Scripture's most extraordinary accounts of human longevity, including Methuselah's 969 years, Enoch's remarkable departure from earthly life and Noah's obedience in preparing the Ark. It also introduces the promise concerning the woman's offspring in Genesis 3:15, traditionally understood by Christians as the earliest anticipation of the Messiah.

Highlights of this timeline

• Adam and Seth - the beginning of the genealogical line.
• Enosh - the generation associated with calling upon the name of the LORD.
• Enoch - the man who walked with God and was taken by Him.
• Methuselah - the longest recorded human lifespan.
• Noah - a righteous man in a generation marked by widespread corruption.

Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:15 | Genesis 4:25-26 | Genesis 5 | Genesis 6-9 | Hebrews 11:5-7

Explore further: The Creation to Noah's Flood timeline provides the broader account of the Fall, the building of the Ark, the judgement of the Flood and God's covenant with Noah.

02. Judah to the Dawn of the Kingdom

Patriarchal period to c. 1010 BC | Judah to Jesse 

From a Family Promise to a Royal Dynasty

Through slavery, wilderness journeys, settlement and the days of the judges, the promised lineage continues.

The generations between Judah and the rise of David's kingdom span some of the most formative events in Israel's history. The descendants of Jacob become a nation, experience oppression in Egypt, journey through the wilderness and eventually settle in the land of Canaan. Yet the genealogy preserves only a small number of names across these eventful centuries, reminding us that the biblical record often follows a particular family line rather than providing a complete account of every generation.

Among these ancestors are Nahshon, associated with the leadership of Judah during the wilderness period, Salmon, whose family is connected with Rahab, and Boaz, whose marriage to Ruth brings a Moabite woman into the ancestry of David. Their stories reveal how the genealogy crosses social boundaries and incorporates individuals whose lives might otherwise seem far removed from the emergence of Israel's monarchy.

Highlights of this timeline

• Judah and Perez - the continuation of the line through Tamar.
• Amminadab and Nahshon - connections with Israel's wilderness generation.
• Salmon and Rahab - the unexpected inclusion of a woman associated with Jericho.
• Boaz and Ruth - redemption, faithfulness and the preservation of a family inheritance.
• Obed and Jesse - the generations immediately preceding David.

Key Scriptures: Genesis 38 | Genesis 49:10 | Numbers 1:7 | Joshua 2 | Ruth 1-4 | Chronicles 2:3-15

A connection worth exploring: Ruth's story introduces the role of the kinsman-redeemer, an important biblical theme that Christians often explore in connection with Christ's work of redemption.

03. Royal Line - David to Josiah

c. 1010-609 BC | The monarchy and divided kingdom

The Throne, the Covenant and the Prophets

From David's kingdom to the final generations before Jerusalem's destruction.

With David's rise to kingship, the genealogy enters one of its most significant periods. God promises David an enduring royal house, establishing a covenant that becomes central to the biblical expectation of a future king. Solomon inherits the throne and builds the Temple in Jerusalem, but the kingdom subsequently divides, setting Israel and Judah on increasingly troubled political and spiritual paths.

The descendants of David rule amid alliances, wars, religious reforms and repeated departures from God's commandments. During these centuries, prophets including Elijah, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Micah proclaim warnings, call the people to repentance and speak of future hope. The promised ruler from Bethlehem, the shoot from Jesse and the sign of Immanuel emerge within this turbulent historical setting.

Highlights of this timeline

• David - the shepherd-king and recipient of the Davidic covenant.
• Solomon - wisdom, prosperity and the building of the First Temple.
• Rehoboam - the division of the united kingdom.
• Uzziah and Jotham - prosperity and growing regional instability.
• Ahaz and Hezekiah - the Assyrian threat and Isaiah's prophetic ministry.
• Josiah - religious reform and the rediscovery of the Book of the Law.

Key Scriptures: 2 Samuel 7:12-16 | 1 Kings 1-12 | 2 Kings 18-23 | Isaiah 7:14 | Isaiah 11:1 | Micah 5:2

A connection worth exploring: Matthew's genealogy omits several kings recorded elsewhere in Scripture. These omissions provide an opportunity to explore how ancient genealogies were structured and why Matthew emphasises three groups of fourteen generations.

04. Royal Line - Exile to Joseph

6th-1st centuries BC | The Babylonian exile to the birth of Christ

When the Crown Was Lost, but the Promise Remained

The royal family survives exile, foreign domination and centuries without a Davidic king.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile mark a profound turning point in the history of Judah. The Temple is destroyed, the monarchy collapses and members of the royal family are taken into captivity. Yet Matthew's genealogy continues through Jeconiah, Shealtiel and Zerubbabel, preserving the royal succession even after the throne itself has disappeared from the historical record.

Under Persian rule, Jewish exiles begin returning to their homeland and the Temple is rebuilt. Later generations live through the changing political worlds of Persia, the Greek kingdoms and eventually Rome. Scripture tells us comparatively little about many of the individuals named between Zerubbabel and Joseph, but their inclusion in Matthew connects the ancient Davidic promises to the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth.

Highlights of this timeline

• Jeconiah - the royal family taken into Babylonian exile.
• Shealtiel - the genealogical transition through the exilic period.
• Zerubbabel - the return from exile and rebuilding of the Temple.
• Abiud through Matthan - generations whose individual histories remain largely unknown.
• Jacob and Joseph - the concluding generations of Matthew's genealogy.
• Joseph - Mary's husband and Jesus' legal father in Matthew's account.

Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 24-25 | Ezra 1-6 | Haggai 2:20-23 | Zechariah 4 | Matthew 1:12-16

A connection worth exploring: The promise concerning David's royal house continues to feature in prophetic expectation even though no Davidic monarch is restored to the throne after the exile.

05. Nathan Line - Early Generations

United monarchy and subsequent generations | David through Nathan's descendants

Another Branch of David's Family

Exploring the genealogy recorded by Luke through David's son Nathan.

Luke's genealogy follows a different path from Matthew's after King David. Whereas Matthew traces the royal succession through Solomon, Luke names Nathan, another son of David, before continuing through a series of individuals whose lives are not described elsewhere in detail.

This distinction is one of the most intriguing features of the two Gospel genealogies. Both connect Jesus with David, yet they follow different lines and name different ancestors. The precise explanation for these differences has been debated for centuries, with proposals involving legal descent, biological descent and family relationships. The biblical text itself does not resolve every question.

Highlights of this timeline

• David - the common ancestor of both genealogical branches.
• Nathan - David's son, named in 2 Samuel 5:14.
• Mattatha, Menna and Melea - early generations of Luke's branch.
• Eliakim, Jonam and Joseph - descendants known primarily through Luke's genealogy.
• The contrast between Solomon's royal line and Nathan's non-royal branch.

Key Scriptures: 2 Samuel 5:14 | 1 Chronicles 3:5 | Luke 3:23-31 | Matthew 1:6-7

A connection worth exploring: The two genealogies invite readers to consider the different purposes and emphases of Matthew and Luke, rather than assuming they were intended to function as identical family registers.

06. Nathan Line - Assyria to Persia

Broadly the divided monarchy, exile and Persian restoration | Luke's genealogical succession

Generations Through the Rise and Fall of Empires

The family line continues through centuries of political upheaval and national transformation.

The middle generations of Luke's genealogy are placed within a historical world shaped by the expansion of Assyria, the destruction of Jerusalem under Babylon and the subsequent rise of the Persian Empire. These events fundamentally changed the political, religious and social circumstances of the Jewish people.

Luke names ancestors such as Jorim, Eliezer, Joshua, Cosam, Addi and Neri, but does not provide individual biographies or dates for them. Their placement alongside these historical developments is therefore a chronological reconstruction rather than a documented account of their personal experiences. The genealogy nevertheless provides a way to explore the centuries during which Israel and Judah faced conquest, displacement and restoration.

Highlights of this timeline

• The expansion of Assyria and the fall of the northern kingdom.
• The prophetic ministries of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
• The Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem.
• Neri and Shealtiel - an important difference between Luke and Matthew.
• The Persian conquest of Babylon and the return from exile.
• Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the Temple.

Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 17 | 2 Kings 24-25 | Jeremiah 25 | Ezekiel 34 | Ezra 1-6 | Luke 3:27-30

A connection worth exploring: Matthew names Jeconiah as an ancestor of Shealtiel, while Luke names Neri. The difference should be studied carefully, without presenting an uncertain reconciliation as established fact.

07. Nathan Line - Persia to Joseph

Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods | The final generations before Christ

From the Silence of the Generations to Bethlehem

Through changing kingdoms and centuries of waiting, Luke's genealogy approaches the birth of Jesus.

The later generations recorded by Luke span a period for which Scripture provides little personal information about the named ancestors. The wider historical world, however, is far from silent. Persian authority gives way to Alexander's conquests, competing Hellenistic kingdoms struggle for control of Judaea, the Hasmonean dynasty establishes a period of Jewish self-rule and Rome eventually becomes the dominant political power.

Within this changing world, Luke's genealogy continues through individuals such as Rhesa, Joanan, Mattathias, Nahum, Amos, Jannai and Heli. It concludes with Joseph, whom Luke identifies as Jesus' father only with the qualification "as was supposed". The Gospel then moves beyond genealogy into the account of Jesus' ministry, presenting Him in relation not only to Abraham and David but ultimately to Adam.

Highlights of this timeline

• The transition from Persian to Greek rule.
• The influence of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms.
• The Maccabean revolt and Hasmonean period.
• The expansion of Roman influence in Judaea.
• Heli and Joseph - the concluding generations of Luke's genealogy.
• The birth of Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great.

Key Scriptures: Daniel 7 | Daniel 8 | Micah 5:2 | Matthew 1:18-25 | Luke 1-3

A connection worth exploring: Luke concludes his genealogy by tracing the ancestry back to Adam, while Matthew begins with Abraham. Their different starting points help reveal the distinctive theological perspectives of the two Gospel writers.

One Story, Many Generations

The people may change, the kingdoms may fall, but the biblical promise remains.

From the earliest generations of Genesis to the birth of Jesus Christ, these genealogies connect individuals who lived in vastly different circumstances. Some were kings, others shepherds, fathers, mothers or people about whom Scripture records little beyond a name. Some lived through prosperity, others through famine, exile, foreign domination or national crisis. Their stories are not presented as accounts of flawless human beings, but as part of the larger biblical narrative through which God's purposes are revealed.

The genealogies also remind us that history is not simply the story of those who held power. Many individuals whose names appear in Matthew and Luke left no surviving monuments, royal inscriptions or detailed biographies. Yet their names remain within the Gospel accounts, connecting the generations of the past to the arrival of Christ.

As you explore these timelines, follow the biblical references, compare the genealogies, examine the historical context and discover the prophetic promises that Christians understand to find their fulfilment in Jesus.

The journey begins with Adam. The Gospel accounts bring it to Jesus Christ.

About this historical reconstruction

These timelines combine biblical genealogies, traditional chronological calculations, historical research and interpretative commentary. The dates assigned to the earliest generations follow a Masoretic Text-based chronology using approximately 4004 BC as the starting point. Later dates draw on biblical accounts, established historical events and estimated generational intervals. Not every individual can be independently dated, and some chronological placements remain highly uncertain.

The genealogies of Matthew and Luke are presented according to their respective biblical accounts. Where differences exist, these are acknowledged rather than silently harmonised. Messianic connections are discussed from a Christian biblical perspective, while recognising that some passages and interpretations are debated. Readers are encouraged to consult the linked Scripture passages and examine the evidence for themselves.

Understanding the Two Genealogies

Two Gospel Accounts, Two Family Lines, One Promised Messiah

Why do Matthew and Luke record different genealogies of Jesus Christ?

The New Testament contains two genealogies of Jesus Christ, recorded in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. At first glance, they appear to tell the same story, tracing the ancestry of Jesus through the generations of Israel. Yet a closer examination reveals significant differences. The names, the order in which they are presented and even the branches of David's family through which they pass are not identical.

These differences have occupied biblical scholars and Christian interpreters for centuries. Rather than ignoring them or forcing the two accounts into a single family tree, it is worth considering what each Gospel writer intended to communicate, what the biblical texts actually say and where questions remain unanswered.

Both genealogies connect Jesus to David and Abraham. Both place Him within the history of Israel and the promises made to its ancestors. Yet each writer approaches that history from a different perspective.

Matthew - The Royal Line Through Solomon

Matthew begins his Gospel with the words:

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." - Matthew 1:1 (KJV)

His genealogy begins with Abraham, proceeds through Isaac, Jacob and Judah, and reaches King David. From David, Matthew follows the royal line through Solomon and the kings of Judah, continuing through the Babylonian exile to Joseph, the husband of Mary. Matthew deliberately organises the genealogy into three groups of fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian captivity and from the captivity to Christ.

This structure draws attention to three major stages in Israel's history: the establishment of God's covenant promises, the rise of the Davidic monarchy and the long period of exile and expectation that precedes the coming of Jesus.

Matthew's genealogy is also selective. Several kings known from the Old Testament historical records are omitted. Such compression was possible within ancient genealogical conventions, where a family line could emphasise significant ancestors rather than record every intervening generation.

The royal emphasis is particularly important because of God's promise to David that his house and kingdom would be established before Him (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Matthew presents Jesus in relation to this Davidic expectation.

Luke - The Line Through Nathan

Luke approaches the genealogy differently. Instead of beginning with Abraham, he starts with Jesus and traces the ancestral line backwards, eventually reaching Adam. Luke 3:23 introduces Jesus as being, "as was supposed", the son of Joseph. The genealogy then continues through Heli and a succession of ancestors until it reaches David.

Here the two Gospel accounts diverge. Where Matthew follows David's son Solomon, Luke follows Nathan, another son of David mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14 and 1 Chronicles 3:5. Luke's genealogy continues beyond Abraham, passing through the patriarchs and the generations recorded in Genesis until it reaches Adam, whom Luke describes as "the son of God" (Luke 3:38).

This broader genealogical scope is significant. Matthew places particular emphasis on Jesus' relationship to Israel's covenant and royal history, while Luke extends the ancestral narrative to the beginning of humanity.

Why Is Joseph's Ancestry Different?

One of the most frequently discussed questions concerns Joseph's father. Matthew 1:16 identifies Jacob as the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Luke 3:23 names Heli in the corresponding position. Several explanations have been proposed throughout Christian history.

One traditional explanation suggests that Matthew records Joseph's legal or royal ancestry, while Luke preserves a different family relationship, possibly involving adoption or levirate marriage. Another widely held Christian interpretation proposes that Luke's genealogy represents Mary's ancestry, with Joseph named because genealogical records were commonly expressed through male family relationships.

However, Luke does not explicitly identify his genealogy as Mary's family line. This explanation remains an interpretation rather than a direct statement of Scripture. The precise historical relationship between Jacob, Heli and Joseph cannot be established with certainty from the surviving biblical records.

What About the Virgin Birth?

Both Gospel accounts affirm that Jesus was born of Mary through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:16 carefully distinguishes Joseph's relationship to Jesus by identifying him as Mary's husband and stating that Jesus was born of Mary. Luke likewise qualifies Joseph's paternal relationship with the expression "as was supposed". The genealogies should therefore be read alongside the birth narratives rather than in isolation.

For Christians, the significance of these accounts extends beyond biological ancestry. They concern Jesus' place within Israel's covenant history, His identification with the house of David and the fulfilment of God's redemptive promises.

Why We Present Both Genealogies

These timelines preserve the two Gospel accounts as they are recorded, including their differences.

Where Matthew and Luke share ancestors, those connections are identified. Where their genealogical branches diverge, they are presented separately. Where Scripture does not provide sufficient information to establish a particular relationship, that uncertainty is acknowledged. The purpose is not to conceal difficult questions, but to encourage thoughtful biblical study.

Explore the genealogies: Matthew 1 | Luke 3

How the Dates Were Estimated

Tracing Biblical Generations Through Time - What Scripture Tells Us and What History Can Establish

Understanding the chronology behind the genealogy

One of the greatest challenges in constructing a timeline from Adam to Jesus Christ is establishing when each individual lived.

Scripture provides detailed chronological information for certain periods, particularly the earliest generations recorded in Genesis. For other periods, such as the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah, biblical accounts can be compared with historical records from surrounding nations.

However, many individuals named in the genealogies have no recorded birth year, death year or age at fatherhood. This is especially true of the generations following the Babylonian exile. Consequently, a timeline spanning the entire genealogy must distinguish between dates calculated from biblical statements, dates supported by historical evidence and dates estimated for the purpose of illustrating the sequence of generations.

The Starting Point - Approximately 4004 BC

The earliest portion of our timeline follows a traditional biblical chronology that places the creation of Adam at approximately 4004 BC. This date is commonly associated with the chronology developed by Archbishop James Ussher in the seventeenth century. His calculations sought to reconstruct biblical history using genealogical ages, reign lengths and other chronological references.

The date of 4004 BC is not explicitly stated anywhere in Scripture, nor is it an independently established historical date. For this project, it serves as a working chronological reference point, allowing the generations recorded in Genesis to be placed on a consistent timeline.

The Masoretic Hebrew text provides the primary genealogical figures used in these calculations. Other ancient textual traditions, particularly the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch, preserve different ages for some of the earliest patriarchs, resulting in substantially different chronological reconstructions.

The Ages Recorded in Genesis

Genesis 5 and Genesis 11 provide unusually detailed genealogical information.

For example, Genesis 5:3 states that Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born. Genesis 5:6 records that Seth was 105 when Enosh was born, and Genesis 5:9 states that Enosh was 90 when Kenan was born. By adding these recorded ages, it becomes possible to construct a relative chronology for the earliest generations.

Using the traditional 4004 BC starting point:

Under this chronology, the Flood occurs approximately 1656 years after Adam's creation, placing it around 2348 BC. These calculations follow the ages preserved in the Masoretic Text and assume that the named succession can be used chronologically. They do not independently establish the calendar dates of the events.

Dating the Kings and Kingdoms

As the genealogy reaches David and the kings of Judah, additional historical evidence becomes available. The Old Testament records the lengths of royal reigns, relationships between kings and significant political events. These accounts can be compared with Assyrian, Babylonian and other ancient Near Eastern records.

For example, the Assyrian conquest of Samaria is conventionally dated to 722/721 BC, the deportation of King Jehoiachin to Babylon to 597 BC, and the destruction of Jerusalem to 587/586 BC.

Such historical anchors provide a more secure chronological framework for the royal generations. Even here, however, difficulties remain. Some kings ruled alongside their fathers, ancient kingdoms used different systems for counting reign years, and not every biblical date can be converted into a modern calendar year without interpretation.

For this reason, the timelines generally use approximate dates and identify periods of uncertainty where necessary.

The Generations Without Recorded Dates

The greatest uncertainty occurs among the ancestors for whom Scripture provides little more than a name. Matthew lists several generations between Zerubbabel and Joseph, but gives no ages or individual life dates for them. Luke records an even longer succession of names across the later centuries. To place these individuals within a visual timeline, approximate generational intervals have been used.

These estimates are based on their order within the genealogy and the broader historical period into which the sequence must fit. They are illustrative placements, not documented birth dates. A person shown around 350 BC, for example, should not be understood as having a historically verified birth year of 350 BC. The date represents a proposed position within the reconstructed genealogy.

Similarly, a ruler or prophet associated with an estimated period is not necessarily documented as having personally encountered that ancestor.

Why These Distinctions Matter

Historical reconstruction becomes misleading when an estimate is presented with the same certainty as an explicitly recorded fact. For that reason, these timelines distinguish between scripturally recorded ages, calculated dates, historically anchored events and uncertain estimates.

The purpose of the chronology is to help readers visualise the passage of generations and understand the historical world surrounding the biblical narrative, while remaining transparent about the limits of the available evidence.

Explore the biblical chronology: Genesis 5 | Genesis 11 | 1 Chronicles 1

Explore the Names and Their Meanings

Discovering the Hebrew and Greek Names Behind the Generations

Every name belongs to a person, a language and a story

The genealogies of Jesus contain names that have been preserved through thousands of years of biblical history. Some are immediately familiar, such as Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. Others, such as Mahalalel, Amminadab, Eliud and Matthat, may be encountered only when reading the genealogical records. Yet each name belongs to a particular linguistic and historical setting.

Most of the Old Testament names originate in Hebrew, while some names reflect wider ancient Near Eastern linguistic traditions. The New Testament genealogies preserve Greek forms of many Hebrew names, sometimes with spelling differences that reflect translation and transliteration.

Understanding these names can provide valuable insight into the biblical text, although their meanings are not always certain.

What Can a Biblical Name Tell Us?

In the ancient world, names frequently carried meanings associated with family circumstances, personal hopes, religious beliefs or significant events. The name Isaac, for example, is associated with laughter, reflecting the circumstances surrounding God's promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah.

Jacob's name is connected with the Hebrew word for heel and with the narrative of his birth, when he emerged holding Esau's heel. Later, Jacob receives the name Israel, marking a significant turning point in his life. David's name is commonly understood to mean "beloved", while Abraham's name is explained in Genesis 17:5 in connection with God's promise that he would become the father of many nations.

These examples show how a name can contribute to the biblical narrative. However, not every name has a clearly established meaning. Some proposed interpretations depend on uncertain etymologies, later traditions or linguistic comparisons that cannot be verified conclusively.

Using the Strong's Concordance

To make these names easier to investigate, the genealogy timelines include links to the Bible Resources Concordance and Lexicon. Strong's numbering system assigns reference numbers to Hebrew and Aramaic words in the Old Testament and Greek words in the New Testament.

Hebrew and Aramaic entries generally use the prefix H, while Greek entries use G.

For example:

A Strong's reference is a lexical identifier, not a separate biblical verse or a guarantee that every proposed meaning is certain.

Hebrew Names in the Greek New Testament

An interesting feature of the Gospel genealogies is that Hebrew names frequently appear in Greek forms.

For example, the Hebrew name Yehoshua, commonly shortened to Yeshua, is represented in Greek as Iēsous, from which the English name Jesus is derived. Likewise, names such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David appear in Greek transliterations within the New Testament.

The Concordance and Lexicon allow readers to explore these linguistic relationships, compare word forms and investigate how names appear in different parts of Scripture.

Looking Beyond the Meaning of a Name

The meaning of a name can be informative, but it should not replace the actual biblical account of the person who bore it. A name meaning "beloved" does not necessarily establish that its bearer was more righteous than others. Nor should an uncertain linguistic meaning be used to construct a theological interpretation unsupported by Scripture.

The greatest value comes from studying the name together with the person's life, relationships, historical setting and the biblical passages in which they appear. This is particularly useful in the genealogies, where some ancestors are mentioned only briefly. Their names may be among the few surviving details about them, making careful lexical study worthwhile.

How to Explore a Name

As you move through the genealogy timelines, look for the View in Concordance link beneath an ancestor's profile. Selecting this link opens the corresponding lexical entry, where you can investigate the original-language word, its transliteration, meaning and biblical usage.

Where available, compare the Hebrew name with its Greek equivalent and follow the associated Scripture references. A single name may lead you to an unexpected connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Explore the Concordance: Bible Concordance and Lexicon