4004 BC

In his Annales veteris testamenti, a prima mundi origine deducti (Annals of the Old Testament, deduced from the first origins of the world) (The Annals of the World, part 1), Archbishop James Ussher claimed that the Earth was created in the year 4004 BC, from calculations derived from the generations of the Bible.

"In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth, Gen. 1, v. 1. Which beginning of time, according to our Chronologie, fell upon the entrance of the night preceding the twenty third day of Octob[er] in the year of the Julian [Period] 710. The year before Christ 4004. The Julian Period 710."

Different Biblical scholars suggest that Ussher might be off by as much as 215 years in his calculation. The key points of dispute that lead them to compute a different year for Creation are the birth date of Abraham, the Sojourn of the children of Israel in Egypt, and the length of the linked histories of the Divided Kingdoms Northern and Southern. Secular historians, in addition, have attempted to synchronize the Exodus from Egypt at a date 201 years later than Ussher calculated for it.

In addition, some creationists, even young earth creationists, are flexible on the age of the Earth and do not take Ussher's calculation as the final word. They believe that the Earth is anywhere from 4000 to 10000 years old.

Most scientists (mainly evolutionists, but some old earth creationists as well) do not believe Ussher at all and, from dinosaur fossils and other geological evidence, estimate the Earth to be 4.6 billion years old.