Biblical Timeline

Genesis 1–11 recounts creation, the fall, the flood, and Babel.

God's covenant family — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Likely set in the patriarchal era.

Moses leads Israel out of Egypt and through 40 years in the wilderness.

Joshua leads Israel into the Promised Land in a series of campaigns.

Cycles of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance by tribal judges.

Israel's first king; ends in failure and death at Mt. Gilboa.

Israel unified; capital established in Jerusalem; Davidic covenant given.

Peak of Israel's wealth and wisdom; first temple built.

Israel (north) and Judah (south) split after Rehoboam (1 Kgs 12).

Prophets confront Baal worship in the northern kingdom.

Prophets speak to Israel and Judah as Assyria rises.

Assyria destroys the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs 17).

Last godly king of Judah; sweeping reforms after rediscovery of the Law.

Habakkuk, Nahum, and Jeremiah warn of and witness Judah's collapse.

Three waves of exile culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Daniel serves under four kings and receives apocalyptic visions.

Cyrus's decree begins the return; the Second Temple is finished under Darius.

Later returns under Persian rule; restoration of worship and walls.

From Alexander's conquest through Jewish independence under the Maccabees.

Pompey takes Jerusalem; Judea brought under Rome.

Rome installs Herod as king of Judea; rebuilds the temple.

From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and resurrection in Jerusalem.

The Spirit is poured out and the gospel begins to spread.

Three journeys, a voyage to Rome, and 13 letters plant and shepherd churches across the empire.

After the great fire of Rome, Nero blames the Christians and launches the first imperial persecution of the church. Tradition places the martyrdoms of both Peter and Paul in this period (1 Pet; 2 Tim).

After a Jewish revolt, Roman general Titus sacks Jerusalem and burns the temple to the ground — ending the sacrificial system, just as Hebrews argues is no longer needed in Christ.

The apostle John, exiled to the Aegean island of Patmos under Domitian, receives the visions of Revelation and writes letters to churches facing false teaching and growing pressure from the empire.