Timeline of Humanity

Early life (-2948)

Noah's preparations for boarding the ark

Noah was born when his father Lamech was 182 years old. He was called "Noah", which meant "rest". It is likely that Noah knew his grandfather Methuselah. At the age of 500, Noah fathered three children: Shem, Ham and Japheth. As his sons grew up, Noah also had fellowship with his father Lamech until several years before the flood. His grandfather survived his father and indeed until the year of the Flood. The Bible describes mankind and the animal world as corrupt and depraved. This is also related to the mixing of the creation of humans (and animals?) with the sons of God.

Genesis 6:1 to 4 describes, "Now when men began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of men were, and took to themselves wives whom they would. Then said the LORD, My spirit shall not be in man for ever: for he is flesh. I will give him a hundred and twenty years to live. There were giants on the earth in those days and afterward. For when the sons of God went in to the daughters of men and they bore them children, they became giants. These are the heroes of ancient times, the highly famous ones."

God repented of having created mankind and decided to destroy them except for Noah. For God considered Noah righteous and commanded him to build a great box to save him and his family. Noah obeyed God's call and began to build the ship that would save him and his family.

Surviving the Flood (-2348)

„Johans Arche“ at Schagen

After the construction of the ark was completed after 120 years, Noah was instructed by God to board the ark with his family and seven of every clean animal (for sacrificial purposes) and two of everyone else to repopulate the world after the flood. At the time of boarding the ark, Noah was six hundred years old.

It rained and flooded from undersea water reserves for 40 days and the water rose for hundred and fifty days. The passengers aboard the ark survived on the food they carried. After a long deluge, the rains stopped and the springs of the deep closed. Finally, Noah and his family landed with the ark in the mountains of Ararat.

Anticipating the possibility of seeing dry land, Noah opened a window he had built in the ark. Through this window Noah sent a raven, and then a dove, to see if dry land was nearby. Noah was saddened when the dove had no place to sit. When it returned to him, he stretched out his arm and received the dove. Noah waited seven days and sent the dove out again. In the evening the dove returned and in its beak was an olive leaf. He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return.

Covenant with God (-2348)

Noah's Thanksoffering by Joseph Anton Koch

Noah then built an altar and sacrificed some of the clean animals that had been on the ark. God blessed Noah and told him to reproduce and fill the earth. God then told Noah and his sons that all living creatures that were not human would fear them and be food for them. God then made a covenant with Noah and his ancestors: Never again to destroy all life by flood. Noah and his sons were then promised that the covenant would be remembered through rainbows.

Noah curses Canaan (-2100)

Noah curses Canaan

After God made a covenant with Noah, he planted a vineyard. One day, after drinking copious amounts of wine, he lay down naked in the tent. Son Ham saw his father's nakedness and that he was drunk and told his brothers. Thereupon Shem and Japheth came backwards into the tent, so as not to have to see their father Noah naked, and covered him with a cloth.

When Noah sobered up, he discovered that Ham had seen him naked. Noah then cursed his grandson Canaan to punish his father Ham. Knowing how much Shem and Japheth respected his privacy, Noah then blessed them. This happened sometime within 350 years of the flood. (The year is an assumption.)

Death (-1996)

Death picture by Michael Förtsch

Noah lived another 350 years after the flood and died at 950. The exact cause of Noah's death is unknown, but it can be assumed that he died of old age.