Introduction: How To Use This Timeline
The idea
behind this Timeline is to make it easier to grasp the narrative, or story,
of the Bible as it was written -- from
the first book, Genesis, all the way to the last book, Revelation. It is hoped that by submitting all of the
books of the Bible to various groupings in outline form it will be possible to
make easier the difficult tasks of approaching the great depth of the Bible and
coming to grips with its seemingly overwhelming details. Taking up the Bible as
if it were a pleasant novel, relaxing to read and simple to understand is a
huge misconception. It takes great
scholars literally years to bring the entirety of Scripture under the control
of the human mind. So it is hoped that
this Timeline will make reading the Bible itself simpler and more subject to
understanding. Here then, is the explanation for how to use the Timeline.
Old Testament Narratives of the
Hebrew Past
The
Bible is composed of different types of literature (or genres), and although
many of the genres present writings about a past time, no literature in the Old
Testament claims or presents itself to be a work of history. Ancient Hebrew
writers of the earliest books of the Old Testament, which we will
discuss repeatedly as a category herein (namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges), used standards to judge their source
materials (mostly oral recollections of the people's past) that were vastly
different from the standards that modern historians would later use. Noted
Scripture scholars cannot agree on when ancient Hebrew authors started writing
the Book of Genesis. However, the common
agreement is that this written record of the people's past began about 1100 -
1000 B.C.
This
written record of the earliest books of the Bible, without being modern
scientific history, because of its lack of direct evidence by the authors,
nonetheless presents a solid meaning to what is written, together with a
critical attitude toward their writings by the authors. These two factors place their
"narrative," (or dated story) of the the earliest books of the Old
Testament in the same intellectual and scholarly category, even though much earlier
than, the first truly scientific history written in the 5th Century B.C. by the
Greek scholar, Herodotus, nicknamed "the Father of History." If
Herodotus was the Father of History, we can go beyond him and say that,
because Herodotus' sense of "meaning" was simply impersonal, blind
fate, that the "Father of Meaning" in history was instead the Jewish
authors of the the earliest books of the Old Testament. This sense of meaning,
embedded in the basic theme of those early books is the Jewish authors' basing
the Hebrew past on the people's human interaction with Yahweh, their personal
God. This essential theme of the Pentateuch shows how God was revealed in a
number of central events: (1) the choice of the patriarchs, (2) the giving of a
covenant, (3) the law to be obeyed, and (4) the guidance through the wilderness
to a promised land.
The narrative
genres of the Old Testament present the Hebrew past from the creation of
the world through the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. The timeline for this
presentation of the past covers people and events dated from c.2000 B.C. in the
days of Abraham up to and through 500 B.C. to 400 B.C., or in the time of the
Jews' return from captivity in Babylon (see the Timeline, period number 8,
below, for this "captivity"). As far as the earliest books of the
Bible are concerned, while there is little direct evidence of what is
written as we noted above, there is, however, a huge amount of circumstantial
evidence, such as names, places, business contracts, marriage contracts and
migratory patterns. Further, modern archaeology has generally confirmed the
Bible's early efforts to present written history. As archaeology continues its
digging into the past, we find that the more
archaeologists discover of the earliest biblical era, the more we see
that a tremendous amount of historicity appears in the text of the earliest
books of the Bible. The findings of the 19th - 21st century archaeologists
provide the true scientific foundation of a good part of the narrative genres
of the Old Testament.
The underlying
sense of meaning in the Old Testament writers' presentation of the Hebrews'
past is to tell us the readers the crucial things that happened in the past
that we need to know in order to discover and know God. The Pentateuch advances religious and theological
lessons but warns us not to treat the five books like a textbook full of
academic truths. In other words, the Old Testament authors did write about
Israel's past in their narrative.
But the writing of history was secondary to their other purposes. In
addition to the narrative portions, there are books displaying non-narrative
genres of the Bible -- laws, songs, prophetic oracles, proverbs and wisdom
literature. These attest to the history
of Israel only indirectly. The non-narrative texts served ritual, educational,
moral and other functions in ancient Israelite society. The non-narrative
authors, while mostly avoiding tales of the past, nonetheless believed that they and their
readers were essential players in the narrative of Israelite history.
Therefore, the authors of non-narrative portions of the Old Testament guided
the Israelites in living their personal history as God's chosen people in
accordance with God's plan. Such authors
gave the people this guidance without making it sound historical as did the
narrative in the the earliest books of the Old Testament.
New Testament Approaches to the
Past
The word
"narrative," as used above, does not apply to the New Testament
authors, as they wrote about nothing before the birth of Jesus -- which took
place, incongruously, probably about 4 A.D. The New Testament authors focused
on what they might have called "the eternal present," rather
than about anything that was intended as
history, or even information of an earlier past epoch that existed before the
earthly life of the Word made flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. (The one exception to
this statement are the two genealogies of Jesus, i.e., Matthew 1:1-17
and Luke 3: 23-38, which dwell intensely on past important figures in the Old
Testament, including as far back as Genesis.) The New Testament is very much
"non-narrative" when compared to the narrative portions of the Old
Testament, as we have talked about them above when considering the Pentateuch.
New
Testament authors believed that the past had a religious plan and purpose, but
for them that plan and purpose was completely embodied in the person of Jesus,
who was the Messiah already on earth. The gospel writers could not see any
purpose in writing about Jesus' life as a feature of world history -- as was
characteristic of the narrative of the
people and events in Old Testament history. St. Paul wrote more historically
than the gospel writers. However, he too, believed that all history had come to
fruition with the life of Jesus, both during his earthly ministry, and as
continuing through to the Parousia, or end-time coming again of Jesus as the
glorious Lord of all history. For New Testament writers, since Jesus was the
Messiah already come to earth, risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, and
since he was coming again to oversee the end of history, what purpose could be
served by the New Testament authors' writing a history of the rest of earthly
events?
Getting Into the Timeline
The
Timeline below lists twelve time periods within which the various, respective
books of the Bible are discussed under a thematic heading. Each of the twelve
headings will summarize both the dates within which the books under the heading
were written and the subject matters about which the respective books under the
heading were written. Below the twelve
time periods and the names, dates and subject matters of the various books,
will be listed the name of the great power then dominating world history. Along
with the name of the great power will be a brief statement of some point of
secular history taking place during the period of the great power.
The
chronology under each of the twelve time periods will move this Timeline of the
Bible along, using narrative historical dates and events as discussed above.
Non-narrative books, or what shall instead be designated below as
"supplemental books" (to avoid the negative "non"
description) will appear at the end of the remarks covering the narrative
history of the respective twelve periods. The dates in which these supplemental
books were written may be implicitly understood as having been written within
the same time period covered for the narrative books of a given period. For example, we will consider the history of
the return of the Jews to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon and Persia
during the 400's B.C. under the time period headed "Return." And
since the Book of Job, while not at all related to the historical narrative of
the period in general or to the Return in particular, was written during the
same 400's B.C., we will include the "supplemental Book of Job" under
the heading designated "Return," simply to situate it in the era of
its composition.
Summary of the Set-Up of the
Timeline
(1) The Twelve Time Periods and Their Dates.
(2) The Biblical Books Written During Each Time Period.
(3) The Subject Matter of Such Books.
(4) Any Supplemental (non-historical) Books Written
During Each Time Period.
(5) The Leading World Power During the Time Period.
(6) A Short Point of Secular History Within the Time
Period of the World Power.
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Period Number 1
I. "EARLY WORLD"
(CREATION -- 2000 BC)
II. GENESIS CHAPTERS 1 - 11
III. GEN 1-3 ADAM & EVE;
CREATION; GEN - 4 CAIN, ABEL, SETH,
FALL, CURSE AND PROMISE; GEN
9 NOAH FLOOD; GEN 10-11 JAPHETH, SHEM:
PEOPLE SCATTERED AT BABEL
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: NONE
V. WORLD POWER: EGYPT.
VI.. SECULAR HISTORY: GREAT
PYRAMIDS BUILT, c. 2685 B.C.; STONEHENGE CONSTRUCTED IN ENGLAND, c. 2000 B.C.
Period Number 2
I. "PATRIARCHS" (2000
B.C. -- 1700 B.C.)
II. GENESIS CHAPTERS 12 - 50.
III. GEN-12 GOD CALLS ABRAM OUT
OF UR; GEN-14 MELCHIZEDEK BLESSES ABRAHAM; GEN -19 SODOM AND GOMORRAH; GEN-22
BINDING OF ISAAC; GEN-15, 17, 22 COVENANTS WITH ABRAHAM; GEN. 22 - PROMISE OF
WORLDWIDE BLESSING (NEW COVENANT TO BE REALIZED UNDER AGE OF MESSIAH); GEN - 27
JACOB STEALS ISAAC'S PATERNAL BLESSING AWAY FROM ESAU; GEN 32 - JACOB WRESTLES
WITH GOD, IS RENAMED "ISRAEL;" GEN - 35 TWELVE SONS OF JACOB (TWELVE
TRIBES OF ISRAEL); GEN - 37 JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY; GEN - 46 JACOB'S FAMILY
MOVES TO EGYPT
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOK: NONE
V. WORLD POWER: BABYLON
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: CODE OF KING HAMMURABI OF BABYLON, 1760 B.C.
Period Number 3
I. "EGYPT & EXODUS"
(1700 B.C.-- 1280 B.C.)
II. EXODUS (ITS ENTIRETY:
CHAPTERS 1 -- 40)
III. EX 1:1 - 15:21 THE
ISRAELITES ARE SLAVES OF PHARAOH; EX 3:14 THE BURNING BUSH; EX 7-11 EGYPT'S TEN
PLAGUES; EX 12 THE FIRST PASSOVER; EX 15:4 THE PARTING OF THE RED SEA; EX 16
MANNA FROM HEAVEN; EX 24 GOD'S COVENANT WITH MOSES ON MT. SINAI (AND THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS); EX 32 THE GOLDEN CALF; EX 29 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LEVITICAL
PRIESTHOOD; EX 25 - 39 CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE; EX 37 CONSTRUCTION OF
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: LEVITICUS
PRE- AND POST- ISRAEL'S ESCAPE FROM EGYPT; PRIESTS AND LAWS
V. WORLD POWER: EGYPT
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: FIRST URBAN
CIVILIZATION IN CHINA, c. 1600 B.C.; GREEK LANGUAGE FIRST WRITTEN, c. 1450 B.C.
Period Number 4
I. "DESERT WANDERINGS"
(1280 -1240 B.C.)
II. NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY
III. NM 1 - 10 CENSUS AND
PREPARATION TO LEAVE SINAI; NM 10 - 25 DEPARTURE FROM SINAI, WANDERING FORTY
YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS; NM 25 - 36 PREPARATION TO ENTER THE PROMISED
LAND; DT 1, 4, 29 THREE DISCOURSES BY
MOSES; DT 12 - 28 THE DEUTERONOMIC CODE; DT 34 THE DEATH OF MOSES
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOK: NONE
V. WORLD POWER: EGYPT
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: BUILDING PROJECTS OF PHARAOHS SETI I AND
RAMESES II.
Period Number 5
I. "CONQUEST &
JUDGES" (1240 B.C. - 1050 B.C.)
II. JOSHUA AND JUDGES
III. JOS 1- 12 CONQUEST OF
CANAAN; JOS 13 - 21 DIVISION OF THE LAND AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES; JOS 22 - 24
RETURN OF THE TRANSJORDAN TRIBES AND JOSHUA'S FAREWELL AND DEATH; JGS 1 - 3
SITUATION IN CANAAN FOLLOWING THE ISRAELITE CONQUEST; JGS 3 - 16 STORIES OF THE
JUDGES AND NAMES OF THE TWELVE JUDGES: OTHNIEL, EHUD, SHAMGAR, DEBORAH, GIDEON,
TOLA, JAIR, JEPHTHAH, IBZAN, ELON, ABDON, SAMSON; JGS 17 - 21 STORIES OF THE
TRIBES OF BENJAMIN AND DAN
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOK: RUTH
V. WORLD POWER: EGYPT
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: EGYPT AT WAR
AGAINST HITTITES, LIBYANS AND GREEKS; IT
BEGINS TO LOSE ITS POWER AS IT GIVES UP ITS FORMER CONTROL OVER PALESTINE (1234
- 1165 B.C.)
Period Number 6
I. "ROYAL KINGDOM"
(1050 B.C. - 930 B.C.)
II. 1 & 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS 1 - 11
III. 1 SAMUEL 1 - 7 THE LAST JUDGES, ELI AND
SAMUEL; 1 SAMUEL 8 - 12 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONARCHY; 1 SAMUEL 13 - 2 SAMUEL
2 SAUL AND DAVID; 2 SAMUEL 2 - 20 THE
REIGN OF DAVID; 1 KGS 1 - 11 THE REIGN OF SOLOMON
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: PSALMS, 1
& 2 CHRONICLES, PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES; SONG OF SONGS
V. WORLD POWER: EGYPT
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: EGYPT LOSES
POWER AND PRESTIGE TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN EMPIRES, ASSYRIA, BABYLONIA, SUMER
Period Number 7
I. "DIVIDED KINGDOM"
(930 B.C. - 722 B.C.)
II. 1 KINGS 12-22, 2 KINGS
III. 1 KGS. 12 JUDAH & ISRAEL
TO THE TIME OF AHAB; 1 KGS. 17, 1- 22.STORIES OF THE PROPHETS; 2 KGS 1 - 17 THE
KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH; 2 KGS 18 -25 THE KINGDOMS DIVIDE WITH ISRAEL
HAVING 10 TRIBES WITH ITS CAPITAL IN SAMARIA AND JUDAH HAVING 2 TRIBES WITH ITS
CAPITAL IN JERUSALEM; THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH AFTER 721 B.C (WHEN THE NORTHERN
KINGDOM OF ISRAEL WAS CONQUERED AND DEPORTED TO ASSYRIA.
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: 2 CHRONICLES CONT'D; HOSEA, ISAIAH, MICAH,
OBADIAH, JOEL, AMOS, JONAH, TOBIT
V. WORLD POWER: ASSYRIA
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: ASSYRIA
REPLACES EGYPT AS LEADING GREAT POWER, FIRST OLYMPIC GAMES, 776 B.C., FOUNDING
OF ROME, 753 B.C.
Period Number 8
I. "EXILE" (722 B.C. -
539 B.C.)
II. 2 KINGS CONT'D
III. 2 KGS 2 ELIJAH &
ELISHA;. 2 KGS 18, 19 HEZEKIAH, ISAIAH, 2 KGS 21 REIGN OF MANASSEH; 2 KGS KING
TIGLATH-PILESER III INVADES AND CARRIES OFF NORTHERN KINGDOM TO ASSYRIA 722
B.C.; 605, 597, 587 (all three B.C.) THREE DEPORTATIONS BY BABYLON OF JUDAH;
FIRST TEMPLE DESTROYED BY BABYLON 587 B.C.; 70 YEARS EXILE OF JUDAH IN
"BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY"
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: NAHUM; HABAKKUK; DANIEL; EZEKIEL; JUDITH;
LAMENTATIONS; JEREMIAH; ZEPHANIAH; BARUCH
V. WORLD POWER: BABYLON
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: HOMER'S
ILIAD AND ODYSSEY WRITTEN 722 B.C., THE BUDDHA BEGINS HIS TEACHING, 563 B.C.,
CONFUCIUS, 551
Period Number 9
I. "RETURN" (538 B.C. -
168 B.C.)
II. EZRA, NEHEMIAH
III. EZRA 1 -6, JUDAH'S
THREE-STAGE RETURN FROM EXILE (1) 538 B.C., (2) 525 - (3) 457 B.C., 444 B.C.;
THE KINGS OF PERSIA: CYRUS, 538 - 529 B.C., DARIUS I, 521 B.C. - 485 B.C.,
DARIUS III, 336 - 330 B.C.; EZRA 7 - 10
THE DEEDS OF EZRA; NEHEMIAH 1 - 7 THE DEEDS OF NEHEMIAH, 8 - 13; HE REBUILDS
WALLS OF JERUSALEM 444 B.C; ZERUBBABEL REBUILDS TEMPLE 537 B.C.; PROMULGATION OF THE LAW
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: ZECHARIAH, HAGGAI, ESTHER, MALACHI
V. WORLD POWERS: PERSIA (CYRUS);
GREECE (ALEXANDER THE GREAT)
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: PLATO, 427
B.C., DEATH OF SOCRATES, 399 B.C., ARISTOTLE, 384 B.C., ALEXANDER THE GREAT
336, SEPTUAGINT BIBLE TRANSLATION WRITTEN IN ALEXANDRIA, 283 B.C., GREAT WALL
OF CHINA 214 B.C.
Period Number 10
I. MACCABEAN REVOLT 167 B.C - END OF B.C.,
BEGINNING OF A.D.
II. 1 MACCABEES
III. 1 MACCABEES 1, HELLENISM IN
ASIA MINOR; THE MACCABEAN REVOLT; 1 MACCABEES 3 - 9, THE LEADERSHIP OF JUDAS
MACCABEUS; 1 MACCABEES 9 - 12, LEADERSHIP OF JONATHAN; 1 MACCABEES 13 - 16
SIMON HIGH PRIEST AND ETHNARCH
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: 2 MACCABEES, WISDOM OF SOLOMON, SIRACH
V. WORLD POWER: ROME
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: ANTIOCHUS
EPIPHANES, 163 B.C., DEAD SEA SCROLLS, 100 B.C., JULIUS CAESAR, 44 B.C., POMPEY
CAPTURES JERUSALEM, 63 B.C., HEROD THE GREAT, 4 B.C., VIRGIL WRITES AENEID, 30
B.C.
Period Number 11
I. MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT (1 - 33
A.D.
II. FOUR GOSPELS: MATTHEW, 80
A.D.; MARK, 69 A.D.; LUKE, 80 - 90 A.D.; JOHN 90 - 100
III. MATTHEW 1 -2, THE INFANCY
NARRATIVE; MATTHEW 3 -7, PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM; MATTHEW 8 - 11, MINISTRY
AND MISION IN GALILEES; MATTHEW 11 -13, OPPOSITION FROM ISRAEL; MATTHEW 13-18,
JESUS, THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH; MATTHEW 19 - 25, MINISTRY IN JUDEA AND
JERUSALEM; MATTHEW 26 - 28, THE PASSION AND RESURRECTION.
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS: MARK, LUKE, JOHN
V. WORLD POWER: ROME
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: EMPERORS
TIBERIUS 14 - 37 A.D.; CLAUDIUS 41 - 54 A.D.
Period Number 12
I. THE CHURCH ( 33 A.D. ----
II. ACTS
III. PAUL'S LETTERS: ROMANS, 1
& 2 CORINTHIANS; GALATIANS; EPHESIANS; PHILIPPIANS; COLOSSIANS; 1 & 2
THESSALONIANS; 1 & 2 TIMOTHY; TITUS; PHILEMON; THE CATHOLIC LETTERS: JAMES;
1 & 2 PETER; 1, 2 & 3 JOHN;
JUDE; REVELATION; ACTS 80-90 A.D.
IV. SUPPLEMENTAL BOOK ACTS: MAJOR DATES IN CHURCH HISTORY OF FIRST
CENTURY A.D. WITNESS IN JERUSALEM: PENTECOST; STEPHEN MARTYRED; CHOOSING OF
SEVEN DEACONS; WITNESS IN JUDEA & SAMARIA; SAUL'S CONVERSION (33/34 A.D.);
CORNELIUS' VISION; PETER'S ARREST AND DELIVERANCE; WITNESS TO THE ENDS OF THE
EARTH: PAUL'S THREE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS (45-58 A.D.); COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM (49
A.D.); JOHN'S APOCALYPSE (BOOK OF
REVELATION) 68 A.D..
V. WORLD POWER: ROME
VI. SECULAR HISTORY: DESTRUCTION
BY ROME OF JERUSALEM TEMPLE (70 A.D.); NERO (54 - 68 A.D.); VESPASIAN (69 - 79
A.D.); TITUS (79 - 81 A.D.); DOMITIAN 81-96 A.D.
--Tony Gilles
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