Chronology of the Bible: Old Testament

Published July 12, 2024 at 7:03 AM

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As someone who loves history, one thing I enjoy doing is putting the events of the Bible on a timeline. For those who have a similar interest, this article is for you. This article will place events of the Old Testament on a timeline, alongside non-biblical historical events that correspond to what was happening; some dates are rough estimates.

NOTE: I have decided to begin with Abraham, as the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Masoretic Text disagree on the genealogy before the birth of Abraham.

According to the Masoretic Text, which is in our Bibles, the Flood would be traced back to 2241 BC, and creation to 3897 BC. However, the Greek Septuagint suggests creation being as early as 5500 BC, and a flood around 3000 BC. The Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with both of these texts at times, but also offers their own numbers that agree with neither text; dates are difficult to reconcile.

Additionally, the Septuagint has Methuselah living after the flood, which isn’t possible. The Septuagint also includes an extra Kenan/Cainan, which is not found in Chronicles, or any of the writings of Josephus. The Masoretic Text isn’t perfect either, as the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Paul in Galatians 3:16-17 reveal that Exodus 12:40 has a copying error (Israel was not in Egypt for 430 years, rather they lived in Canaan and Egypt for 430 years; the Law was given 430 years after Abraham).

While I lean toward trusting the Masoretic Text in most cases (except Exodus 12:40), I believe it makes more sense to include a chart of the differences between the texts.

If you are interested in reading about the extra Cainan in the Septuagint (and in Luke 3), below are two articles that give a possible explanation:

Answers in Genesis Article: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/genealogy/an-extra-cainan

Creation.com Article: https://creation.com/cainan-can-you-explain-the-difference-between-luke-336-and-genesis-1112

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THE PATRIARCHS

Abraham is born (1951 BC), then Sarah is born (1941 BC).

God calls Abraham and he moves to Canaan; the covenant is established when Abraham is 75 (1876 BC).

Ishmael is born when Abraham is 86, due to Abraham and Sarah’s impatience (1865 BC).

Isaac is born when Abraham is 100 and Sarah is 90 (1851 BC).

Sarah dies at age 127 (1814 BC).

Jacob and Esau are born when Isaac is 60 (1791 BC).

Abraham dies at age 175 (1776 BC).

Jacob steals the birthright, flees Esau, has the dream at Bethel, and goes to work for Laban (1714 BC).

Jacob works 14 total years to marry Leah (1707 BC) and Rachel (1700 BC) and has 13 children with them and their maidservants.

Jacob flees Laban (1694 BC), reunites with Esau, and has an encounter with God at Penuel.

Joseph is sold into slavery at 17 (1683 BC), spending time in Potiphar’s house and prison.

Isaac dies at age 180 (1671 BC).

Joseph becomes second in command to Pharaoh and saves Egypt from the famine (1670 BC). He also has Jacob and his family sojourn to Egypt during the famine (1661 BC).

The Story of Job takes place in the land of Ur around this time. Job is likely an Edomite (descendant of Esau) or a God-fearing Caananite (1650 BC).

Jacob (1644 BC) and Joseph (1590 BC) die in Egypt, but the Israelites stay and multiply.

After the death of Joseph, a Pharaoh who doesn’t know Joseph arises, and the Israelites are enslaved (possibly synonymous with the Hyksos, Semitic-friendly pharaohs, being overthrown).

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MOSES TO SOLOMON

Moses is born (1526 BC) during Egyptian slavery. He leads the Exodus and receives the Law exactly 430 years after God and Abraham made the covenant (1446 BC).

After 40 years in the wilderness, Moses gives his final speech (Deuteronomy), then dies. Joshua leads Israel into Canaan and begins conquering the land (1406 BC).

After the time of Joshua, lawlessness abounds and people do what is right in their own eyes. Because of their sin, Israel is oppressed by enemies, such as the “Sea Peoples” group known as the Philistines (research the Bronze Age Collapse for more information on the Sea Peoples).

God raises up judges to deliver Israel (Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Samson, Gideon, Jephthah, etc.) but they stay in the cycle of sin and short-term repentance (and some of the judges even partake in the sin). The Books of Judges and Ruth occur during this time (1400-1050 BC).

The people ask God for a king, so Samuel anoints Saul as king of Israel (1050 BC). Saul is an evil king who loses favor with God; the kingdom will be torn from him and given to David.

Saul and his sons die in battle. David becomes king of Judah (1010 BC). Sometime later, Abner makes Ishbosheth king of Israel (1005 BC).

Ishbosheth is assassinated and David becomes king of a United Israel. David conquers the Jebusites and moves the capital to Jerusalem (1003 BC).

David is a good king who fears God, with his only deviance being what he did to Uriah and Bathsheba. During his reign, most of the psalms were collected, though some were written before and after him (1010-970 BC).

Solomon becomes king of Israel, preventing Adonijah from usurping the throne (970 BC).

Solomon deals with David’s political enemies, then begins building the temple exactly 480 years after the Exodus (966 BC).

Solomon writes Song of Songs, a form of romantic literature and poetry (960 BC). Around this same time, people begin to collect his wise sayings into the book of Proverbs; additional sayings are added later in the time of King Hezekiah.

Solomon’s Temple is completed (959 BC) and he also builds massive houses and palaces. Signs of his divided heart show, as he marries hundreds of foreign wives, accumulates wealth, and accumulates horses (things the Torah said their kings shouldn’t do in Deuteronomy 17).

Solomon falls into sin and loses favor with God. Ahijah prophesies that he would lose most of his kingdom, as 10 tribes will be given to his military captain Jeroboam. Solomon seeks to kill Jeroboam, but he flees to Egypt (950 BC).

Ecclesiastes embodies Solomon’s regret for chasing material things, which do not bring you fulfillment. A life without God is vanity; a vapor that disappears (935 BC).

Solomon dies and the United Kingdom of Israel splits into two. The 10 Northern Tribes rebel and form Israel, while Benjamin and Judah stay loyal to the House of David. Jeroboam is King of Israel, and Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) is King of Judah (930 BC).

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SPLIT KINGDOM TO THE EXILE

The Northern Kingdom only has wicked kings (i.e. Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehu), while the Southern Kingdom has a mix of wicked (i.e. Rehoboam, Manasseh, and Zedekiah) and good kings (i.e. Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Uzziah). God sends prophets to warn the people before destruction comes (Kings and 2 Chronicles discuss this).

Elijah prophesies during the time of Ahab and Jezebel. He is known for calling down fire from heaven, initiating a drought, and ascending into heaven. He anoints Elisha as prophet, who operates in a double portion of the spirit of Elijah (855 BC).

Obadiah prophesies against Edom for how they treated their brother Israel, and talks of Israel’s restoration (840 BC).

Joel takes place after Judah has been laid waste, but prophecies about restoration. He also prophesies about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is fulfilled in Acts, and about the Day of the LORD (as early as 830 BC, as late as post-exile times).

God sends Jonah to Nineveh to preach during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. He disobeys and is swallowed by a great fish, but repents. He eventually preaches to Nineveh and they repent. God then deals with his heart, as he had hatred for Assyria; he wanted to see them judged (770 BC).

Amos is a shepherd from Judah, but preaches against the wickedness of Israel (and some surrounding nations like Edom and Ammon). They perverted justice, oppressed the poor, and were deep into idolatry. His message was that they would be judged by God for their sins and be carried off into exile. However, God will restore them in the future (760 BC).

Hosea is a prophet to Israel in the north. He prophesies against their harlotry and compares Israel to an unfaithful wife who rejects God’s love. To hammer in the point, Hosea marries a promiscuous woman named Gomer, and buys her back after she cheated on him. This reveals how God still loves us, and takes us back, even after we sin (755 BC).

Isaiah is a prophet in the south who proclaimed God’s judgment, then subsequent restoration, of Israel and Judah. He writes about Assyria, the coming Exile, and the rise of Cyrus the Great. He also writes a slew of messianic prophecies that point to Jesus, such as Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, and Isaiah 53 (740-700 BC).

Micah, a prophet in Judah, prophesies that Israel will fall to Assyria, and that Judah will fall to Babylon. He also prophesies that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem; his message is similar to Isaiah’s (740 BC).

The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to King Shalmaneser V of Assyria in the reign of King Hoshea (722 BC). Israel is carried off into exile and scattered by Assyria.

King Hezekiah tears down altars and makes Judah recommit to God (YHWH) alone. The temple is reopened (after his father Ahaz closed it), the Passover is kept, and the priesthood and treated with respect again (715 BC).

The Southern Kingdom of Judah survives Assyrian King Sennacherib’s conquest due to God’s mercy, as King Hezekiah was faithful to God. 185,000 Assyrian men are killed by an angel (701 BC).

While Hezekiah was the best king of Judah, his son Manasseh was the worst king. Because of the treachery done during his reign, namely child sacrifice, witchcraft, the shedding of innocent blood, and idol worship in the temple (read 2 Kings 21), the prophets proclaim that Judah would be exiled like Israel (650 BC). Manasseh does eventually repent, after God allows judgment to fall on him, but the damage was already done.

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EVENTS OF THE EXILE

Zephaniah prophesies of the coming Day of the LORD, similar to Joel. God will consume the wicked people, birds, and animals; judgment is coming upon everyone. However, those who repent and seek God will be his faithful remnant (630 BC).

Jeremiah begins prophesying and writing during the reign of King Josiah (627 BC).

King Josiah implements religious reform and calls for strict adherence to the Torah. Hilkiah finds the book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy) in the temple, and Josiah returns Judah to worship of God alone. He destroys idols and hosts Passover (623 BC). Because of his sharp turn to God, the exile won’t happen in his day (but in the days of his sons).

Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, falls back into sin. Because of this, Nahum prophesies that the city will be judged (620 BC). This comes to pass as the Medes and Babylonians destroy Nineveh (612 BC).

Babylon, under King Nabopolassar, completely conquers Assyria (609 BC).

King Josiah is killed in battle and Judah begins to fall apart. His son Jehoahaz becomes king, but is carried off to Egypt by Pharaoh Necho. Jehoiakim, who is Jehoahaz’s older brother, is placed on the throne and pays tribute to Pharoah. (609 BC).

Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, puts Jehoiakim under tribute and begins deporting Jews to Babylon. He takes young and good-looking nobles, such as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He gives them the new names of Beltashazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and has them educated in Babylonian culture (605 BC).

Habakkuk prophesies about Babylon and is saddened by the evil and injustice surrounding him. He questioned why God tolerated evil, and why Babylon was allowed to execute judgment on Judah, when they were wicked (605 BC).

Jehoiakim rebels against Nebuchadnezzar and refuses to pay tribute (601 BC). Babylon besieges Jerusalem again and does another wave of deportations. This time, they deport priests (most notably Ezekiel), military leaders, and skilled workers. Nebuchadnezzar also takes the temple vessels with him to Babylon. King Jehoiakim is likely killed and his son Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) is put on the throne (598-597 BC). 

Nebuchadnezzar deposes Jeconiah, deports him to Babylon, and puts him in prison. Nebuchadnezzar then puts Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, on the throne as a puppet (597 BC). Jeconiah lives, because he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, whereas his father Jehoiakim dies.

Jeremiah prophesies that the Babylonian Exile is not the end of Judah, and that God would bring them back after 70 years (597 BC).

Zedekiah doesn’t listen to Jeremiah when he says to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Because of this, the Southern Kingdom of Judah falls to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar, after a long siege (588-586 BC).

The Jews are exiled to Babylon, and the temple is destroyed by Nebuzaradan (Nebuchadnezzar’s military captain) and the Babylonian army. For his disobedience to Jeremiah, Zedekiah’s sons are killed, his eyes are gouged out, and he is carried off to Babylon (586 BC).

The Books of Ezekiel and Daniel occur during the Babylonian Exile. Both books prophesy about the end times and make it clear that the Babylonian Exile isn’t the end of Judah.

Ezekiel details the wickedness of Israel, which is why the Babylonian Exile happened. He is also known for his dry bones rising, as he talks of the restoration of Israel (597-571 BC).

Daniel details prominent stories of the Babyloniam Exile, namely during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. He is known for his endtimes prophecies, namely of the coming antichrist. He also sees God The Father and Jesus, revealed as the the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man (605-536 BC).

Jeremiah stays in Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile and continues to prophesy; the people still don’t listen. He weeps over the destruction of Jerusalem and writes Lamentations (586 BC). A third Deportation of Jews occurs, as they disobey Jeremiah and flee to Egypt (582 BC).

Jeconiah, the only king who listened to Jeremiah by surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar, is freed from prison and treated well by Nebuchadnezzar’s son Amel-Marduk (562 BC).

Medo-Persia conquers Babylon, which is ruled by Kings Nabonidus and Belshazzar (Belshazzar was 2nd in command and was the one who saw the “writing on the wall” that Daniel interpreted). Cyrus the Great becomes king, while Darius the Mede is put in charge of Babylon (539 BC).

Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den by Darius the Mede, but God closes the mouth of the lions (539 BC).

Cyrus the Great ends the exile, and allows the Jews to return home and rebuild the temple. The Persians allowed their subjects to be semi-autonomous and practice their own religion (538 BC).

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RETURN FROM EXILE

Zerubbabel, Joshua, and their company return to rebuild the temple, but are hindered by dissident groups. Progress for rebuilding the temple, and the city of Jerusalem, is halted (536 BC).

Haggai compels Judah to rebuild the temple, despite opposition (520 BC).

Zechariah preached repentance and encouraged Israel to continue building the temple. He then has a series of prophetic visions (flying scroll and four horsemen), and talks about the coming Messiah (520 BC).

Governor Zerubbabel completes the 2nd temple during the reign of Persian King Darius the Great, as Darius enforces the Edict of Cyrus that allowed the Jews to rebuild the temple (516 BC). Joshua serves as the High Priest.

Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy is fulfilled in 3 ways. It was 70 years (609-539 BC) that Babylon ruled the Near East, 70 years (with inclusive counting) of Jews in captivity (605-536 BC), and 70 years (586-516 BC) from when Babylon destroyed the temple until the Jews rebuilt it.

Greece resists Persian rule under King Darius the Great (490 BC) and King Xerxes I (480 BC). This is in the time of King Leonidas of Sparta; cracks in the Persian Empire show.

The story of Esther takes place during the reign of Persian King Xerxes I (480 BC). She saves the Jews from annihilation by Haman, and the celebration of Purim comes from this story.

Ezra returns to Jerusalem during the reign of Persian King Artaxerxes I and implements religious reforms; Jewish life is once again based on the Torah (458 BC).

Ezra writes Chronicles as a condensed history of Israel, reminding the post-exilic Jews of their history. He also writes Ezra, which details what happened when the temple was rebuilt and tackles the issue of intermarriage of Jews and pagans (450 BC).

Nehemiah rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem and becomes governor (445 BC). He enforces the Torah and makes sure the people don’t repeat the same sins that caused them to be exiled. The Book of Nehemiah (possibly written by Ezra) details the wall rebuilding and reforms Nehemiah implemented in Jerusalem (435 BC).

Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, sets the scene for the Messiah and preaches of a coming messenger. In his book, he calls on the people to follow the Law, take care of the priests and temple, and adhere to the covenant; some scholars believe Ezra also wrote this book (430 BC).

BY AROUND 400 BC, THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON WAS DONE. EZRA AND/OR NEHEMIAH ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE COLLECTED THE 24 (which became 39) BOOKS. AT THE VERY LEAST, THE CANON WAS CLOSED BEFORE 250-200 BC, WHEN THE COMMISSIONING OF THE SEPTUAGINT OCCURRED (when the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek)

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HELLENIZATION

After progress is made by Philip of Macedon with the League of Corinth (338 BC), his son Alexander the Great solidifies a united Greece and begins his conquest.

A unified Greece conquers Jerusalem (332 BC), Egypt (332 BC and they welcomed Alexander, crowning him Pharaoh), and ultimately Persia (331 BC).

Alexander the Great dies young (323 BC) and his empire is split up into parts. The Ptolemaic Dynasty controls Egypt, while Syria and Judah are controlled by the Seleucid Empire (312 BC).

Hellenization occurs, as Jews adopt Greek culture and customs; the New Testament will be written in Greek. Some Jews accepted Hellenization (the Sadducees consisted of wealthy Hellenized Jews and priests), whereas others rejected it (the Pharisees consisted of Jews who rejected Hellenization and prioritized strict Torah observance).

Ptolemy II commissions the translation of the Greek Septuagint, as the Torah is translated into Greek (250 BC). Soon after, the rest of the books of the Old Testament (alongside Apocryphal works) would be translated into Greek.

Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes takes power and begins oppressing the Jews (175 BC). He outlaws the Law, forces Jews to eat pork, massacres Jews on the Sabbath, and even hangs infants. Antiochus Epiphanes then desecrates the temple and sacrifices a pig to Zeus on the altar (167 BC).

The Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes is sparked by a priest named Mattathias, and is led by his son Judas Maccabeus (167 BC).

The Maccabees recapture Jerusalem and the temple is cleansed and rededicated; this is where Hanukkah comes from (164 BC). Antiochus Epiphanes dies shortly after hearing news of the success of the Maccabees.

Even after Antiochus Epiphanes dies, the Maccabees continue to wrestle with Seleucid leaders (Antiochus V, Demetrius I, Tryphon, etc.), namely in the days of Jonathan Apphus and Simon Thassi (Judas’ brothers who step up and rule after he dies in battle).

Rome, which is a republic at this time, conquers Greece (146 BC) and the Seleucid Empire begins to crumble.

Judah becomes an independent kingdom, led by the Maccabees (also called the Hasmoneans). Simon Thassi, brother of Judas Maccabeus, rules as high priest and prince of Judea (141 BC)

1 and 2 Maccabees are written as an account of Jewish history from Alexander the Great, to the Maccabean Revolt (100 BC).

During the Hasomean Civil War, Rome conquers Jerusalem under Pompey the Great; the Hasmonean kings become Roman subjects (63 BC).

Julius Caesar defeats Pompey in Caesar’s Civil War (49 BC), and becomes dictator for life, but is assassinated (44 BC). Caesar is deified, while Octavian and Mark Antony are amongst those who battle to become his successor.

Herod the Great conquers Jerusalem, with help from Mark Antony. He deposes the final Hasmonean/Maccabee king and becomes “King of the Jews”. The office of the Jewish king and high priest are separated, and the high priest would now be appointed by Roman officials (37 BC).

Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra (30 BC) to solidify his spot as Caesar’s successor. He changes his name to Augustus Caesar and becomes the first Roman Emperor (27 BC).

Herod the Great renovates the 2nd temple in an attempt to appease the Jews (they viewed him as an Edomite usurper). Because of this, Zerubbabel’s Temple becomes known as Herod’s Temple (20 BC).

THE SCENE IS NOW SET FOR THE MESSIAH TO BE BORN.

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CONCLUSION

I pray that you learned from this article, and that it helped you understand how the Old Testament fits chronologically. I also pray that you have a better understanding of the Hellenization that took place between the Old Testament and the New Testament, as it is often overlooked.

If you are interested, below is the link for part 2, which covers the New Testament: https://realtruthspeaker.com/chronology-of-the-bible-new-testament

Thank you for reading, and always remember to stay vigilant!