Timeline
The following lists of dates are based on my own estimates. Various well-regarded texts have different dates, some significantly different, some very slightly. The purpose of this book is not to support or defend any particular list, but to provide a general framework for putting Bible events in chronological perspective.
Chronology of the New Testament
Matthew 1-3 10 BC Birth of Jesus
Luke 1-3
Matthew 4-28 27-30 AD Ministry of Jesus
Mark
Luke 4-24
John
Acts 1-6 30-36 AD The church begins with minimal persecution
Acts 7-11 37-43 AD Persecution. Deaths of Stephen and James.
Acts 12 44 AD Death of Herod Agrippa
Acts 13-14 48-49 AD First missionary journey
Acts 15 50 AD Council at Jerusalem. Book of James.
Acts 16-17 50-51 AD Second missionary journey. First and Second Thessalonians
Acts 18-21 51-54 AD Third missionary journey. Corinthians, Galatians, Romans
Acts 22-24 55-56 AD Paul in prison in Caesarea
Acts 25-28 56-57 AD Paul’s journey to Rome as a prisoner
Acts 28:30 57-59 AD Paul in prison in Rome. Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians,
Philemon
60-67 AD First and Second Timothy, Titus, Hebrews
67-70 AD First Jewish Revolt. First, Second, and Third John, Jude,
Revelation
Chronology from Solomon to Nehemiah
BC Judah Israel Prophets Events
1000 Solomon Solomon
Rehoboam Jeroboam Division of the Kingdom
950 Abijam Nadab
Asa Baasha
Elah
Jehosaphat Omri
900 Joram Ahab Obadiah
Ahaziah Ahaziah
Athaliah Joram
Joash Jehu Joel
850 Jehoahaz
Amaziah
Jehoash
Jeroboam Jonah
800 Uzziah Isaiah
Amos
Zechariah
Menahem
750 Jotham Pekahiah Hosea
Pekah Isaiah
Ahaziah Hoshea Isaiah Assyria captures Israel
Hezekiah Micah Assyrian army lost
700 Isaiah
Manasseh
650 Amon Nahum
Josiah Zephaniah
Jeremiah
600 Jehoahaz Habakkuk First Babylonian invasion
Jehoiakim Jeremiah Second Babylonian invasion
Jehoiachin Ezekiel
Zedekiah Jeremiah Babylon destroys the Temple
550 Daniel
Ezra Persians allow Israelites to return
Haggai Temple rebuilt
Zechariah
500 Nehemiah Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt
Esther
450 Malachi
Chronology Based on Genesis
Note: A.C. is After Creation
| Birth year | Age when | Father year | Age at | Death year | |||
| Name | (A.C.) | father | (A.C.) | death | (A.C.) | ||
| Adam | 0 | 130 | 130 | 930 | 930 | Gen 5:3-5 | |
| Seth | 130 | 105 | 235 | 912 | 1042 | Gen 5:6-8 | |
| Enosh | 235 | 90 | 325 | 905 | 1140 | Gen 5:9-11 | |
| Kenan | 325 | 70 | 395 | 910 | 1235 | Gen 5:12-14 | |
| Mahalalel | 395 | 65 | 460 | 895 | 1290 | Gen 5:15-17 | |
| Jared | 460 | 162 | 622 | 962 | 1422 | Gen 5:18-20 | |
| Enoch | 622 | 65 | 687 | 365 | 987 | Gen 5:21-24 | |
| Methuselah | 687 | 187 | 874 | 969 | 1656 | Gen 5:25-27 | |
| Lamech | 874 | 182 | 1056 | 777 | 1651 | Gen 5:28-31 | |
| Noah | 1056 | 500 | 1556 | 950 | Gen 5:32, 9:29 | ||
| Flood in Noah’s 600th year | 1656 | ||||||
| Assuming that Shem was Noah’s first child. | |||||||
| Shem became a father 2 (3?) years after the flood. | Gen 8:13, 11:10 | ||||||
| Shem | 1556 | 100 | 1656 | 600 | 2156 | Gen 11:10-11 | |
| Arpachshad | 1656 | 35 | 1691 | 438 | 2094 | Gen 11:12-13 | |
| Shelah | 1691 | 30 | 1721 | 433 | 2124 | Gen 11:14-15 | |
| Eber | 1721 | 34 | 1755 | 464 | 2185 | Gen 11:16-17 | |
| Peleg | 1755 | 30 | 1785 | 239 | 1994 | Gen 11:18-19 | |
| Reu | 1785 | 32 | 1817 | 239 | 2024 | Gen 11:20-21 | |
| Serug | 1817 | 30 | 1847 | 230 | 2047 | Gen 11:22-23 | |
| Nahor | 1847 | 29 | 1876 | 148 | 1995 | Gen 11:24-25 | |
| Terah | 1876 | 70 | 1946 | 205 | 2081 | Gen 11:26-32 | |
| Abram | 1946 | 100 | 2046 | 175 | 2121 | Gen 21:5 25:7 | |
| Abram was 75 when he left for Canaan. | 2021 | Gen 12:4, 11:32 | |||||
| Terah died in Haran | |||||||
| Isaac | 2046 | 60 | 2106 | 180 | 2226 | Gen 25:26, 35:28 | |
| Jacob | 2106 | 147 | 2253 | Gen 47:28 | |||
| Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt | 2236 | Gen 47:28 | |||||
| Exodus was 430 years after arrival | 2666 | Ex 12:40-41 | |||||
| The temple dedicated 480 years after the Exodus | 3146 | 1Kg 6:1 | |||||
| The best date for the Exodus is 1447 BC | |||||||
| Therefore creation in | 4113 | BC | |||||
The rounding inherent in the age of each person (only whole years were reported) yields a standard deviation of 13 years for the date of creation.
Periods of Old Testament History
Period Dates Books Major Events
Antedeluvian 4100 – 3450 Genesis 1 – 5 Creation to the Flood
Postdeluvian 3450 – 2100 Genesis 6 – 11 Noah to Abraham
Patriarchal 2100 – 1900 Genesis 12 – 50 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
Bondage 1900-1450 Exodus 1 – 14 Moses to crossing the Red Sea
Wanderings 1450-1410 Exodus 15 – 40 Mt. Sinai to the Plains of Moab
Leviticus, Numbers
Deuteronomy
Conquest 1410-1370 Joshua Crossing the Jordan River to the
death of Joshua.
Judges 1380 – 1050 Judges The Judges to the anointing of Saul
Ruth to be king
1 Samuel 1 – 10
United Kingdom 1050 – 931 1 Samuel 11 – 31 Kings Saul, David, Solomon
2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1 – 11
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 1 – 10 \
some of Psalms
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Divided Kingdom 931 – 721 1 Kings 12 – 22 Division of after Solomon
2 Kings 1 – 20 until Samaria fell to Assyria
2 Chronicles 1 – 10
some of Psalms
Isaiah (740 – 700), Hosea
Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah
Judah Alone 721 – 586 2 Kings 21-25 Exile of Northern Kingdom to the
2 Chronicles 33-36 destruction of Solomon’s Temple
some of Psalms
Jeremiah, Obadiah
Nahum, Lamentations
Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Captivity 606 – 536 2 Kings 25, Ezekiel Period of servitude to Babylon
Daniel, some of Psalms
Restoration 536 – 400 Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai Return until Malachi
Zechariah, Malachi, Esther
Books of the Old Testament
Book Author Date Period Content/Theme
Genesis Moses 1446 Antedeluvian History: Creation through Joseph
Postdeluvian
Patriarchal
Bondage
Exodus Moses 1446 Bondage History: Moses to Mt. Sinai
Wanderings
Leviticus Moses 1446 Wanderings Law of Moses
Numbers Moses 1407 Wanderings History: Mt. Sinai to Jordan
Deuteronomy Moses 1407 Wanderings History: Exodus to Jordan
Joshua Joshua 1400 Conquest History: Conquest of Canaan
Judges Samuel(?) 1050 Judges History: Time of the Judges
Ruth 950 Judges Love story from the Judges
1 Samuel 900 Judges History: Eli to Saul
United Kingdom
2 Samuel 900 United Kingdom History: David
1 Kings 500 United Kingdom History: Solomon – Elijah
Divided Kingdom
2 Kings 500 Divided Kingdom History: Elisha – Captivity
Judah Alone
1 Chronicles 450 United Kingdom History: David
2 Chronicles 450 United Kingdom History: Solomon – Captivity
Divided Kingdom
Judah Alone
Ezra 450 Restoration History: Restoring worship
Nehemiah 400 Restoration History: Rebuilding Temple
Esther 400 Restoration Of Jews who stayed in Persia
Job 2000 Restoration The problem of suffering
Psalms Moses Old Testament Song Book
David, Solomon from all periods since Moses
Temple Singers
Captives in Babylon
Proverbs Solomon 950 United Kingdom Wise Sayings
Ecclesiastes Solomon 950 United Kingdom Observations on life
Song of Solomon Solomon 950 United Kingdom Marriage Song
Isaiah Isaiah 740-700 Divided Kingdom Messianic Prophet
Judah Alone
Jeremiah Jeremiah 626-581 Judah Only Weeping Prophet
Lamentations Jeremiah 586 Judah Only Mourning over Jerusalem
Ezekiel Ezekiel 597-570 Captivity Beginning the exile
Daniel Daniel 606-536 Captivity Ending the exile
Hosea Hosea 750 Divided Kingdom The unfaithful wife (North)
Joel Joel 830 Divided Kingdom Judgment by invasion (South)
Book Author Date Period Content/Theme
Amos Amos 755 Divided Kingdom Doom despite wealth (North)
Obadiah Obadiah 586 Judah Alone Against Edom
Jonah Jonah 780 Divided Kingdom Against Nineveh
Micah Micah 730 Divided Kingdom Comfort to the poor (South)
Nahum Nahum 614 Judah Alone Against Nineveh
Habakkuk Habakkuk 610 Judah Alone Problem of justice (South)
Zephaniah Zephaniah 625 Judah Only The Day of Jehovah
Haggai Haggai 520 Restoration Rebuild the Temple
Zechariah Zechariah 516 Restoration Visions and oracles
Malachi Malachi 444 Restoration Against hypocrisy
Thomas Theology Hub 