The Biblical Rule

Rule #4: The Bible is not a source for your family tree.

"I don't think we're going to decide whether or not the Bible is an accurate genealogical source on this (or any other) Facebook group. Let's move on, shall we?" - a genealogist employed by Ancestry.com

This decision does not need to be made in a Facebook group or anywhere else because there is nothing to decide. The Bible is not, and never will be, a genealogical source for your family tree. Period.
Note that I said "The Bible" and not "the family bible." A family bible can have useful information usually provided by someone who could be considered a primary or secondary source. The Bible, on the other hand, can only be considered a source for family trees limited to names mentioned in The Bible. Even then it is a derivative of a derivative of a derivative of a...
This is not a Christian vs. non-Christian thing. This is a fantasy vs. proof thing. Some of you who are looking to be offended are probably already typing your misspelled, misdirected comments before you've even finished reading this post. I have not said The Bible is fantasy. No one's religious beliefs are at issue. The fantasy is thinking that you can connect someone named in The Bible to someone not mentioned in The Bible with any certainty.
If you have ever tried to tell someone that The Bible is not a genealogical source they probably argued that The Bible is true. They have no convincing rebuttal for using The Bible as genealogical documentation which is why they will try to derail the argument onto the subject of religion. Allow them to do that and you will have lost the debate.
If you think you have connected a branch of your tree to Biblical times you should submit a paper about your documentation to a genealogical society for review and publication. I'm sure they could use a laugh.


ADDITIONAL READING from FamilySearch: 
Can I trace genealogy back to Adam and Eve?
I have my family tree back to Adam and Eve

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The Rules

Rule #3: Your family tree cannot connect living people to persons who lived during Biblical times.
"But The Bible..." No.
"But once you hit royalty..." No.
"But [whatever other reason lacking common sense you can come up with]..." No!

 Don Consobrina Verch Mathonwy
 Birth 100 BC in Arimathaea, Ramathaim Zophim, now, Israel
 Death 80 BC in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England

 PARENTS
 Joseph Saint James Armimathea
 Anna Verch Eleazor

If you have a profile to suggest please email the link to buwt(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks!

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The Rules

Rule #2: Children cannot be born years after their parents have died.
There is no genetic trait that will allow for an exception. Your 5th great-grandfather wasn't born after his parents died and his children were not born after he died.
This is a rule that will have exceptions in modern times but when it comes to your ancestors...

William Moore
Birth 1767
Death 1781

PARENTS
John Moore (1675-1753)
Tabitha Pace (1714-1753)

SPOUSE & CHILDREN
Ann Nancy Lanier (1749-1833)
 Edward Moore (1769- )
 William Moore II (1775-1829)
 Aaron Moore (1781-1857)
 Moses Moore (1785- )
 Thomas Moore (1805- )

...families like this one never existed.


Thanks to Kristin for the link to this profile ;-)
If you have a profile to suggest you can email me a link at buwtree(at)gmail(dot)com.


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The Rules

I don't think any profile will ever top the Bottomless Pit so I'm going to simplify things for a while.

Rule #1: Children cannot be born before their parents. Ever.
There is no "may not" or "should not" or any other choice of words that could leave any room for doubt. A child being born before their parents is a physical impossibility. There are NO exceptions to this rule...until someone builds a working TARDIS, then all bets are off.

 James Ferguson
 Birth 1724 in Robeson, North Carolina, USA
 Death 1838 in Robeson, North Carolina, USA

 FATHER
 Alexander Ferguson
 Birth 1822 in Scotland
 Death 1896 in Scotland

 MOTHER
 Elizabeth Stewart
 Birth 1831 in Scotland
 Death 1881 in Scotland

Thanks to Kristin for the link to this tree ;-)
If you have a tree or profile to suggest please send the link to buwtree(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks! 


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Polyandry

Am I the only person who didn't know polygamy only applies to one husband and multiple wives? Polyandry involves one wife having multiple husbands. For some reason I don't think that is what this is. This...

 Maude Ellen Bushnell
 Birth 23 Apr 1874
 Marriage Sep 1889 to Edward Albert Stratton
 Marriage Sep 1889 to John Bedford Whitsett
 Marriage 18 Oct 1889 to Edward Albert Stratton
 Marriage 18 Oct 1889 to Jesse S Osborn
 Marriage 2 Jan 1893 to Edward Albert Stratton
 Marriage 10 Sep 1904 to John Bedford Whitsett
 Marriage 10 Aug 1924 to Charles Fredrick Bottger
 Death 24 May 1951

...is just someone shutting off their brain while working on their tree.


Thanks to Patricia for the link to this profile ;-)
If you have a tree or profile to suggest please send the link to buwtree(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks! 


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