The dates below are some of the most significant dates in biblical history. With these in mind as sequential reference points, and knowing something about each era, other biblical persons and events can be related to them, both in terms of immediate historical context, and also in terms of occurrence in relation to other events. The dates are basically from John Bright’s chronology; there are other chronologies that will vary slightly. Some of the dates are approximate or are general era dates for the sake of relating time periods rather than precise dating. For more detail, see Israelite Kings, Prophets Date Chart, Old Testament History, Intertestamental Rulers, The Herods, Roman Rulers
BC, BCE | |
| 1800 | Abraham, Patriarchs |
| 1290 | Exodus (some take an early date of 1440), Moses, Joshua |
| 1050 | Beginning of the Israelite monarchy, Samuel, Saul |
| 1000 | David, Nathan |
| 922 | Division of the Kingdom, Rehoboam, Jeroboam I |
| 850 | Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah and Elisha |
| 750 | Rise of Assyria as a world power (745); Amos, Hosea, Jeroboam II |
| 721 | Fall of Samaria, end of the Northern Kingdom; Ahaz, Isaiah |
| 701 | Assyrian invasion of Judah, deliverance from Sennacherib; Hezekiah, Isaiah, Micah |
| 621 | Reforms of Josiah |
| 605 | Battle of Carchemish, rise of the Babylonian empire, Jeremiah, Habakkuk |
| 598 | First deportation of Israelites to Babylon; Jeremiah, Ezekiel |
| 586 | Destruction of Jerusalem, 2nd deportation, exile, Jeremiah, Ezekiel |
| 538 | Overthrow of Babylonian Empire by Persians, return from exile, Cyrus |
| 520 | Rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple; Haggai, Zechariah, Zerubbabel |
| 450 | Reforms of Ezra, beginning of Judaism, Nehemiah (date is disputed), Malachi |
| 323 | Death of Alexander the Great, Greek control under the Seleucids, Ptolomies |
| 167 | Macabbean Revolt; Judas Macabbee, Book of Daniel |
| 63 | Roman control of Palestine under the Roman general Pompey |
| 6-4 | Birth of Jesus, Herod the Great |
AD, CE | |
| 27-30 | Death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ |
| 33-60 | Ministry of Paul |
| 45 | Council of Jerusalem, marking the break of Christianity from Judaism |
| 50 | Earliest New Testament writings: 1-2 Thessalonians, Paul, Barnabus, Silas |
| 60-70 | First Gospel written: Mark, death of Paul |
| 70 | Destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus |
| 90 | Last New Testament writings: Gospel of John, Johannine literature |
| 135 | Bar Kochba rebellion, last Jewish revolt against Rome, Jews expelled from Palestine |
-Dennis Bratcher
