Achan Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Achan took devoted things, leading to Israel's defeat at Ai.
took forbidden things from Jericho (JOS 7:1)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Jacob › Judah › Zerah › Zabdi › Carmi › Achan
Names
-
en
Achan
or Achar, he that troubleth
- en Achar · Also called
-
en
Achan
· Also called · H5912 none · JOS 7:1 troubler
-
he
עָכָ֣ן
akhan · H5912 · JOS 7:1 troubler
-
he
עָכָר
akhar · H5917 · 1CH 2:7 trouble
- he עָכָן · H5912
- el Αχαρ Axar · none · JOS 7:1
- bg Ахан
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
Loading book references…
Conditional birth estimate · c. 1735 BC – 1680 BC
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob · 1835 BC Ancestor |
5 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1735 BC – 1610 BC |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
6 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1775 BC – 1625 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
6 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1756 BC – 1606 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
7 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1855 BC – 1680 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
7 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1845 BC – 1670 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1925 BC – 1085 BC |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1931 BC – 986 BC |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1831 BC – 886 BC |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
10 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1936 BC – 886 BC |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
11 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1943 BC – 788 BC |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
12 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1948 BC – 688 BC |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
13 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1957 BC – 592 BC |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
14 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1962 BC – 492 BC |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
16 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1947 BC – 267 BC |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
17 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2022 BC – 237 BC |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
18 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2498 BC – 608 BC |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2655 BC – 660 BC |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2817 BC – 717 BC |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2857 BC – 652 BC |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2994 BC – 684 BC |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3034 BC – 619 BC |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3079 BC – 559 BC |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3404 BC – 884 BC |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
25 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3144 BC – 519 BC |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
25 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3379 BC – 754 BC |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
25 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3380 BC – 755 BC |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
26 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3224 BC – 494 BC |
Family of origin
- Father: Carmi
- Mother: Unknown
Belonged to (1)
Achan Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Achan was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who violated God's command by taking devoted things from the conquered city of Jericho (Jos. 7:1). His sin caused Israel's defeat in the battle against Ai. When Joshua sought the Lord's guidance, God revealed that someone had stolen from the devoted things (Jos. 7:10-15).
Through a process of elimination, Achan was identified as the culprit (Jos. 7:16-18). He confessed to taking a beautiful cloak from Shinar, silver, and gold, hiding them in his tent (Jos. 7:19-21). As a result, Achan and his family were stoned to death, and their remains were burned (Jos. 7:24-25). The place where this occurred was named the Valley of Achor, meaning "trouble" (Jos. 7:26). Achan's sin and its consequences were remembered as a warning against unfaithfulness to God (Jos. 22:20).
Achan Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Called also Achar, i.e., one who troubles (1 Chr. 2:7), in commemoration of his crime, which brought upon him an awful destruction (Josh. 7:1). On the occasion of the fall of Jericho, he seized, contrary to the divine command, an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly Babylonish garment, which he hid in his tent. Joshua was convinced that the defeat which the Israelites afterwards sustained before Ai was a proof of the divine displeasure on account of some crime, and he at once adopted means by the use of the lot for discovering the criminal. It was then found that Achan was guilty, and he was stoned to death in the valley of Achor. He and all that belonged to him were then consumed by fire, and a heap of stones was raised over the ashes.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Achan_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Achan@Jos.7.1-1Ch) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, achan_61)