Event/Person

Dates

Notes

Adam & Eve

?

First man & woman are created and charged to keep/guard Eden in covenant with God but sin by following the Serpent and are thus exiled out of the garden (Genesis 1-3)

Flood

?

Humanity is in such a ungodly state that God judges the world with a flood and save only Noah & his family with a large floating ark (Genesis 6-9)

Tower of Babel

?

After the earth is repopulated, humanity refuses to spread and subdue the earth but establishes one city with a great tower of tribute; God judges them by giving them all different languages, causing them to spread over the world (Genesis 11)

Abraham

2166–1991 b.c.

God calls Abram (name changed to Abraham) out of Babel region and promises him his own country and land in order bless the world (Genesis 12-25)

Isaac

2066–1886

The promise to Abraham carried to his son Isaac and his offspring (Genesis 26-27)

Jacob

2006–1859

The promise to Abraham & Isaac carried to Isaac’s son Jacob and his offspring (Genesis 27-36)

Joseph

1915–1805

God providentially places Jacob’s son Joseph in powerful position in Egypt to help his family during famine (Genesis 37-50)

Moses’ birth

1526

After 400 years in Egypt, the Hebrews have come to be enslaved by the Egyptians. Moses is born to a Hebrew mother but is raised in the courts of Pharaoh due to Pharaoh’s daughters compassion (Exodus 1-2)

Exodus

1446

God reveals himself to Moses and commissions him to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt to worship Him in the Sinai desert; God does this by inflicted 10 epic curses on the Egyptians; then God established a national covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai promising them the land which was originally promised to Abraham (Exodus 3-39, Leviticus 1-27)

Desert wanderings

1446–1406

Most of Israel fails to believe God can give them the land and so God causes them to wonder in the Sinai wilderness for 40 years, allowing for only the new generation to enter the land (Numbers, Deuteronomy)

Entrance into Canaan

1406

Under Joshua’s leadership, the new generation of Israel enters the “promised land” to conquer and settle (Joshua)

Period of the judges

1375–1040

After the initial conquest of the land, Israel begins to falter and lose it’s hold of the land and reverts back to idolatry; God raises up a number of judges/leaders to reform certain tribes of Israel and reconquer certain areas (Judges, Ruth)

Saul’s reign

1040–1010

Saul becomes first king of unified Israel at people’s request (1 Samuel)

David’s reign

1010–971

David becomes Saul’s successor and expands Israel; God promises that his line will always reign over Israel (2 Samuel)

Solomon’s reign

971–931

Solomon is David’s choice as king and he reigns in the highest levels of peace & prosperity that Israel ever knew (1Kings 1-11)

Kingdom divided

931

Civil war causes division of northern kingdom Israel and southern kingdom Judah (1 Kings 12)

Israel established

931–722

19 kings with capital in Samaria (1 Kings 12-13, 2 Kings 1-17)

Judah established

931–586

19 kings, 1 queen with capital in Jerusalem (1 Kings 14, 2 Kings 1-25)

Fall of Samaria (Israel)

722

Shalmaneser V (727–722) and Sargon II (722–705) of Assyria sack Samaria and take Israel into captivity (2 Kings 17)

Josiah’s reforms

628

Josiah rediscovers the Law of Moses which had been ignored by previous kings (2 Kings 23)

Battle of Carchemish

605

Daniel and three friends exiled to Babylon (2 Chronicles 35)

Jerusalem attacked

597

Nebuchadnezzar II takes exiles to Babylon including Jehoiachin and Ezekiel (2 Kings 24, 2 Chronicles 36)

Fall of Jerusalem (Judah)

586

Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon sacks Jerusalem and destroys Temple (2 Kings 25, 2 Chronicles 36)

Fall of Babylon

539

Cyrus of Persia (539–530) conquers Babylonian empire

1st return of exiles to Jerusalem

538

Zerubbabel leads over 40,000 Jews back to Jerusalem (see Ezra 1-2)

Temple rebuilding begins

536

Zerubbabel & Joshua lead in rebuilding Temple (see Ezra 3-4)

Temple completed

516

Darius I (522–486) of Persia decrees finishing of Temple (see Ezra 4-6)

Esther in palace of Xerxes

478

Xerxes I/Ahasuerus (485–464) of Persia takes Esther as queen (see Esther)

2nd return of exiles to Jerusalem under Ezra

458

Artaxerxes I (464–423) allows Ezra to return to Jerusalem with over 2000 Jews (see Ezra 7-10)

3rd return of exiles to Jerusalem under Nehemiah

445

Nehemiah is commissioned to rebuild Jerusalem walls (see Nehemiah 1-13)

334–330 b.c.

Alexander the Great (356–323 b.c.) sweeps through Asia Minor and conquers the Persian Empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia (see Dan. 7:3; 7:6; 8:5; 8:8; 8:20–22; 11:3; cf. 1 Macc. 1:1–7). Alexander imposes the Greek language and culture on all the nations he conquers, marking the beginning of the Hellenistic Age

168/167

Antiochus IV Epiphanes, led into the sanctuary by the high priest Menelaus, loots and desecrates the temple in Jerusalem (1 Macc. 1:20–24; 1:37–64; 2 Macc. 5:11–26; 6:2–5; see Dan. 11:28; 11:31–32). In 167 b.c. (1 Macc. 1:59), an idol devoted to Zeus (Jupiter) was erected in the temple (“the abomination that makes desolate”; cf. Dan. 11:31; 12:11) and shortly afterwards sacrifices (likely swine) were offered up on the altar in the “Most Holy Place.”

167/166

Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (cf. 1 Macc. 2:1–48)

142

Jewish independence is recognized by Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator (d. 125 b.c.; cf. 1 Macc. 13:31–42).

67

Civil war breaks out in Judea between supporters of Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, Hasmonean brothers.

40

The Roman Senate declares Herod the Great “King of the Jews,” giving him vassal rulership over Palestine (comprised of the provinces Judea and Galilee).

37–4

Herod the Great rules and begins rebuilding the Temple in Jersusalem

5 b.c.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem.

4 b.c.

Jesus’ family flees to Egypt to escape from Herod’s plan to kill Jesus (9Matt. 2:13–18); Herod dies; Jesus’ family, after returning from Egypt, resides in Nazareth (9Matt. 2:19–239), a small village in southern Galilee.

8 a.d.

Jesus (age 12) interacts with the teachers in the temple (9Luke 2:41–509).

8–28/30

Jesus works as a carpenter in Nazareth (9Matt. 13:559; 9Mark 6:39)

28–29

John the Baptist begins his ministry around the Jordan River (John 1:19).

28–30

Jesus begins his ministry in Judea, but soon focuses his efforts in Galilee. In Jerusalem, Pharisees (like Gamaliel) train disciples (like Paul) in their tradition. They send a delegation to Galilee, but the delegation rejects Jesus’ teaching.

33 (or 30)

Jesus returns to Judea, is crucified, and resurrected. James the brother of Jesus becomes a believer after witnessing the resurrected Jesus (91 Cor. 15:79; 9Acts 12:179). Jesus ascends to the Father’s right hand (9Acts 19). Jesus’ first followers receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and begin to proclaim the gospel (9Acts 29).

33/34

Paul witnesses the resurrected Lord the on the way to Damascus and is commissioned as an apostle to the nations (Acts 9; Gal. 1:15–16).

41–44

Agrippa kills James the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and imprisons Peter (Acts 12:3).

46–47

Paul’s First Missionary Journey (with Barnabas) from Antioch to Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra (Acts 13:4–14:26).

48–49

Paul and Peter return to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council, which, with the assistance of James, frees Gentile believers from the requirement of circumcision in opposition to Pharisaic believers (Acts 15:1–29); Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch (Acts 15:30) but split over a dispute about John Mark (Acts 15:36–40).

48/49–51

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (with Silas) from Antioch to Syria, Cilicia, southern Galatia, Macedonia, notably Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea; and then on to Achaia, notably Athens and Corinth (Acts 15:36–18:22).

52–57

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey from Antioch to Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece (Acts 18:23–21:17).

62

James the brother of the Lord is executed by the Sadducean high priest Ananus.

64 (July 19)

Fire in Rome; Nero blames and kills many Christians.

64–67

Paul and Peter are martyred in Rome.

66

First Jewish-Roman War begins with a riot between Greeks and Jews at Caesarea

70 (Aug. 30)

Titus, after a five-month siege of Jerusalem, destroys the temple after desecrating it; the Pharisees convince the Romans to allow them and others to settle in Jamnia, where they found a school.

73

Before the Romans the fortress atop Masada following a two-year siege, 936 Jewish rebels commit suicide.

81–96

Domitian persecutes Christians among the Roman nobility

85–95

John writes his Gospel and his letters (1–3 John), probably in Ephesus.

95–96

Exiled by Domitian to Patmos, John writes Revelation (Rev. 1:9).