Author Topic: Age of the Earth (Read 2880 times)

Vladimir · « **on:** April 11, 2012, 05:14:26 PM »

What is the age of the earth according to the pre-Vatican II church - how many thousands of years were recorded from the beginning of the Old Testament until the present day?

Telesphorus · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2012, 05:16:15 PM »

Quote from: Vladimir

What is the age of the earth according to the pre-Vatican II church - how many thousands of years were recorded from the beginning of the Old Testament until the present day?

I'm sure there were varying opinions.

Vladimir · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2012, 05:37:16 PM »

I ask because in a section of his writings, Pascal seems to pose the question of which is more trustworthy with calculating the age of the earth - Moses or Chinese historians. It's obviously posed as a rhetorical question aimed at making the reader feel guilty for even thinking about questioning Moses, so I thought that there would at least be a consensus on how old the earth is based on the Old testament.

Chinese history is definitely recorded since 2100 B.C., but it's mythological history (historians disagree how accurate these accounts may be, but I read on the Internet that some Jesuit missionaries proposed that some of the mythical rulers were actually people in the Old Testament) goes back to 2500 B.C.

Does this contradict the Sacred Scriptures?

It should also be added that the reigns of rulers during the so-called "semi-mythological" earliest part of Chinese history are remarkably well-docuмented.

Trinity · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2012, 09:18:03 AM »

I've always understood it was 6,000----4,000 BC and 2, 000 AD

TKGS · « **Reply #4 on:** April 12, 2012, 11:39:10 AM »

Quote

Solemnity of the Nativity
From the Roman Martyrology

In the twenty-fourth day of the month of December;

In the year five-thousand one-hundred and ninety-nine from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;

In the year two-thousand nine-hundred and fifty-seven from the flood;

In the year two-thousand and fifty-one from the birth of Abraham;

In the year one-thousand five-hundred and ten from the going forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses;

In the year one-thousand and thirty-two from the anointing of David as king;

In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;

In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

In the year seven-hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of the city of Rome;

In the forty-second year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus;

In the sixth age of the world, while the whole earth was at peace, JESUS CHRIST eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father, willing to consecrate the world by His gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and the nine months of His conception being now accomplished, (all kneel) was born in Bethlehem of Judah of the Virgin Mary, made man. The birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh.

Looks like the Church teaches, through her liturgy, that creation was in the year 5199 B.C. I've also read that creation was on 25 March of that year, which would have been the same day as the Annunciation. But I've also read that the traditional date of the creation is 25 April, so that the Resurrection is actually the anniversary of the creation. I don't know if there's a particular date that was actually taught by the Church, but the year is definitely a part of Catholic doctrine.