Timeline
|
Bible
|
Middle East
|
5004 – 3952 BCE
|
World created, according to interpretations of selected
genealogies in the Bible, as per Ussher
(4004 BCE), Newton, Kepler, Bede and others
|
|
3500 -2500 BCE
|
“Cradles of Civilization”: Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian
Empires. Sargon. Mules and oxen draw solid wheeled carts,
literature, records, trade, surgery.
|
|
2100 – 1700 BCE
Egypt
Bronze Age
|
Date range for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
|
Egypt: Osiris: god
of the underworld; Horus (hawk): sky god.
Book of the Dead. Value for the
body as “holding” three lives/souls.
One version of creation starts with an ocean in darkness. Hittites are renowned charioteers (with
horses). Hammurabi’s Code
|
1750 – 1580 BCE
Hyksos in Egypt
|
Hyksos leadership of Egypt. Invaders? Skilled horsemen. Limited records for 200 years. “Asiatic” or “Semitic” names (most Semitic
languages dead now)
|
|
1650 – 1500 BCE
|
Volcanic eruption of Thera (Santorini)
Early Canaanite writing
|
|
1700- 1400 BCE
|
Minoan frescoes on island of Crete. Religious images
include the bull, serpent, sun disk, tree.
|
|
1450 BCE
|
Megiddo (n Israel) an Egyptian garrison. Egypt and Mitanni (NE) partnership against
the Hittites (N)
|
|
1500 – 1200
BCE
|
Date range for Moses, 40 years in the desert, Joshua’s
invasion and settlement of Canaan
|
Jericho fort guards place to ford River Jordan. Ancient settlements, Rebuilt 17 times. Abandoned 1400 – 1500 and 850 – 1325
BCE. Ai abandoned around 2700 BCE.
|
1350 - 1330 BCE
|
Pharoah Akhenaten, monotheist, sun god (movement shifted
back to polytheistic practices afterward)
Pharoah Tutankhamen
|
|
1280 BCE
Transition of powers
|
Egyptian (S) and Hittite (N) powers wane. Peace pact between them because of growing
Mittani (NW) power
|
|
1200 – 1000 BCE
Iron Age
|
Iron Age begins and spreads technological advantages
(unevenly) in chariots, ships, and weapons. Egyptians still rely on bronze,
lose N garrisons to Mesopotamians with iron
|
|
1209 BCE
|
Earliest mention of Israel (as a people, not a nation) on Egyptian
victory stele, with Canaan
|
|
1200 – 1150 BCE
Sea Peoples
invasions Eastern
Mediterranean
|
Bible is silent on the Sea Peoples invasions. Book of
Judges is presumed to reflect this period, though written later.
|
Whole cities and regions are destroyed, depopulated, and
abandoned (Greece – Mid East), for a century or more. Subsequent settlements poorer and smaller.
Like Vikings – no evidence of empire building, just
pillaging. Did they carry plague(s) that depopulated the region?
|
1000 -900 BCE
|
First kings: Saul, David, Solomon
Israel and Judah united kingdom under D/S only. Jerusalem made capital. Solomon described with great wealth,
hundreds of wives, Solomon’s Temple, worship of other gods
|
Camels may have been previously domesticated in Arabia and
Central Asia, but were uncommon in Mid East until 1000 BCE. No external
references to King Solomon. Possible
later reference to “House of David” on small Tel Dan ( N. Israel/Syria
border) stele fragment.
|
925 BCE
|
Pharoah Shishak invades Israel.
|
Pharoah Sheshonq conquers many Northern Israelite
cities. Mentions N. Israel cities
(Megiddo) etc but not Jerusalem or
southern cities.
|
900 – 722 BCE
|
Kingdom divided into Judah (S)and Israel (N). Battles with the Syrians, Egyptians,
Assyrians. Criticism of widespread polytheism.
|
Archeology reveals larger, sophisticated, walled cities in
N (like Samaria and Megiddo) than in the S (like Jerusalem and Hebron). N on trade routes and center of extensive
wine and olive oil production. Evidence in N. of remote trade for high
quality goods, such as ivory, and by artisans, such as architectural
refinements and engineering, invoices, receipts in N. S more remote and rural until after 722.
|
853 BCE
Assyrians
|
King Ahab (N) dies in battle (according to both Bible and
Assyrian stele
|
Egypt, Canaan, Israel and Syria band together against
Assyrians and lose, pay tribute as vassal states
|
722 BCE
|
Assyrians crush Israelite rebellion (N) Residents are
exiled, others flee south (to Judah). Possibly
earliest collections of Bible stories postdate this refugee movement which brings
remote Jews together. J
documents: (south) describe
approachable, physical God, Yahweh. E documents: (north) describe remote God,
Elohim. Leviticus and other Priestly
documents possibly written at this time or after Jews return from Babylonian
exile (500s).
|
Massive Israelite refugee movement flees south from
Assyrians to Jerusalem, bringing sophisticated technology with them. Cities balloon in size, increase in number,
defensive walls built with better skills than just previously.
|
700 BCE
|
Jerusalem palace 150 x 250 sq ft,
Casemated wall like Samaria (n) had
King Hezekiah mentioned by Assyrians
|
Southwest Palace in
Ninevah is 1650 x 794 sq ft: 80 rooms, 2 miles of carved reliefs decorating
walls
Assyria captures fort of Lachich in 703 BCE
|
663 BCE
|
Assyrians (Ashurbanipal) conquer Egypt). Biggest library in the ancient world in
Ninevah: 24,000
|
|
600s BCE
|
First version of Deuteronomy written during King Josiah’s reign, followed
by revisions and Joshua, I/II Samuel,
I/II Kings, and Jeremiah presumed written, perhaps by same author/group
. King Josiah dies in battle with
Egypt.
|
Temple in Sheba (Yemen) built
|
626 BCE
|
Ashurbanipal dies, others conquer Assyrians: Babylonians, Chaldeans,
Medes, Caucasians
|
|
600 – 800 BCE
|
Presumed assembly of disparate oral and written tales,
laws, songs etc. into written Bible scrolls (not found). Subsequently edited many times.
|
Neo-Babylonians poor record keepers
|
597 BCE
Babylonian
|
Alliance of Judah, Egypt, Edom, Moab, Amon, Tyre and Sidon
against Babylonians. Crushed. Samaria
holds out longest.
|
King Johoichan deported to sophisticated Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar. N: a big builder. One temple: 1500 x 1800 ft. 900 chapels and temples in empire. Banks, insurance, loans, jewelers’
guarantees, lawyers, contracts, debt prisons. Consistent astronomical records
maintained for 350 years.
|
587 – 538 BCE
|
King Zedekiah refuses to pay tribute. Crushed. Blinded. “Babylonian exile” of Jews. Not enslaved. 50 years.
Parts of Ezra, Chronicles, Jeremiah, and early part of Daniel
written, plus all of Tobit, Ezekiel, Lamentations, possibly Judith.
|
Coins become common for trade
|
538 BCE
Persians
|
Leviticus and other P documents possibly written when Jews
returned to Jerusalem and discovered differences in practices, or possibly
written after 722 when Israelites migrate south and introduce new ideas
|
Nebuchadnezzar dies, Persians conquer Babylon, under
Cyrus, messianic stories about him,
Tolerant ruler, didn’t destroy Babylon. Released Jews from exile, with
Temple valuables.
|
444 BCE
|
Artaxeres installs Nehemiah as governor of Jerusalem,
vassal state to Persia. No evidence of
war in Israel under Persian rule.
Book of Nehemiah written.
Content of Pentateuch (first five books) probably set by this time.
|
Judah is poor, deforested, poor construction techniques
Greek Parthenon built, burned by Persians
|
419 BCE
|
Darius protects and preserves religious rights of Jews as
far south as Aswan, Egypt
|
|
333 BCE
Greeks
|
Bible silent on Greek period until Maccabean wars. Samaria only independent town that could
withstand Greeks (a while).
Book of Esther probably written 300 – 400 BCE.
|
Alexander the Great.
Tolerant toward regional religions and practices but Greeks regarded
circumcision as barbaric mutilation.
No Greek interest in Judah.
Greeks gave Jews in Alexandria, Egypt same rights as other
citizens. City became center of
intellectual Judaism.
|
250 – 100 BCE
|
Hebrew no longer widely spoken. Hebrew Bible translated into Greek (version
called the Septuagint) at order of King Ptolemy. New books added, like late
part of Daniel, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Macabees.
|
168 – 164 BCE
Seleucids
|
Seleucids despoil Temple in Jerusalem, put up other gods,
ban circumcision.
Maccabeean revolt.
Seleucids win but allow Judaism to be practiced again. Hannukah story. Maccabees fight for political
independence. Crushed.
|
|||
142 – 129 BCE
Syrians
|
Syrians grant them political autonomy under Jewish leader,
John Hyrcanus.
|
|||
129 – 63 BCE
Hasmoneans
|
Jewish independent state, under Hasmonean dynasty
|
|||
Romans
63 BCE +
|
Jesus’s dates not stated, but presumed between 7 BCE and
36 CE.
|
Julius Caesar dies 44 BCE.
Augustus d. 14 CE
Pontius Pilate resigned 36 CE.
Nero d. 66 CE
|
||
30 – 70 CE
|
Presumed date range when Hebrew scrolls were hidden in Dead Sea caves
( 100 copies of OT books, 300 other documents ) These are
the earliest Bible documents found.
|
|||
50 – 65 CE
|
Presumed dates of Paul’s letters in New Testament(about
half scholars believe are written by him, others by other authors)
|
|||
66 – 70 CE
|
Jewish Rebellion, Jerusalem destroyed by Romans, Jews and
Christians scattered.
|
|||
70 – 100 CE
|
Presumed writing of the Gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John), Acts, and Revelation
|
|||
135 CE
|
Another Jewish Rebellion, Jerusalem destroyed, Jews no
longer allowed there.
|
|||
200 – 400 CE
|
Presumed dates of previously unseen 50 + Coptic Christian
gospels found in caves near Nag Hammadi, Egypt (13 volumes, 1000 sheets). Christianity becomes official religion of
Roman Empire, Several Ecumenical Councils determine articles of faith (not
explicit in Bible).
|
|||
800 – 900 CE
|
Masoretic Translation of OT used for Protestant and Jewish
Bibles.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment