Did Job live before or after the flood in Noah's day? — Deborah Malgwi

It is not possible to ascribe a precise historical date to the events narrated in the book of Genesis, including the flood described in chapters 7 and 8, or to the life of Job and his friends.

According to a treatise on biblical chronology written by James ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh, and first printed between 1650 and 1654, the date of creation was 4004 B.c. and Job lived in the year 1520 B.c. While we know today that ussher was terribly wrong in estimating the age of the universe, it is not entirely clear how he determined Job's date.

What is certain is that Job, the man who lent his name to a biblical book, is not mentioned in Genesis. there is no internal evidence in the Bible that he lived before the great flood.

Puzzled by a Scripture passage? Submit your Bible-related questions to dr. Liana Lupas at LLupas@AmericanBible.org or via U.S. mail.
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