ending four significant points of time (Abraham; King David; Babylonian Exile; Messiah) thereby noting three beginning points and three end points (the middle two points, by overlapping periods, function doubly as end points and beginning points). The aspect of three (either three groups or three beginning points and three end points) may be meant to be as significant as the number fourteen. More than fifteen interpretations of the genealogical summary have been suggested throughout the history of interpretation. Missing person However, there are some complications with this passage. There are 42 generations listed (including Tamar, verse 3 and Genesis 38:6-30) but only 41 men's names listed, whereas one would expect 14 x 3 or 42. This certainly appears to leave one of the divisions a member short. Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Perez Hezron Aram Amminadab Nahshon Salmon Boaz Obed Jesse David Solomon Rehoboam Abijam Asa Jehoshaphat Joram Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Manasseh Amon Josiah Jeconiah Shealtiel Zerubbabel Abiud Eliakim Azor Zadok Achim Eliud Eleazar Matthan Jacob Joseph Jesus A number of explanations have been advanced to explain this. Other than the straightforward reason of simple miscounting, the significant view, first advocated by Krister Stendahl, which would preserve the inerrancy of the Bible, is that David's name should appear twice just as it is mentioned twice in the verse. By this count he is both one of the fourteen from "Abraham to David" and also one of the fourteen from "David to the exile to Babylon." The main problem with this is that it would also suggest that since the exile to Babylon is mentioned twice the man at this time, Jeconiah, should also appear twice. Other theories that have been advanced include that Mary counts as one of the 14 or that Jeconiah legally counts as two separate people, one as king the other as dethroned civilian. An explanation that scholars today find more probable is that the problem lies in Matthew 1:11. Almost all other sources report that a king named Jehoiakim was between Josiah and Jeconiah. A biblical reference for this may be seen in I Chronicles 3: 15-16. Many scholars feel it is likely that Jeconiah, whose name can be spelt Jehoiachin, was confused with his father and they were merged into one person. Thus the error was one by a later transcriber. However there are several other people who were left out of the genealogy. Matthew