Table of Contents
In Pre-Adamite Man (1863), Paschal Beverly Randolph discusses Chaldean chronology in a way that challenges traditional historical timelines.
The Chaldean fragment
Randolph’s starting point is a fragment attributed to Syncellus, which gives part of the Chaldean (Babylonian) chronology. It counts in Chaldean time units: 9 sari of 3,600 years (32,400 years), 2 neri of 600 years (1,200 years) and 8 sossi of 60 years (480 years), for a total of 34,080 years.
Randolph then gives a list of dynasties that came after the flood. The first is a dynasty of 86 Chaldean kings who reigned for 34,080 years. Median, Chaldean, Arabian and Assyrian rulers follow, for a total of 222 kings over 35,995 years, which Randolph rounds to 36,000.
| Dynasty | Number of Kings | Total Years Ruled |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Chaldean | 86 | 34,080 |
| 2nd Median | 8 | 224 |
| 3rd Chaldean | 11 | 258 |
| 4th Chaldean | 49 | 458 |
| 5th Arabian | 9 | 245 |
| 6th Assyrian | 45 | 526 |
| 7th Unknown | 8 | 122 |
| 8th Unknown | 6 | 82 |
| Total | 222 | 35,995 |
Randolph’s view of the figures
Randolph does not dismiss the long numbers.
My opinion is that the truth is not stretched half so much as at first sight might appear. Probably good reason exists for assigning a hoary antiquity to everything that pertains to ancient Chaldea
Paschal Beverly Randolph, Pre-Adamite Man (1863), p. 19
He also notes a further list of ten kings or dynasties from before the flood who reigned for 432,000 years. This figure he treats with much more doubt.
Randolph’s argument
Randolph uses these records to argue for an ancient and advanced civilization. The traditional view, which allows only a few thousand years of human history, contrasts sharply with them.
He accepts that some of the figures may be mythological or exaggerated, but holds that they should not be dismissed entirely. In his view, the layers of mythology contain truths about the great age of human civilization. He compares the Chaldean figures with the long timelines of other ancient cultures, such as the Egyptians, and with the great eras of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
He also brings in geological and archaeological evidence, such as finds suggesting that people lived in Egypt as far back as 13,500 years ago. For Randolph this supports the idea of an advanced pre-Adamite civilization.
Key points
- Rejecting the usual chronology: Randolph challenges the biblical chronology, which limits human history to about 6,000 years, and points to civilizations such as the Chaldeans as evidence of a much older history.
- Combining sources: he draws together ancient records, archaeological finds and mythological texts to argue that advanced civilizations existed long ago.
- Comparing cultures: he finds long historical periods in several ancient traditions and reads them as a consistent pattern.
In Randolph’s account, the Chaldean civilization existed much longer than is usually accepted. He calls for ancient records to be reassessed, and for the possibility that advanced civilizations existed long before the biblical timeline.
Source: Paschal Beverly Randolph, Pre-Adamite Man (1863), Internet Archive.
