The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

non–canonical Jewish traditions. LAB 1:2–22 includes ba and ry from Seth to Lamech (Table 3). LAB contains a few accidental scribal errors, but they are easily reconstructed and are only compatible with the longer Gen 5 chronology (Appendix, n. 10). Scholars who have extensively studied LAB unanimously agree that it was originally written in Hebrew (Jacobson, pp. 210, 215–224; Harrington 1970, pp. 508– 514). The author had a strong Pharisaic background (Ferch 1977) and wrote in Israel proper (Feldman 1996, p. 58) during the 1 st century AD, and before the destruction of the Temple (Harrington 1983, p. 299). LAB breathes “that spirit of rabbinic Judaism which arose partly prior to, and mostly after, the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem” (Ferch, p. 141). Feldman adds: In his approach, Pseudo–Philo [ LAB ], like the authors of the Apocalypse of Baruch [2 Baruch] and of IV Esdras [4 Ezra] and like Josephus, represents a Pharisaic outlook; but he is more overt in stressing the current theological viewpoints of the rabbis… (1996, p. 82). Moreover, the author used a Hebrew text of Genesis (Harrington 1971, pp. 2–6). Since LAB was written in Hebrew by a Hebrew in the land of the Hebrews, there are no grounds to surmise that it depends on the LXX. Jacobson adds: Aside from the prima facie improbability of this, it is hard to understand why someone who could write a skillful Hebrew prose in biblical style and clearly had an expert knowledge of the Hebrew Bible would have felt the need or desirability of consulting translations of the Bible… (p. 255–256). Even if the author of LAB did somehow consult with the LXX, his endorsement of the longer chronology means it agreed with his Hebrew text of Gen 5/11. More specifically, Lamech’s ba of 182 (Table 3; Appendix, n. 2) confirms that LAB was based on a Genesis Hebrew text. The LXX almost universally reads 188 (Wevers 1974b, p. 107). The MT reads 182. If LAB were originally written or later amended with the LXX as its guiding text, Lamech’s ba would undoubtedly have been 188. Further, Lamech’s ry (585) in LAB is easily clarified as an accidental scribal error (Appendix, n. 10; Jacobson, p. 292), and was 595 (=MT) originally. The 182 and 595 figures can only be explained by the direct use of a Hebrew text, adding up to the MT’s lifespan of 777 (see also Josephus, below). No LXX MSS contain these three numbers (Wevers 1974b, p. 107), disproving any notion LAB’s Gen 5 numbers were altered to conform it with the LXX. In LAB we have the product of rabbinic, Pharisaic Judaism initially Smith ◀ The case for the Septuagint’s chronology in Genesis 5 and 11 ▶ 2018 ICC 124 Table 3. The LXX and First Century AD Hebrew Text-Based Witnesses to Genesis 5. Numbers in parentheses are not explicitly stated. See Appendix for further details.