Home > Bible Topics > Historical and Cultural Context > this page
CRI/Home
Site Contents
Daily Readings
Bible Topics
Worship Topics
Ministry Topics
Lectionary
Church Year
Theology Topics
Non-English
PhotoTour
New Additions

Key Biblical Dates

Dennis Bratcher

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, Moses, Joshua (some take an early date of 1440 BC; see Date of the Exodus)
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, Copyright © 2018, Dennis Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
See Copyright and User Information Notice

Related pages