Can Genesis and Old Earth chronology be reconciled?

[taypeng (David)]

Then the next question would follow, if we are not to take the ages literally, then how should they be interpreted in a way that makes sense to us and to the ancient readers? Is God into mythology? I’m still leaning on the simpler interpretation that the ages were literal. In terms of fertility, 86 and 100 doesn’t really make a difference. When Hebrews talks about his body being good as dead - it might not be referring only to his age but his state of health.

[Bill_II]

@taypeng

Then the next question would follow, if we are not to take the ages literally, then how should they be interpreted in a way that makes sense to us and to the ancient readers?

The ancient readers didn’t take the ages literally. They were symbolic.

They make sense to us when we don’t try to apply our modern sense of history to them.

@taypeng

Is God into mythology?

Why would that be a bad thing? Myth can convey truth as well as a literal history. Particularly when that is the way the ancient readers would have taken the story.

@taypeng

I’m still leaning on the simpler interpretation that the ages were literal.

It isn’t simpler when you have to twist science to support that human, fallible interpretation.

[taypeng (David)]

how were they symbolic? symbolic of?

I’m just wary of interpreting scripture this way unless there’s strong evidence that the ancient readers read it that way. Whats stopping us from calling the other parts of scripture symbolic or mythological just because it doesn’t gel with modern science - parting of the Jordan river, walls of Jericho, sun not setting for a day and finally the son of God rising from the dead.

[Bill_II]

@taypeng

I’m just wary of interpreting scripture this way unless there’s strong evidence that the ancient readers read it that way.

There is. In other Kings lists the ages track with the honor given the king.

@taypeng

Whats stopping us from calling the other parts of scripture symbolic or mythological just because it doesn’t gel with modern science

The ancient readers didn’t know modern science so I wouldn’t expect it to “gel”.

@taypeng

finally the son of God rising from the dead.

There are eye witnesses for this.

And remember Genesis 1-11 is history before writing was available. The NT was written down as it occurred or soon after.

[Dale (evolutionary providentialist)]

@taypeng

…sun not setting for a day

My guess is that Joshua’s long day was a providential and massive temperature inversion extending over the horizon(s) and attendant superior mirage.

[Paraleptopecten (Timothy Campbell)]

Another possibility (emphasis on possibility), given local conditions, is that the request was not for extended daylight for fighting, but rather was “Please keep the sun behind that (very rare) cloud, so it is cooler while we fight.”