The Jewish Bible: A JPS Guide

Timeline of Biblical Events

251 Timeline of Biblical Events NOTE: The dates below, until the division of the kingdom, are based on the internal biblical chronology (e.g., Exod. 12:40) and, when possible, on scholarly approximations. The number of years that each king reigned, as reported in the Bible, does not always coincide with the internal chronology, due to the fact that in many cases the heir to the throne, before becoming king on his own, was co-regent with his father. 20TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1950 Abraham is born in Ur of the Chaldeans (situated in today’s Iraq). 19TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1875 Abraham emigrates with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot from Haran, (situated in today’s Turkey), to Canaan, (today’s Israel), at the age of 75. 1850 Isaac is born. 1810 Isaac at the age of 40 marries Rebekah. 18TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1790 Jacob is born. 1750 Hyksos (possibly a Canaanite people) invade Egypt and seize control. 17TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1660 Jacob with his family settles in Egypt. 1643 Death of Jacob in Egypt. 1600 Alphabet writing is developed, probably in Canaan. 16TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1570 Ahmose I expels the Hyksos and restores native Egyptian control to Egypt. 13TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1230 Exodus of the People of Israel from Egypt, after having been 430 years in Egypt (Exod. 12:40), led by Moses. 12TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1190 After wandering 40 years in the desert of Sinai, the Hebrew tribes enter Canaan, under the command of Joshua, and defeat and destroy a number of Canaanite cities. 1150 The Peoples from the Sea invade Egypt but are turned back. Part of them, the Philistines, settle in the southern coast of Canaan, where they set up a network of five cities: Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath. 1120 The northern tribes of Israel, under the leadership of Deborah, defeat Sisera. 1100 Gideon is judge over Israel. After his death, his son Abimelech destroys the city of Shechem. From the Patriarchs to the death of King Solomon The Jewish Bible 11TH CENTURY B.C.E. 1075 The city of Geba is destroyed during an intertribal war against the tribe of Benjamin. 1050 The Philistines destroy Shiloh and capture the Ark of God. Samuel becomes judge over Israel. 1020 Saul is anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel. He unites the tribes, which until then had formed a loose confederation. 1005 Saul is defeated by the Philistines and dies. David is chosen king of Judah in Hebron at the age of 30. 10TH CENTURY B.C.E. 998 After reigning seven years over Judah in Hebron, David becomes king of all the tribes, when the northern Israelite tribes join Judah in recognizing David as king. 990 David conquers Jerusalem from the Jebusites and makes it the capital of his kingdom. 970 Absalom attempts to overthrow his father, David. 965 David dies at the age of 70 after reigning for 40 years, seven over Judah in Hebron and 33 in Jerusalem over the united country. He is succeeded by his son Solomon. 961 Solomon starts the building of the Temple. 954 King Solomon finishes the Temple, a project that took seven years. 928 Rehoboam succeeds Solomon. The northern tribes secede and choose Jeroboam as king of Israel, while Rehoboam remains king of Judah. 10TH CENTURY B.C.E. 923 The Egyptian pharaoh Sheshonk I (called Shishak in the Bible) invades Judah and takes with him all the treasures that he finds in the Temple and in the palace in Jerusalem. He also destroys several cities in both Judah and Israel. 922 Jeroboam moves his capital from Shechem to Tirzah and establishes two shrines at both ends of his kingdom, Bethel and Dan. 913 Abijah succeeds Rehoboam in Judah and reigns for three years. 908 Asa succeeds Abijah in Judah and reigns for 41 years. 907 Nadab succeeds his father, Jeroboam, in Israel and reigns for one year. 906 Nadab is killed by one of his officers, Baasha, who usurps the throne of Israel, and reigns for 23 years. 9TH CENTURY B.C.E. 886 King Asa asks King Ben Hadad of Damascus for help against Baasha, who is trying to seize the territory just north of Jerusalem. 883 Baasha of Israel is succeeded by his son Elah, who reigns one year. 882 Elah, king of Israel, is killed by Zimri, one of his army commanders, who reigns for only...