Seder Olam Zutta Reader

From Adam until the Flood was one thousand six hundred and fifty-six years. And from the Flood until the Dispersion was three hundred and forty years, which is the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six from Creation. And from the Dispersion until our father Isaac was born was fifty-two years, which is the year two thousand and forty-eight from Creation. From when our father Isaac was born until Israel went out from Egypt was four hundred years, which is the year two thousand four hundred and forty-eight from Creation. And the forty years that Israel were in the wilderness, this is the year two thousand four hundred and eighty-eight from Creation.

From Adam until the Flood was one thousand six hundred and fifty-six years. From the Flood until the Dispersion was three hundred and forty years. That was the year 1,996 from Creation. From the Dispersion until Isaac our father was born was fifty-two years. That was the year 2,048 from Creation. From the birth of Isaac our father until Israel went out from Egypt was four hundred years. That was the year 2,448 from Creation. The forty years that Israel was in the wilderness brought the count to the year 2,488 from Creation. Eight hundred and fifty years passed from the time they came into the land until they were exiled from it. That was the year 3,338 from Creation. The Babylonian exile lasted seventy years between the First Temple and the building of the later Temple. That was the year 3,408 from Creation. The later Temple stood four hundred and twenty years and was destroyed. That was the year 3,828 from Creation. From the destruction of the Temple until now are one thousand and fifty-three years. Together they are four thousand eight hundred and eighty-one years from Creation.

Adam lived one hundred and thirty years until Seth was born. That was the year 130 from Creation, and the years of his life were 930. Seth lived one hundred and five years until Enosh was born. That was the year 235 from Creation, and the years of his life were 912. Enosh lived ninety years until Kenan was born. That was the year 325 from Creation, and the years of his life were 905. Kenan lived seventy years until Mahalalel was born. That was the year 395 from Creation, and the years of his life were 910. Mahalalel lived sixty-five years until Jared was born. That was the year 460 from Creation, and the years of his life were 895. Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years until Enoch was born. That was the year 622 from Creation, and the years of his life were 962. Enoch lived sixty-five years until Methuselah was born. That was the year 687 from Creation. Enoch walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years, and he was no more, for God took him. That was the year 987 from Creation. Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years until Lamech was born. That was the year 874 from Creation, and the years of his life were 969. Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years until Noah was born. That was the year 1,056 from Creation, and the years of his life were 777. When the Flood came, Noah was six hundred years old. That was the year 1,656 from Creation. Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood. It follows that Noah, the tenth generation, died in the year 2,006 from Creation, ten years after the Dispersion. Behold, ten generations.

Shem lived one hundred years until Arpachshad was born, two years after the Flood. That was the year 1,658 from Creation, and all the days of Shem were six hundred years. Arpachshad lived thirty-five years until Shelah was born. That was the year 1,693 from Creation, and all his days were four hundred and thirty-eight years. Shelah lived thirty years until Eber was born. That was the year 1,723 from Creation, and all his days were four hundred and thirty-three years. Eber lived thirty-four years until Peleg was born. That was the year 1,757 from Creation. He took hold of the study house and the academy, and he was the father of all the children of Eber; all his days were four hundred and sixty-four years. Peleg lived thirty years until Reu was born. That was the year 1,787 from Creation, and the years of his life were 239. Reu lived thirty-two years until Serug was born. That was the year 1,819 from Creation, and the years of his life were 239. Serug lived thirty years until Nahor was born. That was the year 1,849 from Creation, and the years of his life were 230. Nahor lived twenty-nine years until Terah was born. That was the year 1,878 from Creation, and the years of his life were 148. Terah lived seventy years until Abraham our father was born. That was the year 1,948 from Creation, and the years of Terah's life were 205. That was the year 2,083 from Creation. Behold, ten generations.

From the Flood until the Dispersion was three hundred and forty years. From the birth of Abraham until the Dispersion was forty-eight years. That was the year 1,996 from Creation. From the Dispersion until Isaac was born was fifty-two years. That was the year 2,048 from Creation, and the years of the life of Abraham our father were one hundred and seventy-five years. Isaac lived sixty years until Jacob was born. That was the year 2,108 from Creation, and the years of his life were one hundred and eighty years. Jacob lived eighty-seven years until Judah was born. That was the year 2,195 from Creation, and the years of his life were one hundred and forty-seven years. Judah lived thirty-three years until Perez was born. That was the year 2,228 from Creation, and the years of his life were one hundred and nineteen years. Perez lived eight years until Hezron was born, and Hamul in the ninth year. And the twenty-two years were completed from the time Joseph was sold until they went down to Egypt. Hezron and Hamul went down to Egypt; thus it was two thousand two hundred and thirty-eight from the creation of the world. That was the year 2,238 from Creation that they went down to Egypt. Jacob lived eighty-four years until Reuben was born. And the years of the life of Reuben were one hundred and twenty-four years, and he died two years after Joseph died in Egypt. Simeon lived one hundred and twenty years, and he died one year after Joseph died in Egypt. Levi lived one hundred and thirty-seven years. Judah lived one hundred and nineteen years and died eighteen years before Levi. Issachar lived one hundred and twenty-two years and died fifteen years before Levi. Zebulun lived one hundred and twenty-four years and died eleven years after Joseph died. Dan lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. Naphtali lived one hundred and thirty-three years. Gad lived one hundred and twenty-five years. Asher lived one hundred and twenty-six years. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Benjamin lived one hundred and eleven years and died fifteen years before Levi. And Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon. And Nahshon was among those who went out of Egypt, in the year 2,448 from the creation of the world, when they went out of Egypt. And in that year, in the second month, there were given to Israel at Marah a portion of the sections of the Torah for them to occupy themselves with: the Sabbath, the Red Heifer, and laws. And in that year, in the third month, the Ten Commandments were given to Israel. And in the second year the Torah was given to them on the Day of Atonement. And in that year Nahshon died. And Nahshon begot Salmah, and Salmah was among those who entered the Land. And Salmon begot Boaz. And in the forty-first year after the children of Israel went out of Egypt, that is the year 2,489 from the creation of the world, Israel entered the Land, and Joshua son of Nun died at the age of one hundred and ten. That was the year 2,516 from Creation. Thus there were ten generations.

Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. And David reigned over Israel in the year 396 from their entry into the land, which is the year 440 from the exodus from Egypt, and the year 2,884 from the creation of the world. And Abiathar was high priest in his days, and Nathan and Gad were prophets. And he reigned forty years, until 2,924 from the creation. And David begot Solomon, and Solomon reigned at the age of twelve years. And in the fourth year he began to build the Temple, which was the year 2,928 from the creation. And in the eleventh year of his reign the building of the Temple was completed.

Afterward Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, arose and destroyed the royal seed; and there was great anguish, and the house of David was nearly ended, and there remained of them none but Joash, a small infant, and Jehoiada the High Priest hid him. And Athaliah reigned six years; they were counted as broken years within the years of Ahaziah, and they were completed in the year 3061 from the creation. And they killed her. And Joash reigned forty years, until the year 3101 from the creation. Jehoiada and Pedaiah were High Priests. And Zechariah son of Jehoiada was a priest and a prophet; Joash commanded and they killed him. Amaziah his son reigned after him twenty-nine years, until the year 3115 from the creation. Uzziah his son reigned after him fifty-two years. Jotham his son reigned after him sixteen years. Ahaz his son reigned after him sixteen years. Hezekiah his son reigned after him twenty-nine years. Manasseh his son reigned after him fifty-five years. Amon his son reigned after him two years. Josiah his son reigned after him thirty-one years. Jehoahaz his son reigned after him three months. Jehoiakim his brother reigned after him eleven years. Behold, ten generations.

And in the eleventh year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon exiled him. And he died in his captivity, to fulfill what is said, "He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey" (Jeremiah 22:19). He exiled Jerusalem and all the officials, and from Benjamin and from the rest of the tribes seven thousand exiles, all of them warriors who make war. And after him reigned Jehoiachin his son three months and ten days. Seraiah was High Priest, and Jeremiah was prophet. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon exiled him, he and eighteen thousand with him, and he made Zedekiah king, the brother of his father, son of Josiah, and he reigned eleven years. Until the year three thousand three hundred and thirty-eight from creation. Jehozadak, brother of Ezra the Scribe, was High Priest. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were prophets. In the ninth year of his reign the army of Babylon came against Jerusalem and encamped against it and built a siege-wall around it, and the city came under siege until the eleventh year of his reign. And in that year Judah was exiled from its land. That was the year eight hundred and fifty from their entry into the land, and eight hundred and ninety from their departure from the land of Egypt, and the year three thousand three hundred and thirty-eight from the creation of the world. And there remained of the house of David none but Jeconiah alone. And he begot Shealtiel and Malkiram and Pedaiah and Gemariah; they were thirty-eight families. And Nebuchadnezzar reigned until the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin, until the year three thousand three hundred and sixty-four from creation. Nebuchadnezzar died and Evil-merodach his son reigned twenty-three years. In the first year of his reign he brought Jehoiachin out of the house of imprisonment. And afterward he died in Babylon, after the death of Zedekiah. Shealtiel son of Jehoiachin, the sages spoke of him in the exile. And Belshazzar reigned three years. And Shealtiel died, and after him stood Zerubbabel his son, in the fifty-second year after the destruction of the Temple, which was the seventieth year of the kingdom of Babylon. Darius the Mede reigned, and the kingdom of the Chaldeans came to an end. And Zerubbabel went up to Jerusalem, and his exiles with him, in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia. And Joshua son of Jehozadak was High Priest. And Haggai and Zechariah and Ezra were prophets. Ahasuerus arose and halted the work of the Temple and sought to uproot Israel, and the Holy One, blessed be He, uprooted him and the wicked Haman from the world. In the eighteenth year of the Mede, which was the seventieth year after the destruction of the Temple, Ezra the Scribe went up to Jerusalem and another exile with him, and he built the walls of Jerusalem and prepared the Temple, and Zerubbabel returned to Babylon and died there. And after him stood Meshullam his son. And in his days the kingdom of Greece reigned, in the fifty-second year of the Mede and Persian. And Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi died. At that time prophecy ceased from Israel. That was the year three thousand four hundred and forty-two from the creation of the world. From here onward incline your ear and hear the words of the sages.

Alexander of Macedon, king of Greece, reigned twelve years. Meshullam son of Zerubbabel died, and after him his son Hananiah arose; the sages praised him. In his days Poteran, Salmon, Alsakhnos, and Mefaris, kings of Greece, ruled. In the year 140 of the Greeks, Hananiah died. Mattathias son of Yohanan son of Shimon died, and after him his son Berechiah arose; the sages praised him. In his days Edom was laid waste. Seleucus Nicator, Antiochus, Antiochus Gaskalgas, and Antiki appeared; he built Antioch. Ptolemy had the Torah written in Greek. In the year 170 of the Greeks, Shimon son of Yohanan son of Mattathias was killed. Berechiah died, and after him his son Hasadiah arose; the sages praised him. In his days there was great distress for Israel in the days of Nicanor, king of Greece. The sons of the Hasmoneans went out and killed him and all his armies. That was the year 175 of the Greeks. Yohanan son of Shimon son of Mattathias son of Hasmonean reigned thirty-seven years. Hasadiah died, and after him Isaiah arose; the sages praised him. Yannai son of Yohanan the High Priest reigned twenty-seven years. Yannai died, and after him his son Aristobulus arose and reigned thirteen years, and he was killed. After him his son Antigonus reigned twenty-six years, and he was killed in the year 103 of the Hasmonean kingdom. After him arose Herod son of Antipater, a slave of the Hasmoneans. He rebelled, killed the whole house of his masters, and reigned thirty-seven years. Obadiah died, and after him his son Shemaiah arose; the sages praised him. Behold, ten generations.

Agrippa son of King Herod reigned, and after him his son Monobaz reigned. Shemaiah died, and after him Shekhanyah arose; the sages praised him. In the 103rd year of the kingdom of the converts, which was the 420th year from the building of the Temple and the year 3,828 from the creation of the world, Vespasian came and destroyed the Temple. He exiled Israel, and many houses from the house of David and Judah, to Aspamia, which is Spain. That was the 180th year of the Romans who had ruled before the Temple. In the fifty-second year after the destruction of the Temple, Betar was destroyed. In the 166th year after the destruction of the Temple, the Persians came against the Romans. Shekhanyah died, and after him his son Hezekiah arose; the sages praised him. Hezekiah died and was buried in the Land of Israel, at the hill of Arbel that belonged to Joshua son of Seraph the priest, east of the city. His son arose after him, and the sages praised him. When he died, Nathan was left in his mother's womb; he is Nathan de-Tzutzita. Nathan died, and after him his son Rav Huna arose; the sages praised him. Akub died, and after him his son Nahum arose; the sages praised him. Rav Huna, Rav Hanana, Rav Mattana, and Rav Hananel were his sages. Nahum died, and Yohanan arose; the sages praised him. Rav Hananel was his sage. Yohanan died, and after him his son Shefat arose; the sages praised him, and Rav Hananel was his sage. Shefat died, and after him his son Anan arose; the sages praised him, and Rav Shmuel was his sage. Pasa bar Netzer went up and destroyed Nehardea. Rav Huna died and was buried in the Land of Israel beside Rabbi Hiyya the Great. After him his son Nathan arose; the sages praised him. Rav Yehudah bar Yehezkel and Rav Sheshet were his sages. The Persians inherited the kingdom in the year 245 after the destruction of the Temple, and the Persians decreed persecution against the Jews. Nathan died, and after him his son Nehemiah arose; the sages praised him. Rav Shezvi was his sage. Nehemiah died, and after him his son Akaviah arose; the sages praised him. Rava and Rav Adda were his sages. In his days Shapur went up against the Arameans and conquered them. Mar Ukvan de-Tzutzita died and was buried in the Land of Israel. After him Huna, his brother's son, arose; the sages praised him. Abaye, Rabbah, and Rav Yosef bar Hama were his sages. In his days Shapur went up against Nisibis and conquered it. Huna Mar heard of it, and after him his brother Ukva arose; the sages praised him. Rav Hananel was his sage. Ukva died, and after him Abba, his brother's son and son of Mar Ukvan, arose. Rava and Ravina were his sages. In the year 416 after the destruction of the Temple, the world stood without a king. Abba died, and after him his brother Rav Kahana arose. Rav Safra was his sage. Rav Kahana died, and after him his brother Rav Safra arose. Rav Aha of Difti was his sage. Mar Zutra died, and after him his son Kahana arose. Ravina was his sage. Rav Kahana died, and after him Rav Huna Mar his brother arose. Rav Aha of Difti bar Hanilai was his sage. He died, and after him Rav Huna, his father's brother, son of Rav Kahana, arose. Rav Mari and Mar Hanina Rabbah were his sages.

And among them the house of David came to an end, and so it was. The wife of Rav Huna the Exilarch was the daughter of Mar Rav Chanina, the head of the academy. And Rav Chanina was a great man. The judge of the Exilarch set out and went to the town of Rav Chanina, the head of the academy, and wished to hold a public lecture, but Rav Chanina, the head of the academy, would not permit him. And that night Mar Rav Chanina, the head of the academy, saw in a dream that he entered a garden of cedars and took an axe and cut down all the cedars that were in it. One small cedar remained beneath the ground. He raised the axe to cut it down, and there came an old man, ruddy of complexion. He said to him: "I am David, king of Israel, and this garden is mine. What did you have against them, that you cut them down?"