Sometimes to understand scripture better we need to go back into history so that we can understand where all the pieces fit in. The Bible has so many stories in it and we do not always know where to place it on a Biblical Time Line. Here we can see all the amazing discoveries made through archeology and the Creator’s Guiding Hand, and all of these things is to stand as proof of His Holy Scripture.
Babylonian events B.C
605 Daniel Refuses the King’s Portion
604 Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar Dream
601 Rebellion of Jehoiakim
597 Jehoiachim exiled
597 Zedekiah reigns in Judah
594 Jeremiah Prophesies against Moab
594 Jeremiah Prophesies against Ammon
593 Ezekiel’s Prophecy at Chebar
593 Ezekiel’s Calling and Instruction
593 Ezekiel Eats the Scroll
593 Ezekiel Foretells Siege of Jerusalem
593 Ezekiel’s Vision of the End
592 Ezekiel’s First Temple Vision
591 Ezekiel Sees God Refuse the Elders
591 Ezekiel Prophesies against Jerusalem
591 Ezekiel Prophesies against two Sisters
588 Siege of Jerusalem Begins
588 Jeremiah’s Conflicts
588 Jeremiah Prophesies Judgment on Judah
588 Siege of Jerusalem Begins
587 God’s Vengeance on Ammon and Edom
586 The Fall of Jerusalem
586 Psalms of Desolation
586 Jeremiah Prophesies against Babylon
586 Jeremiah’s Lamentations
586 Ezekiel Pronounces Judgment on Tyre
586 Ezekiel Prophesies against Egypt
586 Ezekiel the Watchman
585 Ezekiel Explains Jerusalem’s Fall
585 Ezekiel Foresees Reproof and Restoration
585 Ezekiel Sees Resurrection of Dry Bones
585 Ezekiel Sees Future battle
585 Ezekiel Sees God’s judgment upon Gog
585 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
582 Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
582 Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
573 Ezekiel’s Second Temple Vision
539 Daniel Interprets Handwriting on the Wall
539 Daniel Survives the Lions’ Den
539 Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts
539 Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and Goat
Medo-Persia Events B.C
539 Daniel’s Prayer and Gabriel’s Answer
539 Daniel Comforted by the Angel
539 Daniel Prophesies Overthrow of Persia
539 Daniel Prophesies Deliverance for Israel
537 The Proclamation of Cyrus
537 The Exiles Return
535 Temple Work Begins
534 Adversaries Hinder Temple Work
534 Artaxerxes Orders Work Stopped
520 Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
520 The Word of the LORD by Haggai
520 The Word of the LORD to Zechariah
520 Temple Work Resumed by Darius’ Decree
515 Completion and Dedication of the Temple
483 Queen Vashti Deposed
478 Esther Becomes Queen
478 Mordecai Thwarts a Conspiracy
474 Haman Seeks Revenge on the Jews
473 Mordecai Informs Esther of Haman’s Plot
473 Esther Prepares a Banquet
473 The King Honors Mordecai
473 Haman Is Hanged
473 Xerxes’ Edict on Behalf of Esther and Jews
472 Purim Instituted
472 Xerxes’ Tribute to Mordecai
458 Ezra Journeys to Jerusalem
458 Ezra Commissioned by Artaxerxes
457 Families Return to Jerusalem with Ezra
457 Ezra’s reforms
456 Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage
445 Nehemiah’s Prayer for the Exiles
444 Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
444 Builders of the Walls Named
444 Builders Overcome Ridicule
444 Nehemiah Abolishes Debt and Bondage
444 Sanballat’s Plot
444 Completion of the Wall
444 Census of Returned Exiles
444 Ezra Reads the Law
444 Israelites Fast and Repent
444 Israelites Seal the Covenant
444 People Settle in Jerusalem
432 Nehemiah Restores Laws
430 The Word of the LORD by Malachi
539 Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and Goat
Grecian events B.C
331 Battle of Arbela.
330 Darius slain. End of the Persian power.
323 Ptolemy Lagides obtains Egypt. Death of Alexander the Great and dismemberment of his empire.
Jewish History Egypt-Syria
321 Onias Ⅰ, high priest.
320 Ptolemy (Lagides) Soter takes Jerusalem.
314 Antigonus conquers Palestine from Ptolemy.
312 Seleucus (Nicator).
311 Palestine by treaty assigned to Antigonus.
302 Palestine retaken by Ptolemy.
During this disturbed period many Jews migrated from Palestine and settled in Egypt and in parts of Asia Minor; they were held in much esteem by the rulers of those countries in which they settled.
301 Battle of Ipsus. Antigonus defeated by Seleucus.
300 Simon the Just, high priest.
292 Eleazar, high priest.
284 Ptolemy Philadelphus.
280 About this time the Septuagint version of the Hebrew scriptures appears to have been commenced in Alexandria, though it was not finished for more than a century after.
Antiochus (Soter).
277 Manasseh, high priest.
260 Antiochus (Theos).
250 Onias Ⅱ, high priest.
246 Ptolemy Euergetes.
245 Seleucus Callinicus.
225 Tribute due to Egypt not paid by Onias.
Seleucus Keraunus.
223 Antiochus the Great.
221 Ptolemy Philopator.
217 Simon Ⅱ, high priest.
Ptolemy’s outrage in the Jewish temple.
216 Battle of Raphia. Treaty between Antiochus and Ptolemy.
204 Ptolemy Epiphanes.
195 Onias Ⅲ, high priest.
187 Seleucus Philopator.
180 Ptolemy Philometor.
176 Heliodorus sent to plunder the temple.
175 Onias deposed by Antiochus. Jason, high priest. Antiochus Epiphanes.
173 Cleopatra, guardian of Philometor, dies.
172 Menelaus, Jason’s brother, nominated high priest.
172 Onias Ⅲ murdered about this time.
170 Antiochus defeats the Egyptians.
169 Jason seizes Jerusalem, which Antiochus attacks on his return from Egypt and pollutes the temple. Second invasion of Egypt.
168 Daily sacrifice interrupted.
Ptolemy Physcon set up for a time in Egypt but soon makes common cause with his brother Philometor.
Third attack on Egypt.
Greek Timeline
B.C.
498 Persian invasion of Greece
498-448 Greco-Persian Wars
336 Death of Philip of Macedon
334 Alexander the Great begins his conquests
334 Battle of the Granicus
333 Battle of Issus
331 Battle of Arbela
323 Death of Alexander
146 Greece is made a Roman Province
(From 496-323 BC)
496-454 B.C. Alexander I
454-413 B.C. Perdikkas II
413-399 B.C. Archelaos I
398-395 B.C Aeropos II .
395-394 B.C. Amyntas II
393-370 B.C. Amyntas III
365-359 B.C. Perdiccas III
359-336 B.C. Philip II
336-323 B.C. Alexander III (the Great)
Roman events B.C
167 Mattathias the Hasmonean revolts.
166 Battle of Emmaus. Victory of Judas Maccabaeus.
165 Dedication of the temple.
164 Antiochus Eupator.
163 Lysias defeated by Judas at Bethsura. Alcimus, high priest. Menelaus put to death.
162 Demetrius Soter.
161 Nicanor defeated at Capharsalama. Death of Judas Maccabaeus at Eleasa.Contests between Philometor and Physcon. Appeals to Rome.
160 Decree of the Roman Senate in favor of the Jews.
159 Death of Alcimus.
156 Jonathan, brother of Judas, ruler of Judea.
153 Jonathan made high priest by Balas. Alexander Balas set up against Demetrius.
150 Jonathan honored by Philometor and Balas. Alexander Balas, king of Syria.
149 Onias, son of Onias Ⅲ, made commander-in-chief in Egypt.
146 Ptolemy Philometor opposes Alexander Balas.
145 Ptolemy Physcon (Euergetes Ⅱ). Demetrius Nicator.
143 Jonathan put to death by Tryphon. Simon, high priest.
142 Simon, “Prince of the Jews.” Jews allowed to coin money.
139 Antiochus Sidetes. Tryphon put to death.
135 Murder of Simon. John Hyrcanus, high priest.
130 Demetrius Nicator.
126 Zebina.
123 Antiochus Grypus.
116 Ptolemy Lathyrus (Soter Ⅱ).
109 Hyrcanus wars on Samaria and destroys the temple on Gerizim. Cleopatra and Alexander.
106 Hyrcanus dies. Aristobulus (his son), first king of the Jews.
105 Alexander Jannaeus made king of the Jews.
96 Jannaeus captures Gaza. Ptolemy, king of Cyrene, bequeaths his kingdom to the Romans. Seleucus succeeds his father Grypus.
94 The Pharisees hostile to Jannaeus.
93 War of Jannaeus in Gilead and Moab.
92 Philip, brother of Seleucus, gains the throne.
88 Jannaeus defeated at Shechem.
87 Ptolemy Lathyrus recalled.
83 Tigranes, king of Armenia, set over Syria.
80 Ptolemy Alexander.
78 Death of Jannaeus. Alexandra, his widow, rules after him. Hyrcanus Ⅱ, high priest.
69 Aristobulus Ⅱ seizes the government.
66 Pompey conquers Syria for the Romans. Roman Affairs
65 Ptolemy Auletes.
64 Disputes between Aristobulus and Hyrcanus.
63 Jerusalem taken by Pompey. Hyrcanus again high priest.
54 Palestine divided into five districts.
53 Crassus defeated by the Parthians at Carrhae, .
51 Crassus plunders the temple. Cleopatra.
46 Battle of Thapsus,
48 Antipater made a governor over Judea. Battle of Pharsalia.
44 Hyrcanus, “Prince of the Jews.” Assassination of Caesar.
42 Battle of Philippi.
41 Herod and Phasael, joint tetrarchs of Judea.
40 Herod flees to Rome. Antigonus set up in his stead.
38 Herod marries Mariamne.
37 Herod takes Jerusalem.
31 Battle of Actium. Augustus, emperor, 31 B.C.–A.D. 14.
30 Cleopatra dies. Egypt becomes a Roman province.
29 Mariamne put to death.
25 Herod rebuilds Samaria.
17 Herod restores the temple.
6 Alexander and Aristobulus put to death.
Roman Timeline
498 B.C Persian invasion of Greece
498-448 B.C Greco-Persian Wars
336 B.C Death of Philip of Macedon
334 B.C Alexander the Great begins his conquests
334 B.C Battle of the Granicus
333 B.C Battle of Issus
331 B.C Battle of Arbela
323 B.C Death of Alexander
146 B.C Greece is made a Roman Province
Emperors of Rome
(From Augustus to Trajan)
Augustus 31-14 AD
Tiberius 14-37 AD
Gaius (Caligula) 37-41 AD
Claudius 41-54 AD
Nero 54-68 AD
C. Iulius Vindex 68 AD
L. Clodius Macer 68 AD
Galba 68 AD
C. Nymphidius Sabinus 69 AD
Otho 69 AD
Vitellius 69 AD
Vespasian 69-79 AD
Titus 79-81 AD
Domitian 81-96 AD
L. Antonius Saturninus 89 AD
Nerva 96-98 AD
Trajan 98-117 AD