1. When did the “Sojourn of the Sons of Israel” begin?

Our theory is that the “sons of Israel” came into being when Father changed Jacob’s name to Israel as he travelled from Haran to Canaan. Once the “sons of Jacob” became the “sons of Israel” due to the name change, the clock started on the 430 year sojourn of the “sons of Israel” that Moses describes as ending with the Exodus (Ex 12:40).

Here’s how this theory aligns with the information that we have in the Scriptures. Genesis 41-45 tells us the following:

• Joseph was 30 years old when he became ruler in Egypt;
• There were 7 years of plenty, then 7 years of famine;
• All Israel arrived in Egypt in the second year of the famine.

This tells us that Joseph was 38 years old when all Israel arrived in Egypt.

• Joseph’s age is 30 = year 1 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 31 = year 2 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 32 = year 3 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 33 = year 4 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 34 = year 5 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 35 = year 6 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 36 = year 7 of plenty
• Joseph’s age is 37 = year 1 of the famine
• Joseph’s age is 38 = year 2 of the famine

Year 2 of the famine is also Year 1 of Israel’s 400 years in Egypt since that’s when they arrived. This same year, according to our theory, is also Year 31 of the 430 years of the Sojourn of the Sons of Israel. If Joseph was 38 years old in Year 31 of the Sojourn of the Sons of Israel, then, looking back 30 years, he had to have been 8 years old when he and his brothers traveled from Haran in order for our theory to hold water.

Is it reasonable to assume that Joseph was 8 years old when they left Haran? Yes!

Here’s what the Scriptures say (Genesis 29-31):

• Jacob worked for Laban for 20 years: 14 years wherein he received his wives as wages, plus an additional 6 years wherein he received flocks as wages;
• Jacob was unmarried for the first 7 years that he worked for Laban;
• Joseph was the last of 11 sons born before Jacob started his last 6 years working for Laban;

This means that Jacob had all his sons in years 8-14 of working for Laban.

Here are Jacob’s 20 years working for Laban:

• Year 1 – Jacob is unmarried; he has no sons
• Year 2 – No sons
• Year 3 – No sons
• Year 4 – No sons
• Year 5 – No sons
• Year 6 – No sons
• Year 7 – No sons
• Year 8 – Jacob marries Leah & Rachel; possible childbirth year
• Year 9 – possible childbirth year
• Year 10 – possible childbirth year
• Year 11 – possible childbirth year
• Year 12 – possible childbirth year
• Year 13 – possible childbirth year (our pick for Joseph’s birth year)
• Year 14 – possible childbirth year
• Year 15 – Jacob starts working for the flocks sometime after Joseph’s birth; no sons
• Year 16 – No sons
• Year 17 – No sons
• Year 18 – No sons
• Year 19 – No sons
• Year 20 – No sons
• Year 21 – Jacob and his family leave Haran after 20 years

Here’s our logic on why Joseph being 8 years old is a reasonable assumption based on what the Scriptures tell us:

• The youngest Joseph could have been when they left Haran was 7 years old since he was born before the last 6 years.
• The oldest Joseph could have been when they left Haran is 8 years old since he was born after Leah had her 6 sons. In order to allow time for Leah to have had 6 kids before him during years 8-14 of Jacob’s stay in Haran, Joseph had to have been born in year 13 or 14.

As you can see, Joseph could have only been 7 or 8 years old when they left Haran, so to assume he was 8 is perfectly reasonable. And, if he was 8 years old when they left and 38 when Israel arrived in Egypt, we think we’ve properly identified the 430 years Sojourn of the Sons of Israel as being the time from the Haran trip through the Exodus.

Here’s the full picture:

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An interesting note about Leah:

According to online sources, a woman can become pregnant in as little as three weeks after giving birth. It’s likely that this rapid succession childbirth is what was happening with Leah since she gave birth to six sons in seven years, and despite the many births in such a short time saw that she stopped bearing for a time after her fourth son.

Just for fun then, here is a possible scenario for the birth dates of her sons:

• Year 8: Leah and Jacob are married on the 1st day of the 1st month and Reuben is born the 1st day of the 10th month (9 months after marriage)
• Year 9: Simeon is born the 1st day of the 8th month, 10 months after Reuben
• Year 10: Levi is born the 1st day of the 6th month, 10 months after Simeon
• Year 11: Judah is born the 1st day of the 4th month, 10 months after Levi; sometime after this birth Leah realizes that it’s been a few months since her last childbirth and she’s not pregnant again. She assumes she has stopped bearing and gives Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah’s sons can be born anytime after this.
• Year 12: Leah has Issachar on the 1st day of the 10th month (18 months after Judah)
• Year 13: Leah is back to rapid succession childbirth (aka being exceedingly fruitful) and Zebulun is born the 1st day of the 8th month, 10 months after Issachar. Joseph is born to Rachel later this same year.