Arphaxad
Arphaxad's name is probably of foreign origin but it roughly translates "I shall fail as the breast: he cursed the breast-bottle" or "stronghold of caldeos/chaldeans" (greek). He is the son of Shem and he lived from 1658 FC to 2096 FC (2310 BC – 1872 BC | 438 yrs). Shem is 100 yrs old when Arphaxad was born.
Why we chose that time?
According to Genesis 11:10, Arphaxad was born to Shem “two years after the flood”. But how long did the flood last? Genesis 7:11-12. Everyone knows that... right? Verse 24. But wait! Genesis 8:4. But wait! Verses 5-6. But... yeah, wait. Verses 7-13. Surely that’s it! But then there’s verse 14.
The world has this very simplistic view of a 40-day-40-night flood. And it was quite a bit more than that. Noah’s family went into the ark the 17th day of the second month of his 600th year. And they didn’t LEAVE the ark until the 27th day of the second month of his 601st year. That means they spent a year and ten days in the ark! (Which, perhaps coincidentally, is a true solar year.)
So back to the point, if Arphaxad’s birth was measured from the beginning of the flood it would be a year earlier than if it was measured from after the flood! But the Bible always resolves its own contradictions; here, you can compare the phrase used in Genesis 9:28-29. Noah was 600 at the beginning of the flood. He died at the age of 950, 350 years “after the flood”.
This shows that the author of Genesis measured dates from the beginning of the flood, and thus that Arphaxad was born 2 years after the beginning of the flood.
Verses that mention "Arphaxad"
Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Genesis 10:24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
Genesis 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Genesis 11:11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
Genesis 11:13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
1 Chronicles 1:17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
1 Chronicles 1:18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.
1 Chronicles 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
Luke 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
