As human beings, it is natural to want to question everything around us. Since biting from the Tree of Knowledge, humanity has had an unquenchable thirst for information. As a Christian, one of the most heated discussions is about whether the Bible says the earth is 6000 years old or not. Young earth proponents use the Bible to show the life span of the earth and the universe. In comparison, old-earth proponents, secularists and science believe that the earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old. Obviously, this is a fairly large gap.
The Young Earth View
It should be fairly apparent that the belief that the Bible says the earth is 6000 years old is not exactly accurate. If the Bible said a specific age, it would be 2,000 years out of date by now—or more, depending on the chapter! Instead, the Bible gives us a type of calendar that lets us calculate the age of the earth. Starting at Genesis and working forward, theologians can calculate the real age of the earth.
Starting in Genesis
The beginning of Genesis shows that the earth was made on the first day of the creation. Adam and Eve were created during this initial year, and their genealogies are carefully followed in the Bible. It is possible to track the descendents down to Abraham and Jesus using the Bible. Using this method, most historians and theologians agree that Abraham would have walked the earth about 4,000 years ago in 2,000 BC. Before Abraham, Adam would have existed in 4,000 BC. Since 4,000 BC is 6,000 years ago, the entire life span of the earth can be easily calculated by looking at the Bible.
Non-Christian Sources Confirm the Age of the Earth
The Bible says the earth is 6000 years old, but it is not the only place. Other cultures have tracked the age of the earth throughout history. Even though these cultures may not be Christian, they were once descended from Noah, as well. In Mayan culture, the date of the Flood was set at about 3,113 BC. Meanwhile, the Anglo-Saxons in Europe believed that there was a span of 5,200 years until the birth of Christ. The Irish and the Celts once thought that the earth existed for 4000 years before the birth of Jesus.
There are obviously some discrepancies between the different cultures. Considering the movement of people and the occasional lack of a historical record, it would make sense for the Anglo-Saxons or the other cultures to be slightly off. Noticeably, the different cultures from around the world all remain closer to the age of 6000 years old rather than billions of years old. The Bible says the earth is 6000 years old, and other cultures agree roughly with that time line.
As a Christian, one of the most heated discussions is about whether the Bible says the earth is 6000 years old or not.
