"The Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti" (published in 1650-1654), by Anglican Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656), where events were dated in elapsed time since creation, until he found an event that could be dated by extra-biblical means, which was the death of Nebuchadnezzar and the beginning of the reign of Evil-Merodach of Babylon, at 562 B.C.E. or the year 3442. Bishop Ussher’s calculation, based on the Bible, the world was created in 4004 B.C. That is 5,998 years ago as of 1994 A.D. The date according to the Hebrew calendar is only 5,754 which means he varies by 244 years.

   The traditional Jewish calendar in which creation is at 3760 to 3761 B.C. had its origin in the rabbinic work entitled "Seder Olam Rabbah" from the second century C.E.

   Unfortunately, for such computations, the Biblical data is ambiguous or provides options. Bishop Ussher’s chronology puts the Flood occurring in the year 2348 B.C.

   One example of the 244 year variation between Archbishop Ussher’s system and the traditional Jewish system, is in Genesis 11:26. Terah’s heirs, consisting of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, were born in his seventieth year, literally suggesting triplets. According to Genesis 11:32, Terah lived a total of 205 years, and Genesis 12:1 may be taken to mean that Abram set out at age 75 after Terah’s death (Gen. 12:4), in which case Abram was born when Terah was age 130 instead of 70.

   Thus there would be a discrepancy of 60 years. According to the Seder Olam Rabbah Abram was born in 1948 and thus Ussher calculation would be in 2008 B.C. This still leaves 184 year discrepancy between the two. As you can see in the previous two pages there are many more than the 244 years of these two.