Event: And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Verse: Genesis 46:12
Biblical text: And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
A year since Adam: 2298
Approximate year: 1771 BCE
Status: accurate
We invite you to discuss this event!
When Joseph was 17 years old, Judah may have been about:
17+3 or 4=20–21 years old17 + 3 \text{ or } 4 = 20–21 \text{ years old}
Genesis 38:1 says that “at that time” Judah left his brothers and started a family. The most natural interpretation is to connect this with the period after Joseph was sold.
The necessary successive stages
None of the following stages can be omitted:
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Judah gets married.
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Er is born.
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Onan is born.
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Shelah is born.
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Er reaches marriageable age.
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Er marries Tamar and dies.
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Onan takes Tamar as his wife and dies.
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Judah tells Tamar to wait until Shelah grows up.
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Shelah reaches adulthood, but Judah does not give him to Tamar.
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After “a long time,” Judah’s wife dies — Genesis 38:12.
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The period of mourning ends.
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Judah meets Tamar.
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Perez and Zerah are born.
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Perez reaches adulthood.
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Hezron is born to Perez.
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Hamul is born to Perez.
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Only then does the entire family enter Egypt.
Joseph is 58 years old when his brothers enter Egipt
