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A CHRONOLOGY

A Thumbnail Sketch of Biblical History, World Religious History, Biblical Archaeology, and the Modern-day History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Home: Better Days Are Coming

Last updated: 23 June 2010

CREATION:

Creation of the Word (Logos), spirit creatures, the material heavens and earth

CREATION (Before the "Creative Days" Begin)

CREATIVE DAYS:

Six successive days of preparing earth for mankind's inhabitation

DAY ONE   DAY TWO   DAY THREE   DAY FOUR   DAY FIVE   DAY SIX

4026 – 3500 BCE:

Creation of Adam and Eve;  Seventh day of rest begins;  Sin;  Five generations of mankind after Adam

4099–4000 (41st CENTURY)   3999–3900 (40th CENTURY)   3899–3800 (39th CENTURY)   3799–3700 (38th CENTURY)   3699–3600 (37th CENTURY)   3599–3500 (36th CENTURY)

3499 – 3000 BCE:

Mankind to ninth generation from Adam;  Enoch born, prophesies;  Adam and Enoch die

3499–3400 (35th CENTURY)   3399–3300 (34th CENTURY)   3299–3200 (33rd CENTURY)   3199–3100 (32nd CENTURY)   3099–3000 (31st CENTURY)

2999 – 2500 BCE:

Noah born;  Lamech's prophecy

2999–2900 (30th CENTURY)   2899–2800 (29th CENTURY)   2799–2700 (28th CENTURY)   2699–2600 (27th CENTURY)   2599–2500 (26th CENTURY)

2499 – 2000 BCE:

Angels marry women;  Nephilim;  Violence in earth;  Deluge and its effects;  Nimrod;  Death of Noah;  Birth of Abraham

2499–2400 (25th CENTURY)   2399–2300 (24th CENTURY)   2299–2200 (23rd CENTURY)   2199–2100 (22nd CENTURY)   2099–2000 (21st CENTURY)

1999 – 1500 BCE:

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob;  Famine;  Israel into Egypt;  Job;  Moses;  10 plagues;  Exodus;  Wandering in the wilderness

1999–1900 (20th CENTURY)   1899–1800 (19th CENTURY)   1799–1700 (18th CENTURY)   1699–1600 (17th CENTURY)   1599–1500 (16th CENTURY)

1499 – 1000 BCE:

From wilderness into Canaan;  Joshua;  Judges;  Saul;  David;  Solomon;  Temple built

1499–1400 (15th CENTURY)   1399–1300 (14th CENTURY)   1299–1200 (13th CENTURY)   1199–1100 (12th CENTURY)   1099–1000 (11th CENTURY)

999 – 500 BCE:

Solomon dies;  Kingdom divided;  Judah and Israel;  Samaria falls to Assyria;  Jerusalem falls to Babylon;  Captivity and release;  Medo-Persia replaces Babylon as world power;  Temple rebuilt

999–900 (10th CENTURY)   899–800 (9th CENTURY)   799–700 (8th CENTURY)   699–600 (7th CENTURY)   599–500 (6th CENTURY)

499 – 1 BCE:

Greece replaces Medo-Persia as world power;  Alexander the Great;  Rome replaces Greece as world power;  Maccabean wars;  Birth of Jesus

499–400 (5th CENTURY)   399–300 (4th CENTURY)   299–200 (3rd CENTURY)   199–100 (2nd CENTURY)   99–1 (1st CENTURY)

1 – 499 CE:

Jesus, apostles, and early Christians;  Jerusalem destroyed;  Christian Greek Scriptures;  Apostasy;  Dark Ages begin

1–99 (1st CENTURY)   100–199 (2nd CENTURY)   200–299 (3rd CENTURY)   300–399 (4th CENTURY)   5th CENTURY (400–499)

500 – 999 CE:

Dark Ages continue;  Christendom divided in many ways

500–599 (6th CENTURY)   600–699 (7th CENTURY)   700–799 (8th CENTURY)   800–899 (9th CENTURY)   900–999 (10th CENTURY)

1000 – 1499 CE:

Crusades;  John Wycliffe;  Jan Hus;  Printing press;  Spanish Inquisition;  World exploration

1000–1099 (11th CENTURY)   1100–1199 (12th CENTURY)   1200–1299 (13th CENTURY)   1300–1399 (14th CENTURY)   1400–1499 (15th CENTURY)

1500 – 1999 CE:

Martin Luther;  Protestant Reformation;  William Tyndale;  John Calvin;  Bible translations;  Anglo-American World Power emerges;  American and French revolutions;  Modern archaeology begins;  Adventist groups;  C. T. Russell;  Watch Tower Society;  Jehovah's Witnesses;  Last Days

1500–1599 (16th CENTURY)   1600–1699 (17th CENTURY)   1700–1799 (18th CENTURY)   1800–1899 (19th CENTURY)   1900–1999 (20th CENTURY)

2000 – 2499 CE

Exact contents presently unknown;  General contents Biblically prophesied

2000–2099 (21st CENTURY)

A CHRONOLOGY

A Thumbnail Sketch of Biblical History, World Religious History, Biblical Archaeology, and the Modern-day History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Genesis 1:1: "In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Jehovah, alone from time everlasting, begins creating. His "only-begotten son," called "the Word" (Greek, Logos), is "the beginning of the creation by God" and "the image of the invisible God." After an unspecified time, Jehovah uses his Son, the Word, as a "master worker" through whom 'all [other] things come into existence . . . and apart from him not even one thing comes into existence.'

Genesis 1:1, 26; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 36:9; 90:2; Isaiah 40:26–28; John 1:1–4, 10, 14, 17; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15–17; Revelation 3:14; it JESUS CHRIST

First to be created after the Logos are the heavenly angels. After they are created, Jehovah and the "Word" bring into being the material heavens and earth (energy into matter). The morning stars (angelic sons of God) 'joyfully cry out together and shout in applause' when the 'cornerstone' of the earth is laid. (Job 38:4–7) The statement "In the beginning God created (Hebrew, ba-ra') the heavens and the earth" allows for the passing of an indefinite period of time, perhaps billions of years, from the time of the creation of the material universe, including the galaxies, stars, and other heavenly bodies, sun, moon, and earth, until the beginning of the preparation of earth for man's habitation. Scientists estimate the age of the earth to be 4 to 4.5 billion years—more or less—and the age of the universe to be as much as 11 to 15 billion years.

Psalm 136:1, 5-9; it CREATION; EARTH

Genesis 1:2: "Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and darkness was upon the surface of the watery deep."

Before earth's "creative days" begin, the earth is apparently already orbiting the sun, although it is swaddled in a band of cloud layers that prevents light from reaching its surface. Perhaps the sun is hidden by water vapor, other gases, and volcanic dust in earth's atmosphere. Or perhaps both earth and sun are enveloped in some giant star-producing dust cloud like those in the Eagle Nebula—M16—shown in these three photos:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951106.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951107.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020611.html

Job 38:4–9; g91 6/8 12–15; ct 93; it CREATION; EARTH

Genesis 1:2, 3: "And God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters. And God proceeded to say: 'Let light come to be.' Then there came to be light."

The cloud layers swaddling the earth begin to thin, and diffused light (Hebrew, 'ohr, light in a general sense) begins to penetrate gradually to the surface of the earth, although the sun itself cannot yet be discerned as the source of this light. This gradual clearing will continue at least until the fourth creative day when the sun, moon, and stars can be clearly discerned.

The surface of the earth is still covered with water. The earth is rotating on its axis as it revolves around the sun, creating alternating periods of light and darkness. God calls the light Day (Hebrew, yom ), and the darkness Night (Hebrew, laylah).

Genesis 1:3–5; g91 6/8 12–15; ct 93–95; it CREATION

Genesis 1:7: "Then God proceeded to make the expanse and to make a division between the waters that should be beneath the expanse and the waters that should be above the expanse."

God causes a separation or expanse (Hebrew, ra-qi'a) between "the waters and the waters." The expanse that he calls Heaven begins developing between the waters on the surface of the earth and the waters that become suspended above the earth. Light continues to increase.

Genesis 1:6–8; Genesis 7:11 ftn.; g91 6/8 12–15; ct 95; it CREATION; EXPANSE

Genesis 1:9: "And God went on to say: 'Let the waters under the heavens be brought together into one place and let the dry land appear.'"

God brings the waters on the earth together and dry land begins appearing, perhaps through the geologic movement of tectonic plates that push ocean ridges up to form the continents. Light continues to increase. There is no rain; at this point in earth's preparation, the ground is watered by a mist.

The first and oldest geologic era in which no fossils are found is known as the Azoic era. The time when early forms of microscopic algae and bacteria are created is not dealt with by the writer of Genesis.

Genesis 1:11: "And God went on to say: 'Let the earth cause grass to shoot forth, vegetation bearing seed, fruit trees yielding fruit according to their kinds, the seed of which is in it, upon the earth.'"

The earth begins to produce "grass," "vegetation bearing seed," and "fruit trees yielding fruit according to their kinds." The designation "grass" (from Hebrew deshe', meaning "grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young") includes forbs and grass-like herbs in addition to the true grasses, which are the most abundant plants on earth (such as bamboo, barley, corn, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, meadow and pasture grasses).

Because sunlight is weaker, although gradually increasing, the types of vegetation produced at this early stage are no doubt quite different from the types of vegetation produced later on when light becomes brighter and other conditions on earth change. New varieties of plant life, the creation of which is only beginning on this third day, will likely continue appearing until the sixth creative day when 'God plants a garden in Eden . . . and makes to grow out of the ground every tree desirable to one's sight and good for food.'

Genesis 1:9–13; 2:5–9; 2 Peter 3:5; ct 92–97; it CREATION; GRASS; KIND; MIST; w56 2/15 126; w53 9/15 573; g02 6/8 16–19; g91 6/8 12–15; g83 2/22 18–19; g77 6/22 16– 21

Genesis 1:14: "And God went on to say: 'Let luminaries come to be in the expanse of the heavens to make a division between the day and the night; and they must serve as signs and for seasons and for days and years.'"

More concentrated sunlight reaches the surface of the earth as Jehovah "makes" the heavenly luminaries appear. (The word "makes" in Hebrew is a form of 'a-sah', "to make," in contrast to ba-ra', "to create.") The sun and moon and stars now appear as the sources of the light (from Hebrew, ma-'ohr', referring to the source of light), that is, they become objects discernible from earth as the source of the light.

Besides shining as luminaries upon the earth and making a division between day and night, light and darkness, God says they "must serve as signs and for seasons and for days and years," that is, they will serve as a means for man to keep a record of events in the passage of time.

Genesis 1:14–19; w99 6/1 3; g91 6/8 12–15; ct 93–95; it CREATION

Genesis 1:20: "And God went on to say: 'Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls and let flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens.'"

God begins to create "living souls": aquatic creatures, including the "great sea monsters," to swarm in the waters, and winged "flying creatures" to fly in the heavens. These "living souls" are distinct from vegetation by being both "breathers" (the Hebrew word translated "soul" means "breather") and "bleeders" (living souls have blood). "Flying creature" in Hebrew is 'ohph, which includes winged insects, flying reptiles, and birds.

Some types of dinosaurs and pterosaurs may have been created during this time period; other types of dinosaurs may have been created during the sixth creative day. Fossils of early fish, early reptiles, winged insects, crustaceans, shellfish, and others appear in abundance during the Paleozoic era. The first fossils, such as crustaceans and shellfish, appear early in the Paleozoic era (Cambrian period); plants with woody stems appear in the mid-Paleozoic; and insect fossils are found in the upper Paleozoic.

Genesis 1:20–23; 9:4; ct 97; g91 6/8 12–15; g90 2/8 9–11; g83 2/22 18–19; it BIRDS; CREATION

Genesis 1:24: "And God went on to say: 'Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth according to its kind.'"

God continues to form flying creatures. Land animals are created, both wild and domestic.

Dinosaur skeletons, the first birds, and small mammals are found in the Mesozoic era (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods). Large, modern-type mammals are found in the succeeding Cenozoic era. (Scientists theorize that the extinction of the dinosaurs occurs between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.)

Regarding geologic evidence and Genesis chapter 1, Wallace Pratt said: "If I, as a geologist, were called upon to explain briefly our modern ideas of the origin of the earth and the development of life on it to a simple, pastoral people, such as the tribes to whom the Book of Genesis was addressed, I could hardly do better than follow rather closely much of the language of the first chapter of Genesis."

Wallace Pratt, quoted by W. L. Copithorne, in "The Worlds of Wallace Pratt," The Lamp, Fall 1971, p. 14. See www.pathlights.com/ce_encyclopedia/21soc04.htm

Genesis 1:26: "And God went on to say: 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth.'"

God prepares a garden in the area called Eden ("Pleasure; Delight") for man and woman, both of whom he creates before the end of the sixth creative day.

Human fossils and artifacts are found in the Pleistocene, a later part of the Cenozoic era.

Genesis 1:31: "After that God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good."

Genesis 1:24–30; 2:1–25; ct 101–2; Isaiah 45:18; g90 2/8 9–11; g83 2/22 18–19

In This Century: During this century Jehovah creates man. The sixth creative day continues at least until after the creation of Eve. The time of Eve's creation is not stated in the Bible, nor does the Bible indicate whether man's fall into sin occurs in this century soon after man's creation, or in the next century.

4026 BCE - back

Adam Created: Adam, the "son of God," is created in the fall, perhaps in the month of Ethanim (September/October). (Compare 2 BCE. See 1975 CE.)

it ADAM 1; ETHANIM; si 286

Chronology: According to ancient Biblical reckoning, the year runs from autumn to autumn, beginning about the first part of our month of October. The year will continue to begin in the fall until the Exodus from Egypt in 1513 BCE, at which time a sacred year will begin to be counted as running from spring to spring, beginning with the month Nisan (Abib).

Genesis 1:24–31; Genesis 2:7–15; 18, 19; g91 6/8 12–15; it CREATION; EDEN 1; MAN

After 4026 BCE - back

Naming the Flying Creatures and the Wild Beasts: Jehovah says: "It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him [ftn.: Or, "counterpart," something fitting for him]." Jehovah continues forming land animals and flying creatures and bringing them to Adam to be named, "and whatever the man would call it, each living soul, that was its name." The time length for his naming of these animals is not given, but Adam needed enough time to study their characteristics in order to give them appropriate names. "But for man there was found no helper as a complement of him."

Genesis 2:19, 20; w63 4/1 223; si 287

Eve Created: Jehovah now has a "deep sleep fall upon the man, and, while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and then closed up the flesh over its place," and "proceeded to build the rib . . . into a woman." The woman is brought to Adam and he says: "This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." They are joined in marriage. After Eve's creation, both are given the command at Genesis 1:26–28 to "be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish . . . and the flying creatures . . . and every living creature." Due to his subsequent disobedience and fall into sin, Adam will not live forever, but only 930 years, until 3096 BCE, or until after the birth of the ninth generation from himself, namely Lamech, the father of Noah.

Genesis 1:26–31; 2:7; 5:5; Matthew 19:4–6; Romans 5:12; it ADAM 1

Genesis 2:1–4: "Thus the heavens and the earth and all their army came to their completion. And by the seventh day God came to the completion of his work that he had made, and he proceeded to rest on the seventh day from all his work that he had made. And God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred, because on it he has been resting from all his work that God has created for the purpose of making. This is a history of the heavens and the earth in the time of their being created, in the day (Hebrew, yom) that Jehovah God made earth and heaven."

End of Sixth Day: The date for the end of the sixth creative day and the beginning of God's day of rest from earth's preparation for man's habitation is not indicated in the Bible, but will occur sometime after Adam's creation in 4026 BCE but before the births of Cain and Abel (two dates that are not revealed in the Bible).

Disobedience: After Adam and Eve disobey Jehovah's command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, he drives them outside the garden of Eden "in order that he may not put his hand out and actually take fruit also from the tree of life and eat and live to time indefinite—" (Genesis 3:22; KJ, "and live forever"). Regarding the meaning of eating from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," the footnote for Genesis 2:17 in The Jerusalem Bible says:

This knowledge is a privilege which God reserves to himself and which man, by sinning, is to lay hands on, 3:5, 22. Hence it does not mean omniscience, which fallen man does not possess; nor is it moral discrimination, for unfallen man already had it and God could not refuse it to a rational being. It is the power of deciding for himself what is good and what is evil and of acting accordingly, a claim to complete moral independence by which man refuses to recognise his status as a created being. The first sin was an attack on God's sovereignty, a sin of pride. . . .

Curse on the Ground: Due to Adam's disobedience, Jehovah God says to Adam: "Cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles it will grow for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken." This curse will not be lifted until the Flood waters subside in 2369 BCE. Jehovah tells Adam: "For dust you are and to dust you will return." Cherubs guard the way to the tree of life within the garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:17–19, 22–24; w75 11/1 664–6

Cain and Abel Born: Adam becomes father to his first son Cain (meaning, "Something Produced"), who is born at an unspecified date after Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden. Cain becomes "a cultivator of the ground." Adam becomes father to another son, Abel (possibly meaning, "Exhalation; Vanity"), who becomes the first man of faith. (Hebrews 11:4) The date of his birth is not indicated in the Bible. Abel becomes "a herder of sheep."

Genesis 4:1, 2; it ABEL  1; CAIN

Memories of Paradise: Various ancient memories of Eden will be passed on in the legends and religious ideas of the Babylonians, Assyrians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Syrians, Persians, Greeks, Sicilians, Mayans, Mexicans (Aztecs), Javanese, Japanese, Chinese, the natives of India, North American Indians, and the peoples of the Pacific. The Encyclopedia of Religion says: "The nostalgia for paradise is among the powerful nostalgias that seem to haunt human beings. It may be the most powerful and persistent of all. A certain longing for paradise is evidenced at every level of religious life."

w94 4/1 4; g79 8/8 5; g70 3/22 16–20; ip-1 369

Sacred Secret: Satan tempts Eve. Eve, then Adam, sin by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and bad. Although Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden of Eden, Jehovah makes the Edenic covenant, promising a deliverer "Seed," the identity of which will remain a "sacred secret" for about 4,000 years. Throughout the centuries, true religion will be centered upon this promise of a "Seed." (See 1943 BCE.)

Genesis 3:1–15; COVENANT (The Edenic Promise); EDEN 1; SEED (A Sacred Secret); w97 6/1 16 (chart); w89 2/1 10–11

In This Century: Some of the events following the creation of Adam that are listed in the forty-first century BCE, such as when Eve was created; when the sixth creative day came to an end and God's seventh day of rest began; when Adam and Eve fell into sin; and when Cain and Abel where born, may have occurred in this fortieth century BCE. Also some of the events listed in the thirty-ninth century BCE, such as the murder of Abel and the banishment of Cain, may have occurred in this century. There is no way of knowing any of this at the present time because the Bible does not give us any way of arriving at these dates.

In This Century: During this thirty-ninth century BCE, Seth is born to Adam and Eve. Other sons and daughters of Adam and Eve are also born, but the Bible does not give their names or the times of their births. Seth is the only son of Adam whose year of birth can be determined.

Pre-Flood Developments: In this century and in the following centuries skills and occupations will include agriculture (Cain), animal husbandry (Abel, Jabal), tent-making (Jabal), urbanization or city-building (Cain), and metallurgy—tools are forged from copper and iron (Tubal-cain) many centuries before secular history records the use of these metals in Greece and China. Fire, needed for forging iron, is known. There is also the making and "handling" of musical instruments—harps and pipes or flutes (Jubal). Alcoholic beverages are known. Bitumen is used for waterproofing, and considerable architectural ability is shown (Noah and the ark). Perhaps alphabetic writing is known.

Genesis 4:2–4,17–22; 6:14–16; Matthew 24:38; g60 3/8 12; it ABEL 1; CAIN; COPPER; HARP; IRON; JABAL; JUBAL; MUSIC; NOAH (NOAH'S INTOXICATION); PIPE; SHEPHERD; TENT; TUBAL-CAIN; WRITING; w02 3/1 5–6; w65 3/15 191

Before 3896 BCE - back

Cain and Abel: Cain and Abel bring offerings to Jehovah, who accepts that of Abel, but rejects that of Cain. Because Abel is righteous, Cain slays him, thus making Abel the first martyr and object of religious persecution. Cain is cursed by Jehovah and banished from the ground to the "land of Fugitiveness" ("Nod"), to the east of Eden. Cain later builds a city (perhaps a fortified village) that he names Enoch, after one of his sons.

Genesis 4:3–17; Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12; it ABEL 1; CAIN; ENOCH 1; ENOCH 3; FUGITIVENESS, LAND OF; w74 11/1 665

3896 BCE - back

Seth Born: Adam, age 130, becomes father to Seth. Although Adam and Eve have other sons and daughters—and perhaps some children other than Cain and Abel are born before Seth—it is Seth who is noteworthy because he is part of the line from Adam to Noah and is therefore in the common ancestral line of all mankind born on earth after the Flood. Seth is the only son of Adam and Eve whose birth year can be determined. He will live 912 years, until 2984 BCE, which is after Enoch is "transferred" in 3039 BCE.

Genesis 5:3–8; it SETH

In This Century: During this thirty-eighth century BCE, Enosh and Kenan, third and fourth generation in the line from Adam, are born. During the lifetime of Enosh, either sometime in this century or in the following nine centuries, people begin using God's name in a profane way, either by applying Jehovah's name to themselves or to other men whom they use to pretend approach to God in worship, or by applying his name to idols.

w01 9/15 29

3791 BCE - back

Enosh Born: Seth, age 105, becomes father to Enosh, who is the third generation in the line from Adam to Noah. He will live 905 years, until 2886 BCE. During the days of Enosh "a start was made of calling on the name of Jehovah," or according to the Jerusalem Targum, "they began to err, and to make themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the name of the Word of the Lord."

Genesis 4:26; Genesis 5:6, 9–11; it APPROACH TO GOD (Through Faith, Right Works, and Sacrifices); ENOSH; IDOL, IDOLATRY; SETH

3761 BCE - back

Anno Mundi: According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica (1971), the Era of the Creation begins this year, on October 7. Jewish belief, like that of Christendom, has the world being created in six literal days, so therefore Adam, they believe, was created this year, in the same year as the creation of the world. Jews date events by how many years have elapsed since 3761 BCE, the Era of the Creation. Dates are designated with the abbreviation A.M., which stands for anno mundi, or "year of the world," an abbreviated form of ab creatione mundi, "from the creation of the world."

See http://webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-jewish.html.

See http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/y2k/activity2.shtm.

w94 7/15 28–30

3701 BCE - back

Kenan Born: Enosh, age 90, becomes father to Kenan, who is the fourth generation in the line from Adam to Noah. Kenan will live 910 years, until 2791 BCE. Kenan is listed as Cainan by Luke.

Genesis 5:9, 12–14; Luke 3:37, 38; it KENAN

In This Century: Four generations, Adam, Seth, Enosh, and Kenan, are living during this thirty-seventh century BCE, and a fifth, Mahalalel, is born.

3631 BCE - back

Mahalalel Born: Kenan, age 70, becomes father to Mahalalel, who is the fifth generation in the line from Adam to Noah. Mahalalel will live 895 years, until 2736 BCE.

Genesis 5:12, 15–17; it MAHALALEL 1

In This Century: Five generations, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, and Mahalalel, are living during this thirty-sixth century BCE, and a sixth, Jared, is born.

3566 BCE - back

Jared Born: Mahalalel, age 65, becomes father to Jared, who is the sixth generation in the line from Adam to Noah. He will live 962 years, until 2604 BCE. After Methuselah, Jared's life span will be the second longest recorded in the Bible.

Genesis 5:15, 18–20; it JARED

In This Century: Six generations are living during this thirty-fifth century BCE, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, and Jared, and a seventh, Enoch, is born.

Possibly it is in this century or the next that the first recorded instance of polygyny occurs when Lamech takes two wives. He is a seventh generation descendant of Adam through Cain. (This Lamech should not be confused with another pre-Flood Lamech, the father of Noah.)

A violent spirit exists in the earth. Lamech kills a man, as did his forefather Cain, but he pleads self-defense. Also, at some point during the next four centuries, Enoch will begin prophesying about "ungodly" people, "ungodly deeds," and speech against Jehovah by "ungodly sinners." (Jude 14, 15)

Genesis 4:19–24; it LAMECH 1

3404 BCE - back

Enoch Born: Jared, age 162, becomes father to Enoch, who is the seventh generation in the line from Adam to Noah. (Jude 14) He will live 365 years, until 3039 BCE. Enoch is the second person recorded with the name Enoch (see Before 3896 BCE). Righteous Enoch keeps "walking with the (true) God" and prophesies about the coming destruction of the wicked. (Jude 14, 15)

Genesis 5:18, 21–24; w01 9/15 29; it ENOCH 1, 2; po 68

In This Century: Seven generations are living during this thirty-fourth century BCE, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, and Enoch, and an eighth, Methuselah, is born. Likely, many wicked events listed in the 35th Century BCE and the 38th Century BCE are also occurring during this century.

3339 BCE - back

Methuselah Born: Enoch, age 65, becomes father to Methuselah, who is the eighth generation in the line from Adam to Noah. He will live 969 years, until 2370 BCE, the year of the Flood. Methuselah has the longest life span recorded in the Bible, which is the basis for the descriptive phrase "as old as Methuselah."

See http://www.bartleby.com/81/12397.html.

Genesis 5:21, 25–27; it METHUSELAH

In This Century: Eight generations are living during this thirty-third century BCE, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah. No births, deaths, or other events are recorded in the Bible during this century; however, many wicked deeds and violence are probably occurring during this century, and Enoch may already be prophesying against this wickedness. (Jude 14, 15)

In This Century: Eight generations are living during this thirty-second century BCE: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, and a ninth, Lamech, is born.

3152 BCE - back

Lamech Born: Methuselah, age 187, becomes father to Lamech, who is the ninth generation in the line from Adam to Noah. He will live 777 years, until 2375 BCE, or until five years before the Flood that begins in 2370 BCE. Lamech is the second person on record with the name Lamech.

Genesis 5:25, 28–31; it LAMECH 1, 2

In This Century: At the beginning of this thirty-first century BCE, nine generations from Adam are living: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech. Soon after this century begins, the first man Adam dies. Later, Lamech's grandfather Enoch (seventh) dies, likely "taken" to escape death from assassination meant to stop his prophesying about Jehovah's coming judgment against the ungodly.

Genesis 5:5; 21–24; Jude 14, 15; it ENOCH 2; w85 9/1 3

3096 BCE - back

Adam Dies: Adam, created in 4026 BCE, dies at age 930, condemned by the example of Enoch who was his contemporary for 308 years and who, unlike Adam, "kept walking with the true God."

Genesis 5:5, 22; it ADAM 1

3039 BCE - back

Enoch Dies: Enoch, the seventh from Adam and a prophet of Jehovah, dies at age 365. He was born in 3404 BCE. Enoch does not 'go to heaven,' but is "transferred so as not to see death," that is, he does not experience the pangs of death. He is "no more, for God took him." Jehovah disposes of Enoch's body, just as he later does with Moses' body. (See 1473 BCE.)

Genesis 5:21–24; Deuteronomy 34:6; Matthew 11:11; John 3:13; Hebrews 11:5, 13, 39; Jude 9; w01 9/15 31; w62 3/1 159–60; it ENOCH 2

In This Century: At the beginning of this thirtieth century BCE, Seth (2), Enosh (3), Kenan (4), Mahalalel (5), Jared (6), Methuselah (8), and Lamech (9) are living, but Seth (2) dies, and Noah (the tenth generation from Adam) is born. The problem of wresting a living from the earth due to Jehovah's curse on the ground, a curse given about a thousand years previously, is addressed when Noah's father Lamech prophesies relief from the curse.

Genesis 3:17–19; Genesis 5:29; it LAMECH 2

2984 BCE - back

Seth Dies: Seth dies at age 912. He was born in 3896 BCE and was the third named son of Adam. He was also the only offspring of Adam and Eve for which a birth year can be determined.

Genesis 5:3–8; it SETH

2970 BCE - back

Noah Born: Lamech, age 182, becomes father to Noah, who is the tenth generation in the line from Adam, and is born only 126 years after the death of Adam. Noah will live 950 years, until 2020 BCE, which is only two years before the birth of Abraham. At his birth, Noah's father Lamech prophesies that Noah, whose name means "Rest; Consolation," will "bring us comfort from our work and from the pain of our hands resulting from the ground which Jehovah has cursed." It will be about 600 years before this prophecy is fulfilled. (See 2369 BCE.) Noah's first 84 years of life overlap the last 84 years of Adam's grandson Enosh.

Genesis 5:28, 29; 9:28, 29; it LAMECH 2; NOAH; w75 664–6

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-ninth century BCE, Enosh (3),Kenan (4), Mahalalel (5), Jared (6), Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), and Noah (10) are living, but Enosh (3) dies during this century.

2886 BCE - back

Enosh Dies: Enosh dies at age 905. He was born in 3791 BCE, the son of Seth, and was third in the line from Adam to Noah.

Genesis 5:6, 9–11; it ENOSH; SETH

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-eighth century BCE, Kenan (4), Mahalalel (5), Jared (6), Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), and Noah (10) are living, but Kenan (4) and Mahalalel (5) die during this century.

2791 BCE - back

Kenan Dies: Kenan dies at age 910. He was born in 3701 BCE, and was the son of Enosh and fourth in the line from Adam to Noah.

Genesis 5:9–14; it KENAN

2736 BCE - back

Mahalalel Dies: Mahalalel dies at age 895. He was born in 3631 BCE, and was the son of Kenan and fifth in the line from Adam to Noah.

Genesis 5:12–17; it MAHALALEL 1

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-seventh century BCE, Jared (6), Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), and Noah (10) are living, but Jared (6) dies during this century.

2698 BCE - back

Chronology: The traditional Chinese count time from this year, the beginning of the reign of Huang-Ti, the Yellow Emperor.

Echoes From Old China, chapter 4; w94 7/15 28

2604 BCE - back

Jared Dies: Jared dies at age 962. He was born in 3566 BCE, the sixth in the line from Adam to Noah. Jared was the son of Mahalalel and the father of righteous Enoch. He is second only to his grandson Methuselah in recorded longevity. Both Jared and Methuselah lived longer than Adam, who died at age 930.

Genesis 5:15–20; it JARED

In This Century: During this twenty-sixth century BCE, Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), and Noah (10) are living.

In This Century: During this twenty-fifth century BCE, Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), and Noah (10) are living. Violence fills the earth. Noah becomes a "preacher of righteousness," warning of the coming destruction, but people take 'no note until the Flood' comes. Jesus will later refer to the circumstances in the days of Noah as a parallel for the attitude of people during his royal presence.

During this century (and perhaps even before this century), disobedient angels materialize and marry women and produce the giant hybrid Nephilim, bullies who cause much violence in the earth. Jehovah determines how long before he will destroy wicked mankind, namely, 120 years. (See 2490 BCE.) During this century, Noah's three sons are born and marry, and Jehovah makes a covenant with Noah to build an ark (a rectangular vessel or chest, not a boat) for survival.

Genesis 6:1–13; Matthew 24:3, 37–39; Luke 17:26, 27; 2 Peter 2:4, 5; w08 6/1 4—5, (subheading) "Demons Come to Earth"; it PREACHER

2490 BCE - back

120 Years: Jehovah pronounces that man's "days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years." Evidently, Noah is not informed of this time schedule, but learns of it only one week before the Deluge begins. See 2370 BCE.

Genesis 6:3; w98 9/15 10–11 pars. 5–7

Angels and Nephilim: Angels have been materializing and marrying women and producing offspring. These fallen angels (demons) and their hybrid offspring, the Nephilim ("Fellers," "those who cause others to fall down"), will continue causing trouble for another 120 years until the Deluge. Violence and sex perversion abound. The Greek myths and legends of gods and goddesses that develop many centuries later likely originate in accounts of these angels and the Nephilim.

Genesis 6:1–7; 1 Peter 3:19, 20; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; w00 4/15 27–28; it GREECE (Greek Religion); NEPHILIM

2470 BCE - back

Japheth Born: Noah, age 500, becomes father to Japheth. Japheth is probably the oldest son, Shem the second, and Ham the youngest.

Genesis 5:32; 7:6; 9:22–24; 10:21; 11:10; it HAM 1; JAPHETH; SHEM

2468 BCE - back

Shem Born: Noah, age 502, becomes father to Shem. Shem will live 600 years, until 1868 BCE, which is after Sarah dies and Isaac marries Rebekah. The Israelites will descend from Shem's line.

Genesis 6:10; Genesis 7:11; Genesis 11:10; it SHEM

Ham Born: In an unspecified year, likely sometime after Shem's birth, Noah becomes father to Ham.

Genesis 6:10; 9:24; it HAM 1; SHEM

Noachian Covenant: At some point after Noah's sons are married, a covenant is made with Noah: he is to build an enormous ark (chest) to preserve his family and representative animal life through the coming destructive Deluge or Flood. This covenant with Noah will be completely fulfilled in 2369 BCE. Likely, Noah and his family will spend 40 to 50 years building the ark. The ark will nearly equal the displacement of the Titanic. Noah condemns the ungodly world, for he is a man of faith and "a preacher of righteousness."

Genesis 6:17–21; 8:15–17; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:5; w98 9/15 10–11; w89 10/1 10–15; w52 432–4; it ARK 1; COVENANT (Covenant With Noah); DELUGE; NOAH 1

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-fourth century BCE—the century of the Deluge, or Flood—Methuselah (8), Lamech (9), Noah (10), and Noah's three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth are living, but Methuselah (8) and Lamech (9) die shortly before the Flood. After the Flood, three generations of descendants will be born to Shem during this century.

Noah's Descendants: All mankind living on earth after the Flood will come from Noah, the first patriarch of post-Flood society, through his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 9:18, 19; chapter 10; it Vol. I, p.329, CHART: "Origin of Nations"; NOAH 1

Shem and Semitic Peoples: The descendants of Shem (all Semitic peoples) will include those through Eber (Hebrews); those who settle in Arabia through Eber's son Joktan; and those who settle in Mesopotamia through Eber's son Peleg. Others of Shem's descendants will include the early Chaldeans; the Elamites through Elam; the Assyrians through Asshur; the Aramaeans and/or Syrians through Aram; and the Lydians through Lud.

it ARAM 1; ASSHUR 1; EBER 1; ELAM 1; LUD 1; SHEM

Ham and Hamitic Peoples: The descendants of Ham will include the Ethiopians (the descendants of Cush, one of Ham's sons); the Egyptians; the Canaanites; the Philistines; the Hittites; and some of the Arabian and African tribes.

rs 303; it CANAAN 1; CUSH 1, 2; HAM 1; MIZRAIM; PUT

Japheth and Japhetic Peoples: The descendants of Japheth will include the Aryan or Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) peoples who generally settle to the north and west of the Fertile Crescent, and spread eastward into Central Asia, westward through Asia Minor to the islands and coastlands of Europe, and along the Mediterranean perhaps all the way to Spain. They will include the Armenians; the Chinese; the Greeks, through Javan; the Medes; the Phyrgians (King Midas); and the pre-Spanish.

it GOMER; JAPHETH; JAVAN; MADAI; MAGOG 1; MESHECH; PHRYGIA; TIRAS

Life Spans: Beginning later in this century, the genealogical line that leads from Noah to Abraham and eventually to Christ Jesus begins to develop much more rapidly than in pre-Flood years, due to decreasing life spans and earlier ages of fathering the next generation. The average life span of the nine men in the line from Adam to Noah (excluding Enoch) is 912 years; the average life span of the ten men from Shem to Abraham is 317 years.

it DELUGE

2375 BCE - back

Lamech Dies: Lamech dies at age 777, five years before the Flood. He was born in 3152 BCE, the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah, and ninth in the line from Adam to Noah.

Genesis 5:25–31; it LAMECH 2

2370 BCE - back

Methuselah Dies: Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, dies in the year of the Flood, but apparently not in the Flood, at age 969. He was born in 3339 BCE, the son of righteous Enoch. He is the oldest human on record, and eighth in the line from Adam to Noah.

Genesis 5:21–27; it METHUSELAH

The Flood or Deluge: The Flood begins on the 17th day of the month of Bul, later called Marheshvan or Heshvan (October/November). The materialized angels dematerialize and return to the spirit realm; their hybrid offspring, the Nephilim, are destroyed in the Flood.

Genesis 7:11 says that the "floodgates of the heavens were opened." The waters that were suspended in the upper atmosphere above the earth during the second creative day begin to pour down upon the earth, possibly as if through floodgates into channels, such as at the poles, and also as rainfall. The weight of the water causes considerable tectonic movements, and the shifting and buckling of earth's crust generates huge destructive tsunami waves. "And the downpour upon the earth went on for forty days and forty nights."

Noah is 600 years old, Japheth 100, and Shem 98. Noah will live for 350 years after the Flood, or until after the attempted building of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of the languages and the resultant scattering of mankind.

Genesis 6:13–22; 7:1–24; w08 6/1 8; w84 3/1 5; w62 9/15 575; g75 6/8 5–8; g68 10/22 13–16; it BUL; DELUGE; NOAH 1

2369 BCE - back

The Flood Subsides: After five months, in the month of Nisan (March/April), the ark comes to rest on a mountain of Ararat. After a year and ten days, again in the month of Bul (October/November), the water has subsided enough that the people and animals can leave the ark.

Genesis chapter 8; it BUL

Noachian Covenant: The pre-Flood covenant made with Noah (see After 2468 BCE) is now completely fulfilled. Jehovah blesses the Flood survivors and tells them to fill the earth. Animals are now allowed as food for man, but eating their life blood is forbidden. Capital punishment is instituted. The Rainbow Covenant is made. The curse on the ground is lifted. (See After 4026 BCE and 2970 BCE.)

Genesis chapter 9; it COVENANT (Covenant With Noah), (Rainbow Covenant); RAINBOW; w75 664–6

Geologic Changes: The climate has changed. No longer is it uniformly warm and mild as in the pre-Flood years. The surface of the earth has also changed: the mountains are much higher, the oceans deeper, with much of this Flood water still remaining today. Some 71 percent of Earth's surface in now covered by water.

w08 6/1 w68 7/15 419–23; gm 112–13; nh 52

Flood Legends: Flood stories will be passed on for millenniums in nearly all nations. It is estimated that over 500 Flood legends are still told by more than 250 tribes and peoples.

w02 1/15 5–8; w02 3/1 3–7; w96 9/15 25; it I-328 FLOOD LEGENDS

False Religious Celebrations: The death of the condemned Flood victims will be commemorated, either knowingly or unknowingly, in the unscriptural observances of the "Feast of Ancestors," the "Festival of the Dead," and "All Souls' Day" (November 2).

w02 3/1 4; w92 1/15 3–8; it DELUGE (Flood Legends); rs HOLIDAYS

After 2369 BCE - back

Noah and His Pronouncements on His Children: Noah plants a vineyard, drinks the fermented product, becomes intoxicated, and 'uncovers himself in the midst of his tent.' While Noah is asleep, Ham and perhaps Canaan, Ham's son, become implicated in some sort of disrespect to Noah. Ham tells his two brothers about Noah's nakedness, but Shem and Japheth cover their father's nakedness with a mantle.

When awake from his wine and learning about the incident, Noah curses Canaan (likely due to Canaan's sexual abuse or perversion toward Noah) and condemns Canaan to slave for Shem and Japheth. Noah blesses Shem's God Jehovah, and requests that God "grant ample space" to Japheth, whose name means "May He grant ample space." This name appears to indicate that Japheth's descendants would be spread over a wide area. Canaan's curse has a major fulfillment in the fifteenth century BCE when the Semitic Israelites subjugate the Canaanites, and even later when the Canaanites come under the domination of the Japhetic powers of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Genesis 9:20–27; Joshua 9:23; it CANAAN 1, 2; CURSE; JAPHETH; NOAH 1

Circa 2368 BCE - back

Arpachshad Born: Shem, age 100, becomes father to Arpachshad two years after the Flood. He will live 438 years, until 1930 BCE, or until two years after Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, is born. Arpachshad is the second generation from Noah and is the ancestor of the Hebrews through his grandson Eber. NOTE: After the Flood, the Bible begins the count of generations from Noah to Abraham by counting Shem, not Noah, as the first generation.

Genesis 10:22; 11:10–13; it ARPACHSHAD

2333 BCE - back

Shelah Born: Arpachshad, age 35, becomes father to Shelah, who is the third generation from Noah. Shelah will live 433 years, until 1900 BCE, which is after Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, is born. Luke adds an intervening generation here, listing Cainan as the son of Arpachshad and father of Shelah, but this is likely a copyist's interpolation.

Genesis 10:24; 11:12–15; 1 Chronicles 1:18, 24; Luke 3:36; it CAINAN 1, 2; GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST; SHELAH

2303 BCE - back

Eber Born: Shelah, age 30, becomes father to Eber, who is the fourth generation from Noah and the forefather of the Hebrews. Eber will live 464 years, until 1839 BCE, which is four years after Abraham dies.

Genesis 11:14–17; it EBER 1

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-third century BCE, four generations from Noah are living, Noah, Shem (1), Arpachshad (2), Shelah (3), and Eber (4), and three more are born, Peleg (5), Reu (6), and Serug (7).

Archaeology: Discoveries of ancient civilizations after the Flood show that the people were highly developed in agriculture, architecture, astronomy, mathematics, metallurgy, refrigeration, and other fields, sometimes rivaling or exceeding the skills of the twentieth century CE. For a fascinating discussion of some advancements of ancient mankind, see the article "The Very Stones Cry Out!" in the 1953 Awake!

g53 6/22 8–13

2269 BCE - back

Peleg Born: Eber, age 34, becomes father to Peleg, who is the fifth generation from Noah. He will live 239 years, until 2030 BCE. Peleg's name means "Division," and at some point during his lifetime the earth is "divided," that is, God confuses the language of the rebellious builders of the tower at Babel ("Confusion") so that "they may not understand one another's language" (Genesis 11:7 ftn.), and mankind is scattered "over all the surface of the earth."

Genesis 10:25; 11:1–9; 16–19; it BABEL; BABYLON; EBER 1; LANGUAGE; PELEG

After 2269 BCE - back

Nimrod's Kingdom: Sometime after this year and within either this century or the next, Nimrod, son of Cush and grandson of Ham, will establish a kingdom in Shinar. He will also invade Asshur's territory, Assyria. Nimrod will attempt to build a city and a tower at Babel, to "make a celebrated name for ourselves, for fear we may be scattered over all the surface of the earth." As this is in opposition to Jehovah's express command at Genesis 9:1, the building of the city and tower is stopped when Jehovah confuses their language and scatters the people. During Nimrod's day, the political "wild beast" of Revelation 13:1, 2 will begin emerging. See 22nd Century BCE.

Genesis 10:8–10; 11:1–9; w78 6/15 14; w66 4/15 241; re 189

Archaeology: A fragment later found north of the temple of Marduk in excavations of the ancient city of Babylon relates to the fall of a ziggurat: "The building of this temple offended the gods. In a night they threw down what had been built. They scattered them abroad, and made strange their speech. The progress they impeded."

Bible and Spade, by S. L. Caiger, 1938, p. 29, as quoted in Insight ARCHAEOLOGY "Babylonoia"

2239 BCE - back

Reu Born: Peleg, age 30, becomes father to Reu, who is the sixth generation from Noah. Reu will live 239 years, until 2000 BCE, or until after the birth of Abraham.

Genesis 11:18–21; it REU

2207 BCE - back

Serug Born: Reu, age 32, becomes father to Serug, who is the seventh generation from Noah. Serug will live 230 years, until 1977 BCE.

Genesis 11:20–23; it SERUG

In This Century: During this twenty-second century BCE, seven generations from Noah are living, Noah, Shem (1), Arpachshad (2), Shelah (3), Eber (4), Peleg (5), Reu (6), and Serug (7), and two more are born, Nahor (8), and Terah (9).

Population Numbers: A conservative estimate of the population reached 180 years after the Flood (that is, near the beginning of this century) is over 4000 adult males, not counting women and children. But see also the calculations for the increase in the nation of Israel while in captivity in Egypt during a similar length of time, an increase of millions rather than thousands.

it CHRONOLOGY (From 2370 BCE to covenant with Abraham), EXODUS (Extraordinary increase)

Nimrod and the Tower of Babel: It may be approximately during this century (unless it is during the previous century) that Nimrod, son of Cush and grandson of Ham, establishes a kingdom in Shinar (Babylonia or southern Mesopotamia) with cities at Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh. The Tower of Babel is begun at his direction. Nimrod, a Hamite, invades the Semite territory of Asshur, which is Assyria (northern Iraq), and there Nimrod builds the cities of Nineveh with its suburb cities of Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen.

Language Confusion: When Jehovah confuses the languages among the rebellious at Babel, they begin to scatter. Faithful Noah and Shem likely continue speaking a form of the language originally given to Adam, which is later called Hebrew. Legends of an ancient time when people live together and speak one language, build a tower (or some equivalent structure), then are scattered and begin speaking many languages, exist in Burma, Siberia, among the early Aztecs, Maya, and Maidu Indians of California, and in many other cultures.

See, for example: www.varchive.org/itb/confus.htm;
ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CW_Arnhem/version2/Gen11/Language.htm

Flood Legends and False Religious Concepts: Numerous Flood legends around the earth indirectly confirm the Biblical account of the common origin of man, with the subsequent scattering of men who begin to speak different languages. From Babel, they carry their Flood and Tower stories with them, embellishing and distorting them until they reach the status of cultural legend and myth. In addition, the land of Shinar is the birthplace of many false religious concepts: rule by a powerful priesthood; trinities or triads of gods; the human soul surviving death; spiritism; use of images in worship; and use of spells to placate demons. These and other concepts gradually spread around the earth as the people scatter from the confusion at Babel and develop various branches of religious beliefs.

Genesis 10:6–12; 11:1–9; re 236; it ACCAD; ASSYRIA; BABE; BABYLON; CALAH; CALNEH 1; DELUGE; ERECH; GODS AND GODDESSES; HEBREW II (Origin of the Hebrew Language); LANGUAGE; NIMROD; NINEVEH; NOAH 1 (Nimrod's Rebellion); RESEN; REHOBOTH-IR; SHINAR; w02 3/1 3–7; g89 1/22 21; sh 68; re 189, par. 12

2177 BCE - back

Nahor, Grandfather of Abraham, Born: Serug, age 30, becomes father to Nahor, who is the eighth generation from Noah. Nahor will live 148 years, until 2029 BCE. Nahor will have a grandson also named Nahor, who is the brother of Abraham.

Genesis 11:22–26; it NAHOR 1, 2

2148 BCE - back

Terah Born: Nahor, age 29, becomes father to Terah, who is the ninth generation from Noah. Terah will live 205 years, until 1943 BCE. Terah resides at Ur of the Chaldeans and perhaps worships the favorite deity of Ur, the moon-god Nanna (or Sin), and he may have been an idol-maker. Terah will have children by at least two women (or perhaps three). There is a span of some 60 years between the births of Terah's first son Haran, born in 2078 BCE, and Abram (later named Abraham), born in 2018 BCE, which probably indicates two different mothers. Also Abram's mother is not the mother of Sarai (later named Sarah), who is his half-sister born 10 years after Abram (Genesis 20:12).

Genesis 11:24–32; Joshua 24:2, 14, 15; g88 5/22 25–27; it GODS AND GODDESSES (Babylonian Deities); TERAH 1; UR; Wikipedia, "Sin"

In This Century: At the beginning of this twenty-first century BCE, nine generations from Noah are living: Noah, Shem (1), Arpachshad (2), Shelah (3), Eber (4), Peleg (5), Reu (6),Serug (7), Nahor (8), and Terah (9). During this century Noah, Peleg (5), Reu (6), and Nahor (8) die.

Terah's Descendants: Terah has three sons named in the Bible: Abram (later Abraham), Nahor, and Haran, and a daughter, Sarai (later Sarah), who are the tenth generation from Noah. They and their descendants will play a major role in the Bible drama for centuries to come.

Language: In Mesopotamia, the lingua franca of the ancient world at this time is Akkadian (Assyro-Babylonian). Later it will be replaced by Aramaic, a language related to Hebrew.

it LANGUAGE

Archaeology (Bethel): In Canaan, later archaeological excavations suggest that the city of Bethel in Canaan will be settled during this century. (See 1781 BCE and Before 1750 BCE.)

it BETHEL

2078 BCE - back

Haran Born: Terah, age 70, becomes father to Haran, who is the tenth generation from Noah. Haran will become father to Lot and two daughters, Iscah and Milcah. Haran will die in Ur of the Chaldeans before Terah and Abram leave the city.

Genesis 11:26–31; it HARAN 1; TERAH 1

2030 BCE - back

Peleg Dies: the son of Eber and father of Reu, dies at age 239. He was born in 2269 BCE, and was the fifth generation from Noah.

Genesis 11:16–19; it PELEG

2029 BCE - back

Nahor Dies: Nahor (grandfather of Abraham), son of Serug and father of Terah, dies at age 148. He was born in 2177 BCE, and was the eighth generation from Noah.

Genesis 11:22–25; it NAHOR 1

2020 BCE - back

Noah Dies: Noah, son of Lamech and father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, dies at age 950. Born in 2970 BCE, he was the first great patriarch of the post-Flood society and the common ancestor of all mankind born after the Flood.

Genesis 9:28, 29; it NOAH 1; w52 432–4

2018 BCE - back

Abraham Born: Terah, age 130, becomes father to Abram (later named Abraham), who is the tenth generation from Noah. Abram is born in Ur of the Chaldeans only two years after the death of Noah. Ur is a city that lies along the Euphrates River about 150 miles southeast of Babylon. Abraham will live 175 years, until 1843 BCE.

Genesis 11:26, 32; 12:4; it ABRAHAM; UR; w75 7/15 63–64

2008 BCE - back

Sarah Born: Terah becomes father to Sarai (later named Sarah) at age 140. She is the half-sister of Abram and will marry him before leaving Ur sometime before 1943 BCE. Sarai will live 127 years, until 1881 BCE.

Genesis 11:29; 20:12; it SARAH

2000 BCE - back

Reu Dies: Reu, son of Peleg and father of Serug, dies at age 239. He was born in 2239 BCE, and was the fifth generation from Noah.

Genesis 11:18–21; it REU

In This Century: At the beginning of this twentieth century BCE, the generations from Noah that are living are Shem (1), Arpachshad (2), Shelah (3), Eber (4), Serug (7), Terah(9), and Abraham (10). During this century Arpachshad (2), Shelah (3), Serug (7), Terah (9), and Haran, Abraham's brother, die.

Abram (later named Abraham) leaves Ur with his family, lives at Haran (also spelled Harran), then later travels to the Promised Land (Canaan). The Abrahamic Covenant goes into effect. Abraham visits Egypt during a famine in Canaan, returns to Canaan, and rescues Lot from raider kings. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Abraham has two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away. (Genesis 11:27–21:34)

Archaeology (Mari): In Mesopotamia, the Amurru (Semitic Akkadian for "Westerners") city-state of Mari (not named in the Bible) on the Middle Euphrates is one of the dominant powers in Upper Mesopotamia during the early part of this millennium, until it is taken and destroyed by Babylonian King Hammurabi (see 18th Century BCE). Clay tablets later discovered here by French archaeologists mention cities by the name of Peleg, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Haran, all names of Abraham's forebearers.

Archaeology (Ebla): In Ebla, northern Syria, valuable clay tablets have been found dating from the late third or early second millennium that contain personal names such as Abraham, Esau, Michael, David, Ishmael, and Israel, and city names such as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela.

Archaeology (Ur): During the third millennium BCE, Ur, which is about 140–150 miles southeast of Babylon and the city that Abraham leaves during this century, becomes highly developed and a center for world trade. Originally a seaport on the Persian Gulf, Ur is the capital of Sumer and the most important city of the region. The people of Ur live in two-story private homes of brick, plastered and whitewashed, with brick stairs, each with 13 or 14 rooms surrounding a paved courtyard. Ur contains complexes of temples and palaces, and a large ziggurat. Architects use both the cantilever arch and the true curved arch with a keystone, and also the column, the vault, and the dome. Costly jewels, elaborate jewelry, and precious metals are crafted. Students are taught cuneiform writing and higher mathematics. See 1922 CE.

See a picture of the Royal Game of Ur here: http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Royal-Game-Ur.htm

See a house plan of a private home in Ur here: s8int.com/phile/page45.html

Search for "Ur" to see artifacts from Ur at the British Museum: www.britishmuseum.org/default.aspx

Genesis 11:17–26; 14:2; w89 7/1 4–7; w80 10/1 7, 8; g88 5/22 25–27; g53 6/22 8–13; it AMORITE (The "Amurru"); ARCHITECTURE (Early Post-Flood Construction); CHALDEA, CHALDEAN; EUPHRATES (From Carchemish to the Persian Gulf); UR 2

1977 BCE - back

Serug Dies: Serug dies at age 230. Serug, son of Reu and the seventh generation from Noah, was born in 2207 BCE.

Genesis 11:20–23; it SERUG

Circa 1950 BCE - back

Elamites: The Elamites, descendants of Shem's son Elam, destroy the city of Ur. Subsequently, they will exert considerable influence on the rulers of Babylonia until Hammurabi of Babylon terminates it. (See 18th Century BCE.) Elamite influence will extend as far westward as Canaan.

Genesis 10:22; 14:1–17; w89 7/1 4–7; it ELAM 1 (History)

Before 1943 BCE - back

Haran: Haran (brother of Abram), dies in Ur sometime before the age of 135. He was born in 2078 BCE and was the father of Lot and daughters, Iscah and Milcah. (Milcah marries her uncle, Nahor.)

Genesis 11:26–31; it HARAN

From Ur to Haran: Jehovah tells Abram to go out from his country and move "to the country I shall show you." Jehovah then promises to make a great nation out of Abram, and says that "all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves by means of you." (See 1943 to 1933 BCE.)

Terah, Abram (later Abraham), Abram's wife and half-sister Sarai (later Sarah), and Abram's fatherless nephew Lot leave Ur to journey to an unknown land. They travel about 600 miles from Ur until they reach Haran, a major stopping point for caravans, and "[take] up dwelling there" until Terah dies in 1943 BCE.

Abram's brother, Nahor, stays behind in Ur, but evidently moves to Haran later, for his descendants will be found living there in Haran (or surrounding area) and worshiping Jehovah. While living in Haran, Abram increases his wealth and 'acquires souls'—a body of servants who are proselytes (according to the Jerusalem Targum and the Chaldee Paraphrase). By obeying Jehovah's command to move, Abram displays faith in the God of Shem. Shem is still alive.

Genesis 11:31, 32; 12:1–5; 14:14; 15:18: 18:19; 24:1–4, 10, 31, 38; 29:4; Acts 7:2– 5; w01 11/1 31; w00 9/1 19–20; w64 7/1 410–11; w59 8/15 511; g88 5/22 25–27; it-I 330 map ABRAHAM'S TRAVELS; it ABRAHAM; HARAN 4; TERAH 1; Jewish Encyclopedia, "Haran"; Wikipedia, "Harran"

1943 BCE - back

Terah Dies: Terah, the father of Abram, dies at age 205 in Haran. He was born in 2148 BCE.

Genesis 11:31, 32; it HARAN 4; TERAH

From Haran to Canaan: When 75-year-old Abram (later Abraham) crosses the Euphrates on the way to "the country that I shall show you," the 430 years of temporary residence begins. It will last until the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt in 1513 BCE.

Sacred Secret: Terah's son, Abram, crosses the Euphrates on Nisan 14 (March/April), probably at Carchemish, to move to the land to which Jehovah is directing him. Thus the Abrahamic covenant (to make a great nation out of Abraham, and that all families of the ground will bless themselves by means of Abraham) is validated or takes effect. (See After 4026 BCE and 1918 BCE.)

Genesis 11:27–12:5; 15:1–21; Exodus 12:40–43; Galatians 3:16, 17; w97 6/1 16(chart);g88 5/22 25–27; it ABRAHAM; COVENANT (Covenant With Abraham); TERAH 1

1943 to 1933 BCE - back

From Canaan to Egypt: Abram, Sarai, and Lot move to Egypt during a famine. While in Egypt, they likely see some of the architectural splendors of the land, such as the Step Pyramid of King Djoser at Saqqara built of cut stone. (Illustration, Insight-I 530) A Pharaoh in Egypt takes beautiful Sarai into his house, but Jehovah plagues Pharaoh's house. Abram is ordered to leave Egypt, and he does so with increased possessions, perhaps including Sarai's maidservant Hagar.

Step Pyramid: www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/djoser.html.)

Step Pyramid: www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dsteppyramid1.htm

Back to Canaan: Abram (later named Abraham) returns to the Promised Land. The land cannot sustain the herds of both Abram and Lot, so Lot selects the fertile Lower Jordan district and moves to near Sodom. Later Lot is captured by Elamite raider-king Chedorlaomer and his three confederates. Abram, his 318 trained men, and Abram's three confederates, Mamre, Eschol, and Aner, chase after the four raiding kings and recover Lot. "The book of the Wars of Jehovah" (Numbers 21:14) may have begun with Abram's war against these four allied invader kings. Upon Abram's returning to Mamre, Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem who pictures the priest-king Christ Jesus, meets Abram and blesses him. At that, Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of war.

Abrahamic Covenant: The Abrahamic covenant is expanded when Abram reaches Shechem, which is about 30 miles north of Jerusalem. It is only after Abram arrives in Canaan that God promises the land to Abram's "seed" or offspring. (Genesis 12:1–7) This connects this covenant to the promise in Eden and reveals that the "seed" would come through a human line of descent. (See After 4026 BCE.) Throughout the following years, Jehovah will expand on his covenant with Abram, promising him that his seed would become like the dust particles of the earth (Genesis 13:14–17); that he would become a father of nations, kings would come from him, and his name would be called Abraham (Genesis 17:2–8); that his seed would come through Sarah and her son Isaac (Genesis 17:19); that his seed would be multiplied like the stars in heaven and grains of sand on the seashore, and his seed would take possession of the gate of his enemies (Genesis 22:15–18); that his seed would be an alien resident in a land not theirs, and that they would be afflicted for four hundred years, but then they would return and would possess the land from the Euphrates River to Egypt (Genesis 15:13–18). The four hundred years of affliction will begin counting when Ishmael pokes fun at Isaac in 1913 BCE.

Genesis chapters 12–14; Psalm 110:4–6; Galatians 4:21–31; Hebrews chapter 7; w01 11/1 31; w00 9/1 19–20; w89 7/1 4–7; w64 411–2; w54 11/15 687; it ABRAHAM; AMRAPHEL; ARCHITECTURE (Early Post-Flood Construction); ARIOCH 1; BLESSING (Humans Blessing Other Humans); CHEDORLAOMER; COVENANT (Covenant With Abraham; EGYPT (History); HAGAR; LOT II; MELCHIZEDEK; PHARAOH; SHECHEM 4; TIDAL; TITHE

1932 BCE - back

Ishmael Born: Barren Sarai gives her Egyptian maidservant Hagar to Abram as a concubine to bear a son for her (see 1925 CE). Abram (later named Abraham), age 86, becomes father to Ishmael by Hagar. Before Ishmael's birth, Jehovah's angel prophesies that Ishmael's hand would be against everyone and he would dwell apart from his brothers (see 1913 BCE). Ishmael will live to age 137, or until 1795 BCE, and father 12 chieftains. His descendants will be called Ishmaelites; see, for example, 1750 BCE.

Genesis chapter 16; 25:13–17; it HAGAR; ISHMAEL 1; ISHMAELITE

Archaeology: After thousands of years, archaeologists will discover clay tablets at Nuzu (or Nuzi), a Hurrian city southeast of Nineveh, that authenticate the custom of a barren wife's being obligated to provide her husband with a concubine, just as Sarai gave Hagar to Abram. (See 1925 CE.)

Genesis 16:1, 2: w80 10/1 7; F-Light 54–55

1930 BCE - back

Arpachshad Dies: Arpachshad dies at age 438. Born about 2368 BCE, he was the son of Shem and the second generation from Noah. Shem is still living. (See 1868 BCE.)

Genesis 11:10–13; it ARPACHSHAD

1919 BCE - back

Abraham and Sarah: Jehovah gives Abram, whose name means "Father is High (Exalted)," the name Abraham, meaning "Father of a Crowd, or Multitude," at age 99, "because a father of a crowd of nations I will make you." (Genesis 17:3–6) He then gives a "covenant of circumcision" to Abraham. (Genesis 17:9–14; Acts 7:8) Jehovah's angel tells Abraham not to call his wife Sarai (possibly meaning "Contentious"), but to call her Sarah (meaning "Princess"), because "I will bless her and also give you a son from her; and I will bless her and she will become nations; kings of peoples will come from here." At this news, Abraham laughs for joy. (Genesis 17:15–17) Jehovah promises that although he would also make a great nation out of Ishmael, who will produce twelve chieftains, his covenant will be with Sarah's son, whom he should call Isaac, meaning "Laughter." (Genesis 17:18–21) Abraham circumcises the males of his household, and he and Ishmael are also circumcised. (Genesis 17:22–27)

Abraham soon afterward entertains three angels, and one prophesies that Sarah will have a son. Sarah, at age 89, overhears this and is struck by the humor of the prospect of giving birth to a son and laughs incredulously. The angel promises that when he returns "next year at this time," Sarah will have a son.(Genesis 18:1–15)

Lot Flees Sodom: Lot is visited by two of the angels in Sodom and told to flee. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Lot and his two daughters escape to Zoar, but Lot's wife looks behind and becomes a "pillar of salt." In the first century CE, Jesus Christ will refer to Lot's circumstances as a parallel to conditions that will occur during his presence in Kingdom power.

Sarah and Abimelech: Famine drives Abraham to the city of Gerar (near today's Gaza) where the Philistine king Abimelech takes Sarah for his harem. Jehovah intervenes, warning Abimelech that adultery is a sin against God, thus establishing this important principle. (Genesis 39:9. See also 1750 BCE to 1737 BCE.) Sarah is released, untouched.

Genesis chapters 17–20; Luke 17:28–32; 2 Peter 2:6–8; w88 6/1 30–31; re 273; it ABIMELECH 1; ABRAHAM; COVENANT (Covenant of Circumcision); GERAR; GOMORRAH; ISHMAEL 1; ISAAC; LOT II; SARAH, SARAI; SODOM; ZOAR

After 1919 BCE - back

Moab and Ammon Born: Lot moves from Zoar to a cave in the mountains. There he unwittingly fathers Moab and Ammon by his two daughters. Their descendants will be known as Moabites and Ammonites. The Ammonites will later display violent enmity toward the nation of Israel, as will also the Moabites, with few exceptions.

Genesis 17:30–38; it AMMON, AMMONITES; MOAB, MOABITES 1, 2

1918 BCE - back

Isaac Born: Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah and the true heir of the promise, is born. Abraham is 100, Sarah 90, and Ishmael 14. Isaac will live 180 years, until 1738 BCE. The "about 450 years" begins; this period will end about 1467 BCE when Joshua concludes his campaign in Canaan and the land is distributed to the various tribes.

Sacred Secret: Isaac becomes heir to the Abrahamic covenant. (See After 4026 BCE, 1943 BCE, and 1761 BCE.)

Genesis 21:1–5; 35:28; Acts 13:17–20; Hebrews 11:11; w97 6/1 16 (chart); it EXODUS ('About 450 years'); ISAAC

1913 BCE - back

Ishmael and the 400-Year Affliction: Ishmael, age 19, pokes fun at (afflicts, persecutes) Isaac when he is weaned, probably in regard to heirship. This marks the beginning of the 400-year affliction that Jehovah had prophesied to Abram. (See 1943 to 1933 BCE and 1513 BCE.) Ishmael and Hagar are sent away. Later they will dwell in the wilderness of Paran (the central and northeastern portion of the Sinai Peninsula) and Ishmael will marry an Egyptian. Ishmael's afflicting Isaac and dwelling in the wilderness fulfill the pre-birth prophecy of 1932 BCE.

Genesis 15:13; 16:11–16; 21:8–21; Acts 7:6; Galatians 4:29; w98 9/15 12–13; it EXODUS (Time of the Exodus); ISAAC; ISHMAEL; po 106

1900 BCE - back

Shelah Dies: Shelah dies at age 433. Born in 2333 BCE, he was the son of Arpachshad, the father of Eber, and the third generation from Noah.

Genesis 11:12–15; it SHELAH

In This Century: At the beginning of this nineteenth century BCE, the generations from Noah that are living are Shem (1), Eber (4), Abraham (10), and Isaac (11). During this century Abraham attempts to sacrifice Isaac at Jehovah's command. Sarah dies and Abraham later marries Keturah. Isaac marries Rebekah and the twins Esau and Jacob are born to them. Esau marries two pagan Hittite wives. Shem, Abraham, and Eber die. The Abrahamic promise is renewed with Isaac.

Babylonia and Astrology: The Babylonians in Mesopotamia predict many astronomical events using star catalogs that date back to 1800 BCE. Astrology plays a prominent part in the Babylonian religion, even down to the time of Jesus' birth.

Matthew 2:1–16; sh 84; it ASTROLOGERS; BABYLON 1 (Religion)

Circa 1893 BCE - back

The 'Sacrificing' of Isaac: At the command of Jehovah to sacrifice his "only son" Isaac (Abraham's only child of promise by Sarah), Abraham takes Isaac and travels to the land of Moriah. There Abraham (age 125) binds a willing Isaac, who is about 25 years old according to Josephus and Jewish tradition, and puts him upon the altar on top of the wood. As Abraham takes up the slaughtering knife in order to kill Isaac, he is stopped by Jehovah's angel, and a ram is provided for the sacrifice. Thus, "God spared Abraham the sacrifice that He would not spare himself." (w09 2/1 18) This event becomes a prophetic drama showing how Jehovah would lovingly send his son to earth, and how Jesus would willingly lay down his life in sacrifice for the benefit of all those who put faith in him. God's covenant with Abraham is repeated and enlarged: Abraham's "seed will take possession of the gate of his enemies" (thus referring to destroying his enemies), and it will be by means of obedient Abraham's "seed" that all nations of the earth will bless themselves.

Genesis 3:15; 22:1–19; John 3:16; Acts 10:34, 35; Galatians 3:16; Ephesians 1:8–10; Hebrews 11:17–19; James 2:21–23; w09 2/1 18; w83 8/15 24 par. 18; w64 7/1 413; it BLESSING (Jehovah Blessing Humans); ISAAC; JESUS CHRIST (The "sacred secret")

After 1893 BCE - back

Abraham Dwells at Beer-sheba, then Hebron: After Abraham attempts to sacrifice Isaac, he and Isaac return to Sarah at Beer-sheba. By the time of Sarah's death in 1881, Abraham is living at or near Kiriath-arba (Hebron). At some point during this time period, Abraham hears news about his family, and how Milcah has borne sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. (Nahor's family is now living in Haran in Mesopotamia, from where Abraham had moved away in 1943.) One of Nahor's sons, Bethuel, fathers Laban and Rebekah, who will play a role in the Abrahamic drama for years to come. See 1878 BCE.

Genesis 22:19–24; 23:1, 2; 24:1–67; 25:20

1881 BCE - back

Sarah Dies: Sarah dies at Kiriath-Arba (Hebron) at age 127. Born in 2008 BCE, she was the daughter of Terah, and also the half-sister of Abraham. Abraham buries her in Machpelah, a cave that he purchases from Ephron the Hittite at Mamre near Hebron. Hebron is about 19 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem. The burial cave of Machpelah exists today beneath a Moslem mosque in modern Hebron.

See photos of this area in Hebron: www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs.htm andwww.bibleplaces.com/hebron.htm

Genesis 17:17; 20:12; 23:1–20; it ABRAHAM; EPHRON 1; MACHPELAH; PURCHASE; SARAH, SARAI

After 1881 BCE - back

Abraham Marries Keturah: Abraham marries Keturah, and by her fathers six sons who become "nations." (See 1919 BCE.) The six sons are Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Named grandsons are Sheba, Dedan, Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. "And the sons of Dedan became Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim," likely the names of tribes or peoples. (Genesis 25:3 footnote) The Midianites, the Medanites, possibly the Sabeans, and others descend from Abraham and Keturah.

Genesis 25:1–6; it DEDAN; ISHBAK; JOKSHAN; KETURAH; MEDAN; MIDIAN, MIDIANITES 1, 2; SHEBA 3, 6; SHUAH; ZIMRAN

1878 BCE - back

Isaac Marries Rebekah: Abraham sends his oldest servant (likely Eliezer) to "my country and to my relatives" to take a wife for Isaac. The servant and his attendants travel to Paddan-aram, where they find Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and sister of Laban. She returns with the servant and meets Isaac who is "dwelling in the land of the Negeb." Isaac, age 40, marries Rebekah, "and he fell in love with her" and "found comfort after the loss of his mother." Rebekah's brother Laban will father Leah and Rachel. (See 1774 BCE.) (See the reference to the 1989 Watchtower for the prophetic significance of Isaac and Rebekah's marriage.)

Genesis 24:1–67; 25:20; w89 7/1 23–28; it ISAAC; LABAN 1; REBEKAH

1868 BCE - back

Shem Dies: Shem dies at age 600. Born in 2468 BCE, he was the son of Noah. Shem was also a contemporary of pre-Flood Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, the fallen angels, and the Nephilim. He was an eye-witness survivor of the Flood and a contemporary of the rebellious Nimrod. Jewish tradition holds that Shem was Melchizedek, although this is not stated in the Bible. The w64 7/1 412 comments about Melchizedek: "[The Bible] purposely leaves out all information as to his ancestry, his descendants and his death so that he might serve as a prophetic picture or type of the promised Seed of God's woman, who becomes the everlasting High Priest of the Most High God, to give the sacrifice that results in eternal salvation for mankind." (See Hebrews 6:20–7:7.)

Genesis 11:10, 11; it MELCHIZEDEK; SHEM

1858 BCE - back

Esau and Jacob Born: At age 60, Isaac becomes father to twin sons, Esau and Jacob, by Rebekah. Later, firstborn Esau will sell his birthright to Jacob for a mere pot of red lentil stew. The Edomites descend from Esau (who was also called Edom, meaning "Red"), and the Israelites descend from Jacob (who was later named Israel).

Genesis 25:19–26; it BIRTHRIGHT; EDOM, EDOMITES; ESAU; ISRAEL 1; ISRAELITE; JACOB 1

1843 BCE - back

Abraham Dies: Abraham dies at age 175. Born in 2018 BCE, he was the son of Terah. Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham in the cave of Machpelah where Sarah was buried in 1881 BCE. At this time Isaac is 75 years old, Ishmael, 89, and Abraham's grandsons, Esau and Jacob, are 15.

Genesis 25:7–10; it ABRAHAM; MACHPELAH; JACOB

After 1843 BCE - back

Isaac and Rebekah: A second famine occurs, but Isaac is instructed not to move into Egypt. Instead, he moves to Philistine Gerar. The Abrahamic promise is renewed to Isaac. Isaac passes off attractive Rebekah to the Philistines as his sister. Abimelech grants Isaac protection after he discovers the ruse.

Genesis chapter 26; it ABIMELECH 2; GERAR; ISAAC; REBEKAH

1839 BCE - back

Eber Dies: Eber dies at age 464. Born in 2303 BCE, he was the son of Shelah and fourth in the line from Noah. Eber lived at the time of Nimrod's rebellion and the confusing of the languages. The word "Hebrew" comes from the name Eber.

Genesis 11:16, 17; it EBER 1; HEBREW, I (Origin and Significance of the Term)

1818 BCE - back

Esau Marries: Esau, age 40, marries two pagan Hittite wives, Judith (Oholibamah?) and Basemath (Adah?) who become a source of bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah. Adah's son Eliphaz will father Amalek, the forefather of the Amalekites, who will later war against the nation of Israel. (See 1513 BCE and 1512 BCE.)

Genesis 26:34, 35; it ADAH 2; AMALEK, AMALEKITE; BASEMATH 1; EDOM, EDOMITES; JUDITH; ESAU; OHOLIBAMAH 1

In This Century: At the beginning of this eighteenth century BCE, the generations from Noah who are living are Isaac (11) and Jacob (12). Jacob marries Leah and Rachel and his twelve sons are born. Jacob leaves Haran, wrestles with the angel, settles in the Promised Land. Isaac and Deborah die. Joseph is sold into Egypt, imprisoned, released, then made viceroy of Egypt where seven years of plenty are followed by seven years of famine. Jacob moves his family to Egypt, blesses his grandsons and sons, then dies.

Egypt: During the latter part of this century and during the seventeenth and sixteenth centuries BCE, the Israelites will reside in Egypt in the area of Goshen. This period of residence when the Israelites increase until they outnumber the Egyptians may be the foundation for the "Hyksos" idea, called the "Hyksos Period" by historians, referring to a time of Egyptian conquest by mysterious foreign invaders.

Exodus 1:7–10; w71 6/15 381–2; it EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (Hyksos Period); GOSHEN; RAAMSES, RAMESES

Warfare: Chariots are probably introduced into warfare during this century.

it CHARIOT; GATE, GATEWAY (Construction)

Mesopotamia (Hammurabi): Hammurabi probably rules during this century. Secular sources give various dates for his rule ranging from the twenty-first century BCE to the seventeenth century BCE. He may have ruled 1728–1686 BCE or 1792–1750 BCE (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, "Babylon") or 1728–1676 BCE (F-Light 47). He was the king of Babylon's first dynasty and the formulator of the Code of Hammurabi consisting of 282 laws. Hammurabi's Code, developed in 1700 BCE and discovered in excavations at Susa, Iran, in 1902 CE, is not the basis for the far superior Mosaic Law later given to Israel, but rather was based mainly on laws already in existence. The Hammurabi Code reflects a spirit of retaliation.

See Code at http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm.

w87 11/1 12; w80 10/1 8–9; g88 11/22 7; g81 1/22 20; it CRIME AND PUNISHMENT(Babylonian); BARTON pp. 378–406

Babylon: The construction of Babylon and the Tower of Babel by Nimrod was interrupted by the confusion of man's language and scattering of the builders. (See 22nd Century BCE.) Although later generations began to rebuild the city, it was not until Hammurabi that Babylon was enlarged and made the capital of the Babylonian Empire under Semitic rule. The article "Babylon" in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology says that in this 18th century BCE, "Hammurapi [Hammurabi] was responsible for making [Babylon] the cultural leader of the Near East. This lasted until the Hel[lenistic] period. This was partially due to making Marduk the city god of Babylon, and so the head of the Sumerian-Accad[ian] pantheon of some 1300 deities. It brought all the religious traditions into one system. He made of Babylon a world power . . . even though this did not last long. . . . Babylon did not regain power until the time of the Chaldean kings . . . the most important of whom was Nebuchadnezzar or Nebuchadrezzar II." Ancient Babylon, beginning with Nimrod, is the focal point of false religion that eventually infects the whole world and is reflected in the beliefs of thousands of the world's religions.

g96 11/8 6–7; it BABYLON "History"; GOD'S AND GODDESSES (Babylonian Dieties)

1795 BCE - back

Ishmael Dies: Ishmael dies at age 137. Born in 1932 BCE, he was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maidservant.

Genesis 25:17; it ISHMAEL 1

1781 BCE - back

Jacob Goes to Haran: Jacob, age 77, flees to Haran from his twin brother Esau, who has murderous intentions toward him because Isaac had given the firstborn's blessing to Jacob. (See 1858 BCE.) While on his way to Haran, at Luz (Bethel) about 11 miles north of Jerusalem, Jacob has a vision of a ladder, or flight of stairs, reaching into the heavens with angels ascending and descending between earth and heaven, and with Jehovah at the top of the ladder. Jehovah now confirms with Jacob the covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob will live at Haran for 20 years.

Esau Marries: In the meantime, Esau marries Mahalath (Basemath), the daughter of his uncle Ishmael, as an additional wife. (See 1818 BCE.)

Genesis 27:41–46; 28:1–22; Genesis 29:1–4; it BASEMATH 2; BETHEL 1; ESAU; HARAN; JACOB 1; LUZ; MAHALATH, I 1

1774 BCE - back

Jacob Marries: Jacob, age 84, marries his first cousins Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban, who is the brother of Jacob's mother Rebekah. Later, Jacob will also father children by Rachel's maidservant Bilhah, and by Leah's maidservant Zilpah.

Genesis 29:15–30; it JACOB 1; LABAN 1; LEAH; RACHEL; BILHAH 1; ZILPAH

After 1774 BCE - back

Jacob's Offspring: During the next seven years, eleven of Jacob's sons and at least one of his daughters are born in Haran. Leah will bear Reuben; Simeon; Levi, who becomes the founder of Israel's priestly tribe; Judah (born Circa 1770 BCE), who becomes the father of the nation's royal tribe; Issachar; Zebulun; and Dinah. Rachel's slave girl Bilhah will bear Dan and Naphtali. Leah's slave girl Zilpah will bear Gad and Asher. Rachel will bear Joseph (1767 BCE), who will receive the firstborn's inheritance. Later in Canaan, Rachel will bear a twelfth son, Benjamin, sometime before 1750 BCE.

Genesis 29:30–35; 30:1–24; it ASHER 1; BILHAH 1; DAN 1; DINAH; GAD 1; ISSACHAR 1; JACOB 1; JUDAH 1; LEAH; LEVI 1; NAPHTALI 1; RACHEL; REUBEN 1; SIMEON 1; ZEBULUN 1; ZILPAH

Circa 1770 BCE - back

Judah Born: Jacob becomes father to Judah by Leah.

Possibly this year, Jacob also becomes father to Dan by Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant whom Rachel gave to Jacob as a secondary wife, and also to Gad by Zilpah, Leah's slave girl whom Leah gave to Jacob as a secondary wife. (See After 1774 BCE.)

it DAN 1; GAD 1; JUDAH 1

1767 BCE - back

Joseph Born: Jacob, age 91, becomes father to Joseph by Rachel. Joseph is Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's favorite son. Joseph will live 110 years, until 1657 BCE, and will receive the firstborn's double portion of his father's inheritance. (See 1712 BCE and 1711 BCE.) Jacob will continue to work for Laban in Haran for six more years, all the time growing wealthy. (See 1761 BCE.)

Genesis 50:22; it BIRTHRIGHT; EPHRAIM 1; INHERITANCE; JACOB 1; JOSEPH 1; LABAN 1

1761 BCE - back

Jacob Returns Home: Due to increasing difficulties in the relationship between Jacob and Laban, Jacob secretly leaves Haran to return to Canaan. Unknown to Jacob, Rachel steals Laban's "household gods" (estate title deeds). Laban chases Jacob in an unsuccessful attempt to recover the gods. Jacob and Laban conclude a covenant at Galeed, about 350 miles from Haran. (Genesis chapter 31.)

Jacob and Esau: Jacob, now about 97 years old, wrestles with an angel and has his name changed to Israel, meaning "Contender (Perseverer) With God," or, "God Contends." The angel touches Jacob so that he limps the rest of his life. Jacob and Esau meet, then part amiably. Jacob settles at Succoth (three miles east of the Jordan river) and builds a house there. Jacob's father Isaac is living at Hebron. Jacob's mother Rebekah is probably already dead, buried at the family cave of Machpelah with Abraham and Sarah.

Genesis chapters 31, 32; 33:1–17; 35:27; 49:31; it GALEED; ISRAEL 1; JACOB 1; SUCCOTH 1; w80 10/1 8

Sacred Secret: It is approximately in this year that Jehovah confirms that the promised Seed will come through Jacob, Isaac's son. (See After 4026 BCE, 1918 BCE, and 1711 BCE.)

Genesis 3:15; 28:10–15; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

Before 1750 BCE - back

Jacob at Shechem: Jacob moves to the city of Shechem. Shechem, the son of the Canaanite chieftain Hamor, takes a liking to and violates Jacob's daughter Dinah who was unwisely visiting the "daughters of the land." (Dinah, who may have been born around 1767 BCE, was likely no older than age 17, if not younger.) By trickery, Simeon and Levi kill all the males of Shechem in revenge, thus making Jacob's name a stench.

Jacob Moves to Bethel: Jehovah directs Jacob to remove to Bethel. Rebekah's beloved nurse Deborah dies and is buried at Bethel. Rachel dies after giving birth to Benjamin and is buried somewhere between Bethel and Bethlehem. After Rachel dies, Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, violates Rachel's slave girl Bilhah, either out of lust for Bilhah, or to prevent her from taking Rachel's place in Jacob's affection and thus receiving more favor than his mother Leah. For doing this, Reuben loses his rights as firstborn. (See 1712 BCE.)

Abrahamic Covenant: The Abrahamic covenant is restated to Jacob again at Bethel. (See 1781 BCE.)

Genesis 33:18–20; Genesis 34; Genesis 35:1–26; 49:3, 4; it BENJAMIN 1; BETHEL 1; BILHAH 1; DEBORAH; DINAH; JACOB 1; RACHEL; REUBEN 1; SHECHEM 1, 4

1750 BCE - back

Joseph's Adventures Begin: Jacob (Israel) comes to love Joseph more than all his other sons and has a long, striped shirtlike garment made for him, perhaps a garment such as is worn by a person of rank. His brothers begin to hate him.

At age 17, Joseph has two prophetic dreams, the first dream of the sheaves of his brothers' bowing down to his sheaf, and the other of the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him. This gives his brothers "fresh reason to hate him."

When Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers and he finds them near Dothan, they begin to scheme against him. They plan to kill him and pitch him into a waterpit, but firstborn Reuben, being legally responsible for the custody of his younger brother, convinces them not to kill Joseph. Instead they strip him of his long striped garment and throw him into an empty waterpit.

During Reuben's absence, a caravan of Ishmaelites passes by on its way down to Egypt, and Judah convinces his brothers to sell Joseph to them as a slave, which they do for 20 silver pieces. After that, they dip Joseph's garment into the blood of a goat and show it to Jacob, a course they had decided on to escape legal responsibility when they had to face Jacob as patriarchal judge. Jacob, who examines the garment, is forced to pronounce the legal conclusion that Joseph has been devoured by a vicious wild beast. Jacob carries on mourning for many days, and will not accept comfort from his sons and daughters.

Meanwhile, Joseph is taken by the caravan to Egypt and sold as a slave to Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, the chief of the bodyguard.

Genesis 37; it CUSTODY; DREAM; JOSEPH 1; w52 7/15 438–40

After 1750 BCE - back

Judah Marries: Judah leaves his brothers and becomes unevenly yoked to the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite. By her, he has three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah fails to give his third son, Shelah, to Tamar, who was the successive wife of Judah's first two sons who had been put to death by Jehovah, so by tricking Judah, Tamar bears the twins Perez and Zerah to him. The Messianic line comes through Perez.

Genesis chapter 38; it ER 1; JUDAH 1; ONAN; PEREZ; SHELAH 2; SHUA; TAMAR 1; ZERAH 3; w82 3/15 30

1750 BCE to 1737 BCE - back

Joseph's Further Adventures: Due to diligence, industriousness, trustworthiness, and Jehovah's blessing, Joseph, the slave of Potiphar, the chief of Pharaoh's bodyguard, rises to become the chief of Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife attempts to seduce Joseph, and when he refuses, she falsely accuses him and has him thrown into prison.

In prison, Joseph accurately interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker. Later, when Pharaoh has some dreams that his wise men cannot interpret, the cupbearer remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about Joseph's ability to interpret dreams correctly. Pharaoh calls Joseph from prison and Joseph tells Pharaoh of the coming seven years of great plenty followed by seven years of famine, and then advises Pharaoh how to prepare for it.

Genesis chapters 39, 40; 41:1–40; it BAKE, BAKER; CUPBEARER; DREAM; JOSEPH 1; PHARAOH; POTIPHAR

1738 BCE - back

Isaac Dies: Isaac dies at age 180 at Hebron, a year before his grandson Joseph becomes the prime minister of Egypt. Born in 1918 BCE, he was the son of Abraham and Sarah. Jacob and Esau bury Isaac at the cave of Machpelah.

Genesis 35:27–29; 49:29–32; it ISAAC; MACHPELAH

1737 BCE - back

Joseph Becomes Viceroy of Egypt: Pharaoh makes Joseph, age 30, the prime minister or viceroy of Egypt and gives him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, an Egyptian priest of the city of On (Heliopolis), as a wife. Joseph becomes father to Manasseh and Ephraim before the seven-year famine begins in 1730 BCE. Joseph's administration in Egypt runs from 1737 BCE until his death in 1657 BCE. Joshua, a descendant of Joseph's son Ephraim, will lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. (See 1513 BCE, 1512 BCE, and 1473 BCE.)

Genesis 41:37–52; it ASENATH; EGYPT (Products), (History); EPHRAIM 1; JOSEPH 1; MANASSEH 1; ON 2; POTIPHERA

1730 BCE - back

Seven-Year Famine: The foretold seven-year famine in Egypt begins. The famine extends even beyond the borders of Egypt. Soon Jacob will send his sons to Egypt to buy food, which Joseph had ordered to be stored before the famine began.

Genesis 41:53–57

1728 BCE - back

Joseph and His Brothers: After the poignant drama of Joseph's reunion with his brothers, Jacob, age 130, and his entire family move to Egypt in the second year of the famine (Genesis 42–45). This year marks the end of one-half of the 430 years (Exodus 12:40, 41), or 215 years from Abraham's move into Canaan in 1943 BCE. The remaining 215 years will be spent in Egypt. The dependence of Joseph's brothers upon him for food fulfills Joseph's earlier prophetic dreams. (See 1750 BCE.)

Hammurabi: King Hammurabi of Babylon probably begins ruling this year, and will rule until 1686 BCE. Dates for his rule differ widely among various secular sources.

Genesis 37:3–11; 45:6; 46:26; 47:9, 12; it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); JACOB 1 (The Move to Egypt); JOSEPH 1; w80 10/1 8, 9

1712 BCE - back

Jacob's Prophecies: Jacob, shortly before dying, blesses his grandsons, the two sons of Joseph, and thus Joseph is given the firstborn's double inheritance of land through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob prophetically speaks of the future conquest of Canaan by his descendants. Jacob then blesses his twelve sons individually. He foretells that Shiloh will come through Judah, a prophecy that will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Genesis 33:19, 20; 48:1–21; 49:1–28; Ezekiel 21:26, 27; Luke 1:32, 33; it BENJAMIN 1; DAN 1; EPHRAIM 1; GAD 1; ISSACHAR 1; JACOB 1; JOSEPH 1; JUDAH 1; LEVI 1; MANASSEH 1; NAPHTALI 1; REUBEN 1; SHILOH 1; SIMEON 1; ZEBULUN 1; w62 6/15 360–74; w62 7/1 392–408

1711 BCE - back

Jacob Dies: Jacob, born 1858 BCE, son of Isaac and Rebekah, dies at age 147 after living 17 years in Egypt. He is embalmed, then carried to Canaan by Joseph and buried at the cave of Machpelah where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah are already buried.

Genesis 47:1–12, 28–30; 49:29–50:14; it EMBALMING; JACOB 1; MACHPELAH

Sacred Secret: Before Jacob dies, he indicates that the promised Seed will come through his son Judah. (See After 4026 BCE, 1761 BCE, and 1070 to 1040 BCE.)

Genesis 49:10; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

In This Century: During this seventeenth century BCE, Joseph dies in Egypt and is embalmed, and Job's trial takes place in Uz (Arabia).

Egypt: The Harper Atlas of the Bible, edited by James B. Prichard, states that the Hyksos kings take control of Egypt about 1674 BCE. (See the note under Egypt at 18th Century BCE.) As for the difficulties of determining Egyptian dates, see the discussion in w68 11/15 680–3.

1657 BCE - back

Joseph Dies: Joseph, born in 1767 BCE, dies at age 110. He is embalmed and placed in a coffin to await burial in Canaan after Israel's release from bondage in Egypt, which comes 144 years later. (See 1513 BCE.)

Genesis 50:22–26; it EMBALMING; JOSEPH 1

Circa 1613 BCE - back

Job: Job, a relative of Abraham, lives in Arabia (Uz). He becomes an example of righteousness and patient endurance of suffering. The book of Job, a book written concurrently with the Law of Moses, adds valuable information to the Edenic Covenant by showing that Satan is the challenger of the righteousness of Jehovah's exercise of His sovereignty, and that Satan is the "father" of the serpent's "seed."

Job's trial takes place sometimes after Joseph's death in 1657 BCE and before 1613 BCE, or 140 years before Job's death. (See Circa 1473 BCE.) Job dies shortly before Moses completes the writing of the book of Job in 1473 BCE.

Genesis 3:15; Job 1:8; 42:16, 17; Ezekiel 14:14, 20; James 5:11; it BILDAD; ELIHU 1; ELIPHAZ 2; JOB; JOB, BOOK OF; SEED; ZOPHAR

In This Century: During this sixteenth century BCE, the Israelites are enduring forced labor in Egypt. Miriam, Aaron, and Moses are born. Pharaoh decrees that all male babies be slaughtered, but Moses is rescued by Pharaoh's daughter and reared in Pharaoh's household. At age forty, Moses offers himself as deliverer to his people, but instead is forced to flee Egypt. He lives the next forty years in Midian as a shepherd.

Moses and the Israelites: When Moses is 80 years old, Jehovah appears to Moses in the fiery thornbush and commissions him to return to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and lead them to "a land flowing with milk and honey." Jehovah reveals to Moses the meaning of His name, which he is to use to prove that he is the one who has been sent to deliver the Israelites. Back in Egypt, Aaron and Moses appear before Pharaoh, but Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go. Thereafter, Jehovah devastates the Egyptians with ten plagues. The Israelites celebrate their first Passover in Egypt, then leave Egypt. The Egyptians chase them but are drowned at the Red Sea.

The Israelites travel to Mount Sinai where they receive the Ten Commandments and the Law. The Tabernacle is constructed, and the Aaronic priesthood is installed. While poised to enter the Promised Land, ten spies return with an unfavorable report and Israel is afraid to enter. Jehovah decrees they will wander in the wilderness forty years.

Bible: Bible writing begins. Moses completes the first three books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus.

Asia: The Aryans, an Indo-European people, move into the Indus River valley (now part of Pakistan) about 1500 BCE. Their religion will become known as Vedism, which contains elements drawn from the religion of the ancestors of today's Iranians and also that of the Babylonians. The Aryans will help lay the basis for the Hindu caste system. In the third century BCE, Hinduism will become a distinct religion apart from Vedism and Brahmanism.

g89 4/8 24–27

Before 1597 BCE - back

Miriam Born: Miriam is born to Amram and Jochebed sometime before Aaron and Moses are born. She will live to age 124 or more, and will die shortly before Aaron dies in 1474  BCE.

Exodus 2:1–10; it MIRIAM 1

1597 BCE - back

Aaron Born: Aaron is born to Amram and Jochebed (Jochebed is a sister of Amram's father). Aaron will live 123 years, until 1474 BCE. At this time, the Israelites are already enduring forced labor under Egypt's "new king who did not know Joseph." After Aaron's birth and before Moses' birth, Pharaoh decrees that the Hebrew midwives kill all Hebrew male babies.

Exodus chapter 1; 6:13, 16–20; it AARON; AMRAM 1; JOCHEBED

1593 BCE - back

Moses Born: Moses is born to Amram and Jochebed (both descendants of Levi). When Moses is three months old, his mother hides him in a little ark, which is found by Pharaoh's daughter, who adopts him and rears him in the royal household. Moses' mother becomes his wet nurse, and no doubt trains him according to Jehovah's ways.

Exodus 2:1–10; 6:16–20; it AMRAM 1; JOCHEBED; MOSES

1553 BCE - back

Moses Flees Egypt: Moses, age 40, prematurely offers himself as deliverer to Israel by killing an Egyptian who was oppressing an Israelite. Moses then flees to Midian, where he lives for the next 40 years and shepherds the flocks of Jethro, the Kenite Arabian chief and priest of Midian. Moses marries Jethro's daughter Zipporah, and has two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

Exodus 2:11–25; 18:3, 4; it ELIEZER 2; GERSHOM 2; JETHRO; KENITE; MIDIAN 3; MOSES; ZIPPORAH

Circa 1514–1513 BCE - back

Moses Commissioned: Moses is commissioned at the burning thornbush to deliver Israel from bondage in Egypt. For the first time, Jehovah makes known the real meaning of his name: "He Causes to Become," that is, with progressive action, he causes himself to become the Fulfiller of promises, and he always accomplishes what he has set out to do.

Genesis 2:4 and ftn.; Exodus 3:1–22; w07 9/1 5; w06 2/15 9, 17; w04 8/1 29

1513 BCE - back

Moses returns to Egypt: Moses and his family leave for Egypt. Jehovah tells Aaron to meet Moses in the wilderness. Aaron meets Moses "in the mountain of the true God" (Mount Sinai) and Moses tells Aaron "all the words of Jehovah, who had sent him, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do." In Egypt, Moses and Aaron gather all the older men of the sons and Israel, and Aaron tells them of Jehovah's words to Moses and performs the signs as proof that their messages are from Jehovah. The people believe, knowing that "Jehovah had turned his attention to the sons of Israel."

Exodus 4:18–31; it AARON

The Ten Plagues: Moses, age 80, and Aaron, age 83 (Exodus 7:7), appear before Pharaoh, who refuses to let the Israelites leave Egypt "to celebrate a festival" to Jehovah in the wilderness. Pharaoh replies, "Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all and, what is more, I am not going to send Israel away." Pharaoh increases the work load on the Israelites who are making bricks. The people of Israel complain to Moses and Aaron. (Exodus chapter 5) Jehovah assures Moses He will bring them "out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver [them] from their slavery." Moses is told to speak to Pharaoh again "that he should send the sons of Israel away out of his land." Aaron is appointed by Jehovah to speak for Moses before Pharaoh. Aaron throws down his rod before Pharaoh and it becomes "a big snake." The magic-practicing priests do the same with their magic arts, but "Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Still, Pharaoh's heart becomes obstinate. The next day, Moses and Aaron meet Pharaoh by the Nile River and tell him that because he did not send Jehovah's people away, that Jehovah has said, "By this you will know I am Jehovah," for by His hand they were turning the waters of the Nile River into blood. (Exodus chapter 7) Ten Plagues or blows must fall upon Egypt before Pharaoh finally allows the Israelites to leave. (Exodus chapters 7–12) These plagues are not random blows, but each one is a calculated humiliation of one or more of the mythological gods of Egypt, as follows:

1. Nile to Blood: Turning the Nile and waters of Egypt into blood disgraces the Nile-god Hapi. (See more on Hapi at http://www.touregypt.net/hapi.htm.) When all the fish in the Nile die, some of them are certain kinds of fish that the Egyptians venerate.
2. Frogs: The plague of frogs, which were a symbol of fertility and resurrection, brings disgrace to the Frog god and the Frog-goddess, Heqt; it embarrasses the gods of creation, and also the fertility gods such as Osiris, Ptah, and Sebek.
3. Gnats: The third plague disgraces the god Thoth, who was the inventor of the magic arts, and defeats the magic-practicing priests who proved unable by their secret arts to turn dust into gnats. It also disgraces Geb, god of the earth, who could not prevent the dust of the earth from turning into gnats.
4. Gadflies: Goshen, where the Israelites reside, is untouched by the swarms of gadflies, while other sections of Egypt are brought to ruin, thus disgracing Buto, a tutelary goddess, and the god Horus, who could no longer control happenings in that part of the land for which they were responsible.
5. Pestilence: The pestilence on the livestock humiliates Hathor, the cow-goddess; Apis, the sacred bull; and Nut, the sky goddess who is also depicted as a cow.
6. Boils: The gods and goddesses who possessed healing powers, Thoth, Amon-Ra, Isis, and Ptah, could not prevent the boils and blisters from breaking out upon man and beast, and even upon the magic-practicing priests.
7. Hail: The gods who helped control the weather, Shu; Tifnut; Reshpu, who controlled lightning; Min, who controlled thunder and lightning; and Thoth, who had power over rain and thunder, could not prevent the thunder and hail that "shattered all sorts of trees of the field," and barley "in the ear" and flax plants with "flower buds." (Barley harvest in nearby Israel begins in March/April, and flax harvest, when it is in "flower buds," begins in Israel in February/March or March/April.)
8. Locusts: The locust plague defeated the gods thought to ensure a bountiful harvest, such as the fertility god Min, god of the harvest.
9. Darkness: The three-day plague of darkness disgraces the sun gods, such as Ra and Horus; and Sekhmet, the goddess who wore the solar disk; and also Thoth the god of the moon and systematizer of sun, moon, and stars. (If this plague occurred just before the full moon, which was full during the tenth plague at the time of the first Passover, the plague of darkness would be as noticeable at nighttime as was the darkness during the daytime.)
10. Firstborn Die: The death of the firstborn humiliates the rulers of Egypt, who styled themselves as gods, the sons of Ra, or Amon-Ra; thus the death of Pharaoh's firstborn actually meant the death of a god. Bes, the protector of the royal house, and Buto, the defender of the king, were defeated. The death of all the firstborn proves the complete impotence of all the deities of Egypt who were unable to save the firstborn from death.

Exodus 3:1–22; 4:1–31; 12:12; si EXODUS; sh 59–64; w93 7/15 3, 4; g89 2/8 20–24; it BARLEY; FLAX; GODS AND GODDESSES (The Ten Plagues); JEHOVAH (Early Use of the Name and Its Meaning); MOSES

Exodus: The first Passover celebration is held on the 14th of Abib (later called Nisan) in Egypt. Egypt's firstborn die during the Passover, but obedient ones are spared from their firstborn dying in this tenth plague. The Exodus from Egypt begins; perhaps three million or more people leave Egypt. Josephus records a pursuing army of 600 chariots, 50,000 horsemen, and 200,000 infantry. The Israelites are delivered through the Red Sea while Pharaoh and his armies drown. Egypt's power is shaken. (It is impossible to identify the pharaoh at this time, but Egyptologists have suggested it could have been Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, or Ramses II, among others. See Ramses II in 13th Century BCE.) The Exodus marks the end of the 400-year affliction of Abraham's seed. (See 1913 BCE.)

Exodus chapters 11–15; Psalm 136:1–15; g89 2/8 22 ftn.; it ARMY; Josephus "Antiquities" (Book 2, Chapter 15, Par. 3)

In the Wilderness: Moses makes the bitter water sweet at Marah (Exodus 15:22–26). About one month after leaving Egypt, in the wilderness of Sin, Jehovah sends quail, then manna for bread. (Exodus chapter 16) Arrangements for the weekly sabbath are announced. Near Rephidim (Massah or Meribah), Moses strikes a rock for miraculous water. The Amalekites attack Israel; while Moses keeps his hands raised, Joshua leads the Israelites to victory over them. Jehovah decrees ultimate extinction for the Amalekites (see 1818 BCE). Moses is joined by his wife Zipporah and two sons Gershom and Eliezer, and Zipporah's father Jethro. Zipporah and sons had apparently returned from Egypt to visit her parents, perhaps before the momentous events connected with the exodus occurred (Exodus 18:5–12), and therefore, Moses' father-in-law Jethro had not yet heard of "all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on account of Israel, and all the hardship that had befallen them in the way." The next day, after observing that Moses alone was carrying the heavy load of judging the people, Jethro wisely suggests that Moses select qualified assistant chiefs to aid in the judging. Afterward, Jethro returns to his land (Exodus 18:13–27).

At Mount Sinai: At Mount Sinai (Horeb), early in the third month (Sivan) after leaving Egypt, Jehovah makes a covenant with Israel as a special property. The Ten Commandments (aka Ten Words) are given and the Law Covenant is made; Israel agrees to obey. Traditionally, the Ten Commandments were given on the same day that corresponds to Pentecost. (See discussion in Insight PENTECOST and w69 8/1 479.) Moses goes up in the mountain to receive the Law; Joshua goes with Moses part of the way; both remain on the mountain 40 days and nights. During this time, at the instigation of the people, Aaron fashions the golden calf. (See 1990 CE.) Upon returning and seeing what is happening, Moses shatters the tablets, calls for those who would take Jehovah's side and is joined by the tribe of Levi, whom he orders to slay the revelers. About 3,000 false worshipers are slaughtered. Moses returns to the mountain to receive a second carving of the Ten Commandments on blank tablets that he carries up with him. Moses sees the glory of Jehovah passing by, and his face emits rays when he returns.

Exodus chapters 12–32; Numbers 24:20; Psalm 136:1–15; si EXODUS; NUMBERS; g89 2/22 17–20; it AMALEK, AMALEKITES; CALF; CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); COVENANT (Law Covenant); EXODUS; JETHRO; LAW 1 (Law of God to Israel—The Law of Moses); MANNA; MARAH; MASSAH; MERIBAH 1; MOSES (A fitting mediator); PASSOVER; QUAIL; REPHIDIM; SABBATH DAY; SIN, II 1; it-I 536–7 Exodus map and illustrations; w83 11/1 31

The 400-Year Affliction and the 430-Year Period End: The 400-year affliction that began in 1913 BCE has come to an end. The 430-year period also ends, counting from the validating of the Abrahamic covenant in 1943 BCE, and divided into two periods of 215 years each.

Exodus 12:40, 41; it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); EXODUS

The 480 Years Begin: This year begins the count of 480 years (479 full years) from the Exodus to the start of the temple construction in 1034 BCE during the reign of Solomon (1 Kings 6:1, 480th year). This year, the Israelites are commanded to begin counting their years in the spring month of Abib (later called Nisan) instead of in the fall. It is uncertain whether this will involve a loss or a gain of six months in the counting of time.

si Study 3; it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present)

Bible (Book of Genesis): Bible writing begins when Moses compiles the Bible book of Genesis in the wilderness. The book's name means "origin," or "birth." The book covers from "in the beginning" of the physical creation of the universe, including that of earth and man, down to the death of Joseph in Egypt in 1657 BCE. Notable Bible characters in this book are Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Nimrod (one of the bad guys), Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, and the twelve sons of Jacob, including Joseph. Notable events are the creation of and preparation of the earth for man, the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin and resultant loss of the paradise of Eden, the promise of a "seed" (Genesis 3:15) who will deliver mankind from inherited sin and death, the sinning of some of the "sons of God" and the violence of their Nephilim offspring (more bad guys), Noah's building an ark to survive the Flood that wipes out wicked mankind, the new beginning with Noah and his family after the Flood, Nimrod's defiant building of the Tower of Babel and the confusing of man's languages, and His special dealings with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons, including special covenants that are connected to the promise of the delivering "seed."

John 5:46; si GENESIS; it GENESIS, BOOK OF; w04 1/1 29–31; 1/15 26–29

1512 BCE - back

Early Happenings: The Tabernacle construction is completed and it is inaugurated. The Aaronic priesthood is installed, Nisan 1–7. Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's two oldest sons, offer illegitimate fire before Jehovah and are consumed by fire from Jehovah. In the second month, a census of the men of Israel is taken. The men age 20 and upward, excluding the Levites, total 601,550. (See 1473 BCE for the second census.) The entire camp of Israelites (including women, children, and the Levites) may amount to over three million people.

Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 8:33–36; Numbers 1:1–3, 45, 46; si LEVITICUS; it ABIHU; ARMY; NADAB 1; PRIEST; REGISTRATION; TABERNACLE; it-I 538–9 illustrations; w04 8/1 24– 27

Complaining About Food: The Israelites long for the food of Egypt and grumble over having no meat to eat. A month's supply of quail is sent, but Jehovah slaughters many greedy Israelites. The place is named the "Burial Places of the Craving" (Hebrew, Kibroth-hattaavah).

Numbers 11; it KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH; QUAIL

More Complaints and Rebellions: Miriam and Aaron complain against Moses; Miriam is struck with leprosy, then healed. Israel moves to Kadesh near the Promised Land; twelve spies are sent into Canaan. Ten spies give a faithless report; only Joshua and Caleb give a good report. Forty years of wilderness living is decreed, one year for each day the spies were in the wilderness. Some Israelites attempt an invasion of Canaan and are defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites. After this, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebel against Moses and Aaron; the earth swallows the rebels. The people complain about this and a scourge wipes out 14,700 of them.

Numbers 13; 14; 16; it AARON; ABIRAM 1; CALEB 2; DATHAN; HORMAH; JOSHUA 1; KADESH, KAESH-BARNEA; KORAH 3; MIRIAM; SPIES

Bible (Book of Exodus): Moses completes the Bible book of Exodus in the wilderness. Exodus covers a period of 145 years, from Joseph's death in Egypt in 1657 BCE to the completion of the tabernacle at Mount Sinai in 1512 BCE. The book is the record of how Jehovah delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt and gives them the Law through Moses.

si EXODUS; it EXODUS, BOOK OF; w04 3/15 24–27

Bible (Book of Leviticus): Moses completes the Bible book of Leviticus in the wilderness. (The book's name is from a Greek word meaning "Pertaining to a Levite [Levites].") Leviticus covers one lunar month of 1512 BCE, and is written while Israel is camped at Mount Sinai. The book is about God's laws, especially those laws concerning the priests (of the tribe of Levi) in Israel.

Leviticus 27:34; si LEVITICUS; it LEVITICUS, BOOK OF; w04 5/15 21–24

Circa 1511 BCE - back

Wandering in the Wilderness: The Israelites leave Kadesh-barnea. They will camp in some 18 different places in the wilderness before they arrive at Mount Hor in 1473 BCE, 38 years later.

Numbers chapter 33; it KADESH, KADESH-BARNEA

In This Century: During this fifteenth century BCE, the Israelites will complete their wandering in the wilderness and enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Moses will complete the Bible books of Job, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Aaron, Miriam, and Moses will die without entering the Promised Land. Joshua will complete the book of Joshua. The Canaanites with be either destroyed or subjugated as the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

1481 BCE - back

Wars: A survey of history shows that beginning this year until the end of World War  II in 1945 CE, for a total of 3,426 years, the world will have only 268 years of peace, with about 8,000 international peace agreements or treaties being made and broken.

w71 5/15 299

1474 BCE - back

Miriam and Aaron Die: Miriam dies and is buried at Kadesh-Barnea. Aaron dies on Mount Hor at age 123, on the frontier of Edom. Aaron's oldest son Eleazar, age about 70, succeeds him as high priest.

Numbers 20:1, 28; 33:37–39; it AARON; ELEAZAR 1; MIRIAM

Before 1473 BCE - back

Archaeology: The collection of clay tablets called the Tel el-Amarna (or El-Amarna) letters (first discovered in 1887 CE at Tel el-Amarna, about 200 miles south of Cairo, Egypt) are perhaps written shortly before Israel enters Canaan. They are written by rulers of Jerusalem, Megiddo, Hazor, Shechem, Lachish, Hebron, Gaza, and other city-states in Palestine to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton of the 18th Dynasty, a worshiper of the sun disk Aton, and to his father Amen-hotep  III. Biblical cities named in the letters are Acco (Judges 1:31), Ashkelon, Arvad (Ezekiel 27:8), Aroer (Numbers 32:34), Ashtaroth (Deuteronomy 1:4, etc.), Gebal (Ezekiel 27:9), Gezer (Joshua 10:33, 1 Kings 9:15, etc.), Gath, Gaza, Jerusalem, Joppa, Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1), Lachish (Joshua 10:3, etc.), Megiddo, Sidon, Tyre, Shechem, Sharon, Taanach, Zorah (Judges 13:2), and Beth-Ninurta, which is probably Beth-Shemesh (Joshua 15:10, etc.).

w88 2/1 23–27; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Egypt); BARTON 152–3; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarna_letters

Circa 1473 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Job): Job dies shortly before this year. Moses completes the Bible book of Job while the Israelites are wandering the wilderness. The book covers over 140 years between 1657 and 1473 BCE. The book is the account of Job's experiences when Satan challenges his integrity before Jehovah.

si JOB; it JOB, BOOK OF

1473 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Numbers): Moses completes the Bible book of Numbers in the wilderness and on the Plains of Moab. The name of the book is derived from the two censuses (numberings) of the Israelites (Numbers chapters 1–4, 26) taken about 38 years apart. The book covers events over a period of 38 years and 9 months, from 1512 to 1473 BCE, during the time of Israel's wandering from place to place in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land.

si NUMBERS; it NUMBERS, BOOK OF; w04 8/1 24–27

Bible (Book of Deuteronomy): On the Plains of Moab, Moses writes the book of Deuteronomy (from Greek, meaning "Second Law," that is, an explanation of the Law), with the closing chapter about Moses' death being added possibly by Joshua or High Priest Eleazar. The book covers a little over two months of 1473 BCE, just before Israel enters the Promised Land. The book consists of discourses explaining portions of the Law, and of exhortations to Israel to love and obey Jehovah in the land they are about to enter.

si DEUTERONOMY; it DEUTERONOMY, BOOK OF; w04 9/15 24–27

Census: A second census is taken, and the number of men for the army from age 20 and upward number 601,730. (See 1512 BCE for the first census.)

Numbers 26:2, 51; it ARMY

Entering the Promised Land: A covenant is made with Israel at Moab (Deuteronomy 29). Moses dies at age 120 on Mount Nebo in Moab and is buried by Jehovah (Deuteronomy 34). Two spies are sent into Canaan and are hidden by Rahab of Jericho (Joshua 2). Israel enters Canaan under Joshua (Joshua 3; 4). The men are circumcised at Gilgal (Joshua 5). Jericho falls (Joshua 6). Joshua pronounces a curse that any man who lays the foundation of Jericho will do so at the forfeit of his firstborn, and at the forfeit of his youngest if he puts up the doors. This will be fulfilled over 500 years later during the reign of Ahab of Israel (see Circa 940 BCE to 919 BCE).

The Israelites are routed at Ai. Achan, the culprit who caused this defeat by stealing goods from Jericho, is pointed out by Jehovah and stoned (Joshua 7). On the second attempt against Ai, the city is destroyed (Joshua 8). The Gibeonites, by a ruse, conclude a covenant with Joshua and are spared destruction (Joshua 9). The Israelites come to their rescue when a coalition of Canaanites threaten Gibeon. In the ensuing battle, Joshua commands the sun and moon to stand still. Joshua leads the Israelite army into many victories over the Canaanites (Joshua 10).

it AI 1; COVENANT (Covenant With Israel at Moab); JERICHO; JOSHUA 1; KADESH, KADESH-BARNEA; MOSES; RAHAB 1; SPIES

Circa 1467 BCE - back

Conquest Completed: When the major conquest of the land is completed, the Ark of the Covenant is moved to Shiloh, where it will stay until about the time of high priest Eli's death. (See 12th Century BCE).

Joshua 18:1; it ARK OF THE COVENANT; SHILOH 2

1467 BCE - back

Apportioning the Land: After six years, the major conquest of the Promised Land is completed. The land is apportioned to the tribes by lot.

About 450 Years Ends: The 'about 450 years' period, spoken of by the apostle Paul, ends. It began with the birth of Isaac in 1918 BCE.

Numbers 34; Acts 13:17–20; it CHRONOLOGY (p. 462)

Circa 1450 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Joshua): The Bible book of Joshua is completed by Joshua in Canaan. The book covers 22 years from 1473 to circa 1450 BCE, and is the record of how Jehovah gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites.

si JOSHUA; it JOSHUA, BOOK OF; w04 12/1 8–12

Joshua Dies: Joshua dies at age 110 and is buried at Timnath-serah, the city in the mountainous region of Ephraim that was given to him as his inheritance.

it JOSHUA 1

1424 BCE - back

Jubilee: The first jubilee year for the Israelites begins in the month of Tishri, or Ethanim (September/October). This is counting from 1473 BCE, the year the Israelites entered the Promised Land. It is not known if any of the Jubilee years or Sabbath years were ever celebrated.

Leviticus 26:34, 35, 43; 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21; it AGRICULTURE (Israelite Agriculture); JUBILEE; SABBATH YEAR

Israel: About this century, a form of safety pin for holding together items of clothing may have been introduced into Israel.

it DRESS

The Judges: This is the period of the judges in Israel, which lasts about 300 years. Before the time of Samuel the prophet and Saul the king (see 1117 BCE), the Bible lists twelve judges, or "saviors," that Jehovah raises up to save the Israelites from their various enemies. Listed in order they are Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Barak, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. The exact time period for most of these judges is not indicated in the Bible; however, some of their judgeships may have overlapped each other due to their living in different areas of the country and due to their dealing with different sets of enemies.

Judges 2:16; Acts 13:20; w86 6/1 31; it CHRONOLOGY (From 1513 B.C.E. to division of kingdom); JUDGE

China: Sometime before the year 1300 BCE, wheat is introduced into China.

g97 6/22 29

India: The Hindu Rig-Veda is introduced about 1300 BCE.

kl 19

Egypt: Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, who is generally considered by historians to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, is not likely to have lived much before this century. He may have lived during this century. (Barton sets the dates for Ramses II's reign as 1292–1225.) Pharaoh Merneptah, the son of Ramses II, is of the 19th Dynasty (1320–1200 BCE).

w88 2/1 26; it EGYPT (History); RAAMSES, RAMESES; AAEnc 7: "Egypt, ancient"; BARTON 154

Judge Gideon: Judge Gideon lives during this century, and with a small band of 300 men delivers Israel from the Midianites.

Judges 6:1–8:35; w77 8/1 455–8

China: The Chinese treatise on divination, the I Ching (pronounced Yee Jing), with its explanation of yin and yang, may have been written in this century. Throughout the following centuries, it becomes the basis for fortune-telling, geomancy, and other forms of divination in China.

sh 83

The Ark: Sometime during the latter part of this century, the Ark, after being returned by the Philistines, is taken to Kiriath-jearim rather than to Shiloh, where it had been since circa 1467 BCE. It will remain there until moved by King David to Jerusalem about 70 years later. (See 1070 to 1040 BCE.)

1 Samuel 4:1–7:2; 1 Chronicles 13:5,6; 16:1; 2 Chronicles 1:4; it KIRIATH-JEARIM; SHILOH 2

Archaeology: In Megiddo, some 400 ivory pieces will be found, including beautifully carved panels, ivory inlaid boxes, and gaming boards, estimated as dating from about this 12th century BCE.

it ART (Artwork under the monarchy)

1173 BCE - back

Judge Jephthah: Jephthah begins a six-year judgeship approximately this year. Jephthah refers to "three hundred years" of Israelite control east of the Jordan (Judges 11:26), thus his judgeship would begin about 300 years from the time the Israelites entered the Promised Land in 1473 BCE.

it JEPHTHAH

1117 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: The period of the judges ends, and that of the kings begins. The prophet Samuel anoints Saul as king, and Saul begins his 40-year rule over the 12 tribes, until 1078 BCE. Prophet: Samuel, who is considered the first of the line of the prophets. High priests: Ahijah and Ahimelech.

it SAUL, Acts 3:24; w05 3/15 22

1107 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: David, the youngest son of Jesse and future king of the 12 tribes, is born at Bethlehem. He will begin ruling in 1077 BCE.

it DAVID (As King); w62 1/15 42

Circa 1100 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Judges): Samuel completes the Bible book of Judges. The book, written in Israel, covers some 330 years, from circa 1450 to circa 1120 BCE. The book is an account of the deliverances that Jehovah performed for Israel through the judges. The 12 judges are Othniel (Judges 3:7–11), Ehud (Judges 3:12–30), Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Barak (Judges 4:1–5:31), Gideon (Judges 6:1–9:57), Tola (Judges 10:1, 2), Jair ( Judges 10:3–5), Jephthah (Judges 10:6– 12:7), Ibzan (Judges 12:8–10), Elon (Judges 12:11, 12), Abdon (Judges 12:13–15), and Samson (Judges 13:1– 16:31).

si JUDGES; it JUDGES, BOOK OF; w05 1/15 24–27

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: Three kings rule over Israel during this century: Saul, David, and Solomon. The Bible books of Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, The Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes are written during this century. The temple is built in Jerusalem.

Circa 1090 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Ruth): In Israel, Samuel completes the Bible book of Ruth, which covers an 11-year period during the early days of the judges. (Boaz, whom Ruth marries, is the son of Rahab of Jericho and Salmon, the son of a chieftain of Judah. See 1473 BCE.) The book shows how the God-fearing Moabitess Ruth was blessed by Jehovah by becoming part of the Messianic line leading to King David. Regarding the son born to Ruth and Boaz, Ruth 4:17 says: "And they began to call his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, David's father."

si RUTH; it RUTH, BOOK OF; w05 3/1 26–29; Matthew 1:5, 6

Circa 1080–1078 BCE - back

David: Continuing to live as a fugitive from King Saul, David, his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, and his 600 men leave the territory of King Saul and come to the Philistine king, Achish, in the city of Gath, where they dwell for an unstated (but perhaps short) period of time. Then Achish gives David the city of Ziklag (aerial view), which at that time had come under Philistine control. David lives in Ziklag for one year and four months, until he hears that Saul and Jonathan had died in battle (in 1078 BCE). During the 16 months that David lives in Ziklag, he and his men make raids southward on the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, thus securing the southern borders of Judah. Achish, though, is led to believe that David is making raids on Judean towns. (1 Samuel chapter 27)

When Achish calls David to Gath to join him when the Philistines are organizing an attack on King Saul, the other "axis lords" insist David not be included, so they send David back to Ziklag. (1 Samuel chapter 29) Before David can reach Ziklag, the Amalekites raid the area, incuding Ziklag, burning it with fire, and carry off the women and children as captives, including Ahinoam and Abigail. The men who have lost their wives and children become bitter and threaten to stone David, who promptly inquires of Jehovah through Abiathar the priest and is told to go in chase "for you will without fail overtake them, and you will without fail make a deliverence." David and his 600 men go in chase, but 200 of the men become too tired to continue, so David continues the pursuit with the 400, strikes down the Amalekites, and recovers the women, children, plus a great deal of spoil. The 400 men do not want to divide the spoil with the 200, but David rules: "For as the share of the one that went down into the battle even so will the share of the one that sat by the baggage be. All will have a share together." David donates some of the spoil to the older men of Judah. (1 Samuel chapter 30)

w04 6/1 22; it Achish; David; Gath; Ziklag

Circa 1078 BCE - back

Bible (Book of First Samuel): The Bible book of 1 Samuel is completed by Samuel, Nathan, and Gad in Israel. The book covers a period of 102 years, from circa 1180 to 1078 BCE, and is the record of the end of the judges and the beginning of the kingship in Israel.

si 1 SAMUEL; it SAMUEL, BOOKS OF; w05 3/15 21–24

1078 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: Saul and Jonathan die in battle.

it ABDI  w07 9/15 19

1077 BCE - back

One-tribe Kingdom: David, age 30, begins ruling as king of the one tribe of Judah at Hebron. The first split in the national government comes when only the tribe of Judah recognizes David as king, but the rest of the tribes make Ish-bosheth (aka Esh-Baal), a son of Saul, king. The Bible does not state when Ish-bosheth was made king, but he will rule for two years until he is assassinated. During the next seven and one-half years, David will take more wives and have a number of sons and daughters. He will move his capital to Jerusalem in 1070 BCE. David reigns a total of 40 years, until 1037 BCE. Contemporary prophets: Nathan, Gad, Zadok (also a priest). High priests: Abiathar, Zadok.

2 Samuel 5:4–10; 15:27; 1 Chronicles 11:4–9; it ASAPH 1; DAVID (As King), (Rule at Jerusalem); ISH-BOSHETH; ZADOK

1077 BCE to 1070 BCE - back

One-tribe Kingdom: David reigns in Hebron, and has sons by six wives during this period. His firstborn is Amnon by Ahinoam. His second is Chileab (also called Daniel) by Abigail, the widow of Nabal. His third is Absalom by Maacah (Maacah also bears a daughter, Tamar, whose birth year is unknown). His fourth is Adonijah by Haggith. His fifth is Shephatiah by Abital. His sixth is Ithream by Eglah.

2 Samuel 3:2–5; 1 Chronicles 3:1–4; it ABIGAIL 1; ABITAL; AHINOAM 2, ABSALOM

1070 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: David begins ruling over all 12 tribes. He captures the "stronghold of Zion" and makes Jerusalem his capital. (See archaeological note at 1867 CE.) Jerusalem is now also called "the City of David."

it DAVID (Rule at Jerusalem); JUDGES, BOOK OF

1070 to 1040 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: David twice defeats the attacking Philistines. David starts to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but Uzzah dies when he touches the Ark, and in fear David has the Ark kept at the house of Obed-edom. After three months David brings the Ark to Jerusalem. David's wife Michal is punished with barrenness for speaking disrespectfully to David regarding his dancing when the Ark is brought to Jerusalem.

A covenant is made with David for a kingdom, but David is informed by the prophet Nathan that he will not build a house for Jehovah.

David has more sons and daughters by his wives in Jerusalem. Sons by Bath-sheba are Shammua, also called Shimea and likely named after Shimea, an older brother of David; Shobab; Nathan, through whom comes the natural line of Jesus through Mary (Luke 3:31); and Solomon, who succeeds David as king and through whom the legal line of Jesus comes through Jesus' foster father Joseph (Matthew 1:8). Other wives of David bore to him Ibhar; Elishama, or Elishua, which is considered the correct name, for there is another son named Elishama; Eliphelet; Nogah; Nepheg; Japhia; Elishama; Eliada, called Beeliada at 1 Chronicles 14:7; and Eliphelet, which is either a scribal error repeating the name of the other son Eliphelet, or a second son given this name after the death of the first one.

2 Samuel 5:4–10; 6:1–23; 1 Chronicles 3:5–9; it COVENANT (Covenant With King David); DAVID

Sacred Secret: Sometime between 1070 BCE and 1038 BCE, King David learns that the promised Seed will descend from him and will rule forever as King. (See After 4026  BCE, 1711 BCE, and 29 CE.)

2 Samuel 7:13–16; Psalm 89:35, 36; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

Circa 1040 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Second Samuel): Nathan and Gad complete the Bible book of 2 Samuel, in Israel. The book covers the years 1077 to circa 1040 BCE, and is a record of David's kingship.

si 2 SAMUEL; it SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

1037 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: Sometime before Nisan, David's son Solomon begins a 40-year rule, until circa 998 BCE. Shortly after Solomon begins ruling, David dies and is buried in the City of David, Jerusalem. Solomon's rule occurs during "the kingdom's zenith." Prophets: Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo. High priests: Abiathar and Zadok.

it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); si 284–5

1034 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: The construction of the temple by Solomon begins in the second month Ziv. The temple will take seven years to complete. This year marks the end of the 480th year period (479 full years) from the Exodus in 1513 BCE.

1 Kings 6:1; it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); TEMPLE (Solomon's Temple)

1027 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: The Temple in Jerusalem is completed. This temple will last 420 years, until it is destroyed by Babylonian invaders in 607 BCE.

it TEMPLE (Solomon's Temple)

1026 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: The Temple is inaugurated in the seventh month. At the close of Solomon's prayer, fire comes down from heaven and consumes the sacrifices, and Jehovah's glory fills the temple. Twelve years later, after Solomon finishes other building projects, Jehovah will verbally acknowledge Solomon's prayer.

2 Chronicles 7:1–3; 11–22; it SOLOMON (Building Projects)

Circa 1020 BCE - back

Bible (Book of The Song of Solomon): Solomon completes the Bible book of The Song of Solomon, in Jerusalem. The time period is uncertain, but the events covered in the book evidently occur quite early in Solomon's reign (1037–998 BCE). The story is about the unswerving love of a Shulammite maiden for a shepherd boy in spite of King Solomon's attempts to win her.

si THE SONG OF SOLOMON; it SONG OF SOLOMON, THE

Before 1000 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Ecclesiastes): Solomon completes the Bible book of Ecclesiastes, in Jerusalem, sometime in the latter part of his kingship after he had engaged in the numerous pursuits he describes. The book is a description of works that are vain and those that are worthwhile.

si ECCLESIASTES; it ECCLESIASTES

Judah: The kings who rule over Judah during this century are Solomon (undivided kingdom), Rehoboam (undivided and divided kingdom), Abijah (Abijam), Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat), Ahaziah (son of Jehoram), and usurper Queen Athaliah. Prophets in Judah during this century are Shemaiah, Iddo, Azariah, Oded, Hanani, Jehu (son of Hanani), Eliezer, Jahaziel, and Elijah.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Israel: The kings who rule over Israel during this century are Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah (son of Ahab), Jehoram (son of Ahab), and Jehu. Prophets in Israel during this century are Ahijah, Jehu (son of Hanani), Elijah, Micaiah, and Elisha.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Greece: In this century, classic paganism is flourishing in Greece. The gods Zeus (Roman Jupiter), Hera (Roman Juno), Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis (Roman Diana), Ares (Roman Mars), Aphrodite (Roman Venus), Athena, Hermes (Roman Mercury), and others become prominent.

it GREECE, GREEKS (Greek Religion)

Egypt: During this millennium, cotton is used in Egypt and Palestine.

it COTTON

Israel: A form of safety pin for holding together items of clothing may have been introduced into Israel during this century.

it DRESS

Circa 998 BCE - back

Twelve-tribe Kingdom: Solomon dies. He ruled for 40 years, from 1037 BCE to circa 998 BCE. Jeroboam, who had fled to Egypt and the protection of Pharaoh Shishak (Sheshonk) when Solomon had sought to put him to death, now returns to Judah.

1 Kings 11:40–43; it JEROBOAM; SHISHAK;
SOLOMON

997 BCE - back

Judah: Rehoboam, son of Solomon and Naamah, the Ammonitess, begins a 17-year rule at age 41, and will rule until 980 BCE.

At 1 Chronicles 12:1, the Bible says about Rehoboam: "And it came about that, as soon as the kingship of Rehoboam was firmly established and as soon as he was strong, he left the law of Jehovah, and also all Israel with him." Elaborating on Judah's sins, 1 Kings 14:22–24 says: "And Judah went on doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, so that they incited him to jealousy more than all that their forefathers had done by their sins with which they sinned. And they too kept building for themselves high places and sacred pillars and sacred poles upon every high hill and under every luxuriant tree. And even the male temple prostitute proved to be in the land. They acted according to all the detestable things of the nations whom Jehovah had driven out from before the sons of Israel."

Judah and Israel: Soon the kingdom splits into two parts: Judah and Israel (compare 1077 BCE). Ten of the tribes set up Jeroboam as king over their newly formed northern kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam congregates 180,000 men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to fight the house of Israel to bring the kingship back to Rehoboam. The prophet Shemaiah tells Rehoboam that Jehovah said they must not fight their brothers, so Rehoboam's men of war obey and return to their homes.

Judah: The tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the priestly tribe of Levi form the southern kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as the capital.

Contemporary prophets: Shemaiah, Iddo.

Israel: Jeroboam becomes the first king of the ten northern tribes and the founder of the first dynasty of Israel. He will rule 22 years, until about 977 BCE. These ten tribes (other than the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and the priestly tribe of Levi) form the northern kingdom of Israel, with Shechem as its capital at first, then later Tirzah, then Samaria.

At 1 Kings 14:7–11, Jehovah through the prophet Ahijah makes the following pronouncement against Jeroboam and his house: "Go, say to Jeroboam . . . 'You have not become like my servant David, who kept my commandments . . . but you began to act worse than all those who happened to be prior to you, and you went and made for yourself another god and molten images to offend me, and it is I whom you have cast behind your back; for that reason here I am bringing calamity upon the house of Jeroboam . . . and I shall indeed make a clean sweep behind the house of Jeroboam, just as one clears away the dung until it is disposed of. The one dying of Jeroboam's in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one dying in the field, the fowls of the heavens will eat, because Jehovah himself has spoken it.'"

Jeroboam is the first of 19 kings over Israel (not counting Tibni). (See Circa 951  BCE). Not one king of the northern kingdom will practice true religion.

Contemporary prophet: Ahijah, who foretold how Solomon's kingdom would be divided, and who pronounced doom to Jeroboam and his house.

Good Kings, Bad Kings: Beginning with Rehoboam, the southern kingdom of Judah will have 19 kings (not counting the usurper queen, Athaliah), but only a handful of them will practice true religion. Besides David in the undivided kingdom, the good kings of Judah are Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Although some of the other kings did a few things during their reigns that were considered right, only the six listed had a fine enough record for it to be said about them that they did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah. Beginning with Jeroboam, the northern kingdom of Israel will also have 19 kings (not counting Tibni), but not one of them will practice true religion.

1 Kings chapters 12, 13; 2 Chronicles chapters 10, 11; 12:14; w62 2/1 70; g89 2/22 17–20; it AHIJAH 7; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); IDDO 3; JEROBOAM 1; REHOBOAM; SHEMAIAH 6.

Calf Worship: Fearing that his kingdom would return to the house of David when the people went up to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, Jeroboam introduces calf worship into Israel by placing golden calves at Dan and Bethel and establishing his own priesthood and festival days. Succeeding Israelite kings will perpetuate Jeroboam's apostate worship, which the Bible refers to as the "sins of Jeroboam."

A prophet comes out of Judah to Bethel and prophesies to Jeroboam, who was making "sacrificial smoke" on the altar, that a son would be born "to the house of David, whose name is Josiah! And he will certainly sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places that are making sacrificial smoke upon you, and men's bones he will burn upon you." (See 648 BCE for the fulfillment of this prophecy.) As a portent to Jeroboam, the prophet says the altar would be ripped apart and the fatty ashes spilled out. Jeroboam reaches out and commands his men to seize the prophet. His hand is instantly dried up, and the altar splits apart as foretold. Jeroboam entreats the prophet regarding his hand, and it is restored to him "as at the first."

The eventual outcome of calf worship for the ten-tribe kingdom is stated at 2 Kings 17:21–23: "For he ripped Israel off from the house of David, and they proceeded to make Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam proceeded to part Israel from following Jehovah, and he caused them to sin with a great sin. And the sons of Israel went walking in all the sins of Jeroboam that he had done. They did not depart from them, until Jehovah removed Israel from his sight, just as he had spoken by means of all his servants the prophets. So Israel went off its own soil into exile in Assyria down to this day." (See 740 BCE.)

1 Kings 12:25–33; it CALF (Calf Worship); JEROBOAM 1

997 BCE to 993 BCE - back

Judah: Rehoboam leaves Jehovah's worship and allows sex worship in Judah, which provokes Jehovah into allowing Egyptian King Shishak (Sheshonk I) to invade Judah in 993 BCE .

1 Kings 14:21–24; 2 Chronicles 12:1; it REHOBOAM; SHISHAK

993 BCE - back

Judah: Egyptian King Shishak (Sheshonk I, "Twenty-second Dynasty") invades Judah and strips great treasures from the temple in Jerusalem. One purpose of Shishak's invasion is to extend Egypt's power by gaining control over important trade routes.

Israel: Shishak captures many cities and villages in Israel. A relief on the southern wall of the temple of Amon at Karnak (ancient Thebes) depicts Shishak's campaign and lists many captured cities of Judah and Israel, such as Megiddo, Shunem, Gibeon, and also the "Field of Abram."

1 Kings 14:25, 26; 2 Chronicles 12:9; w88 2/1 23–27; it EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (After Israel's conquest of Canaan); REHOBOAM; SHISHAK; si 332

980 BCE - back

Judah: Rehoboam dies at age 58. He began ruling in 997 BCE. Abijah (Abijam), the son of Rehoboam and Maacah (Micaiah), the granddaughter of Absalom, succeeds Rehoboam as king. Abijah begins a 3-year rule, until 978 BCE.

Although Abijah condemns the calf worship of Jeroboam, he fails to remove the high places, the sacred pillars and poles, and the male temple prostitutes from Judah. At 1 Kings 15:3, the Bible says about Abijah (Abijam): "And he went on walking in all the sins of his father that he did prior to him; and his heart did not prove to be complete with Jehovah his God, like the heart of David his forefather."

Contemporary prophet: Iddo.

1 Kings 14:21–31; 15:1–8; 2 Chronicles 12:16; 13:1–22; it ABIJAH 5; IDDO 3; MAACAH 9

After 980 BCE - back

Judah and Israel: Warfare takes place between Jeroboam's 800,000 men (Israel) and Abijah's 400,000 men (Judah). Abijah 'leans upon Jehovah' and defeats Jeroboam, who loses half a million of his men. Abijah captures Bethel, where an apostate priesthood had been installed and a golden calf kept. Bethel later reverts to the northern kingdom, at least by the time of Baasha's reign when he tries to rebuild Ramah, which is located south of Bethel. (See Circa 975 BCE and Circa 962  BCE.)

1 Kings 12:28–32; 15:7;2 Chronicles 13:3–20; ABIJAH 5

978 BCE - back

Judah: King Abijah dies after a 3-year reign. He began ruling in 980 BCE. Asa, the son of Abijah, begins to rule this year, although his first regnal year counts from 977 BCE.

Contemporary prophets: Azariah, Oded, Hanani.

Contemporary kings of Israel: Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab.

1 Kings 14:23, 24; 15:3, 8; 2 Chronicles 14:1; it ABIJAH 5; ASA 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 977 BCE - back

Israel: About this year, Jehovah deals King Jeroboam a blow so that he dies. He began ruling in 997 BCE. Jeroboam is succeeded by his son, Nadab, whose rule is counted from about 976 BCE.

1 Kings 14:20; 2 Chronicles 13:20; it NADAB 4

977 BCE - back

Judah: Asa, the son of Abijah (Abijam), is counted as ruling from this year, although he began to rule in 978 BCE. Asa will rule 41 years, until 937 BCE .

At 2 Chronicles 14:2, the Bible says about Asa: "And Asa proceeded to do what was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God." Asa is considered one of the six good kings out of the 43 kings who ruled in Israel and Judah. (See "Good Kings, Bad Kings" at 997 BCE.)

1 Kings 15:8–10; 2 Chronicles chapters 14–16; it ASA 1

Circa 976 BCE - back

Israel: Nadab succeeds his father Jeroboam as king and rules for parts of two years, until about 975 BCE.

At 1 Kings 15:26, the Bible says about Nadab: "And he kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and went on walking in the way of his father and in his sin with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

1 Kings 14:20; 15:25–31; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); NADAB 4

Circa 975 BCE - back

Israel: Nadab is assassinated by Baasha. Nadab began ruling about 976 BCE. Baasha becomes the third king of the ten tribes and the founder of the second dynasty of Israel. He will reign 24 years, until 953 BCE. Baasha strikes down the entire house of Jeroboam, as had been prophesied by Ahijah at 1 Kings 14:10.

At 1 Kings 15:34, the Bible says about Baasha: "And he kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and went walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.) Because Baasha continues the calf worship of Jeroboam, the prophet Jehu prophesies that Baasha's house will be wiped out. (See Circa 951 BCE.)

Contemporary prophet: Jehu, the son of Hanani, who foretells the destruction of the house of Baasha.

1 Kings 14:10; 15:27–34; 16:1–7, 12; it AHIJAH 7; BAASHA; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHU 2

967 BCE - back

Judah: Zerah the Ethiopian, with one million warriors and 300 chariots, comes against Judah and King Asa in war, but is soundly defeated.

2 Chronicles 14:9–15; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ZERAH 6

967 BCE to 963 BCE - back

Judah: Asa cleanses Judah of false worship and renews the altar of Jehovah.

2 Chronicles chapter 15; it ASA 1

963 BCE - back

Judah: Many Israelites from the northern kingdom abandon that region to join in a grand assembly at Jerusalem. King Asa, who reigns from 977 to 937 BCE, concludes a covenant for the people to seek Jehovah, with the death penalty for those not keeping this covenant.

2 Chronicles 15:8–15; it ASA 1

Circa 962 BCE - back

Israel: In an effort to block any Israelites who might want to return to Judah again (see 963 BCE), King Baasha of Israel fortifies the frontier city of Ramah, located on the main road to Jerusalem and only a short distance north of Jerusalem and Gibeah.

Judah: In response to Baasha's fortifying the city of Ramah, Asa, the king of Judah, resorts to sending a bribe to King Ben-hadad I of Syria, to have the Syrians attack the northern border of Israel to divert King Baasha from fortifying Ramah. Asa then carries off the stones and timbers and uses them to build up the cities of Geba and Mizpah. For failing to put his trust in Jehovah and instead 'leaning on the king of Syria,' the seer Hanani tells Asa that he will now face continued warfare.

1 Kings 15:33, 34; 16:1–7; 2 Chronicles chapter 16; it ASA 1; BAASHA

952 BCE - back

Israel: King Baasha dies. He began ruling about 975 BCE. He is succeeded by his son Elah, who begins ruling about 952 BCE.

it BAASHA

Circa 952 BCE - back

Israel: Elah succeeds his father Baasha as fourth king of Israel. He will rule for parts of two years in Tirzah, until assassinated by Zimri about 951 BCE.

At 1 Kings 16:12, 13, the Bible says regarding Elah that Zimri "annihilated the whole house of Baasha . . . on account of all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son with which they sinned and with which they caused Israel to sin by offending Jehovah the God of Israel with their vain idols." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

1 Kings 16:8–14; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ELAH 3

Circa 951 BCE - back

Israel: King Elah is assassinated by Zimri, chief over half of the king's chariots. Elah began ruling about 952 BCE.

Zimri becomes the fifth king of Israel, but he rules for only seven days. Zimri's killing of Elah, the son of Baasha, and all the house of Baasha fulfills the prophecy of Jehu the son of Hanani who prophesied "a clean sweep" of the house of Baasha. (See Circa 975 BCE.) Zimri may have been a descendant of Saul and Jonathan who was trying to recover the kingship because of being a member of Saul's household. Zimri dies by burning the king's house down upon himself.

Though brief his reign, at 1 Kings 16: 19, the Bible says that Zimri died "for the sins of his with which he had sinned by doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah by walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did by causing Israel to sin." See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE. Zimri is succeeded by Omri, the chief of Israel's army under King Elah.

Omri becomes the sixth king of Israel and is the founder of the third dynasty of Israel. Omri will reign 12 years, until about 940 BCE, when he will be succeeded by his son Ahab. "And Omri kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and came to do worse than all who were prior to him. And he went walking in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and to sin by offending Jehovah the God of Israel with their vain idols." See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.

During the first four years of Omri's rule, a rival king, Tibni, also becomes king over part of the people, and the populace is divided in their support of Omri and Tibni. Civil war rages until the supporters of Omri overthrow the supporters of Tibni. Omri is a mighty king who is credited on the Moabite stone with bringing Moab into subjection. (The Moabite stone is discovered in 1868 CE.) Sometime during his reign, Omri moves his capital from Tirzah to Samaria. (See Circa 945 BCE.)

1 Kings 16:1–28; 1 Chronicles 8:33–36; 9:42 it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); OMRI 3; ZIMRI 3, 4

Circa 947 BCE - back

Israel: Tibni, Omri's rival for the throne, dies. Omri begins about eight years of sole rule, until about 940 BCE.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 945 BCE - back

Israel: About this year, Omri moves his capital from Tirzah and begins ruling from Samaria (which means "Belonging to the Clan Shemer"). He purchased the mountain of Samaria from Shemer and builds the city of Samaria on its relatively flat top. The hill upon which Samaria is built rises 295 feet above the valley floor. The city is strongly fortified with sturdy double walls as much as 33 feet wide. Samaria will serve as the capital of the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel for more than 200 years, until it falls to the king of Assyria in 740 BCE.

1 Kings 16:23, 24; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Palestine and Syria); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); SAMARIA; SHEMER 3

Circa 940 BCE - back

Israel: King Omri dies and is succeeded by his son Ahab. Omri began ruling about 951 BCE. Ahab begins his rule in Samaria as the seventh king over Israel, and he will rule for 22 years, until about 919 BCE.

At 1 Kings 16:30–33, the Bible says: "And Ahab the son of Omri proceeded to do worse in the eyes of Jehovah than all those who were prior to him . . . to walk in the sins of Jeroboam," and "to go and serve Baal and to bow down to him." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.) Thus Ahab, through the influence of his Sidonian wife Jezebel, introduces Baal worship into Israel in addition to calf worship.

Contemporary prophets: Elijah, Micaiah.

1 Kings 16:23–30; it AHAB 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHORAM 2; OMRI 3.

Circa 940 BCE to 919 BCE - back

Israel: Influenced by his Baal-worshiping wife, Jezebel, Ahab introduces a new and more potent form of Baal worship into Israel than that which was already in existence. He builds a temple for Baal and erects a sacred pole to Ashtoreth. Ahab reigns 22 years, until about 919 BCE.

The prophet Elijah, who begins his career as a prophet during the reign of King Ahab, foretells a drought of rain and dew, his first miracle. The drought lasts three years and six months. During the drought, Elijah is miraculously fed by ravens. Then Elijah moves to Zarephath near Sidon, Jezebel's hometown, and stays with a widow, miraculously multiplying her flour and oil until the drought ends, his second miracle. When her son dies, Elijah resurrects him, his third miracle and the first resurrection recorded in the Bible. Near the end of the drought, Elijah calls for a test of gods—of Jehovah versus Baal—on top of Mount Carmel. The Baal worshipers keep calling in vain for Baal to consume their sacrifice. but when Elijah prays over his water-soaked sacrifice, in answer to Elijah's prayer, fire falls from heaven and consumes the sacrifice, the altar, and the water around the altar to Jehovah that Elijah rebuilt for the occasion. This is his fourth miracle. This fire test proves Baal to be a false god and Jehovah to be the true God. Elijah has the prophets of Baal seized, brought down to the torrent valley of Kishon, and slaughtered. Elijah then prays for rain and the drought is broken, his fifth miracle.

Jezebel seeks to kill Elijah, who flees to Mount Horeb. Jehovah sends Elijah back with the commission to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as prophet to succeed him. Elijah appoints Elisha as his successor, and Elisha joins Elijah and serves with him perhaps six years, from about 923 until about 917 BCE.

Ben-hadad II of Syria besieges Samaria, but Ahab prevails. The next year Ben-hadad returns, but is dealt a crushing defeat by Ahab's forces. Ahab lets Ben-hadad live, and covenants with him to have the streets of Damascus assigned to Ahab, evidently for the establishment of bazaars to promote Ahab's commercial interests. Jehovah condemns Ahab for doing this.

Ahab desires the hereditary vineyard of Naboth in Jezreel bordering his residential palace. Jezebel connives to have Naboth killed and the possession of the vineyard transferred to Ahab. Elijah denounces Ahab as a murderer and prophesies that the dogs will lick up Ahab's blood and that Jezebel will become food for dogs.

Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah, marries Jehoram, the son of Judean King Jehoshaphat. About three years after Naboth's death, Ahab induces King Jehoshaphat of Judah to help him retake Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians, but Jehovah's prophet Micaiah predicts calamity. In addition, Micaiah tells of a vision about Jehovah's throne in which he asks his assembled angels: "Who will fool Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" When one angel says he would put a deceptive spirit into the mouths of Ahab's prophets, Jehovah tells him, "You will fool him, and, what is more, you will come off the winner. Go out and do that way."

Ahab does not heed Micaiah's warning and hustles off to war. During the battle, Ahab is hit by a random arrow and dies. When his body is returned and his war chariot is washed out by the pool of Samaria (possibly the 17- by 33-foot pool found by archaeologists at the northwest corner of the summit), the "dogs went licking up his blood" just as prophesied.

1 Kings 16:30–33; 17:1; 18:1; 19:1–8; chapters 20–22; 2 Chronicles chapter 18; Luke 4:25: James 5:17; it ABIRAM 2; AHAB 1; ARCHAEOLOGY (Palestine and Syria); ELIJAH 1; ELISHA

Prophecy fulfilled: Sometime during the reign of Ahab, both Abiram, the firstborn son of Hiel the Bethelite, and Segub, Hiel's youngest son, die when Hiel attempts to rebuild Jericho. Their deaths are in fulfillment of Joshua's prophecy given over 500 years previously in 1473 BCE.

Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:33, 34; it ABIRAM 2; HIEL; JERICHO; SEGUB 2

937 BCE - back

Judah: King Asa dies after suffering an illness of the feet (perhaps gout) for three years. He began ruling in 977 BCE. Asa's son Jehoshaphat begins to rule, although Jehoshaphat's first regnal year is counted from 936 BCE.

Contemporary prophets: Jehu (son of Hanani), Eliezer, Jahaziel.

High Priest: Amariah.

it ASA 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

936 BCE - back

Judah: This is counted as Jehoshaphat's first regnal year, although he began to rule in 937 BCE. He will rule 25 years, until about 911 BCE.

At 2 Chronicles 17:3, 4, 6, the Bible says about Jehoshaphat: "And Jehovah continued with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of David his forefather and did not search for the Baals. For it was for the God of his father that he searched and in his commandment he walked, and not according to the doing of Israel. And his heart became bold in the ways of Jehovah, and he even removed the high places and the sacred poles from Judah."

Jehoshaphat is considered one of the six good kings out of the 43 kings who ruled in Israel and Judah. (See "Good Kings, Bad Kings" at 997 BCE.) His reign is marked by prosperity and relative peace with neighboring lands.

Contemporary kings in Israel: Ahab, Ahaziah (son of Ahab), and Jehoram (son of Ahab).

2 Chronicles chapters 17–20; 21:1; it JEHOSHAPHAT 3

Circa 923 BCE - back

Israel: Elisha may have joined the prophet Elijah as his attendant this year. Elisha does prophetic work in Israel during the rules of kings Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehoram, Jehu, and on into the rule of Jehoash. In Judah, he does prophetic work during the rules of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Queen Athaliah, Jehoash, and, likely, Amaziah. Elisha will have about 60 years of ministry by himself after Elijah's departure about 917 BCE.

About this year, Jezebel conspires to have Naboth and his sons killed in order to give Naboth's hereditary vineyard to Ahab. Because of doing this, Elijah prophesies to Ahab: "In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours. . . . The very dogs will eat up Jezebel in the plot of land of Jezreel. Anyone of Ahab's that is dying in the city the dogs will eat up; and anyone dying in the field the fowls of the heavens will eat up." (See fulfillment at Circa 919 BCE and Circa 905 BCE.)

1 Kings chapter 21; it ELISHA; NABOTH

Circa 919 BCE - back

Judah: At some point in time before Ahab's death about 919 BCE, Athaliah, daughter of Israel's Ahab and Jezebel, marries Jehoram, the son of Judah's King Jehoshaphat.

Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, becomes associated in some way with his father in the government. (See 913 BCE.)

CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHORAM 3

Israel: King Ahab dies about this year, slain by a chance arrow in an ill-advised war against the Syrians. His blood is washed from his chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs went 'licking up his blood' as prophesied. (See Circa 923 BCE.) Ahaziah, son of Ahab, succeeds to the throne. Ahaziah's two years of rulership probably count from this year.

Contemporary prophets: Elijah, Elisha.

1 Kings chapter 22; it AHAB 1; AHAZIAH 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 919 BCE to Circa 917 BCE - back

NB: There are two kings named Ahaziah: King Ahaziah of Israel, son of Ahab and Jezebel, and King Ahaziah of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah. There are two kings named Jehoram: King Jehoram of Israel, also a son of Ahab and Jezebel, and King Jehoram of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat.

Israel: King Ahaziah continues Baal worship in Israel. Ahaziah will rule for two years, until he dies sometime after accidentally falling through the grating in his roof chamber.

King Mesha of Moab had revolted after the death of King Ahab, as recorded on the Moabite Stone, but King Ahaziah does not attempt to crush Mesha's rebellion.

Ahaziah forms a maritime alliance with King Jehoshaphat of Judah for a shipbuilding enterprise at Ezion-geber on the Gulf of Aqaba, but Jehovah disapproves of the project because of Ahaziah's wickedness, and the ships are wrecked.

While on his sickbed, King Ahaziah sends messengers to inquire of the Philistine god Baal-zebub about his prospects of recovery. Elijah intercepts the messengers and foretells that Ahaziah's sickbed will become his deathbed. Ahaziah sends a force of 50 men to bring Elijah in to him, but they are consumed by fire (Elijah's sixth miracle). A second group of 50 men is also consumed by fire (Elijah's seventh miracle). A third group is sent, but they escape due to the captain's plea to Elijah. Elijah himself delivers the death message to Ahaziah.

King Ahaziah dies without an heir and is succeeded by his brother Jehoram in about 917 BCE. At 1 Kings 22:52, 53, the Bible says about Ahaziah: "And he kept doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes and went walking in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. And he continued serving Baal and bowing down to him and kept offending Jehovah the God of Israel according to all that his father had done." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

1 Kings 22:48, 49; 2 Kings chapters 1, 2; 2 Chronicles 20:35–37; it AHAZIAH 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 917 BCE to Circa 905 BCE - back

Israel: King Ahaziah, son of Ahab and Jezebel, who began ruling about 919 BCE, dies about 917 BCE without an heir. He is succeeded by his brother Jehoram.

During his rule from about 917 to about 905 BCE, King Jehoram of Israel removes the sacred pillar of Baal that his father Ahab had erected, but he does not remove the calf worship instituted by Jeroboam. Jehoram rules until Jehu kills him in about 905 BCE.

At 2 Kings 3:1, 2, the Bible says of Jehoram: "And he kept on doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, only not like his father or like his mother, but he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. Only he stuck to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin. He did not depart from them." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

Contemporary prophet: Elisha.

Elijah and Elisha: Sometime during Jehoram's rule, Elijah performs his eighth and last miracle by parting the waters of the Jordan river. Elisha sees Elijah ascending in the windstorm, thus receiving assurance that two parts of Elijah's spirit have come upon him and that he is Elijah's successor. Elijah is transferred to an assignment in Judah (see 913 BCE). Elisha performs his first miracle when he takes Elijah's official garment and parts the waters of the Jordan.

After his miraculous parting of the Jordan, Elisha performs fifteen more miracles: He sweetens the bad water of Jericho; near Bethel he calls down evil upon a group of jeering children who show no respect for his office as prophet, resulting in two she-bears coming out of the woods and tearing to pieces 42 of them; he causes ditches to fill with miraculous water, which reflects the sun like blood and lures the Moabites into an ambush in the camp of the combined armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom (this event takes place between 917 and 913); he multiplies the widow's oil; he promises the woman of Shunem a son, and when he later dies, resurrects him, the second resurrection in the Bible and Elisha's seventh miracle.

At Gilgal during a famine, Elisha removes poison from a pot of wild gourds; he miraculously feeds a hundred men and has leftovers; he performs a miraculous cure of Naaman's leprosy, then because of his attendant Gehazi's greed and lies, he attaches the leprosy of Naaman to Gehazi. Near the Jordan, he causes a lost ax head that was borrowed to float and be recovered. Near Dothan, he causes his attendant to see the mountainous region full of horses and war chariots of fire, then he strikes the Syrian military force surrounding the city with blindness. After leading them to Samaria, he opens their eyes. Elisha's sixteenth miracle occurs after his death.

2 Kings chapters 1, 2; 3:1–3; it AHAZIAH 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ELIJAH 1; ELISHA; JEHORAM 2, 3

913 BCE - back

Judah and Israel: Note that beginning this year, the coregent king of Judah and the king of Israel are both named Jehoram.

Judah: Jehoram becomes the official coregent with his father Jehoshaphat. It is from this time that Jehoram's kingship of eight years may be counted, until about 907 BCE. (2 Kings 8:17) The last time Elijah is mentioned as serving as a prophet, this time in Judah instead of in Israel, is sometime toward the end of Jehoram's reign. (2 Chronicles 21:12–15)

Contemporary prophet: Elijah.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ELIJAH 1; JEHORAM 2, 3; JERUSALEM: Divided Kingdom (997–607 BCE)

Circa 911 BCE - back

Judah: King Jehoshaphat dies. He ruled from 936 BCE, and is considered to be one of the few good kings of Judah. His firstborn son, Jehoram, becomes the sole ruler.

Jehoram will rule until about 907 BCE. To make sure he has no competition for kingship from his six brothers, he murders them, along with some of the princes of Israel. At 2  Chronicles 21:6, the Bible says about Jehoram: "And he went on walking in the way of the kings of Israel, just as those of the house of Ahab had done; for Ahab's own daughter had become his wife, and he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes."

2 Chronicles chapter 21; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHORAM 3; JERUSALEM: Divided Kingdom (997–607 BCE)

Circa 907 BCE - back

Judah: King Jehoram dies approximately this year. His widow, Athaliah, will usurp the kingship about 905 BCE. Ahaziah, the son of King Jehoram, may have been anointed to kingship this year, although he begins to rule about 906 BCE.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JERUSALEM: Divided Kingdom (997–607 BCE)

Circa 906 BCE - back

Judah: Ahaziah, age 22, the youngest son of King Jehoram and Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, begins to rule for one year. Ahaziah is also known as Azariah and Jehoahaz.

At 2 Chronicles 22:3, 4, the Bible says about Ahaziah: "He himself also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother herself became his counselor in doing wickedly. And he went on doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, the same as the house of Ahab, for they themselves became counselors to him after the death of his father, to his ruination."

High Priest: Jehoiada.

Israel: Jehu is anointed by one of the sons of the prophets associated with Elisha sometime during Ahaziah's one-year reign in Judah. (See Circa 905 BCE.)

2 Kings 8:25–29; 9:1–28; 2 Chronicles 22:1–9; it AHAZIAH 2; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHU 3

Circa 905 BCE - back

Judah and Israel: King Ahaziah of Judah accompanies King Jehoram of Israel (Ahaziah's maternal uncle) in a fight against Syria at Ramoth-gilead. Jehoram is wounded, and Ahaziah visits the convalescing Jehoram at Jezreel.

An attendant of Elisha anoints Jehu as king over Israel. Jehu races toward Jezreel, and kings Ahaziah and Jehoram ride out to meet him. Jehu shoots King Jehoram of Israel with an arrow so that he dies, and Jehu has his body thrown onto the tract of land of Naboth as prophesied. At Jezreel, Jehu has Jezebel's servants throw her down from the palace window, where she is then eaten by dogs as foretold by Elijah. (See Circa 923 BCE.)

King Ahaziah of Judah flees as far as Samaria where Jehu's men capture him. He is taken to Jehu who is near Ibleam. Jehu orders his men to kill Ahaziah in his chariot, but he is only wounded and flees to Megiddo where he dies of his wounds. Jehu slaughters Ahaziah's 42 brothers.

Jehu's years of kingship in Israel are counted from about 904 BCE to about 877 BCE.

Judah: After Ahaziah's death, his mother, Athaliah, usurps the throne of Judah for six years, from about 905 BCE until about 899 BCE. To prevent rivalry, she has all the royal offspring killed off (excluding her own sons). Unknown to her, Athaliah's grandson, Jehoash, the infant son of slain King Ahaziah, is kept hidden by the high priest and his wife, Jehoash's aunt. (See 898  BCE.)

1 Kings 19:15, 16; 2 Kings 9:1–37; 10:1–14; 19:22–26; 2  Chronicles 22:1–12; 23:1–15; it AHAZIAH 2; ATHALIAH 1; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ELIJAH 1; JEHORAM 2; JEHU 3

Circa 904 BCE - back

Israel: The years of Jehu's kingship are counted from about this year. Jehu will rule 28 years as king of Israel in Samaria, until 877 BCE, to be succeeded by his son Jehoahaz.

Although Jehu annihilates Baal worship from Israel (at least temporarily), at 2 Kings 10:29, 31, the Bible says about Jehu: "It was only the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin, that Jehu did not turn aside from following them, that is, the golden calves of which one was in Bethel and one in Dan. And Jehu himself did not take care to walk in the law of Jehovah the God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHU 3

Greece: The earliest reference to Greece in the Bible is in this century. Joel speaks of Judeans being sold by Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia as slaves to "the sons of the Greeks."

Joel 3:4–8

Assyria: In this century, Shalmaneser III of Assyria follows his father Ashurnasirpal to the throne. The Black Obelisk found in Nimrud (Calah) has a relief showing King Jehu of Israel (ruled 904–877 BCE) paying tribute, perhaps through an emissary, to Shalmaneser. (See 1846 CE.) During this century the prophet Jonah is sent to warn Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, of coming destruction. (See Circa 844 BCE.)

2 Kings 10:31–33; it ASSYRIA; GREECE(Democratic Experiments); NINEVEH; w88 2/15 24–28

898 BCE - back

Judah: Athaliah, the queen who usurped the throne about 905 BCE, is slain by 899 BCE or 898 BCE. Jehoash, the youngest son of King Ahaziah who has been kept hidden from Athaliah, is installed as king of Judah at age seven. His rule is counted from this year and he will rule 40 years, until 859 BCE.

At 2 Kings 12:2, 3, the Bible says about Jehoash: "And Jehoash continued doing what was right in Jehovah's eyes all the days of his that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. It was only the high places that did not disappear. The people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places."

Later, though, after the death of high priest Jehoiada, 2 Chronicles 24:18, 19 shows that Jehoash succumbs to the bad influence of idolatrous princes: "And gradually they left the house of Jehovah the God of their forefathers and began serving the sacred poles and the idols, so that there came to be indignation against Judah and Jerusalem because of this guilt of theirs. And he kept sending prophets among them to bring them back to Jehovah; and they kept bearing witness against them, but they did not give ear." Verses 20– 22 show that Jehoash even had Zechariah, the son of high priest Jehoiada, stoned to death after he was moved by God's spirit to tell the people that "because you have left Jehovah, he will, in turn, leave you."

2 Kings 12:1; 1 Chronicles 3:11; it JEHOASH 1

Circa 877 BCE - back

Israel: Jehu, king of Israel, dies and is succeeded by his son Jehoahaz, who begins ruling in 876 BCE. Jehu began ruling about 904 BCE.

2 Kings 10:35; it JEHU 3

876 BCE - back

Israel: Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, becomes king. He will rule for 17 years, until about 860 BCE.

At 2 King 13:2, 3, the Bible says about Jehoahaz: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes and went walking in pursuit of the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin. He did not turn aside from it. And Jehovah's anger became hot against Israel, so that he gave them into the hand of Hazael the king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael all their days." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

it JEHOAHAZ 2

Circa 862 BCE - back

Israel: Jehoash becomes associated in the kingship with his father, Jehoahaz. He begins ruling as sole ruler about 859 BCE.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 860 BCE - back

Israel: Jehoahaz dies, and is succeeded by his son Jehoash, who begins to rule about 859 BCE.

it JEHOAHAZ 2

Circa 859 BCE - back

Israel: Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, becomes sole ruler over the northern kingdom of Israel. (He is called Joash at Hosea 1:1 and Amos 1:1.) He will rule for 16 years, until about 844 BCE. During the beginning of Jehoash's reign, another king named Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, is also ruling as king over the southern kingdom of Judah. (See 859 BCE.)

At 2 Kings 13:11, the Bible says about Jehoash (of Israel): "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin. In them he walked." See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 13:10; it JEHOASH 1 [Judah]; JEHOASH 2 [Israel]

859 BCE - back

Judah: King Jehoash is murdered by his servants. He began ruling in 898 BCE. Jehoash's son Amaziah, age 25, succeeds him as king of Judah, and begins ruling in 858 BCE.

Not long before Jehoash's death, Judah and Jerusalem are invaded by a military force from Syria, and they bring ruin on the princes in Judah. At 2 Chronicles 24:24, 25, the Bible says: "For it was with a small number of men that the military force of the Syrians made an invasion, and Jehovah himself gave into their hand a military force of very great number, because they had left Jehovah the God of their forefathers; and upon Jehoash they executed acts of judgment. And when they went away from him (for they left him with many diseases), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest; and they got to kill him upon his own couch, so that he died."

2 Kings 12:19–21; it JEHOASH 1

858 BCE - back

Judah: Amaziah, son of Jehoash, begins ruling and will rule 29 years, until 830 BCE.

At 2 Chronicles 25:2, the Bible says about Amaziah: "And he continued to do what was right in Jehovah's eyes, only not with a complete heart." During his rule, Amaziah executes those who murdered his father and engages in two military campaigns: one against Edom (Seir) that is successful, and one against King Jehoash of Israel that is disastrous.

2 Kings 14:1–21; 2 Chronicles chapter 25; it AMAZIAH 2;JEHOASH 2

858 BCE to 844 BCE - back

Judah and Seir (Edom): Amaziah engages in a successful military campaign against Seir, using a force of 300,000 from Judah and Benjamin. He hires 100,000 mercenaries from Israel, but upon the advice of a man of God, sends them home. The 100,000 who were dismissed raided towns of Judah on their return north. Amaziah kills 20,000 Edomites, but he brings the gods of Seir back with him and begins worshiping them, thus incurring Jehovah's anger and dooming his next military campaign to disaster.

Judah and Israel: King Amaziah of Judah engages in a military campaign against Jehoash of Israel, likely in retaliation for Israel's raids on the towns of Judah. But Jehovah has doomed Amaziah to defeat because of his idolatry. Amaziah is captured at the battle at Beth-shemesh and taken to Jerusalem. The wall of Jerusalem is breached by Jehoash of Israel, and the temple and house of the king are looted of gold and silver, which is taken back to Samaria along with hostages.

2 Kings 14:1–21; 2 Chronicles chapter 25; it AMAZIAH 2

Circa 844 BCE - back

Israel: Jehoash dies by this year, if not sooner. He began ruling about 859 BCE. Jeroboam II succeeds his father Jehoash as king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He will rule 41 years, until 804 BCE.

At 2 Kings 14:24, the Bible says about Jeroboam II: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 14:23–29; it JEROBOAM 2

Assyria: Inscriptions show Assyrian king Adad-nirari III attacking Damascus, the capital of Syria, and receiving tribute from King Jehoash of Samaria. The prophet Jonah is sent on a mission to Assyria's capital Nineveh to warn of coming destruction, and the Assyrians heed his message. The Assyrian king who repented as a result of Jonah's preaching is not known for certain, but he may have been Adad-nirari III. Three of Adad-nirari's sons succeed him, and history shows that during this period there is a decline in Assyrian aggression. (Compare Assyria's later record of aggression during the following century.)

it ASSYRIA (Adad-nirari III and his successors)

Assyria and Jonah: The prophet Jonah is sent on a mission to Nineveh, Assyria's capital, to warn of coming destruction. Instead, he flees by sea to Tarshish, but on the voyage is cast overboard by the sailors to quell a storm sent by Jehovah. Jonah is then swallowed by a great fish, but is vomited out later at the command of Jehovah. After Jonah's rescue, he goes to Nineveh as commanded to preach to over 120,000 pagan Ninevites of their coming destruction. The entire city including its king repents, and Nineveh is spared (for now).

it JONAH, BOOK OF

Bible (Book of Jonah): Jonah completes the book of Jonah. The book is about his experiences when he is sent to pagan Nineveh to warn them of coming destruction.

Jonah 1:1, 2; 3:2–6; si JONAH; it JONAH, BOOK OF

830 BCE - back

Judah: King Amaziah is forced to flee to Lachish by conspirators, but is put to death by them there. He began ruling in 858 BCE.

it AMAZIAH 2; BETH-SHEMISH 1; LACHISH

829 BCE - back

Judah: Amaziah's son, Uzziah (Azariah), age 16, succeeds Amaziah as king of Judah. Uzziah will reign 52 years, until about 778 BCE, when he dies a leper.

At 2 Kings 15:3–5, the Bible says about Uzziah (Azariah): "And he continued to do what was upright in Jehovah's eyes, according to all that Amaziah his father had done. It was only that the high places did not disappear. The people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places. Finally Jehovah plagued the king, and he continued to be a leper until the day of his death, and he kept dwelling in his house exempt from duties, while Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land."

it AMAZIAH 2; UZZIAH 3

829 BCE to 778 BCE - back

Judah: King Uzziah is struck with leprosy due to becoming haughty and unlawfully burning incense in the temple. (2 Chronicles 26:16–21)

Contemporary prophets: Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, and perhaps Joel.

2 Kings 15:1, 2, 13; Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; Hosea 1:1;Amos 1:1; it AMAZIAH 2; AZARIAH 13; UZZIAH 3

Circa 820 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Joel): Joel completes the Bible book of Joel, in Judah, possibly about this year. The book is a prophecy about Jehovah's vengeance and mercy.

Joel 1:1; si JOEL; it JOEL, BOOK OF

Circa 817 BCE - back

Judah: Uzziah becomes king a second time, perhaps by being freed from the domination of Israelite King Jeroboam II, this domination beginning when Uzziah's father Amaziah was defeated by King Jehoash of Israel sometime after 858 BCE.

it UZZIAH 3

Circa 804 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Amos): Amos completes the Bible book of Amos, in Judah. The book is directed especially against the northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel for their false religious practices at Bethel. Jeroboam II is king in Israel. The book foretells Jehovah's judgments against Syria, Philistia, and Tyre for their cruel treatment to Israel; against Edom and Ammon for their hatred and mistreatment of the Israelites; against Moab for burning the bones of the king of Edom for lime; against Judah for rejecting the law of Jehovah; and against Israel for oppressing the poor, for immorality, and for treating disrespectfully the prophets and Nazirites raised up by God.

Amos 1:1; si AMOS; it AMOS, BOOK OF

804 BCE - back

Israel: King Jeroboam II dies this year. He began ruling about 844 BCE. Jeroboam is succeeded by his son Zechariah. (See Circa 803 BCE and Circa 792 BCE.)

it JEROBOAM 2

Circa 803 BCE - back

Israel: Zechariah begins to reign about this year, but his kingship isn't confirmed fully until about 792 BCE.

it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ZECHARIAH 14

Greece: In this century the Greek poet Hesiod is credited with systemizing Greek myths and legends. Hesiod's Theogony, and the Homeric poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, credited to Homer of the ninth or eighth century, form the principal sacred writings, or theology, of the Greeks. These Greek myths, which contain stories of Creation, of "gods" coming to earth and marrying mortals, and of a great Flood, have their origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Babylon.

it GREECE (Greek Religion); sh 42–44; g89 3/8 20–24

Hebrew and Aramaic Languages: The difference between Hebrew and Aramaic has become wide enough to mark them as separate languages. Aramaic, originally spoken by the Assyrians, is now the lingua franca of the Middle East, although not understood by the majority of Judeans. Aramaic will continue in use until about 500 CE.

it ARAMAIC; HEBREW, II (Question of the Language's Stability)

Assyria: During this century, Assyria begins to rise as the dominant world power. During the first half of this century, the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (Pul of 2 Kings 15:19; 1 Chronicles 5:26) rules Babylonia. He is the ruler who initiates the deportation of people from the northern kingdom of Israel, possibly beginning the 65-year period mentioned at Isaiah 7:8. His rule possibly runs from the time of Israel's King Menahem down to that of King Hoshea, Israel's last king. His annals, found at Calah, say: "I received tribute from . . . Menahem of Samaria."

Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) is succeeded by Shalmaneser V, who puts Samaria, the capital of Israel, under siege. Sargon II succeeds Shalmaneser in the year Samaria falls (see 740 BCE), and Sargon may have completed the conquest of Samaria.

Later, the Chaldean Merodach-baladan becomes king of Babylon. After 12 years, Merodach-baladan is ousted by Sargon II. Then Sennacherib succeeds Sargon II. Later Sennacherib must put down another revolt by Merodach-baladan, who proclaims himself king of Babylon. Sennacherib destroys Babylon; his son Esar-haddon rebuilds it.

The Assyrian transplantation of people to and from Samaria, begun during the reign of Tiglath-pileser III, continues until the reign of Esar-haddon (see Circa 712 BCE). Esar-haddon is succeeded by his son Ashurbanipal (Asenappar of Ezra 4:9, 10) who is a contemporary of King Manasseh of Judah (ruled 716–662 BCE). Under Ashurbanipal (ruled 668–627 BCE), Assyria reaches its greatest heights.

In excavations that begin in 1845 CE, the great library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh is unearthed. This first systematically organized library in the ancient Middle East is a valuable source of information about Assyria, containing some 22,000 clay tablets and texts, including religious works and business documents, and treatises on history, geography, astronomy, mathematical tables, medicine, and grammar. The Epic of Gilgamesh, the famous Akkadian myth that contains a Flood legend, also comes from this library.

it ASENAPPAR [Ashurbanipal]; ASSYRIA; BABYLON (Israel's Age-Old Enemy); ESAR-HADDON; SENNACHERIB; TIGLATH-PILESER (III); sh 48; w88 2/15 24–28; EncBrit "Ashurbanipal"

Egypt: Isaiah foretells the unsettled state of governmental affairs in Egypt that occurs during the latter part of this century and the first of the next, and which is confirmed by history.

Isaiah chapter 19; it EGYPT (History); PHARAOH

Rome: Toward the middle of the century, the city of Rome is founded.

g89 3/8 20–24

Circa 792 BCE - back

Israel: Zechariah is confirmed as king of the northern kingdom about this year, although he had already become king in some way after the death of his father, Jeroboam II. Zechariah's official kingship lasts only six months, until he is assassinated by Shallum. (See 804 BCE, Circa 803 BCE, and Circa 791 BCE.)

At 2 Kings 15:9, the Bible says about Zechariah: "And he went on doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, just as his forefathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 15:8–12; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ZECHARIAH 14

Circa 791 BCE - back

Israel: Shallum, through "conspiracy with which he conspired," becomes king of the ten- tribe kingdom by assassinating King Zechariah, the last of Jehu's descendants to rule. The death of Zechariah completes the prophecy to Jehu that his sons to the fourth generation would sit on the throne of Israel.

Shallum rules for only one month until he is also assassinated.

Menahem assassinates King Shallum and becomes king of the ten-tribe kingdom. The years of Menahem's rulership are counted from about 790 BCE.

2 Kings 10:28–30; 15:14–22; w88 2/15 24–28; it ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); MENAHEM; SHALLUM 5

Circa 790 BCE - back

Israel: Menahem begins to rule for ten years, until 781 BCE.

At 2 Kings 15:18, the Bible says about Menahem: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin, all his days." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

Sometime during Menahem's reign, he pays tribute of 1000 silver talents (worth over $6.6 million) to the invading Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III, who is called Pul in the Bible at 2 Kings 15:19.

2 Kings 15:13–22; it MENAHEM

781 BCE - back

Israel: King Menahem dies. He began ruling about 790 BCE. Menahem is succeeded by his son, Pekahiah. (See 780 BCE.)

2 Kings 15:22; it ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); MENAHEM

780 BCE - back

Israel: Pekahiah begins ruling as king, and will rule two years, until assassinated about 778 BCE. At 2 Kings 15:24, the Bible says about Pekahiah: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 15:22–26; w88 2/15 24–28; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 778 BCE - back

Judah: King Uzziah dies. He began ruling in 829 BCE. Uzziah is succeeded by his son Jotham, who begins ruling in 777 BCE.

Contemporary prophet: Isaiah, who begins serving as a prophet to Judah by this year, if not earlier.

2 Chronicles 26:22, 23; Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; it ISAIAH; UZZIAH 3; ip-1 7

Israel: Pekah assassinates King Pekahiah and begins to rule. Pekah will rule for 20 years, until he is assassinated about 759 BCE. At 2 Kings 15:28, the Bible says about Pekah: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 15:23–31; it ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); PEKAH; PEKAHIAH

777 BCE - back

Judah: Jotham, son of Uzziah, begins to rule this year. He will rule until 762 BCE. At 2 Kings 15:34, the Bible says about Jotham: "And he continued to do what was right in Jehovah's eyes." Jotham is considered one of the six good kings out of the 43 kings who ruled in Israel and Judah. (See "Good Kings, Bad Kings" at 997 BCE.)

Contemporary prophets: Micah, Hosea, Isaiah.

2 Kings 15:32–38; 2 Chronicles 27:1–9; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JOTHAM 3

762 BCE - back

Judah: King Jotham dies this year. He began ruling in 777 BCE. Sometime near the end of Jotham's reign, Israel and Syria began to exert military pressures on the land of Judah. Jotham's son Ahaz begins to rule this year, although his rule is counted from 761 BCE .

2 Kings chapter 16; 2 Chronicles chapter 28; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

761 BCE - back

Judah: King Ahaz begins to count his rule from this year, although he evidently began ruling in 762 BCE. He will rule 16 years, until 746 BCE. At 2 Chronicles 28:1–3, the Bible says about Ahaz: "He did not do what was right in the Jehovah's eyes like David his forefather. But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and even molten statues he made of the Baals. And he . . . proceeded to burn up his sons in the fire, according to the detestable things of the nations that Jehovah had driven out from before the sons of Israel."

Sometime between this year and about 759 BCE, Judah is invaded by King Pekah of Israel and King Rezin of Syria. Although the prophet Isaiah assures Ahaz that the attack of Israel and Syria and their intention of installing someone else in place of a king of the Davidic line on Judah's throne "will not stand, neither will it take place" (Isaiah 7:5–7), Ahaz shortsightedly sends a bribe to Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III to induce Assyria to attack the Israel-Syria combine. This action puts Judah in a subservient position to Assyria. (See Circa 759 BCE.)

Israel: Sometime within the next three years, during the early part of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah (rules 761–746 BCE), King Pekah of Israel (rules c.778–759 BCE) and King Rezin of Syria team up and invade Judah.

2 Kings chapter 16; 2 Chronicles chapter 28; it AHAZ 1; ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); ip-1 104–11

Circa 759 BCE - back

Judah: It is probably in this year that King Ahaz becomes tributary to the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III. As a vassal king, Ahaz travels to Damascus, recently captured by Assyria, to render homage to Tiglath-pileser. While there, he sees a pagan altar he likes and then has priest Urijah build a duplicate of it. He moves the original altar of Jehovah at the temple Jerusalem, places his pagan copy there, and sacrifices on it.

Israel: Sometime between 761 BCE and this year, the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III captures a number of cities in the northern part of Israel, and regions in Gilead, Galilee, and Naphtali, and then proceeds to deport some of the Israelites. The Assyrian king also captures Damascus and puts the Syrian King Rezin to death.

Israel Hoshea assassinates King Pekah, who began to rule about 778 BCE.

2 Kings chapter 16; 2 Chronicles chapter 28; it AHAZ 1; ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

Circa 758 BCE - back

Israel: Hoshea 'begins to reign' as king, but not fully until about 748 BCE. At 2 Kings 17:2, the Bible says about Hoshea: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, only not as the kings of Israel that happened to be prior to him." (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.) Hoshea is the last king to rule the northern kingdom of Israel.

2 Kings 15:30; chapter 17; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); HOSHEA 4

753 BCE - back

Rome: Tradition has it that the city of Rome is founded this year by its first king, Romulus.

it ROME

Circa 748 BCE - back

Israel: King Hoshea's control of the kingdom becomes fully established, perhaps in part due to receiving the backing of the Assyrian monarch Tiglath-pileser III.

it ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); HOSHEA 4

746 BCE - back

Judah: King Ahaz dies. He began ruling in 761 BCE. Ahaz is succeeded by his son Hezekiah in 745 BCE.

it ASSYRIA (Tiglath-pileser III)

Archaeology: The name of Ahaz appears as Yauhazi in an inscription of the Assyrian monarch Tiglath-pileser III.

it AHAZ 1

745 BCE - back

Judah: Hezekiah, age 25, succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah. He will reign 29 years, until 717 BCE.

At 2 Kings 18:3, 5–7, the Bible says about Hezekiah: "And he continued to do what was right in Jehovah's eyes, according to all that David his forefather had done. . . . In Jehovah the God of Israel he trusted; and after him there proved to be no one like him among all the kings of Judah, even those who had happened to be prior to him. And he kept sticking to Jehovah. He did not turn aside from following him, but he continued keeping his commandments that Jehovah had commanded Moses. And Jehovah proved to be with him." Hezekiah is considered one of the six good kings out of the 43 kings who ruled in Israel and Judah. (See "Good Kings, Bad Kings" at 997 BCE.)

Hezekiah has the temple doors opened that his father Ahaz had nailed shut, and has the temple cleansed and repaired. He concludes a covenant with Jehovah to obey the Law of Moses. He reorganizes the Levites for service, then calls for a celebration of the Passover. Runners are sent to all the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel inviting them to come to Jerusalem and join in the celebration. The general response of the people of Israel to the runners' invitation is that "they were continually speaking in mockery of them and deriding them." However, a great number of individuals from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun humble themselves and respond to the invitation.

After the people and the priests and Levites cleanse themselves, they celebrate the Passover in the second month. Following that, they hold another seven-day celebration, after which the people return to their homes and "break up the sacred pillars and cut down the sacred poles and pull down the high places and the altars."

The tithe for the priests and Levites is restored, and the response of the people is so positive that "from the time they started to bring the contribution into the house of Jehovah there has been an eating and getting satisfied and having a surplus in abundance; for Jehovah himself has blessed his people."

2 Kings chapters 18–20; 2 Chronicles chapters 29–32; gm 117; it ASAHEL 3; ASAPH 3; HEZEKIAH 1

After 745 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Hosea): The prophet Hosea completes the Bible book of Hosea, in the district of Samaria. The book covers from before 804 BCE to not long after 745 BCE, which is shortly before Israel is taken into exile by Assyria. The prophecies are directed mainly to Israel, the northern ten- tribe kingdom, also called Ephraim after the name of its dominant tribe. The message of Hosea warns that adverse judgment is coming. (See 740 BCE.) They are to be held accountable because they had been forming unwise alliances with other nations rather than trusting in Jehovah, and practicing great sins such as fraud, hypocrisy, stealing, murder, idolatry, and fornication in both a physical and spiritual sense. Hosea's message calls for them to search for Jehovah and return to him, and it emphasizes Jehovah's extraordinary mercy if only they would give evidence of heartfelt repentance.

si HOSEA; it HOSEA, BOOK OF; w05 11/15 17–31

742 BCE - back

Israel: The Assyrian army under Shalmaneser V begins a three-year siege of Samaria. (See 740 BCE.)

it ASSYRIA (Biblical and Secular History); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

740 BCE - back

Israel: Assyria under either Shalmaneser V or his successor, Sargon II, destroys the northern kingdom of Israel after a three-year siege of Samaria. Israel is exiled, with many of its leading inhabitants settling in Mesopotamia and Media. (See 1843 CE.) The northern kingdom of Israel that began in 997 BCE has come to its end.

2 Kings chapter 17; gm 47; it ASSYRIA (Biblical and Secular History); CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); SAMARIA; SARGON; SHALMANESER 2

732 BCE - back

Judah: Assyrian King Sennacherib, son of Sargon II, captures Sidon, Achzib, Acco, and other cities on the Phoenician coast. Moab, Edom, and Ashdod submit and send tribute. He then invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities and towns, including Lachish. King Hezekiah sends tribute worth over $13 million to Lachish. Not satisfied, Sennacherib sends Rabshakeh, Tartan, and Rabsaris from Lachish to Jerusalem with a military force in an attempt to force Hezekiah to surrender.

In the event of siege, Hezekiah strengthens Jerusalem's fortifications, makes missiles and shields, and stops up the sources of water outside the city of Jerusalem. He engineers a tunnel from the well of Gihon to the Pool of Siloam within Jerusalem's walls. See 1909 CE.

Tirhakah, the Ethiopian king of Egypt (thought to be Pharaoh Taharqa), invades Canaan, and temporarily diverts Assyria, but Tirhakah is defeated by Assyrian King Sennacherib. Sennacherib, however, fails to capture Jerusalem when an angel destroys 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night.

2 Kings 18:13–17; chapter 19; w88 2/1 23–27; 2/15 24–28; it EGYPT (History); HEZEKIAH 1 (Assyrian Pressure Builds Up), (Building and Engineering Works), (Sennacherib's Failure at Jerusalem); LACHISH; SENNACHERIB; TIRHAKAH

Circa 732 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Isaiah): Isaiah completes the Bible book of Isaiah, in Jerusalem. The book covers circa 778 BCE to after 732 BCE, and includes the reigns of Judean kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The prophecies are directed to Judah and Jerusalem, and are given to stimulate the people to fear Jehovah rather than the surrounding nations, and to look to Jehovah for deliverance. Isaiah prophesies that Cyrus will command the rebuilding of Jerusalem, a prophecy that is not fulfilled for almost two hundred years. (See 539 BCE and 537  BCE .) Many of Isaiah's prophecies apply to Jesus Christ.

si ISAIAH; it ISAIAH, BOOK OF; rs 60–61

Before 717 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Micah): Micah completes the Bible book of Micah, in Judah. The book covers circa 777 BCE to 717 or 716 BCE, and covers the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The book is a forecast concerning the desolating of Samaria (see 740  BCE) and Jerusalem (see 607 BCE), and also promises restoration. Micah prophesies that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. (See 2 BCE.)

Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:3–6; si Bible Book 33, Micah, 155–8; it MICAH; MICAH, BOOK OF

Circa 717 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Proverbs): The Bible book of Proverbs is compiled, in Jerusalem. It consists mostly of the writings of Solomon, but part is also by Agur and Lemuel. Proverbs consists of sections in the form of discourses and of collections of wise sayings about practical matters of life.

si PROVERBS; it AGUR; LEMUEL; PROVERBS, BOOK OF

717 BCE - back

Judah: King Hezekiah dies. He began ruling in 745 BCE.

it ASAPH 3

716 BCE - back

Judah: Manasseh succeeds his father Hezekiah as king of Judah. Manasseh will rule for 55 years, until 662 BCE.

At 2 Chronicles 33:2, 8, the Bible says about Manasseh: "And he proceeded to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, according to the detestable things of the nations that Jehovah had driven out from before the sons of Israel. . . . He did on a large scale what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, to offend him."

For almost his entire rule, Manasseh does what is bad in Jehovah's eyes. Among his many sins are rebuilding the high places that Hezekiah had destroyed, setting up altars to Baal, worshiping the "army of the heavens," building false religious altars in two of the temple courtyards, making his sons pass through the fire, practicing magic, using divination, and putting the graven image of the sacred pole in the house of Jehovah. Manasseh sheds innocent blood in great quantity, and Jewish literature says that Isaiah was sawed apart at Manasseh's command.

Sometime during Manasseh's reign, Assyrian King Esar-haddon (who rules c.712–668, or 681–668 according to some secular histories) captures Manasseh. While in captivity, Manasseh repents, humbles himself, and prays to Jehovah, who hears his request for favor and restores him to the kingship in Jerusalem. After that, even though Manasseh begins to produce works befitting his repentance by removing the foreign gods and altars and sacrificing to Jehovah, the land of Judah will still suffer for the gross sins he had committed.

2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chronicles 33:10–17; Jeremiah 15:3–5; Hebrews 11:37; w97 1/1 27; w88 2/15 24–28; it ASENAPPAR; MANASSEH 4

Circa 712 BCE - back

Assyria: The death of Sennacherib is considered as coming about 20 years after his siege of Jerusalem (see 732 BCE). The Bible reports that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer "struck him down with the sword" when he entered the house of his god Nisroch. Until the discovery of a fragment of the Prism of Esar-haddon that states that Esar-haddon's brothers killed their father, history will erroneously record only one son as killing him. (See 1847 CE.)

Esar-haddon succeeds his father Sennacherib as king of Assyria. Early in his reign he begins restoring Babylon, which his father had destroyed.

2 Kings 19:37; 2 Chronicles 32:21; Isaiah 37:37, 38; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Relative worth of inscriptions); ESAR-HADDON; SENNACHERIB

Circa 700 BCE - back

Persia: Ecbatana becomes the capital city of ancient Media (see 550  BCE). In the sixth century BCE, Cyrus' decree to rebuild Jerusalem is kept in this city.

Ezra 5:1–17; it ECBATANA

Greece: It is about this year that a tendency toward democratic government in the Grecian city-states begins.

w71 12/15 742

World Powers: At the beginning of this century, Assyria is the dominant world power. In 632 BCE, Babylon rises over Assyria and becomes the dominant world power, and will remain such until 539 BCE. The Assyrians are weakened by the rise of the Medes; with the help of the Medes, the Babylonians rally around Nabopolassar, make him king, and liberate Babylonia. Nabopolassar begins the Neo- Babylonian dynasty that continues until Belshazzar. This dynasty is represented by the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream image and by a lion with the wings of an eagle and the heart of a man in Daniel's vision of the four beasts.

Daniel 2:37–45; 7:2–4; it ARAMAIC; ASSYRIA; SC-I:223

Babylonia: Babylonia is called "the land of Shinar" in the Scriptures. It is also called "the land of the Chaldeans." Babylonia grew out of two areas; the northern part that is called Akkad (Accad) and the southern part that is called Sumer or Chaldea. The name Akkadian (Accadian) is used today to describe the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian languages.

Daniel 7:4; it ACCAD; BABYLON 2

Etruscans: During this century, or perhaps in the eighth century BCE, the Etruscans probably migrate to Italy from the Aegeo-Asian area. Their elaborate religious observances, their use of temples, statues, and images, will later be adopted by the Romans. The Etruscans will give Rome its earliest significant contact with the Greek gods and goddesses. The Romans merely change the names of the Greek deities.

g89 3/8 20–24

Egypt: Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt begins, but does not complete, construction on a canal to link the Nile to the Red Sea (see 522 BCE). He sends a Phoenician fleet on a successful three-year voyage circumnavigating Africa, which is about 2000 years before the Portuguese Vasco da Gama sails around Africa to India in 1497–1499 CE. (See http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/N/Necho.asp and http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/g/gama-v1as.asp.)

it NECHO(H); AAEnc 9 "Gama, Vasco da"; AAEnc 14 "Necho II, King of Egypt"

Greece: Greek architecture enters its "golden period" during this century, which will last until the fourth century BCE. Buildings such as the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Apollo in Corinth will be built during this period.

it ARCHITECTURE (Grecian and Roman Styles and Methods)

Circa 684 BCE - back

Assyria and Egypt: Ashurbanipal (son of Esar-haddon and grandson of Sennacherib) invades Egypt and sacks wealthy Thebes in Upper Egypt (later called No-amon at Nahum 3:8–10). He completely subjugates Egypt, ending Ethiopian dominance of the Nile valley. This fulfills the prophecy uttered about a half century earlier by the prophet Isaiah at Isaiah 20:3–6.

it ASENAPPAR; CUSH 2

668 BCE - back

Assyria: Ashurbanipal (Asenappar) of Assyria, the son of Esar-haddon and grandson of Sennacherib (see 732 BCE), begins to reign. He was appointed crown prince of Assyria three or four years prior to this year, and his brother, Shamash-shum-u-kin, was appointed as crown prince of Babylonia. When his brother rebelled against him, Ashurbanipal overcame the rebellion and sacked the city of Babylon. He will expand the Assyrian empire to its greatest extent, with the boundaries of the Assyrian Empire embracing the regions of Elam, part of Media up into Ararat, as far west as Cilicia in Asia Minor, through Syria and Israel (but not Jerusalem), and down into Egypt, Arabia, and Babylonia.

sh 48; w88 2/15 24–28; it ASENAPPAR; ASSYRIA (Ashurbanipal); AAEnc 2: "Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria"

662 BCE - back

Judah: King Manasseh dies. He began ruling in 716 BCE. He is succeeded by his son Amon in 661 BCE.

it MANASSEH 4

Archaeology: The name of King Manasseh of Judah (ruled 716–662 BCE) will be found on a prism of Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (ruled 668–627 BCE), which lists 20 kings as tributaries of Assyria.

it ASENAPPAR

661 BCE - back

Judah: Amon, the son of King Manasseh, begins to rule, at age 22.

At 2 Chronicles 33:22, 23, the Bible says about Amon: "And he proceeded to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, just as Manasseh his father had done; and to all the graven images that Manasseh his father had made Amon sacrificed, and he continued serving them. And he did not humble himself because of Jehovah the same as Manasseh his father humbled himself, for Amon was one that made guiltiness increase."

Amon rules for two years, until 660 BCE, when he is murdered by his servants.

2 Kings 21:19–26; 2 Chronicles 33:20–25; it AMON 2; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart)

660 BCE - back

Judah: King Amon, who has ruled for about two years, from 661 BCE, is killed at age 23 or 24 by a conspiracy of his servants.

The people of the land, the "am haarets," put the conspirators to death and install Amon's young son Josiah on the throne, whose rule is counted from 659 BCE.

2 Kings 21:19–26; 2 Chronicles 33:20–25; it AMON 2

659 BCE - back

Judah: Josiah, age 8, the son of Amon, begins to rule. He will rule 31 years, until about 629 BCE. During his reign he will have at least two wives, Hamutal who bears Jehoiahaz and Zedekiah, and Zebidah who bears Jehoiakim.

At 2 Kings 23:25, the Bible says about Josiah: "And like him there did not prove to be a king prior to him who returned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his vital force, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him has there risen up one like him."

Josiah is considered the last one of the six good kings out of the 43 kings who ruled in Israel and Judah. (See "Good Kings, Bad Kings" at 997 BCE.)

Contemporary prophets: Zephaniah, Jeremiah, the prophetess Huldah.

1 Kings 22:1, 2; 2 Kings 23:31, 34, 36; it CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JOSIAH 1; ZEDEKIAH

Circa 653 BCE - back

Judah: Jehoiakim, the second son of Josiah, age 14, is born. Jehoiakim will be king of Judah from 628 BCE to 618 BCE.

it JOSIAH 1

652 BCE - back

Judah: During the 8th year of his reign, Josiah starts "to search for the God of David his forefather." It is about this time that Josiah's son Jehoahaz (also called Shallum) is born. Jehoahaz will succeed his father as king early in 628 BCE and reign for only three months.

2 Kings 22:1; 23:31; 2 Chronicles 34:3; Jeremiah 22:11; it JEHOAHAZ 3; JOSIAH 1

Before 648 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Zephaniah): Zephaniah, who is possibly a descendant of King Hezekiah, completes the book of Zephaniah, in Judah, sometime before this year, perhaps early in Josiah's reign before the reforms he began circa 648 BCE. The book of Zephaniah contains messages of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem and other nations such as the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Ethiopians, the Assyrians, and the Ninevites. Zephaniah foretells the coming of Jehovah's day, urges the meek ones of the earth to seek Jehovah and meekness and righteousness, and foretells the giving of a pure language so that a restored remnant can call on Jehovah's name and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

si ZEPHANIAH; it ZEPHANIAH 2; ZEPHANIAH, BOOK OF

648 BCE - back

Judah: In this 12th year of his reign, Josiah, age about 20, heeds the prophecy of Zephaniah and begins to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry. This reform will take six years to complete, until about 642 BCE.

At some point during this time, Josiah's efforts at reform extend into the area formerly occupied by the northern ten-tribes of Israel. A prophecy given about 350 years prior to this time about a son of David being born who would be named Josiah, and who would burn false prophets' bones on the altars erected to false gods and then tear down the altars, is fulfilled. Josiah has the idolatrous priests sacrificed on the altars where they had offered up sacrifices, and the bones of idolatrous priests dug up and burned on the altar, and the altars in Bethel and other places torn down. (See "Calf Worship" at 997 BCE.)

2 Kings 23:1–30; 2 Chronicles 34:3–8, 33; it JOSIAH 1; ZEPHANIAH, BOOK OF

647 BCE - back

Judah: Jeremiah is commissioned as prophet in this 13th year of King Josiah to warn Judah of her impending destruction. He prophesies in Jerusalem for 40 years, until taken into exile to Egypt in 607 BCE. (See 625 BCE.)

Jeremiah 1:2–5; 43:5–7; si JEREMIAH; it CAPTIVITY (Beginning of the Exile); JEREMIAH 6; JEREMIAH, BOOK OF

Circa 645 BCE - back

Babylon: The Chaldean Nabopolassar founds a new dynasty (Neo-Babylonian) in Babylon.

it BABYLON 2; CHRONOLOGY (Babylonian Chronology)

643 BCE - back

Judah: The prophet Ezekiel is born. He receives a commission as prophet in 613 BCE.

it EZEKIEL

642 BCE - back

Judah: King Josiah commands that the ark of the covenant be returned to the temple. It is not known whether an apostate king had removed it or if it was removed to allow repairs on the temple.

2 Chronicles 33: 1, 2, 7; 35:3; it ARK OF THE COVENANT (Locations Where the Ark Was Kept)

Circa 638 BCE - back

Judah: Zedekiah, son of King Josiah and Hamutal, is born. He will be the last king over Judah, from 617 BCE to 607 BCE.

it ZEDEKIAH 4

635 BCE - back

Judah: Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim and grandson of Josiah, is born. He will rule for only 3 months in 618 BCE.

it JEHOIAKIM

Before 632 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Nahum): Nahum completes the book of Nahum, in Judah, sometime before Nineveh is destroyed in 632 BCE. The book is a pronouncement against the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh.

si NAHUM; it NAHUM, BOOK OF

632 BCE - back

Assyria and Babylon: The combined forces of Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, and of Cyaxares the Mede, and of hordes from the North (probably Scythians) besiege and capture Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, thus fulfilling Zephaniah's and Nahum's prophecies against Nineveh. (See 648 BCE and Before 632 BCE.) (Note: Secular histories generally give the date of 612 BCE for the fall of Nineveh.)

Babylon now replaces the Assyrian world power and becomes the third world power of Bible history.

Nahum 1:1; 2:6–10; 3:1–7; Zephaniah 2:13–15; it ASSYRIA (The fall of the empire); BABYLON 2; NINEVEH; ip-1 178–9; w01 11/15 26; w96 3/1 12; w88 2/15 24–28; 3/1 28–31

Archaeology: The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, under "Nineveh" says: "So complete was the desolation that in Greek and Roman times Nineveh became almost like a myth. Yet all the while part of the city lay buried under mounds of apparent rubbish." The archaeological excavation of Nineveh will not begin until the 19th Century.

si Zephaniah

Circa 629 BCE - back

Judah: Pharaoh Necho (II) marches toward the river Euphrates to aid Assyria against Babylon. The Assyrian king is perhaps Ashur-uballit II, who had been attempting to rule the remnant of the Assyrians from Haran after the fall of Nineveh in 632 BCE, but who had been driven out of Haran. Now he wants to reconquer Haran (but will not succeed).

Necho, on his way to help the Assyrian king, meets King Josiah of Judah at Megiddo and mortally wounds him.

Josiah dies at age 39. He began ruling in 659 BCE. He is succeeded by his son Jehoahaz in 628 BCE.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/N/Necho.asp; 2 Kings 23:28–30; it ASSYRIA (The fall of the empire); EGYPT (History); NECHO(H); JOSIAH 1; w88 2/1 23–27

Circa 628 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Habakkuk): Possibly about this year, Habakkuk completes the Bible book of Habakkuk, in Judah. This book prophesies against the Chaldeans (Babylonians) who are rising in prominence (see 632 BCE and 625 BCE), but who have not yet made Jehoiakim their vassal (see 620 BCE ).

si HABAKKUK; it HABAKKUK, BOOK OF

628 BCE - back

Judah: Judah is now tributary to Egypt, paying an initial sum equivalent to almost $1,046,000. Jehoahaz (whose name prior to coming to the throne may have been Shallum), the son of Josiah, becomes king at age 23, and reigns for a brief three months in the early part of the year. He is removed from the kingship by Pharaoh Necho II and imprisoned at Pharaoh's encampment at Riblah. Later, Pharaoh Necho takes Jehoahaz to Egypt where he will die in captivity as prophesied by Jeremiah.

At 2 Kings 23:32, the Bible says about Jehoahaz: "And he began to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, according to all that forefathers of his had done."

Pharaoh Necho replaces Jehoahaz with his brother Eliakim (renamed Jehoiakim), age 25, as tributary king to Egypt. Jehoiakim will reign 11 years, until 618 BCE. His rule will be a bad one marked by injustices, oppression, and murder. Jehoiakim will burn Jeremiah's scroll, piece by piece. (See 624 BCE.)

At 2 Kings 23:37, the Bible says about Jehoiakim: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, according to all that forefathers of his had done."

2 Kings 23:30–35; Jeremiah 22:10–12; it EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (History), (Assyrian invasion); JEHOAHAZ 3; JEHOIAKIM; NECHO(H); RIBLAH 2; dp 18, 32

625 BCE - back

Babylon: Babylon becomes a "golden cup" for Jehovah to pour out his indignation against unfaithful Judah and Jerusalem, and also against Egypt.

Battle of Carchemish: Babylonian crown prince Nebuchadnezzar II defeats Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt in the battle of Carchemish by the Euphrates, over 370 miles north of Jerusalem. Egypt's downfall, as prophesied, begins at Carchemish. With this victory, Nebuchadnezzar II demolishes Egyptian domination over Syria and Palestine; the Babylonians now have mastery over western Asia. (Note: Traditional, non-Biblical chronologies usually give the date 605 BCE for the Battle of Carchemish.)

Babylon: King Nabopolassar dies and his son, Nebuchadnezzar II, returns to Babylon to assume kingship in August/September. He will reign 43 years, until 582 BCE.

Bible (Book of Jeremiah): Jeremiah begins dictating to his secretary Baruch the words Jehovah directed against Israel, Judah, and all the nations, recording messages that he began delivering from the 13th year of Josiah's reign (at which time Jehoiakim was about six years old) onward. (See 647 BCE.) Jeremiah foretells a 70-year desolation of Jerusalem and Judah. Jeremiah likens King Nebuchadnezzar to a drinking cup of Jehovah's rage; after Jerusalem is served the cup, other countries who must also drink follow: Egypt, Uz, Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Simri, Elam, Media, then finally Sheshach (Babylon). Jeremiah will complete the Bible book of Jeremiah in 580 BCE.

Jeremiah 25:1–11, 15, 17–26; 46:1–10; 51:7, 41; w88 2/1 23–27; w64 604–5; si JEREMIAH; it BABYLON 2; BARUCH 1; EGYPT (History); NEBUCHADNEZZAR; JEHOIAKIM; JEREMIAH 6; JEREMIAH, BOOK OF; dp 31

624 BCE - back

Babylon: This is the first official (regnal) year of Nebuchadnezzar II, the eldest son of Nabopolassar, as the second ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He will reign until 582 BCE. Note: Many secular sources list the first year of Nebuchadnezzar as being 605 BCE, with his reign ending in 562 BCE. These dates conflict with those determined by the chronology in the Bible, in part because many secular authorities reject the fact that there was a full 70-year period of desolation of Judea during the Babylonian captivity. (See Daniel 9:2 and Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10.)

Judah: In the ninth lunar month (Chislev, November/December), Jehudi reads the scroll containing Jeremiah's dictated message before King Jehoiakim. As soon as Jehudi reads three or four page-columns, Jehoiakim cuts off that section and throws it into the fire burning in the brazier, until the entire scroll is burned. Jehovah commands Jeremiah to write another roll, this time adding even more to the scroll than previously.

Jeremiah 36; it BABYLON 2; BARUCH 1; NEBUCHADNEZZAR; JEHOIAKIM; JEHUDI

620 BCE - back

Judah: Toward the end of King Jehoiakim's eighth year of rule, or early in this year, Nebuchadnezzar II makes Jehoiakim a tributary king to Babylon, thus beginning Jehoiakim's three-year vassalage to Babylon. This eighth year of Jehoiakim's rule is actually the first year of his kingship as vassal to Babylon, as referred to in Daniel 1:1.

2 Kings 24:1; it JEHOIAKIM; dp 18, 19, 32, 64

618 BCE - back

Judah: King Jehoiakim revolts against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar II besieges Jerusalem. Jehoiakim, age 36, dies perhaps by assassination or in a revolt during the early part of the siege. Jehoiakim began ruling in 628 BCE.

Jehoiakim's son, Jehoiachin, age 18, succeeds to the throne, but rules only 3 months and 10 days before he surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar in 617 BCE. Jehoiachin is also called Jeconiah and Coniah.

At 2 Kings 24:9, the Bible says about Jehoiachin: "And he continued to do what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, according to all that his father had done."

it BABYLON 2; CHRONOLOGY (Kings Chart); JEHOIACHIN.

Bible (Book of Daniel): The events later recorded in the book of Daniel begin about this year.

dp 13

617 BCE - back

Judah and Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem. King Jehoiachin surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar and is taken captive to Babylon along with other nobility, court officials, craftsmen, and warriors. Ezekiel, Daniel, and the youths Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshech), and Azariah (Abednego) are taken. (N.B.: Some older Watchtower publications put the date that the captives were taken to Babylon as 618 BCE, for example, in the chronological chart in w51 4/1 222.)

Nebuchadnezzar also takes some of the utensils from the temple in Jerusalem as spoil and puts them in the temple of his false god, Marduk. Deposed King Jehoiachin will remain in a prison in Babylon until released in 581 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar's successor.

Nebuchadnezzar appoints Jehoiachin's 21-year-old uncle, Mattaniah, son of Josiah, to the throne. Nebuchadnezzar changes Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah is the last Judean king to reign. He will reign 11 years, until 607 BCE.

At 2 Chronicles 36:12–14, the Bible says about Zedekiah: "And he continued to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah his God. He did not humble himself on account of Jeremiah the prophet at the order of Jehovah. And even against King Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled, who had made him swear by God; and he kept stiffening his neck and hardening his heart so as not to return to Jehovah the God of Israel. Even all the chiefs of the priests and the people themselves committed unfaithfulness on a large scale, according to all the detestable things of the nations, so that they defiled the house of Jehovah which he had sanctified in Jerusalem."

Jeremiah 39:4, 5; 43:7, 8; Daniel 1:1–7; dp 32–33, 64; it ABEDNEGO; AZARIAH 21; BABYLON 2; HANANIAH 7; JEREMIAH 6; SHADRACH; ZEDEKIAH 4

614 BCE - back

Judah: Jeremiah writes a prophecy setting out in detail the coming fall of Babylon.

Babylon: King Zedekiah and Seraiah, his quartermaster, visit Babylon to take the tribute due to Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah has Seraiah take along the roll containing the prophecy on Babylon's fall to read aloud at Babylon.

Jeremiah Chapter 51; w64 10/15 638

613 BCE - back

Judah and Babylon: Ezekiel, age 30, receives a commission to be a prophet. He was taken captive to Babylon in 617 BCE.

it EZEKIEL

612 BCE - back

Judah and Babylon: Ezekiel, in Babylon, has a vision in which he was transported in spirit back to Jerusalem. He sees certain detestable things inside the temple of Jehovah against which he speaks out.

Ezekiel Chapters 8, 9; w72 1/15 42

609 BCE - back

Judah and Babylon: Zedekiah revolts against Babylon. Jerusalem comes under final siege by the Babylonians.

it BABYLON 2

Circa 607 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Obadiah): Obadiah completes the Bible book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the Hebrew Scriptures. He prophesies against Edom (Mount Seir) due to Edom's taking part in desolating Jerusalem and plundering Judah. (See 1858 BCE, Before 602 BCE , the 6th Century BCE, and After 443 BCE.)

Psalm 137:7; si OBADIAH; it OBADIAH 8; OBADIAH, BOOK OF

607 BCE - back

Judah (Desolating of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Captivity): Babylon breaches Jerusalem's walls on Tammuz 9 (June–July) and destroys Jerusalem, burning Solomon's Temple. King Zedekiah flees to Jericho, is captured and taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. Zedekiah's sons are killed before his eyes, then he is blinded and taken captive to Babylon. Most Judeans are taken captive to Babylon.

Nebuzaradan, under orders from Nebuchadnezzar, releases Jeremiah and grants him some supplies. Nebuzaradan is also spokesman for the king of Babylon in appointing Gedaliah governor over those remaining.

The king of Ammon enlists the cooperation of Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah, after which the remaining people flee to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them.

2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 39:11–14; 40:1–7; 41:10; it GEDALIAH 4; NEBUCHADNEZZAR (Conquest of Jerusalem); RIBLAH 2; ZEDEKIAH

Judah: The "seventy years" of desolation prophesied by Jeremiah (25:8–12; 29:10) begin about October 1. Archaeology confirms that "there is not a single known case where a town of Judah proper was continuously occupied through the exilic period." The desolation will end in 537 BCE.

Jeremiah 25:8–12; 29:10; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Palestine and Syria)

Chronology: The Appointed Times of the Nations, or the "Times of the Gentiles," or the "seven times" of 2520 years' length, begin counting in early October. They will end in 1914 CE.

Daniel 9:1–3; dp 96–97; w86 11/1 4–7; si Study 3; rs 95–97

Bible (Book of Lamentations): Jeremiah completes the Bible book of Lamentations, near Jerusalem, soon after its fall. The book consists of five lyrical poems lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. The book of Lamentations shows the truth of the words of Deuteronomy 28:63–65, that disobedience to Jehovah would bring exile upon the Jews.

si LAMENTATIONS; it LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF

After 607 BCE - back

Babylon and Tyre: Nebuchadnezzar begins a 13-year siege against Tyre sometime after Jerusalem falls. For serving as executioner for Jehovah against Tyre, Jehovah will give him the wealth of Egypt. (See Circa 588 BCE.) This destruction is not the final one for Tyre; Alexander the Great will complete Tyre's destruction in 332 BCE.

Ezekiel chapters 26–28; w77 7/1 389; it NEBUCHADNEZZAR; TYRE

606/605 BCE - back

Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar dreams a God-sent dream about an immense metal image, which Daniel interprets as successive world powers represented by the different metallic parts of the image. The head of gold is the world power of Babylon [beginning with Nebuchadnezzar], which will last from 607 BCE to 539 BCE. The breasts and arms of silver will be the world power of Medo-Persia [beginning with Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian], which will last from 539 BCE to 331 BCE. The belly and thighs of copper will be the world power of Greece [beginning with Alexander the Great], which will last from 331 BCE to 30 BCE. The legs of iron will be the world powers of Rome and its political outgrowth, Anglo-America, with Rome beginning in 30 BCE and the British Empire by 1763 CE and later being joined by the United States of America to become the Anglo- American world power. The feet and toes of iron [authoritarian or tyrannical governments] mixed with moist clay [common people—Daniel 2:43] will be the "final manifestation of human rule," the politically fragmented powers that will exist during the time of the end.

Daniel 2:31–45; dp 46–59

Before 602 BCE - back

Babylon: Edom is captured and plundered by Nebuchadnezzar. See the 6th Century BCE.

Obadiah 6, 7; w57 8/15 490; si OBADIAH

602 BCE - back

Babylon: Nebuzaradan, chief bodyguard of Nebuchadnezzar, takes more Jews into exile from Judah. These evidently were some who escaped to other lands in 607 BCE and had later returned to Judah.

Jeremiah 52:30; it NEBUZARADAN

Babylon and Medo-Persia: In this century Babylon ceases to be a world power and is replaced by the fourth world power, Medo-Persia.

Babylon and Edom: About mid-century, the Babylonian Nabonidus, with troops that include Jewish soldiers, conquers Edom, fulfilling the prophecies of Jeremiah, and in part, Ezekiel and Obadiah. By the fourth century BCE, Nabataeans are inhabiting Edomite territory, and the Edomites are never able to return.

Jeremiah 40:11, 12; 43:5–7; Ezekiel 25:14; w81 7/1 26; it EDOM

Rome: During this century, the Romans use the true arch formed with wedge-shaped stones in an impressive way when they build the great sewers of Rome.

it ARCHITECTURE (Grecian and Roman Styles and Methods)

Circa 591 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Ezekiel): This is the time of Ezekiel's last dated prophecy. He completes the Bible book of Ezekiel in Babylon, most of it having been written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE, though parts of it are written as late as this year. The book covers events from 613  BCE to circa 591 BCE. The book contains Ezekiel's prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon and the restoration of a faithful remnant.

Ezekiel 29:17; 40:1; si EZEKIEL; it EZEKIEL, BOOK OF

Circa 588 BCE - back

Babylon and Egypt: This is Nebuchadnezzar's 37th year, during which a Babylonian record says he engaged in a campaign against Egypt. This may be the time when Egypt is brought under the control of Babylon, as was foretold by Jeremiah (chapters 42–44; 46:13–26) and by Ezekiel (chapters 29–32), or it may be a subsequent military campaign against Egypt. Egypt was to be given to Nebuchadnezzar as spoil (Ezekiel 29:17–20) in payment for his fulfilling prophecies regarding the destruction of Tyre (see After 607 BCE). Ezekiel (29:8–16) prophesied that Egypt would be desolated for a period of 40 years, and Jeremiah (44:30) named the ruling Pharoah as Hophra, aka Apries.

Herodotus (5th century BCE) did not record that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt, thus raising doubt that the Bible prophecy was fulfilled. However, regarding Herodotus, the Bible Commentary by F. C. Cook says: "It is notorious that Herodotus, while he faithfully recorded all that he heard and saw in Egypt, was indebted for his information on past history to the Egyptian priests, whose tales he adopted with blind credulity. . . . The whole story [by Herodotus] of Apries [Hophra] and Amasis [successor to Hophra] is mixed with so much that is inconsistent and legendary that we may very well hesitate to adopt it as authentic history. It is by no means strange that the priests should endeavour to disguise the national dishonour of having been subjected to a foreign yoke."

Regarding Egypt, Josephus records the following about events after Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem: "Accordingly, both the people and Johanan disobeyed the counsel of God, which he gave them by the prophet [Jeremiah], and removed into Egypt, and carried Jeremiah and Baruch along with them. And when they were there, God signified to the prophet that the king of Babylon was about making an expedition against the Egyptians, and commanded him to foretell to the people that Egypt should be taken, and the king of Babylon should slay some of them, and should take others captive, and bring them to Babylon; which things came to pass accordingly; for on the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the twenty-third of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he made an expedition against Celesyria; and when he had possessed himself of it, he made war against the Ammonites and Moabites; and when he had brought all these nations under subjection, he fell upon Egypt, in order to overthrow it; and he slew the king that then reigned, and set up another; and he took those Jews that were there captives, and led them away to Babylon."

it BABYLON 2; CUSH 2; EGYPT, EGYPTIAN; NEBUCHADNEZZAR; Josephus Antiquites, Book 10, Chapter 9, 6 and 7

587 BCE to 586 BCE - back

Chronology: Both 587 and 586 are cited incorrectly by secular historians as the date of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. They base their reckoning on the king lists of Ptolemy, who lived in the 2nd Century CE. See also 607 BCE.

w69 2/1 88–92; kc 186–9

582 BCE - back

Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar II dies in October after a 43-year reign.

2 Kings 25:27–30; it BABYLON 2

581 BCE - back

Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar's oldest son, Evil-merodach (Awil-Marduk, or Amil-Marduk), succeeds Nebuchadnezzar II. Evil-merodach shows kindness to captive 54-year-old King Jehoiachin (in this year or in 580 BCE) by granting him favor above all the other kings in captivity, releasing him from the house of detention where he had been since 617 BCE and giving him a daily allowance of food. Jehoiachin's son Shealtiel has a nominal son, Zerubbabel, who will become governor of rebuilt Jerusalem, and who is also one through whom the line of descent to Jesus comes. Evil-merodach may reign either two years (according to Claudius Ptolemy and to Berossus as quoted by Josephus) or 18 years (according to Josephus).

2 Kings 25:27–30; it EVIL-MERODACH; w69 2/1 88–92; w65 1/1 29; bf 183–4

Archaeology: Cuneiform tablets listing the workers and captives to whom provisions were given are uncovered near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. "Yaukin, king of the land of Yahud" ("Jehoiachin, the king of the land of Judah") is listed, along with the names of five of Jehoiachin's sons.

it ARCHAEOLOGY

580 BCE - back

Bible (Book of First Kings): Jeremiah began writing the Bible book of First Kings when he was in Jerusalem and Judah. The book covers from circa 1040 BCE to 911 BCE, and is a record of the history of the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel from the last days of David until the death of Judean King Jehoshaphat. The book of First Kings was originally part of one scroll with Second Kings, and the writing is completed in Egypt.

si 1 KINGS; it KINGS, BOOKS OF

Bible (Book of Second Kings): In Egypt, Jeremiah completes the scroll that contains the book of Second Kings, which he began writting while in Judah. The book of Second Kings covers from circa 920 BCE to 580 BCE, and is a continuation of the history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel begun in First Kings. It tells of the destruction of both Samaria (the capital of Israel) and Jerusalem (the capital of Judah).

si 2 KINGS; it KINGS, BOOKS OF

Bible (Book of Jeremiah): In Egypt, Jeremiah completes the Bible book of Jeremiah, which he began writing while in Judah. It covers from 647 BCE to 580 BCE. The book is a record of Jehovah's judgment proclamations through Jeremiah, and is an account of Jeremiah's experiences and of Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah began writing about 18 years before Jerusalem fell in 607 BCE (see 625 BCE), and completed his writing this year, 27 years after Jerusalem fell.

si JEREMIAH; it JEREMIAH, BOOK OF

Circa 579 BCE - back

Babylon: Babylonian king Evil-merodach may have been murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglissar this year, after a reign of two years. But Josephus gives Evil-merodach a reign of 18 years, which would have his reign lasting until about 563 BCE. Secular sources date Neriglissar's reign from 560–556 BCE. Evil-merodach will be succeeded by Neriglissar (Nergal-sharezer), who will reign four years.

w65 1/1 29; it EVIL-MERODACH

563 BCE - back

Babylon: Evil-merodach may have died this year, to be succeeded by his brother-in-law and murderer, Neriglissar. (But see 581 BCE and Circa 579 BCE.) Neriglissar (Nergal-sharezer) will reign four years. (See 560 BCE.) After Neriglissar, his young son Labashi-Marduk, a vicious boy, will succeed him and then be assassinated within nine months. Nabonidus, the favorite son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, will take the throne about 556 BCE and reign until Babylon's fall in 539 BCE.

w65 1/1 29; it EVIL-MERODACH

560 BCE - back

Babylon: Secular sources set this year as the first year of Neriglissar's reign, who may have reigned four years.

REF?

560–559 BCE - back

Medo-Persia: Cyrus succeeds his father Cambyses I to the throne of Anshan in ancient Persia, which is under the suzerainty of the Median king Astyages.

dp 149; it CYRUS

556 BCE - back

Babylon: Nabonidus begins ruling in Babylon this year (if not sooner).

it NABONIDUS

Circa 551 BCE - back

Prophecy (Medo-Persia): Referring to the coming Medo-Persian Empire, the prophet Daniel writes about a ram with two horns, with one horn taller than the other, and "the taller was the one that came up afterward. . . . And no wild beasts kept standing before it, and there was no one doing any delivering out of its hand." (See Daniel 8:1–4, 20.) This prophecy is soon fulfilled. First, the Persians (the taller horn that comes up afterward) gain ascendancy over the Medes (the first horn) in 550 BCE. Then the capital of the Babylonian Empire falls before the combined armies of the Medo-Persians (the two-horned ram) in 539 BCE, and the Medo-Persian Empire gains control as a world power.

g84 8/22 22–23 chart; dp 165–7

551 BCE - back

Religion and China: Confucius (551 BCE to 479 BCE) is born in China. Confucianism will become one of China's three great religions, the other two being Taoism and Buddhism. Traditionally, the founder of Taoism, Lao Tze, is considered a contemporary of Confucius.

g89 5/8 19–21

550 BCE - back

Persia: Media, previously dominant over Persia, is made subject to Persia when Cyrus (II) the Great is victorious over Median King Astyages, and captures the capital city of the Medes, Ecbatana (modern Hamadan in western Iran). (Compare Daniel 8:3, 20. See Circa 551 BCE.) The Medes and Persians join forces. Cyrus the Great is the first of the "three kings" of Persia in Daniel 11:2. He will rule until 530 BCE.

Ezra 1:1; 4:5; Daniel 8:1–4, 20; dp 52, 149; 165–7; it CYRUS; ECBATANA; AHASUERUS 3; PERSIA, PERSIANS (Development of the Medo-Persian Empire)

Circa 547 BCE to 546 BCE - back

Persia: Cyrus defeats the paragon of wealth, King Croesus of Lydia, which is Western Turkey today. The Lydian capital Sardis becomes the seat of a Persian satrap. Asia Minor is now under Persian rule, with the Persian empire extending west to the Aegean Sea and the Hellespont. Cyrus is now the major rival of Babylon and King Nabonidus.

For the saying, "Rich as Croesus," see http://www.bartleby.com/81/4356.html and http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0814078.html

w65 1/15 53; it CYRUS; AAEnc-12 Lydia

539 BCE - back

Babylon and Persia: Mighty Babylon falls to Cyrus and the combined forces of the Medes, Persians, and Elamites, fulfilling the prophecies at Isaiah 21:2, 9; 44:26–45:7 (where Cyrus is named more than 150 years in advance), and Daniel 5:28, and in part the prophecy of Isaiah 13:1–20. See also Circa 551 BCE. Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, is slain. Medo-Persia becomes the fourth world power.

Babylon falls on 11 October (Julian calendar) or Tishri 16, 539 (5 October, Gregorian calendar). This is the pivotal date in the Hebrew Scriptures for determining Bible chronology back to Adam.

Cyrus enters Babylon on 3 Marchesvan (October 22–23). Cyrus' main general, Ugbaru (Gobryas), dies. Another governor, Gubaru, appoints governors in Babylon, and serves for 14 years as governor of the city of Babylon and the entire Fertile Crescent (basically the same area as that of the fallen Babylonian Empire). Gubaru may be the same as Darius the Mede.

Daniel 5:31; w88 3/1 28–31; w65 52–56, 250–3; si Studies 2, 3; gm 123; it BABYLON 2; BELSHAZZAR; CYRUS; DARIUS 1; PERSIA, PERSIANS (Development of the Medo-Persian Empire)

537 BCE - back

Persia: The first year of Cyrus ends in the spring of 537. During this first year Cyrus decrees that the Jews return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. He also returns 5,400 vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken as spoil from Solomon's temple. About 50,000 men, plus women and children make the four-month trip to Jerusalem. This fulfills a number of prophecies, including Isaiah 35:10: "The very ones redeemed by Jehovah will return and certainly come to Zion with a joyful cry." Cyrus was a king who was known for repatriating various peoples to their homelands, as attested to on the Cyrus Cylinder.

See information about the Cyrus Cylinder at the British Museum: www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/cyrus_cylinder.aspx

Ezra 1:1–11; 2:64–70; 3:1; it CHRONOLOGY (Babylonia); ip-1 376–7

Judea: Jerusalem's 70-year desolation ends (see 607 BCE). When the Jews return to their homeland, the prophecies of Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 respecting a "new heavens and a new earth" have their initial fulfillment in the restoration of a cleansed society ("a new earth") under rulership of a new governmental system ("new heavens").

1 Chronicles 36:22, 23; it CHRONOLOGY (From Human Creation to the Present); re 301; ip-2 381–2

Circa 536 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Daniel): Daniel completes the book of Daniel in Babylon by about this year. The book covers from about 618 BCE to 536 BCE. Daniel's prophecy of the 70 weeks foretells the year of the earthly appearance of "Messiah the Leader" (see 29  CE). Daniel's prophecy of the "seven times" foretells the time of the royal Presence of Christ Jesus in Kingdom power (see 1914 CE). Other prophecies in Daniel foretell the rise and fall of various world powers until the Kingdom arrives and crushes all of them and takes over world rulership.

si DANIEL; it DANIEL, BOOK OF

536 BCE - back

Judea: The temple foundation is laid in Jerusalem, but opposition from the Samaritans discourages the builders from continuing to rebuild the temple. (See 522 BCE and 520 BCE.)

it DARIUS 2; TEMPLE (The Temple Built by Zerubbabel)

530 BCE - back

Persia: Cyrus the Great dies this year while on a military campaign, and is succeeded by his son, Cambyses II (529 to 522 BCE). Cambyses is evidently the Ahasuerus of the Bible book of Ezra to whom the opposers of the temple rebuilding work send false accusations against the Jews. Cambyses is the second of the three kings mentioned in Daniel 11:2.

A photograph of the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Iran is in w88 3/15 29, dp 150, and here: http://cyrustravel.com/irantour/shir.html.

Ezra 4:6; dp 52, 152; it AHASUERUS 2; DARIUS 2; PERSIA, PERSIANS (From Cyrus' Death to Darius' Death)

529 BCE - back

Persia: Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great who conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, succeeds his father and begins to reign this year. He will reign until 522 BCE. Cambyses is the Ahasuerus of Ezra 4:6.

it AHASUERUS 2; PERSIA, PERSIANS (From Cyrus' Death to Darius' Death)

525 BCE - back

Persia and Egypt: By this year Egypt has been subjugated by Cambyses II. [But see entry at 519 BCE. Check on this.] Egypt will continue under Persian rule until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BCE.

it EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (Under Persian domination), (Under Greek and Roman rule)

522 BCE - back

Persia: While Cambyses II is absent in Egypt, his throne is usurped by either Bardiya, the brother of Cambyses who is called Smerdis, or by Gaumata, the pseudo Smerdis, a Magian who poses as Bardiya. Other historians, however, think that the usurper is Darius I. Traditional chronology has the usurper ruling for seven or eight months, and then Nidintu-Bel being defeated and killed by Darius after just two months of rule. Another view, according to the Behistun inscription of Darius, is that after Cambyses' death, three persons ruled for a short time: Gaumata, Nebuchadnezzar III (Nidintu-Bel), and Nebuchadnezzar IV. (The historical accounts of what actually occurred between 522 and 520 are somewhat confusing.)

Whoever the usurper is, whether he is Bardiya or Gaumata, or someone else, the Bible name given him is Artaxerxes (perhaps a throne name or title). He is the ruler of Ezra 4:7–23 to whom a second charge against the Jews by their enemies results in the royal ban against further construction on the temple. (For the first charge made to Cambyses II, see 530 BCE.) This ban lasts until 520 BCE.

Traditionally, the usurper is given a reign of seven or eight months in this year, but dated cuneiform tablets indicate he ruled at least 18 months. Traditionally, this year is also considered to be the accession year of Darius I, although if the longer reign for the usurper is correct, and there are one or two usurpers who follow him, Darius' actual ascension year may well be 521 or 520. (See discussion in chapter 6, "Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius I, and Bardiya, the Chronology Iconoclaster," in the book Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews, by Rolf Furuli, ©2006.) So it is either in this year or in 521 or 520 that Darius I, also called Darius Hystaspis or Darius the Great, and six other Persian nobles slay the usurper (either Bardiya or Gaumata). Darius also defeats and kills Nidintu-Bel, who ruled for two months, and gains the Persian throne for himself.

Darius becomes one of the outstanding rulers of the Persian Empire. He extends Persian dominion east to India and west to Thrace and Macedonia. During his rule he will reorganize the administrative structure throughout the empire, form an imperial law code called the Ordinance of Good Regulations, and reopen the canal connecting the Nile River of Egypt to the Red Sea (see 7th Century BCE). Darius is the third king mentioned at Daniel 11:2. At least by Darius' time, the Persian rulers have fulfilled the "bear" and "ram" prophecies of Daniel 7:5 and 8:4.

Ezra 4:7–23; w88 3/15 26–29; w86 1/15 7; it AHASUERUS 3; ARTAXERXES 1; DARIUS 2; NABONIDUS; PERSIA, PERSIANS (From Cyrus' Death to Darius' Death); si EZRA

521 BCE - back

Persia: The reign of King Darius I—also known as Darius Hystaspis or Darius the Great, and simply Darius in the Bible—is counted from this year. Traditionally, it is accepted that Darius ascended the throne in 522 BCE, but this year may be his accession year instead, or even the next year (see 522 BCE). Darius will rule until his death in 486 BCE.

Ezra 4:5, 24; 6:1–15; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Persia)

520 BCE - back

Judea: The prophets Haggai and Zechariah stir up the Jews to renew construction work on the temple. Governor Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius requesting an investigation to see if there is written evidence of the legality of the building project. An official search at the archives in Ecbatana uncovers the decree by Cyrus. Darius orders Governor Tattenai and the other officials to refrain from interfering with the temple work and to provide building funds from the royal treasury.

Ezra 4:24; it DARIUS 2

Bible (Book of Haggai): Haggai completes the Bible book of Haggai in Jerusalem, 17 years after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile. The book covers 112 days of 520 BCE. The book contains four messages; its purpose is to motivate the Jews to get on with the temple rebuilding.

si HAGGAI; it HAGGAI, BOOK OF

Circa 519 BCE - back

Persia and Egypt: Egypt, which had thrown off the Persian yoke, is reconquered by Darius I, either this year or in 518 BCE.

it DARIUS 2

518 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Zechariah): Zechariah completes the Bible book of Zechariah in Jerusalem, during the reign of Persian King Darius I. The book covers 520 BCE to 518 BCE. The messages in the book encourage the Jews, who had returned about 19 years previously from exile in Babylon, to resume and complete the temple rebuilding. The book also provides foregleams of the Messiah's coming.

si ZECHARIAH; it ZECHARIAH, BOOK OF

515 BCE - back

Judea: The temple is completed by March 6.

Ezra 6:1–15; it DARIUS 2

Circa 509 BCE - back

Rome: The Roman Republic is established.

it CHRONOLOGY (Historians of the Classical Period)

Persia and Greece: During this century (c.490–431 BCE), Athens reaches its "Golden Age," and gains leadership of Greece; it produces its most renowned works of art and architecture. This is also the century of the Persian Wars. Several Greek historians live during this century: Herodotus (c.488–428 BCE, or c.484–425 BCE), Thucydides (c.460–640 BCE, or c.471–401 BCE); Xenophon (c.431–352 BCE), and Ctesias. Of these, Thucydides is noted for his meticulous research and is considered the most reliable historian.

it CHRONOLOGY (Historians of the Classical Period; GREECE (Period of the Persian Wars), (Athenian Supremacy); gm 19

499 BCE - back

Persia and Greece: Darius I orders the first Persian invasion of Greece.

it GREECE (Period of the Persian Wars); yw 224

496 BCE - back

Persia: Xerxes I, the son of the Persian king Darius the Great (Darius I or Darius Hystaspis), ascends the throne as coregent with his father. Xerxes I is evidently the Ahasuerus of the Bible book of Esther. In the Bible, Xerxes' regnal years are counted from his coregency with his father, Darius the Great, although secular history customarily counts his rule as beginning in 486 BCE when Darius dies. Xerxes is the "fourth" king mentioned in prophecy at Daniel 11:2 who will "rouse up everything against the kingdom of Greece." (The three preceding kings were Cyrus the Great, Cambyses II, and Darius Hystaspis.) Xerxes' capital is Shushan in Elam. It will be discovered by archaeologists during excavations from 1880 to 1890 CE.

Esther 1:1, 2; it AHASUERUS 3; ARCHAEOLOGY (Persia); PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes

495 BCE - back

Persia: This is the first regnal year (as counted by Biblical history, not secular history) of Xerxes I, who is called Ahasuerus of the Bible book of Esther. Note that the Bible counts his coregency with his father Darius the Great (Darius I) as his regnal years, but secular history counts his regnal years as beginning in 485 BCE, when he succeeded his father Darius after his death in 486  BCE. The dating is important to determine when to start counting the "seventy weeks" (490 years) of Daniel 9:24–28. (See 455 BCE).

it AHASUERUS 3

493 BCE - back

Persia: During a period of 180 days, King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) shows his nobles and officials the riches and beauty of his kingdom. During a final seven-day feast, Vashti, the wife of Ahasuerus, refuses to come at his bidding, and therefore he dismisses her as his queen.

Esther 1:1–22; it AHASUERUS 3; w06 3/1 8–9; w79 3/15 13

492 BCE - back

Persia and Greece: Darius I demands tribute of earth and water, symbolic of surrender, from the principal states of Greece. Some comply, but Athens, Sparta, and Eretria refuse.

it GREECE (Period of the Persian Wars); TF 600–400 BC, p. 63

490 BCE - back

Persia and Greece: In early summer, a Persian force numbering about 20,000 embarks for Greece. Eretria falls. The Persians cross to the plain of Marathon, 26 miles from Athens, where they are met by 10,000 Athenian foot soldiers and are defeated. According to legend, a messenger runs the 26 miles to Athens with news of the astonishing victory over the Persians and cries, "We have won," then drops dead.

it DARIUS 2 (Later Campaigns in Greece); GREECE, GREEKS (Period of the Persian Wars); TF 600–400, pp. 63, 64

Circa 489 BCE - back

Persia: Esther is selected by Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) in the seventh year of his reign to replace his deposed queen Vashti. (See 493 BCE.)

Esther Chapters 1–2; it AHASUERUS 3

486 BCE - back

Persia: Darius I dies and is succeeded by his coregent son Xerxes I, who is called Ahasuerus in the Bible book of Esther. Xerxes' rule is customarily counted from this year by secular references, but the Biblical record counts his rule from his coregency in 495 BCE.

it AHASUERUS 3; DARIUS 2

485 BCE - back

Persia: This is the first regnal year of Xerxes I as counted by secular history, but note that the Bible counts his regnal years as beginning with his coregency with his father Darius. (See 496  BCE and 495 BCE.)

it AHASUERUS 3; PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes)

484 BCE - back

Persia: On Nisan 13, in the 12th year of Xerxes I, Haman, the prime minister of Xerxes I (Ahasuerus), casts pur (lot) to determine an auspicious day to exterminate the Jews. The plot, however, is thwarted by Esther, Jewess wife of Xerxes I, and her guardian cousin Mordecai. Haman is hanged on the 73-foot- high stake on which he had prepared to hang Mordecai. Mordecai is made prime minister. A new royal decree is issued to allow the Jews the right to fight their attackers when the time comes.

Esther Chapters 3; 7–9; w79 3/15 12–22; it AHASUERUS ; HAMAN

483 BCE - back

Persia: Early this year, on 13 Adar (February/March), the Jews defend themselves against their enemies, killing over 75,000 throughout the Persian realm, including 800 in Shushan. Mordecai obligates the Jews to celebrate Adar 14 and 15 each year with banqueting and rejoicing and the giving of gifts to the poor. The celebration is known as the Festival of Lots (Purim).

Esther Chapters 8, 9; w79 3/5 12–22; it PURIM

480 BCE - back

Persia and Greece: Xerxes I, the fourth king of Daniel 11:2, determines to "rouse up everything against the kingdom of Greece" and avenge the Persian defeat at Marathon in 490 BCE. The Spartans under King Leonidas are defeated by the Persians at Thermopylae. Xerxes burns Athens, and the Acropolis is destroyed. Then at Salamis the Athenians wreck most of the Persian fleet, numbering about 1200 warships (compared with 380 smaller Greek ships). Xerxes collects his remaining ships and sails home, leaving an army commanded by his brother-in-law Mardonius to winter over.

it GREECE (Period of the Persian Wars); yw 225; TH -500 to -451; TF 600–400 BC, pp. 65–72

479 BCE - back

Persia and Greece: On 27 August, the Greeks, under the Spartan general Pausanias, defeat the Persians on land at Plataea and defeat the remainder of the Persian fleet at Mycale. Xerxes I is the last Persian king to invade Greece.

it GREECE (Period of the Persian Wars); yw 225; TH -500 to -451; TF 600–400 BC, pp. 65–72

478 BCE - back

Persia and Babylon: Babylon is plundered by Xerxes I, completing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 13:17–20. Note: Some sources (such as TH -479) say this event occurred in 479 BCE.

it BABYLON (History); gm 125

475 BCE - back

Persia: Xerxes I is murdered in bed by a group of conspirators led by the royal chamberlain and the commander of the palace guard. He is succeeded by his son Artaxerxes, age 16, known as Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is is referred to in Ezra 7:1–28, Nehemiah 2:1–18, and Nehemiah 13:6. (Note that most secular reference works give 465 BCE as his accession year, but see the references here cited for details on the soundness of taking 475 BCE as his true accession date.)

it ARTAXERXES 2; PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes); TF 600– 400 BC, p. 71

Circa 475 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Esther): Mordecai completes the book of Esther in Shushan, Elam. The book covers 493 BCE to circa 475 BCE. The book is the account of how Esther was used by Jehovah to save the Jews from the extermination plot of Haman. (See Circa 489 BCE, 484 BCE, and 483 BCE.)

si ESTHER; it ESTHER, BOOK OF; HAMAN

474 BCE - back

Persia: This is the first regnal year of Artaxerxes I (Longimanus). (Regarding the conflict in secular histories regarding this date, see 465 BCE). Artaxerxes I will rule until 423 BCE.

Ezra 6:14; 7:1–26; Nehemiah 2:1–18; it PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes)

468 BCE - back

Persia, Babylon, and Judea: In the seventh year of his rule, Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimanus grants Ezra aid to journey to Jerusalem to render aid to the Jews there. The king's decree authorizes Ezra to appoint magistrates and judges to teach God's law and the king's law to the people and to use capital punishment against violators where necessary. Perhaps 6,000 persons (1,500 men and their families) accompany Ezra to Jerusalem with foodstuffs and valuable treasures for the temple worth more than $43 million. When Ezra arrives in Jerusalem, he finds Jews married to foreign wives (evidently pagan unbelievers); this uncleanness is cleared out in the space of about three months.

Ezra 6:14; 7:6, 25, 26; w88 3/15 26–29; si EZRA; it AMMONITES (Intermarriage With Israelites); ARTAXERXES 2; EZRA

465 BCE - back

Persia: Note that most secular references give 465 BCE instead of 475 BCE as the accession year for Artaxerxes Longimanus, but see the references here cited for detailed information confirming that 475 BCE is the correct date for the accession year of Artaxerxes. Thus, the 20th year of Artaxerxes' reign begins in 455 BCE. This date is important because the counting of the 70 'weeks of years' of Daniel's prophecy begins in the 20th year of Artaxerxes' reign.

Daniel 9:24, 25; it ARTAXERXES 2; PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes)

Circa 460 BCE - back

Bible (Book of First Chronicles): Ezra completes the Bible book of 1 Chronicles, possibly in Jerusalem. After 1 Chronicles 9:44, the book covers the 40-year period from 1077 BCE to 1037 BCE. The genealogy and details regarding true worship at Jehovah's temple is especially what the Jews need at this time. Originally, First and Second Chronicles are part of one scroll.

si 1 CHRONICLES; it 1 CHRONICLES, THE BOOKS OF

Bible (Book of Second Chronicles): Ezra completes the Bible book of Second Chronicles, possibly in Jerusalem. The book covers the 500-year period from 1037 BCE to 537 BCE, and is a vivid summary of the history under the kings of the royal house of David.

si 2 CHRONICLES; it CHRONICLES, THE BOOKS OF

Bible (Book of Ezra): Ezra completes the Bible book of Ezra, in Jerusalem. The book covers the 70-year period from 537 BCE to circa 467 BCE, and is about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of true worship there after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile.

si EZRA; it EZRA, BOOK OF

Bible (Book of Psalms): The Bible book of Psalms, a compilation of 150 sacred songs (psalms), has been written over a time period of about 1000 years by Moses (1 psalm), the sons of Korah (11), David (73), Solomon (1), Asaph (12), Heman (1), Ethan (1), possibly Hezekiah (1), and possibly others. The book is probably arranged now in its final form by Ezra.

si PSALMS; it PSALMS, BOOK OF

Religion and Medicine: The foremost ancient scientific healer Hippocrates is born on the Greek island of Kos. According to The Book of Popular Science, the prevailing theory of disease of Egyptian and Babylonian healers "at that time, and for generations to come was that fevers, infections, aches and pains were caused by evil spirits, or demons, invading the body." Therefore, medical treatment generally involved religious offerings, spells, or incantations. Hippocrates, however, will reject this notion of disease, including epilepsy, as being a punishment from a deity and will argue that disease has a natural cause. He is the first known healer to observe the symptoms of various diseases and record them for future reference. Even though he is sometimes scientifically incorrect, he will later become known as "the father of medicine." However, at least 1000 years before Hippocrates is born, the "medicine" of the Bible proves superior to that of Hippocrates. A doctor commented in The AMA News that "the best informed medical researchers now doing the best work are arriving at the conclusion that the Bible is a very accurate scientific book. . . . . The facts of life, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive medicine as given in the Bible are far more advanced and reliable than the theories of Hippocrates, many still unproven, and some found to be grossly inaccurate."

g01 6/8 5; g93 4/22 21–22; g91 11/22 5

455 BCE - back

Judea: The "seventy weeks" (490 years) of Daniel 9:24–27 begin to count in this important 20th year of the Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimanus. Nehemiah is permitted to return and rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem, although "in the straits of the times," amid much opposition from Sanballat, the governor of Samaria (see 1903 CE), Tobiah, and others. The first seven weeks (49 years) will see the restoration of much of Jerusalem's glory. Sixty-nine of the 70 weeks (483 years) will end in 29 CE with the baptism and anointing of Jesus. The last or 70th week will run from 29 CE to 36 CE, during which time the 'covenant for the many' (the Jews) will be kept in force, after which the Christian preaching work will be extended to the Gentiles (see 36 CE).

w86 10/1 4–7; it ARTAXERXES 2; NEHEMIAH; PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes); gm 131–2

443 BCE - back

Persia: Nehemiah returns for a time to the court of King Artaxerxes, in this 32nd year of Artaxerxes Longimanus.

it ARTAXERXES 2

After 443 BCE - back

Bible (Book of Nehemiah): Nehemiah completes the book of Nehemiah in Jerusalem. The book covers 456 BCE to after 443 BCE, and relates events occurring shortly before and during Nehemiah's governorship in Judea. It tells of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the clearing out of wrong practices among the Jews.

si NEHEMIAH; it NEHEMIAH, BOOK OF

Bible (Book of Malachi): Malachi completes the book of Malachi, in Jerusalem, about 95 years after the first Jewish exiles return from Babylon. The book censures the people for failure to keep Jehovah's way, and foretells the restoration work by the prophet Elijah. It emphasizes accountability to Jehovah when his requirements are disregarded.

si MALACHI; it MALACHI, BOOK OF

Edom: The prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah (625 BCE), and Obadiah ( Circa 607 BCE) regarding the desolation of Edom by means of the Babylonians have been fulfilled by Malachi's time, so that Malachi could write that Jehovah had "finally made [Edom's] mountains a desolated waste and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness." (See the 4th Century BCE.)

Isaiah 34:5–15; Jeremiah 25:15–17, 21; Malachi 1:3 it EDOM; ip-1 367

431 BCE - back

Greece: Because of resentment of Athenian preeminence by the Peloponnesian League, headed by Sparta, the Peloponnesian War breaks out. It will run from 431 to 404 BCE, when the Athenians suffer complete defeat at the hands of the Spartans.

it GREECE, GREEKS

428 BCE - back

Religion and Greece: Greek philosopher Plato is probably born this year. His teaching of a philosophic trinity of attributes, based on even older religious trinities, will give birth to the later belief of three divine persons as taught in Christendom's churches. Plato believed that "the soul is immortal and imperishable, and our souls will truly exist in another world." It is chiefly through his philosophy about the immortality of the soul that Jews who came into contact with Greek thought began to believe in an immortal soul. Plato's philosophies also lay the basis for belief in the purgatory teaching for "those who appear to have lived neither well nor ill" and must be "purified of their evil deeds" and then "they are absolved," and also the teaching of eternal torment where the wicked are hurled into Tartarus and "they will never come out." Plato will live until 347 BCE.

w90 5/1 22; g84 10/8 9; ti 11

423 BCE - back

Persia: The first regnal year of Darius II (Darius Ochus or Nothus). He will rule until 405 BCE.

it DARIUS 3; PERSIA, PERSIANS (The Reigns of Xerxes and of Artaxerxes)

404 BCE - back

Greece: Athenians suffer complete defeat at the hands of the Spartans, in a war that began in 431 BCE.

it GREECE (Athenian Supremacy)

Persia and Greece: The book, Everyday Life in Babylonia & Assyria, by H. W. F. Saggs, says the following about the collision between the Persian and Greek world powers:

After 500 B.C. the Persian Empire came into collision with Greece, and conflict continued intermittently until in 331 B.C. the Macedonian Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian power at a battle near Arbela, proceeding afterwards to extend his authority to the borders of India. Had Alexander lived, it was his intention to establish a world empire with its capital at Babylon, but his premature death at Babylon in 323 B.C., at the age of thirty-two, left his territories to be divided up amongst his generals. The eastern provinces, including Babylonia and Assyria, eventually fell to Seleucus I (301–281 B.C.). Under the Seleucids Babylonia and Assyria came increasingly under Hellenistic cultural influence, and Akkadian, which had already been superseded by Aramaic as the language of everyday speech, was no longer even written, except for religious or astronomical purposes. The old culture of Babylonia and Assyria was dead, and the future lay with Palestine, Greece, and Rome.

Bible: Common (koine) Greek, made up of the many dialects of the Greek soldiers who follow Alexander the Great into conquest, becomes the lingua franca. The Christian Greek Scriptures will be written in koine Greek during the first century CE. The Samaritan "Pentateuch" (or first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures) is produced during this century. It is not a translation but a transliteration of Hebrew text into Samaritan characters.

it GREECE (Greece Under Alexander the Great); VERSIONS; yw 194

Greece: The writings of this century's Greek philosopher Plato (c.427–347 BCE), who was influenced by the Greek mythology of the soul, will later strongly influence early Christian apostates to accept the doctrines of the immortal soul and the trinity. According to the Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel, Plato's "conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient religions."

sh 54–55; rs 406

Edom: The Nabataeans, who are possibly descendants of Ishmael's son Nebaioth of Genesis 25:13, become powerful from this century onward. They have moved into the land formerly inhabited by the Edomites, and made their capital at Petra in Edom. (See After 443 BCE and Circa 125 BCE.)

it ARABIA (Biblical References); EDOM

356 BCE - back

Greece: Alexander the Great is born at Pella in Macedonia. He is the son of Philip II of Macedonia and his wife Olympias. Alexander will be educated by the Greek philosopher Aristotle and be greatly influenced by Homer's writings, such as "The Iliad," which he learns by heart.

g89 3/8 20–24; it ALEXANDER 1; GREECE (Greece Under Alexander the Great)

340

338 BCE - back

Greece: Macedonia under Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, conquers Greece.

it GREECE, GREEKS (Athenian Supremacy); MACEDONIA, MACEDONIAN (History)

336 BCE - back

Greece: Philip II of Macedon is murdered, and his son Alexander inherits the throne.

Persia: Darius III (Codomannus) becomes king. He is the last king of the Persian Empire.

w88 4/15 22–25; w59 9/1 538, it PERSIA, PERSIANS (Down to the Fall and Division of the Empire)

334 BCE - back

Greece and Persia: Alexander sets out to avenge Persian attacks on the Greek cities. He enters Asia near the ancient Hellespont to begin his conquest of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the entire Medo-Persian empire that reaches to India, an empire 50 times the size of his own kingdom. By doing so, he will fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 8:5–7, 20, 21:

And I, for my part, kept on considering, and, look! there was a male of the goats coming from the sunset upon the surface of the whole earth, and it was not touching the earth. And as regards the he- goat, there was a conspicuous horn between its eyes. And it kept coming all the way to the ram possessing the two horns, which I had seen standing before the watercourse; and it came running toward it in its powerful rage. . . . The ram that you saw possessing the two horns [stands for] the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat [stands for] the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it [stands for] the first king.

Greece and Persia: Alexander wins his first battle against the Persians at the Granicus River in northwest Asia Minor (Turkey).

w88 4/15 22–24; it ALEXANDER 1; GREECE (Greece Under Alexander the Great

333 BCE - back

Greece: After the Battle of Issus, in the southwestern corner of Asia Minor, he defeats a Persian army estimated at half a million men. Darius III of Persia flees, leaving his family to Alexander. The island of Cyprus (Kittim) falls to Alexander the Great.

it CYPRUS

332 BCE - back

Greece and Tyre: Tyre falls to Alexander the Great in July after a seven-month siege. To build a half-mile-long causeway to the island city, he uses the rubble from the old mainland city of Tyre previously destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Zechariah (9:3, 4) and Ezekiel in all its details. Ezekiel 26:3, 4, 12 says:

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, 'Here I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up against you many nations, just as the sea brings up its waves. And they will certainly bring the walls of Tyre to ruin and tear down her towers, and I will scrape her dust away from her and make her a shining, bare surface of a crag . . . . And they will certainly spoil your resources and plunder your sales goods, and tear down your walls, and your desirable houses they will pull down. And your stones and your woodwork and your dust they will place in the very midst of the water.

(See After 607 BCE.)

w 08 6/1 27; w88 4/15 22–25; it ALEXANDER 1; yw 194

Greece and Judea: The changeover from Medo-Persian to Greek control comes when Alexander the Great marches through Judea. According to Jewish tradition, after Alexander destroys Tyre and is approaching Jerusalem, he is met by the Jewish high priest and shown the prophecies recorded by Daniel foretelling the conquests by Greece. Jerusalem survives the change of control without damage. By taking control of Judea, Greece now becomes the fifth successive world power in connection with God's people (the previous four were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia). Daniel 11:3 is fulfilled:

And a mighty king will certainly stand up and rule with extensive dominion and do according to his will.

it ALEXANDER 1; GREECE (Greece Under Alexander the Great); JERUSALEM (Hellenic and Maccabean Control); gm 121–2; yw 194–5

Greece and Egypt: Alexander defeats Egypt and orders the building of the city of Alexandria, which will rival Athens and bear Alexander's name into the 21st century CE.

w88 4/15 22–25; it ALEXANDER 1; ALEXANDRIA; yw 194–5

331 BCE - back

Greece and Persia: Alexander the Great defeats Persian King Darius III and a million men at Gaugamela, near Nineveh. Babylon falls to Alexander, ending Persian domination of Babylonia. Greece now becomes the fifth world power in Bible history and third world power in the dream image of Daniel chapter 2. This also fulfills Daniel 8:5–7:

And I, for my part, kept on considering, and, look! there was a male of the goats coming from the sunset upon the surface of the whole earth, and it was not touching the earth. And as regards the he- goat, there was a conspicuous horn between its eyes. And it kept coming all the way to the ram possessing the two horns, which I had seen standing before the watercourse; and it came running toward it in its powerful rage. And I saw it coming into close touch with the ram, and it began showing bitterness toward it, and it proceeded to strike down the ram and to break its two horns, and there proved to be no power in the ram to stand before it. So it threw it to the earth and trampled it down, and the ram proved to have no deliverer out of its hand.

w88 3/15 26–29; 4/15 22–25; it BABYLON 2; yw 195

323 BCE - back

Greece: Alexander the Great, age 32, dies in Babylon of malarial fever complicated by reckless living. "As soon as it became mighty, the great horn was broken." (Daniel 8:8.) Alexander fails to rebuild Babylon as his capital, reinforcing Jehovah's decree at Jeremiah 50:35–40 that "no man will dwell there, nor will the son of mankind reside in her as an alien." Babylon eventually falls completely into ruins by the fourth century CE.

w88 4/15 22–25; it ALEXANDER 1; it BABYLON (History); yw 195

312 BCE - back

Seleucids and Babylon: Seleucus I Nicator conquers Babylon and transports much of its material to the banks of the Tigris River to use in building Seleucia, his new capital located about 50 miles north of Babylon. From this time forward, the city of Babylon and other Babylonian cities begin to decay into villages.

it BABYLON (History)

Ptolemaic Egypt: Ptolemy I captures Jerusalem, and thus Judea becomes a province of Ptolemaic Egypt until 198 BCE.

it EGYPT (Under Greek and Roman rule); CHRONOLOGY (Astronomical Calculations)

Petra, Edomites, and the Nabataeans: After Nebuchadnezzar captured and plundered the Edomites sometime before 602 BCE, they attempted to rebuild their empire (Malachi 1:4). By this year, however, rebuilt Petra will have fallen to the Nabataeans, who drive the Edomites from their homeland into the Negeb south of Judea, and Petra becomes the capital city of the Nabataeans. See Circa 105 CE and 1812 CE.

w57 8/15 489–492: "Strangest City Built by Man"

301 BCE - back

Greece: By this year, four of Alexander's generals, the four symbolic horns, have taken over separate sections of the former empire, fulfilling the prophecies of Daniel 8:8, 24, and Daniel 11:4.

General Cassander: Macedonia and Greece
General Lysimachus: European Thrace and Asia Minor
General Seleucus I Nicator: Babylonia (Mesopotamia), Media, Syria, Persia, and the eastern provinces to the Indus River
General Ptolemy Lagus: Egypt, Libya, and Palestine

w88 4/15 22–25; it ALEXANDER 1; yw 195

Greece: Seleucus I (Nicator) founds the city of Antioch in Syria, which he names after his father Antiochus. In the first century CE, it is in this city that the disciples are first called "Christians."

Acts 11:26; it ANTIOCH 1

Religion: In the middle of this century, King Asoka, whose empire embraces most of the Indian subcontinent, strengthens Buddhism and sends out missionaries. By the 20th century CE, there will be over 300 million Buddhists worldwide. Buddhist missionaries were found in Athens at the end of the previous century, the fourth century BCE.

g89 4/22 15–19

Religion: In this century, Hinduism becomes a distinct religion apart from Vedism and Brahmanism.

g89 4/8 24–27

Egypt: Coptic is the form of Egyptian language spoken from this century forward.

it EGYPT (Language)

Circa 280 BCE - back

Bible: The Greek Septuagint (LXX), the first translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, is begun by Jews in Alexandria, during the reign of Ptolemy (II) Philadelphus (285–246 BCE). The translation will be finished during the second century BCE. This is the Bible that will be used by Jesus' followers during the first century CE.

w88 2/1 23–27; it ALEXANDRIA; VERSIONS

Judea: This century witnesses the extreme point of the Hellenization of the Jews. It is during this period when home-rule by the Maccabeans or Hasmonaeans begins, and when the parties of the pro-Hasmonaean Sadducees and the anti-Hasmonaean Pharisees begin to develop. To protect the Law of Moses from the inroads of Greek culture, the Scribes and Pharisees initiate their oral traditions during this century. The Mishnah says that "greater stringency applies to the observance of the words of the Scribes than to the observance of the words of the written Law." Thus they 'adroitly set aside the commandment of God in order to retain their oral tradition.' (Matthew 15:1–9; Mark 7:5–13.)

w90 10/1 11; it GREECE; ISRAEL (After the Babylonian Exile); kc 186–9

198 BCE - back

Greece and Judea: After the division of Alexander's empire, Judea became a border state belonging to the (Greek) Ptolemaic regime ruling out of Egypt (see 312 BCE). This year, Antiochus the Great, ruling in Syria, seizes control of Judea. Thus Judea comes under the control of Seleucid rule, which will last 30 years (see 168 BCE). Hellenic culture, Greek religion, language, literature, and attire are promoted.

it GREECE (Effect of Hellenization on the Jews)

196 BCE - back

Archaeology: The Rosetta stone, which contains the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, is dated from this year. See 1799 CE and 1822  CE.

it EGYPT (Language)

180 BCE - back

Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus): Sometime between 180 and 175 BCE, Jesus Ben Sira (Sirach) pens in Hebrew the book of Ecclesiasticus, also called "The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach." This work is accepted in the Roman Catholic Bible canon, but is noncanonical for Jews and Protestants. Sira's grandson will translate this work into Greek for Greek-speaking Jews shortly After 132 BCE.

One contradition to the Bible canon is found at Ecclesiasticus 25:33, Dy: "From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die." Compare Romans 5:12–19, Dy. Verses 12, 17, and 19 say: "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned. . . . For if by one man's offence death reigned through one; . . . For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; . . ."

EncBrit "Ecclesiasticus"; it APOCRYPHA

175 BCE - back

Greece: The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes begins to reign. He will rule until 164 BCE.

g89 5/22 19–22

168 BCE - back

Bible: It is either in this year or in 167 that Syrian ruler Antiochus IV attempts to destroy all copies of the Hebrew Scriptures throughout Palestine. The Jewish Encyclopedia says that "the king's attention was next turned to the destruction of the national religion. A royal decree proclaimed the abolition of the Jewish mode of worship; Sabbaths and festivals were not to be observed; circumcision was not to be performed; the sacred books were to be surrendered and the Jews were compelled to offer sacrifices to the idols that had been erected. The officers charged with carrying out these commands did so with great rigor; a veritable inquisition was established with monthly sessions for investigation. The possession of a sacred book or the performance of the rite of circumcision was punished with death." But copies of the Scriptures did survive, both among Jews in Palestine and those living in other lands.

g 11/07 12, "How the Bible Came to Us"; JewishEncyclopedia: "Antiochus IV"; Wikipedia "Maccabees"

Judea: It is either in this year or in 167 that Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrates the temple. See entry at 167 BCE.

w96 1/15 27; it ALTAR (Postexilic Altars); DISGUSTING THING, also LOATHSOME THING ('Disgusting Things Leading to Desolation'); FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION; ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile)

167 BCE - back

Judea: Syrian King Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) desecrates the temple at Jerusalem in an effort to eradicate the religion of the Jews. He erects an altar to Zeus within the Temple and requires that the Jews sacrifice swine flesh to Zeus. He also seeks out 'the books of the Law,' burns them, and declares that anyone possessing such Scriptures be put to death. While many Jews accept this Hellenization, a new group arises, calling themselves Hasidim ("pious ones"), and encourages stricter obedience to the Law. Many common people side with them, which leads to a period of martyrdom for Jews who refuse to conform to the pagan customs. This also leads to the Maccabean revolt.

w06 9/15 11; w98 11/15 22–23; w97 10/1 11; g90 12/8 11–13; it DISGUSTING THING ('Disgusting Things Leading to Desolation'); GREECE (Effect of Hellenization on the Jews); ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); dp 227 par. 37

Judea: The Maccabean revolt begins when Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons rebel, at first religiously, then politically. They are called Maccabeans (Maccabee probably means "hammer") or Hasmonaeans (possibly from the town Heshmon or from a forefather of that name; compare Joshua 15:21, 27). It is during the home rule by the Maccabeans that the parties of the pro-Hasmonaean Sadducees and the anti-Hasmonaean Pharisees develop.

w98 11/15 22–23; g89 5/22 19–22; it ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); JERUSALEM (Hellenic and Maccabean Control); dp 227 par. 37

164 BCE - back

Judea: The temple in Jerusalem is recaptured by the Jewish leader Judas Maccabaeus (son of Mattathias, now dead), who cleanses its utensils and rededicates the temple on Chislev 25 (December), three years to the day from its defilement. This event is still celebrated by Jews and is known as Hanukkah, the festival of dedication (or the festival of lights). The period of the Maccabees (Hasmonaeans) runs from 164 to 63 BCE.

John 10:22; w98 11/15 22–23; g90 12/8 11–13; g89 5/22 19–22; it FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION; ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); JERUSALEM; dp 227 par. 37; sh 213

161 BCE - back

Judea: Probably this year, Judah Maccabee makes a treaty with Rome for support in his fight against Seleucid (Greek) domination. He is killed in battle (this year or in 160 BCE), but his brothers continue the fight. Jonathan is also killed, and his brother Simon (or Simeon), the last of the Maccabees, takes over.

dp 227 par. 38

Circa 142 BCE - back

Judea: Simeon Maccabaeus makes Jerusalem the capital of a region ostensibly free from subservience to or taxation by Gentile nations.

it JERUSALEM (Hellenic and Maccabean Control)

141 BCE - back

Judea: The last vestiges of Seleucid domination are removed. Simon Maccabee renews the alliance with Rome, giving him leadership as ruler and high priest, thus establishing an independent Hasmonaean dynasty.

w98 11/15 24

Circa 134 BCE - back

Judea: Simeon Maccabaeus dies this year. (See 161 BCE).

it APOCRYPHA (First Maccabees)

After 132 BCE - back

Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus): The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus, aka "The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach," is translated from Hebrew into Greek about this time by the grandson of the author. (See 180 BCE.) According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "the translation was probably intended to encourage adherence to ancestral beliefs and customs and to defend Jewish religious doctrines by showing the essential agreement between Judaism and Hellenistic philosophical truths. The concept of 'wisdom' as an active emanation from God, for example, closely approximates the Stoic concept of the universal logos."

EncBrit "Ecclesiasticus"; it APOCRYPHA

Circa 125 BCE - back

Judea and Edom: According to Josephus, the Edomites (Idumeans) are subjugated by John Hyrcanus I and allowed to remain in the land only if they submit to circumcision and adhere to Judaism. The southern part of Judea where the Edomites settled has become known as Idumea, and they are known as Idumeans. They will be absorbed by the Jews after this, and after 70 CE cease to exist as a people, as had been prophesied by Obadiah and Jeremiah. The family of Herods who will become political rulers over the Jews are Idumeans, and their being Jewish proselytes accounts for the Jewish toleration of the rulership of Herod the Great and other members of his family.

Obadiah 10, 18; Jeremiah 49:17, 18; it EDOM (Later History and Disappearance); HEROD; IDUMEA; PROSELYTE; si OBADIAH; sl 225

109 BCE - back

Judea and Edom: John Hyrcanus I, a Maccabean leader, extends the kingdom of Judea to include the western part of the lands of Edom. This is another step toward the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy regarding Edom's extinction.

Jeremiah 49:17, 18; rs 61

104 BCE - back

Judea: Aristobulus I, high priest in Jerusalem, assumes the title of king, but he is not of the Davidic line.

it JERUSALEM (Hellenic and Maccabean Control)

Ammon: The land of the Ammonites, descendants of Lot through his son Ammon, become part of the Nabataean kingdom. By the 3rd Century CE, the Ammonites as a people disappear from history, in fulfillment of Jehovah's prophecy at Zephaniah 2:8–10.

Greece and Rome: Greek historians Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Alexander Polyhistor, and Roman historians Titus Livius or Livy (59 BCE–17 CE) and Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus live during this century.

it CHRONOLOGY (Historians of the Classical Period)

63 BCE - back

Judea and the Roman government: In response to a violent quarrel between Aristobulus II and his brother Hyrcanus, Rome sends General Gnaeus Pompey to arbitrate the dispute. In order to enter Jerusalem and settle the dispute, Pompey lays a three-month siege to the city, captures it, then annexes Judea to the Roman Empire. The Idumean Antipater II (father of Herod the Great) is installed as Roman governor for Judea, with a Maccabean being left as high priest. The Romans rename the country Judea (Judaea).

dp 229 par. 38; w88 5/1 26–29; g89 5/22 19–22; it ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); JERUSALEM; Library of Nations: Israel, by Time-Life Books, p. 58

55 BCE - back

Roman government: Roman General Julius Caesar (who becomes dictator of Rome in 46 BCE) invades Britannia and attempts (unsuccessfully) to establish a permanent settlement there. (Compare 43 CE and 122 CE.)

dp 137

46 BCE - back

Roman government: Gaius Julius Caesar is appointed dictator of Rome for ten years, but he will be assassinated in 44 BCE.

it CAESAR

Calendar: Julius Caesar decrees that a solar calendar of 365 days a year, with added leap years and the New Year beginning on January 1, replace the old lunar calendar. This becomes known as the Julian calendar and will be used until 1582 CE. This year is known as "the year of confusion" due to the necessity of making it 445 days long. This is because the old lunar calendars had shifted to about three months ahead of the sun's schedule. The addition of the extra days allows the sun to catch up with the new calendar. See http://personal.ecu.edu/mccartyr/caesar.html.

w68 8/15 489; it CAESAR; si 281; rs 180

44 BCE - back

Roman government: Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE), who had been appointed dictator of Rome for ten years in 46 B CE, is assassinated.

w88 5/1 26–29; it CAESAR

Religion: According to The Companion Bible (Appendix No. 162), crosses with equal-length arms "were used as symbols of the Babylonian sun-god, and are first seen on a coin of Julius Caesar, 100–44 B.C., and then on a coin struck by Caesar's heir (Augustus), 20  B.C."

rs 91; w87 8/15 21

42 BCE - back

Roman government: Tiberius, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla, is born. He will be adopted by Augustus in 38 BCE and become the second Roman emperor in 14 CE.

it TIBERIUS

Roman government: Octavian and Mark Antony defeat the armies of Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, assassins of Julius Caesar, on the Plain of Philippi in Macedonia.

it PHILIPPI

40 BCE - back

Judea: Herod has to flee for his life because of a successful revolt by the Hasmonaean Antigonus. Herod flees to Rome so as to gather to himself a Roman army of sufficient size to return and take Jerusalem and establish himself king of Judea. (See 37 BCE.)

w54 1/15 42

Circa 39 BCE - back

Judea: Herod the Great, son of Herod Antipas II, is appointed "king" of the Jews by the Roman senate, but is not able to establish himself as de facto king until about 37  BCE. Herod is the grandson of Antipater (Antipas) I, whom Alexander Jannaeus the Hasmonaean (Maccabean) king had made governor of Idumea.

dp 229 par. 38; it HEROD 1; ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); JERUSALEM

38 BCE - back

Roman government: When Livia, the mother of Tiberius, marries Augustus this year, her son Tiberius, who was born in 41 BCE, becomes the adopted son of Augustus. Tiberius will become the Roman emperor in 14 CE.

it TIBERIUS

37 BCE - back

Judea: Herod the Great, who was appointed king circa 39 BCE by Rome, takes Jerusalem and deposes the Jewish Hasmonaean prince, Antigonus, son of Aristobulus. Herod persuades the Roman Mark Antony to kill Antigonus and to seek out the principal members of Antigonus' party, putting them to death. The Hasmonaean rule is crushed, and thus ends the period of the Maccabees or Hasmonaeans that began in 164 BCE. Herod's rule effectively begins in either 37 or 36 BCE.

dp 229 par. 38; w54 1/15 42; it HEROD 1; ISRAEL (Israel After the Babylonian Exile); JERUSALEM (Hellenic and Maccabean Control)

31 BCE - back

Roman government: At the naval battle of Actium, Octavian defeats Mark Antony, and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt deserts the fleet of her Roman lover Mark Antony. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian—later titled Augustus in 27 BCE) establishes his rulership and the Roman Empire. He will rule until 14 CE and will be the Roman emperor when Jesus is born. Octavian is the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar.

w88 5/1 26–29; g89 3/8 20–24; it AUGUSTUS; EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (Under Greek and Roman rule)

30 BCE - back

Greece, Egypt, and the Roman government: Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony commit suicide. The Grecian World Power, which existed for about 300 years, since Alexander the Great, comes to its final end when Octavian subjugates the Greek Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt, the last of the four Hellenic kingdoms. Octavian annexes Egypt as a Roman province, thus ending the Ptolemaic kingdom that began in 301 BCE. The city of Alexandria serves as the administrative center of Egypt and will continue as such until the Arabic conquest in the seventh century CE.

dp 249–9; w88 4/15 22–25; 5/1 26–29; it ALEXANDRIA; EGYPT (Under Greek and Roman rule)

Roman government: By this year, Rome emerges as the sixth world power in Bible prophecy. (The previous five world powers were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.) The Roman Empire will eventually subjugate an area extending from the British Isles, through much of Europe, all around the Mediterranean, and beyond Babylon in Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf.

dp 55, 135; w88 5/1 26

27 BCE - back

Roman Empire: The Senate bestows on Octavian the title "Augustus" (meaning "Exalted," "Sacred") and he now becomes the first emperor of Rome and will be known as Caesar Augustus or "August One." In this year Augustus reorganizes the two provinces of Greece: Macedonia to the north and Achaia to the south. Augustus will be emperor when Jesus is born, and will rule until 14 CE.

Luke 2:1; w88 5/1 28; it AUGUSTUS; ACHAIA; dp 248–9

20 BCE - back

Roman Empire: A coin stuck in this year by Augustus uses the symbol of the cross. (See also 44 BCE.)

rs 91; w87 8/15 21

17 BCE - back

Judea: Herod the Great begins rebuilding the temple of Zerubbabel at Jerusalem. It will be completed in 64 CE.

it HEROD 1 (Temple and Other Building Works); w59 3/1 155

12 BCE - back

Roman Empire and Religion: After the death of Lepidus this year, Caesar Augustus assumes the title of "Pontifex Maximus" (high priest), after which the office becomes inseparable from the office of the reigning emperor. When the Roman Empire begins to decay, the title will fall to the popes as administrators of religious law.

dp 249; it AUGUSTUS; w66 1/1 27

5 BCE - back

Judea: This year is the traditional date of Jesus' birth. (Or perhaps it is one of several traditional years for Jesus' birth.)

it CHRONOLOGY (Lunar eclipses)

4 BCE - back

Judea (Herod the Great): This year is the traditional year of the death of Herod the Great, although some even say 5 BCE. (See 1 BCE.)

it CHRONOLOGY (Lunar eclipses); HEROD 1 (Date of his death)

3 BCE - back

Judea: Probably around late spring or early summer, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, a priest whose turn it is to offer incense at the temple. Gabriel tells him that his long-barren wife, Elizabeth, will become a mother to a son, John, who will be filled with holy spirit from his mother's womb and will go to the sons of Israel to turn them back to Jehovah. Zechariah, who doubts, is struck dumb by the angel.

Luke 1:5–25; it ZECHARIAH 31; gt 1

Judea: Toward the end of this year (or by the first of the next year), when Elizabeth is six months pregnant, the angel Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth and tells her she will bear God's son who will be called Son of the Most High, and that Jehovah will give to him the throne of David and there will be no end of his kingdom.

Luke 1:24–38; it MARY; gt 2

2 BCE - back

Judea: The now pregnant Mary of Nazareth visits her cousin Elizabeth in Judea and stays with her about three months. In the spring, Mary returns to Nazareth, where she marries Joseph, to whom she is betrothed. John is born to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah regains his speech and utters a prophecy about the work of his son and that of the Messiah.

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:39–80; it ZECHARIAH 31; gt2, 3

Judea: Caesar Augustus decrees that all the people be registered in their cities. Joseph and Mary go from Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, Bethlehem, because of Joseph being of the house and family of David. Jesus is born in Bethlehem to Mary in the autumn in the Jewish month of Ethanim, or about October 1. Adam was also created in the month of Ethanim (see 4026 BCE). (For the December 25 date later assigned to Jesus' birth, see 274 CE.)

After 40 days (or near mid-November), Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present a sacrifice of two turtledoves or pigeons, the sacrifice of poor people. (It is apparent that up until this time the astrologers have not arrived with their valuable gifts, nor has Joseph been told to flee to Egypt.) At the temple, Simeon prophesies over Jesus being the "means of saving," and the prophetess Anna speaks of him as their promised savior.

Leviticus Chapter 12; Matthew 2:1–12; Luke 2:1–39; it ANNA; CHRONOLOGY (From 537 BCE to conversion of Cornelius); ETHANIM; HEROD 1 (Date of His Death); SIMEON 3; w10 4/1 12–13; sh 283; gt 4–6

1 BCE - back

From Judea to Egypt: While Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are living in a house in Bethlehem, astrologers (not numbered in the Bible) come from the east to Jerusalem to find the one born king of the Jews. (This probably occurs sometime between mid-November of 2 BCE and Herod's death, which occurred before Passover of 1 BCE). The astrologers inquire first of King Herod about the whereabouts of this newborn king of the Jews. All Jerusalem becomes agitated. The astrologers visit the "young child" in Bethlehem and give gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then they withdraw, being given divine warning, and return without reporting to Herod. Joseph is warned in a dream and flees immediately to Egypt (which is now a Roman province—see 30 BCE) with Mary and Jesus. Herod orders that all the boys in Bethlehem from two years and under be killed, thus fulfilling a prophecy of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:15, 16; Matthew 2:1–23; it EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (Under Greek and Roman Rule); w10 4/1 13 and footnote; gt7, 8

From Egypt to Galilee: Joseph, in Egypt, after hearing of Herod's death and that his tyrannical son Archelaus is now king of Judea, and also because of being given divine warning in a dream, returns to live in Nazareth, which is outside of Archelaus' territory. This fulfills the prophecy of Hosea 11:1: "When Israel was a boy, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."

In Nazareth, Joseph works as a carpenter, and Jesus will grow up in Nazareth, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1: "And there must go forth a twig out of the stump of Jesse; and out of his roots a sprout will be fruitful." (Nazareth means "Sprout-town.")

Isaiah 11:1 and ftn.; Matthew 2:23 and ftns.; Matthew 2:15, 19–23; Luke 2:39, 40; 51, 52; it ARCHELAUS; NAZARENE; NAZARETH

Judea (Herod the Great): It is likely that Herod the Great dies early this year. According to Josephus, Herod dies shortly after a lunar eclipse and before Passover. The most likely eclipse is the highly visible total lunar eclipse of 8 January (10 January, Julian calendar), in which the moon was blacked out for 1 hour 41 minutes. The site of Herod's burial at Herodium will be excavated by archaeologists in 2008 CE.

See more information about the 2008 excavation at Herodium here: www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/Findings-strengthen-identification-of-Herods+grave+19-Nov-2008.htm .

it CHRONOLOGY (Astronomical Calculations), (Lunar Eclipses); HEROD 1 (Date of His Death)

World Population: An estimate for the total population of the world for the year 1 C.E. is 200 million people.

See geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm

First Century Historians: Greek historian Plutarch lives during this century and part of the next. Roman historian and naturalist Pliny the Elder lives during this century (23–79 CE); he dies from the fumes when Mount Vesuvius erupts in 79. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus is born in the year 37, and will witness and write about the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in 70 CE.

it CHRONOLOGY (Historians of the Classical Period); w94 3/15 28–31, "The Fascinating Chronicles of Josephus"

Bible: The last writings to be included in the Hebrew Scriptures section of the Bible (often called the "Old Testament") were written in the 5th century BCE. This 1st century CE sees the revival of writing and the conclusion of all the writings that will finally be included in the Bible. Eight different Bible writers pen a total of 27 Bible books, many consisting of letters written to newly established Christian congregations. These come to be included in the part of the Bible that is called the "New Testament" or, more appropriately, the Christian Greek Scriptures. The eight writers are Matthew (1 book), Mark (1 book), Luke (2 books), John (5 books), Paul (14 books), Peter (2 books), James (1 book), and Jude (1 book)

Mediterranean Area: At the beginning of the common era, 10 percent of the Mediterranean world is Jewish, due to conquest during the period of the Maccabees and to proselytism.

sh 213

Judea (Languages): Four languages are current in Palestine during this century: Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and Aramaic.

it HEBREW II (When Did Hebrew Begin to Wane?)

The Year Zero - back

Calendar: There is no zero year. The next year after 1 BCE is 1 CE, which makes one full year, not two, between the dates 1 BCE and 1 CE.

si 282 (No Zero Year); it CHRONOLOGY (The Biblical Count of Time)

1 CE - back

Calendar: See 525 CE for more information about this year being the supposed date of Jesus' birth.

Circa 6 CE to 7 CE - back

Judea: Annas is appointed Jewish high priest by Quirinius, the Roman governor of Syria. Annas will serve until about 15 CE. He is high priest in 12 CE when Jesus at about age twelve and a half amazes the rabbinic teachers at the temple. (Luke 2:40–49) Annas is also the chief priest to whom Jesus is first taken for questioning before his trial in 33 CE. (John 18:12, 13, 19–24) Annas' five sons and his son-in-law Caiaphas (see 18 CE) will also hold the office of high priest.

it ANNAS; w06 1/15 11

12 CE - back

Judea: Jesus, at about age twelve and a half, gets "lost" from his family in Jerusalem during a trip there to celebrate the Passover. His parents later find him in the Temple, listening to and questioning the teachers.

Luke 2:41–51; it MARY 1

14 CE - back

Roman Empire: Caesar Augustus dies on 17 August (Gregorian Calendar). For about two hundred years under the rule of Augustus and his successors, the Mediterranean world will experience a period of internal peace known as the Pax Romana. Early Christians will be able to spread the good news more easily through the relatively safe travel allowed by this peace. Tiberius is named emperor by the Roman Senate on 15 September. Tiberius will rule until 37 CE, and will be the Roman ruler during Jesus' ministry.

Luke 3:1–3; F-Light 210; w99 8/15 22; w88 5/1 26–29; it TIBERIUS; si 283

Chronology: This year is important in arriving at the "pivotal date" of 29 CE for determining dates in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

w91 11/15 31; si 283

Circa 15 CE - back

Roman Empire: A silver denarius coin bearing the head of Tiberius is put into circulation about this year. This coincides later with Jesus' use of the denarius coin bearing the head of Caesar.

Mark 12:15–17; it ARCHAEOLOGY (Relating to the Christian Greek Scriptures)

Circa 18 CE - back

Judea: Caiaphas became high priest about this year. When Pontius Pilate is appointed governor of Judea in 26 C.E., Caiaphas is kept in office throughout Pilate's ten-year governorship, so he is high priest during Jesus' trail in 33 CE. See also the archaeology entry at 1990 CE.

w06 1/15 10–13: "The High Priest Who Condemned Jesus"

29 CE - back

Judea: John the Baptizer begins his ministry in this 15th year of Tiberius, sometime in the spring. If the years are counted from the death of Augustus in 14 CE, the 15th year ran from August 28 CE to August 29 CE. If counted from when Tiberius was formally proclaimed emperor in 14 CE, the year would run from September 28 CE to September 29 CE.

Luke 3:1–3; w91 11/15 31; it JOHN 1

Jesus' ministry: In the autumn, Jesus, about age 30, is baptized and anointed by holy spirit, thus becoming the Messiah (Christ). The 69 "weeks" of years of Daniel 9:24–27 that began in 455 BCE end this year, and the 70th week begins.

Luke 1:34–38; 3:1–3, 21–23; si 283, 291; w98 9/15 13–14; it JOHN 1; TIBERIUS

Sacred Secret: During Jesus' three-and-a-half-year ministry, he will be identified as the promised Seed of the prophecy at Genesis 3:15, the Messiah (Christ), the future judge, and the King-Designate. It has been over 4,000 years since the first Kingdom promise was given in Eden, and it will be another 1885 years before the Kingdom will be established in 1914 CE. (See After 4026 BCE, 1070 to 1040 BCE, and 36 CE.)

In addition, Jesus progressively reveals that he will have fellow rulers and judges in the coming Kingdom, which will have earthly subjects, "other sheep not of this fold," and that all his followers are to preach the good news about this Kingdom to the ends of the earth. He reveals that this Kingdom will be established at a definite time, the establishment of which will be corroborated by world events that indicate the "sign" of Christ's royal invisible heavenly presence (Greek, parousia) as the ruling king of that Kingdom.

Matthew 5:3–5; 6:10; 24:3–22; 28:19, 20; Luke 10:1–9; 12:32; 21:24; 22:29, 30; John 1:17; 4:25, 26; 10:16; 14:2, 3; Acts 10:42, 43; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Timothy 3:16; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

Chronology: This year is considered a "pivotal date" from which to reckon events in the Christian Greek Scriptures, that is, a date from which can be reckoned many events in connection with early Christianity, and especially the year of the appearance of Jesus as Messiah.

w91 11/15 31; si 283

30 CE - back

Jesus' ministry: In the spring, Jesus comes to Jehovah's temple in Jerusalem and drives out those who are making it "a house of merchandise." See also 33 CE. Jesus calls Matthew from the tax office to be his follower, either late this year or in early 31 CE, before Passover.

John 2:13–16; w87 6/15 12–13; it MATTHEW; gt 27

31 CE - back

Jesus' ministry: After Passover, Jesus selects his twelve apostles: Simon, whom Jesus also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John, sons of Zebedee; Philip; Nathaniel Bartholomew; Matthew or Levi; Thomas; James "the Less," son of Alphaeus; Simon "the zealous one," Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot who turned traitor. Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount. Shortly after Passover, in the first of two reported instances, the party followers of Herod and the Pharisees, who are openly opposed to one another politically, consult together on how best to do away with their common enemy, Jesus. Late in this year (or in early 32 CE), Jesus resurrects the daughter of Jairus.

Mark 3:1–6; 5:21–43; Luke 6:12–16; it CAPERNAUM; HEROD, PARTY FOLLOWERS OF; JAIRUS; MATTHEW

32 CE - back

John the Baptizer: Herodias, the wife of King Herod Antipas, has John the Baptist beheaded. (Jesus' Ministry: To be added.)

Matthew 14:1–13; it HERODIAS

33 CE - back

Jesus Ministry: The last days of Jesus' human life. (See the Chart on page 4 of the Watchtower reference. For more details, see the All Scripture reference.)

w98 3/15 3–9; si 290

Nisan 7: Jesus and his disciples travel from Jericho to Jerusalem.

gt 101

Nisan 8: Jesus arrives in Bethany.

gt 101

Nisan 9: Jesus has a meal with Simon the leper. The next morning he rides into Jerusalem to present himself as king. Jesus prophesies that Jerusalem's desolation will come, a prophecy that will be fulfilled in 70 CE.

Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:41; 21:20, 21; rs 61–62; gt 101–2

Nisan 10: Jesus comes to the temple on Nisan 10 as the official "messenger of the covenant" in fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. He cleanses the temple and overturns the tables of the money changers.

w87 6/15 12–13; gt 103–4

Nisan 11: Jesus' ministry in and around Jerusalem. He gives the sign of his future presence.

gt 105–11

Nisan 12: Jesus spends a quiet day in Bethany with his disciples. Judas arranges to betray Jesus.

gt 112

Nisan 13: Passover preparations.

gt 112.

Nisan 14: Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples. He retires to the Garden of Gethsemane and is betrayed by Judas, then led to trial. He is impaled, and dies on Friday afternoon, April 3, Julian calendar (April 1, Gregorian calendar). Darkness occurs, an earthquake throws dead bodies from the tombs, and the curtain of the sanctuary in the Temple is torn in two. A second earthquake occurs two days later when Jesus is resurrected.

w84 4/15 7; w59 8/15 489–92; it EARTHQUAKE; gt 113–27

Nisan 16: Jesus is resurrected and afterward appears to his disciples a number of times. At some point, while in Galilee, Jesus appears to the eleven apostles and about 500 others and commissions them to "go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations." (Matthew 28:16–20)

Matthew 28:1–10; Luke chapter 24; gt 128–30

Forty days after Nisan 16: Jesus ascends to heaven.

Acts 1:1–11; gt 131

Fifty days after Nisan 16 (Pentecost): The Christian congregation is founded. Holy spirit is poured out on about 120 disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. The disciples begin to speak to the crowds of foreigners in their native languages; Peter tells the multitude that this is a fulfillment of Joel 2:28, 29. About 3,000 believers are baptized.

Acts chapter 2; gt 131–132

Early Christians: Following Pentecost, the disciples preach daily. Peter heals a lame man. Opposition arises; Peter and John are arrested and ordered to stop teaching "upon the basis of the name of Jesus." The disciples pray; holy spirit enables them to continue "speaking the word of God with boldness." Ananias and his wife Sapphira conspire to lie, then drop down dead for "playing false to the holy spirit and to God." The apostles are arrested and jailed for preaching, but are released by an angel, and continue teaching. Arrested again, Peter and the others tell the high priest: "We must obey God as ruler rather than men." The Pharisee Gamaliel advises: "Do not meddle with these men . .  otherwise, you may perhaps be found fighters actually against God." Either this year or in 34, the disciple Stephen is falsely charged; just before being stoned to death, Stephen receives a vision and exclaims: "Look! I behold the heavens opened up and the Son of man standing at God's right hand." A great persecution arises against the congregation in Jerusalem and the disciples are scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. A Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, is one of the leading persecutors of the Christians. Either this year or in 34, Philip is directed to preach to an Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot; the eunuch becomes a believer in Christ and is baptized.

Acts 4:34–37; 5:1–10; 6:11, 13; 8:1; w93 11/15 8; it ANANIAS 1; bt 12

Circa 34 CE - back

Early Christians: Saul of Tarsus, later referred to by his Roman name Paul, is probably converted to Christianity this year.

Acts 9:1–22; it APOSTLE (The Selection of Paul); PAUL; SEVENTY WEEKS; w08 12/15 16 par. 2; w81 3/1 15; w71 5/15 320; bt 12

Circa 34–36 CE - back

Early Christians: Paul preaches in Damascus.

Acts 9:19–25; bt 12

36 CE - back

Sacred Secret: Jehovah reveals to Peter that non-Jews will also be Kingdom joint heirs. (See After 4026 BCE, 29 CE, and 55 CE .)

Acts 10:30–48; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

Early Christians: About this year Paul first visits Jerusalem as a follower of Christ, where he reports to the apostles "in detail" all that had happened to him. (Acts 9:23–27) When Greek-speaking Jews attempt to kill him, the brothers send him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:28–30) In Lydda, Peter heals a paralytic named Aeneas. (Acts 9:31–35) In Joppa, Peter resurrects the disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas), who had "abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy that she was rendering." (Acts 9:36–42) In Caesarea, Peter is divinely directed to preach to the Gentile army officer, Cornelius, "a devout man," and his household and friends, and holy spirit "fell upon all those hearing the word" and they are baptized. (Acts chapter 10) This occurs in the fall of this year.

w08 2/15 10–11, par. 19; it CORNELIUS; PAUL; SEVENTY WEEKS; si 292

37 CE - back

Judea: Joseph ben Matthias, better known as Flavius Josephus, is born. He will record the history of the Jewish people in several works: The Jewish War (which chronicles the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans); The Jewish Antiquities (a 20-volume history of the Jews beginning with Genesis and creation); Life (a personal narrative defending himself against accusations); and Against Apion (a defense of the Jews against misrepresentations).

w94 3/15 28–31, "The Fascinating Chronicles of Josephus"; g80 8/8 16–19

Roman Empire: Pontius Pilate, who handed Jesus over to be impaled in 33 CE, is replaced as Roman governor of Judea and ordered to return to Rome to answer charges of serious wrongdoing in the matter of his slaughter of some Samaritans. There is no reliable data on the outcome of Pilate's trial, but Eusebius records the following: "It is worthy of note that, as the records show, in the reign of Gaius [Caligula], . . . Pilate himself, the governor of our Saviour's day, was involved in such calamities that he was forced to become his own executioner and to punish himself with his own hand: divine justice, it seems, was not slow to overtake him."

it PILATE; Eusebius, The History of the Church, II, VII, I

Roman Empire: Tiberius Caesar dies, and Gaius Caesar (nicknamed Caligula) begins a 4-year rule of the Roman Empire, until 41 CE.

w88 5/1 29; it ROME

38 CE - back

Judea: Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, returns from Rome where he was educated, after having been appointed by Gaius Caesar (Caligula) to be king of Judea. (See 41 CE.)

it HEROD 3; HERODIAS

41 CE - back

Bible (Book of Matthew): Approximately this year Matthew writes the Bible book of 'The Good News According to Matthew.' This book is an account of Jesus' life, written primarily with the Jews in mind, demonstrating that Jesus is the foretold Messianic King. Matthew may have originally written in Hebrew, then later translated his writing into Koine (common) Greek.

w88 5/1 26–29; it GREEK; MATTHEW, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO; si MATTHEW

Early Christians (Paul): It is approximately this year that the apostle Paul has a vision of "the third heaven."

2 Corinthians 12:1–6; it PAUL (Persecution, Conversion, Early Ministry); w00 7/15 27; bt 12

Roman Empire: Claudius becomes the Roman ruler after Gaius (Caligula) is assassinated. Claudius will rule until 54 CE. He is named in the Bible at Acts 18:2 in connection with his order in c.49–50 CE that all Jews leave Rome.

it CLAUDIUS; HEROD 3; ROME

Judea: Herod Agrippa I becomes king of all Palestine, with Claudius awarding him rulership of Judea, Samaria, and the kingdom of Lysanias. Herod, who curries the favor of the Jews, will persecute Christians.

it HEROD 3

43 CE - back

Roman Empire: Emperor Claudius begins a more permanent conquest of southern Britain. Many of the inhabitants (Celts) are driven into Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. (Compare 55 BCE and 122 CE.)

See more information here: http://tinyurl.com/6pposb;
http://spinner.cofc.edu/~mccandla/rombritlec.html.

dp 137–8; g71 12/22 20

44 CE - back

Early Christians: Approximately this year in Antioch, Syria, the Christian prophet Agabus foretells a great famine. The congregation in Antioch will have about two years to prepare for this emergency and arrange for relief to be sent to Judea (see 46 CE).

After a period of peace for the congregation in Jerusalem (Acts 9:31), Herod Agrippa I had instigated the persecution of Christians in Judea. It is likely in this year that Herod has the apostle James, the son of Zebedee and brother of the apostle John, 'done away with by the sword.' Herod next arrests Peter, who is jailed, then miraculously released. After Passover, Herod Agrippa I dies at age 54, eaten up by worms as an expression of Jehovah's adverse judgment.

Acts chapters 11, 12; w68 8/15 506; it AGABUS; HEROD 3; PETER (Later Ministry); JAMES 2; si 292; bt 12

46 CE - back

Early Christians: Approximately this year the congregation at Antioch sends a relief ministration by Paul and Barnabas to the governing body in Jerusalem for the brothers due to the famine in Judea, which was prophesied by the Christian prophet Agabus in about 44 CE.

it AGABUS; ANTIOCH 1

Judea: The famine foretold by Agabus in 44 CE begins in Judea. According to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, XX, 2, 5; 5, 2), the famine lasts three years or more.

Acts 11:27–30; w89 12/15 19

47 CE - back

Early Christians: Acting by divine message, elders in the congregation of Syrian Antioch set aside Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the missionary work.

w92 9/1 11

Paul's first missionary journey (c. 47 to 48): Paul begins his first missionary trip with Barnabas, taking John Mark as their attendant. John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, later writes the Bible book of Mark. (See Circa 60 to 65 CE.) They sail to Cyprus and visit Salamis (eastern coast) and go through the whole island to Paphos (western coast), perhaps a walking trip of 140 miles. In Paphos, the proconsul Sergius Paulus summons Barnabas and Paul, for he "earnestly sought to hear the word of God." His advisor, the false prophet and sorcerer ("Elymas") Bar-Jesus, opposes the message and tries to "turn the proconsul away from the faith." Paul blinds the sorcerer and the proconsul becomes a believer.

From Paphos, they sail to Asia Minor. In Perga, John Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem. They travel 110 miles northward through mountain passes and 'dangers from rivers and highwaymen' to Antioch in Pisidia. There they teach in the synagogue. The Jews are "filled with jealousy" and contradict Paul, but many of the nations who are "rightly disposed for everlasting life" become believers. The Jews raise up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and throw them out Antioch. They travel eastward to Iconium, where many Jews and Greeks become believers. But unbelieving Jews attempt to "treat them insolently and pelt them with stones." On being informed of it, they flee to Lycaonia, a region in southern Galatia. In Lystra, Paul heals a man crippled from birth. The crowd begins shouting that the "gods have become like humans and have come down to us!" and then try to sacrifice to them. Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium arrive and stir up trouble so that the crowds stone Paul and drag him outside the city, thinking he is dead. He is not. Paul and Barnabas go on to Derbe, where they make numerous disciples. Then they revisit Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and appointing elders in the congregations of Galatia. They return to Antioch in Syria, probably in 48 CE.

Acts 13:1–14:28; w92 9/1 10–14; w90 6/15 10–12; it ANTIOCH; MARK I; PAUL (First Missionary Journey)

Archaeology: Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark visit Cyprus about 47 CE and preach to the interested Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, "an intelligent man," who becomes a believer. Excavations in Cyprus in the middle of the nineteenth century will uncover an inscription dating from 55 CE that includes the words "in the proconsulship of Paulus," but whether the inscription refers to the Paulus in the Bible is unknown.

Acts 13:1–12; it CYPRUS; PAULUS; gm 64

48 CE - back

Paul's first missionary journey (c.47 to 48), concluded: Paul and Barnabas conclude the missionary trip they began about 47 CE and return to Syrian Antioch.

it PAUL (First Missionary Journey)

Judea: About this year, Ananias, the son of Nedebaeus, is appointed as Jewish high priest by Herod, the king of Chalcis and brother of Herod Agrippa I. The apostle Paul will appear before Ananias about 56 CE. He serves as high priest until 58 CE. In 66 CE, he will be killed by Jews due to his collaboration with the Romans.

Acts 23:2–5; it ANANIAS 3

49 CE - back

Early Christians: About this year in Syrian Antioch the matter of circumcision of the Gentile converts arises. Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and others are sent to Jerusalem for a decision by the governing body, which issues a decree regarding abstaining from blood and things strangled, idolatry, and fornication, and showing that circumcision of Gentile converts is not necessary.

Acts 15:1–35; Galatians 2:1–3; w68 8/15 506; it TITUS

Paul's second missionary journey (circa 49 to 52 CE) begins: Paul and Barnabas decide to visit the brothers in the cities where they had preached on the first missionary trip, but they have a dispute because Barnabas wants to take his cousin John Mark and Paul does not, so they decide to travel separately. Paul begins his second missionary journey, possibly during the summer, and takes along Silas (Silvanus). Barnabas takes his cousin Mark to Cyprus; Paul and Silas travel through the districts of Syria and Cilicia.

Acts 15:36–41; w99 2/15 26–29; it BARNABAS; PAUL (Second Missionary Journey)

Circa 49–50 CE - back

Early Christians: In his ninth year of reign (in 49 or early 50), Emperor Claudius issues an edict for all Jews to leave Rome. As Jews, the Christians Aquila and Priscilla have to leave Rome. They go to live and preach in Corinth, where they meet the apostle Paul in the fall (likely in 50) during Paul's second missionary tour.

Acts 18:1–4; w60 8/15 507; it AQUILA; CHRONOLOGY (From 537 B.C.E. to conversion of Cornelius); CLAUDIUS

Paul's second missionary tour (circa 49 to 52 CE) continues: In the spring, still on the second missionary trip, Paul and Silas travel through Asia Minor. At Lystra, young Timothy joins them. At Troas, Luke joins them and travels with them as far as Philippi, where he stays until Paul's third missionary tour when he again rejoins Paul. After Paul has a vision of a Macedonian man entreating him to "step over into Macedonia and help us," they cross into Europe for the first time. They establish new congregations at Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea, and Athens. In Athens, Paul delivers one of his most famous speeches atop the Areopagus (Mars' Hill). In the autumn, Paul begins an 18-month stay in Corinth, Greece, living in the home of Aquila and Priscilla and making tents with them part-time. In 15 months, Paul has traveled about 1300 miles.

Acts 16:1–18:17; w99 2/15 26–29; w96 12/15 23; w68 8:15 506; it CHRONOLOGY; LUKE; LYSTRA; TROAS; si 292, 336

Bible (Book of First Thessalonians): Paul writes his first of two letters to the newly established congregation in Thessalonica, probably while he is still in Corinth. This is perhaps the first letter composed by Paul. The book is Paul's letter of commendation and encouragement to the Christians in Thessalonica.

it THESSALONIANS, LETTERS TO THE; si 1 THESSALONIANS

51 CE - back

Paul's second missionary tour (circa 49 to 52 CE) continues: Paul, still on his second missionary trip, is staying 18 months in Corinth, Greece, at the home of Aquila and Priscilla. (See Circa 49–50 CE.)

Acts 18:1–18

Bible (Book of Second Thessalonians): Paul writes his second letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, from Corinth, to correct a wrong view about Christ's presence and to offer counsel on how to treat disorderly ones.

it THESSALONIANS, LETTERS TO THE; si 2 THESSALONIANS

52 CE - back

Paul's second missionary tour (circa 49 to 52 CE) concludes: In the spring, Paul sails from Corinth for Syria at the end of his second missionary tour. Aquila and Priscilla go as far as Ephesus with him, and they will remain in Ephesus until about 55 CE.

Acts 18:18–22; w96 12/15 22-24

Early Christians: Apollos, a Jew from Alexander, Egypt, who is "an eloquent man" arrives in Ephesus and begins witnessing in the local synagogue, but he is acquainted only with the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla, whose home is used for the local meeting place for the congregation, take Apollos into their company and expound "the way of God more correctly to him."

Acts 18:24–28; it APOLLOS; AQUILA

Paul's third missionary tour (circa 52 to 56 CE) begins: Paul begins his third missionary tour this year, heading into Asia Minor again. He reaches Ephesus in the winter of this year (or in early 53), where he will spend almost three years.

it PAUL

Bible (Book of Galatians): Paul writes to the Galatians, that is, to the congregations of Galatia (which include Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe), either from Corinth or from Syrian Antioch, around 50 to 52 CE. His letter is in response to the news that false teachers, Judaizers, have led some in the Galatian congregations to believe that circumcision and observing the Law of Moses is a necessary part of true Christianity. Paul shows that it is by faith one is declared righteous, not by following the now abolished Law, and that circumcision is no longer necessary for one to gain salvation.

it GALATIANS, LETTER TO THE; si GALATIANS

53 CE - back

Paul's third missionary tour (circa 52 to 56 CE) continues: Paul reaches Ephesus either late last year or early this year, and will spend about three years in Ephesus.

si 293

54 CE - back

Paul's third missionary tour (circa 52 to 56 CE) continues.

Roman Empire: Emperor Claudius is poisoned by his wife. Her son Nero succeeds Claudius as ruler of the Roman Empire. Nero rules from 54 to 68 CE and will severely persecute the Christians, the first in a wave of ten major persecutions against Christians. (See 64 CE.) From Nero's time until the third century, all Roman emperors will either actively persecute Christians or permit persecution of them.

w93 7/1 10; w88 5/1 29

55 CE - back

Sacred Secret: The apostle Paul explains that the Kingdom heirs will be resurrected to immortality and incorruption during Christ's presence (which will begin in 1914 CE). (See After 4026 BCE, 36 CE, and 96 CE .)

1 Corinthians 15:51–54; w97 6/1 16 (chart)

Paul's third missionary tour (circa 52 to 56 CE) continues: This is the last year of Paul's approximate three-year stay in Ephesus. He writes his first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus, then sends Titus to Corinth to assist the brothers in the collection for the needy brothers in Judea and to access that congregation's reaction to his first letter. Meanwhile, in Ephesus, due to Paul's success in making disciples, the silversmith Demetrius fears losing business in selling silver shrines of the goddess Artemis and stirs up his fellow craftsmen and incites the entire city to riot against Paul in the theater. After the rioters are calmed by the city recorder, Paul takes his leave of the brothers and heads toward Macedonia. This is sometime after the festival of Pentecost. He travels all the way to Corinth, Greece, in time to spend three winter months there.

it CORINTHIANS, LETTERS TO; DEMETRIUS 1; PAUL; TITUS; si 293

Bible (Book of First Corinthians): Approximately this year while in Ephesus during his third missionary tour, Paul writes his first letter to the Corinthians. He had just received shocking reports about factions and sexual immorality within the Corinthian congregation, so his letter is written to address this situation and to answer a query they had sent about marriage.

it CORINTHIANS, LETTERS TO THE; si 1 CORINTHIANS

Bible (Book of Second Corinthians): Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthians, from Macedonia, probably in the late summer or early fall of this year. It is a follow-up letter to the one he wrote earlier this year. In addition to showing how he and his associates are qualified by God as ministers, Paul encourages them to help the brothers in Judea who are experiencing adversity due to a material need (it Hebrews, Letter to the; 1 Corinthians 16:1–3; 2 Co 9:1–5). Paul is now on his way to visit Corinth a few months later for his second and, whether he knows it or not, final visit.

it CORINTHIANS, LETTERS TO THE; si 2 CORINTHIANS

Circa 56 CE - back

Bible (Book of Romans): Paul writes the Bible book of Romans from Corinth while still on his third missionary tour, likely early in this year. The letter explains that righteousness does not come from ancestry from Abraham or through works of the Mosaic Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ and as a result of God's undeserved kindness.

it ROMANS, LETTER TO THE; si ROMANS

Paul's third missionary tour (circa 52 to 56 CE) concludes, then Paul is arrested: From Corinth, Paul travels north as far as Philippi by Passover time of this year. He sails by way of Troas. In Troas, sleepy Eutychus falls from a high window during Paul's late discourse, and is killed, but Paul resurrects him. At Miletus, Paul meets with the overseers from the congregation at Ephesus and informs them that they will see him no more, that "from city to city the holy spirit repeatedly bears witness to me as it says that bonds and tribulations are waiting for me." He sails to Caesarea, where the Christian prophet, Agabus, foretells Paul's future arrest in Jerusalem. But Paul is not deterred and continues his journey to Jerusalem, arriving at the city by Pentecost.

A mob of Jews in Jerusalem seeks to kill Paul, but he is rescued by Roman soldiers from the Tower of Antonia next to the temple. He then gives a witness to the crowd from the stairs of the Tower, but the crowd will not hear him. The Romans take him inside to examine him by scourging, but he appeals to Caesar (the infamous Nero) on the basis of his Roman citizenship, because it is illegal to torture or scourge a Roman citizen to extract a confession from him.

The military commander takes Paul to the chief priests and Sanhedrin to determine why the Jews have a problem with him. The Jewish high priest Ananias (see 48 CE) orders Paul to be struck in the face. Paul calls Ananias a "whitewashed wall," but excuses himself for being unaware that Ananias was the high priest. Paul divides the Sanhedrin by cleverly setting the Sadducees and Pharisees against each other over the issue of the resurrection.

A murderous plot against Paul makes it necessary for the Roman soldiers to transfer him from Jerusalem to Caesarea. In Caesarea, Paul testifies before Governor Felix, showing there is no evidence to the charges the Jews have brought against him. Felix, however, hoping for a bribe keeps Paul in custody for the next two years, which also correspond to the last two years of his governorship, until he is replaced by Governor Festus in 58 CE.

Acts 20:22, 23; 21:8–11; 22:1–24:27; it AGABUS; ANANIAS 3; ARMY OFFICER; CITIZEN, CITIZENSHIP; CHRONOLOGY; JERUSALEM (Under Herod the Great); PAUL

Circa 56 CE to 58 CE - back

Bible (Book of Luke): The physician Luke writes the Bible book of The Good News According to Luke, from Caesarea, sometime during this time period. The book is the second Gospel written, and is an account of the life of Jesus written in a manner to appeal to people of all nations. The chronological material in the book of Luke aids in determining when John the Baptist and Jesus were born and when they began their ministries.

it LUKE, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO; si LUKE

Apostle Paul: Paul remains in custody in Caesarea. (See why at 56 CE.)

Acts 24:24–27.

58 CE - back

Roman Empire: Festus succeeds Felix as governor approximately this year. Paul testifies before Herod Agrippa II and Festus. [Details to be added.]

Acts 24:27 to 26:32; it CHRONOLOGY

Circa 59 to 61 CE - back

Paul's first imprisonment in Rome begins (until 61). [Details to be added.]

Circa 60 to 61 CE - back

Bible (Book of Colossians): Paul, writes to the Christians in Colossae when he is in prison in Rome. This letter emphasizes appreciation for the God-given position of Christ.

it COLOSSIANS, LETTER TO THE; si COLOSSIANS

Bible (Book of Ephesians): Paul writes to the Ephesians from Rome where he is imprisoned awaiting trial before Caesar. Because Ephesus is a wealthy city, full of immorality and demonistic practices, plus having the famous temple of Artemis there, Paul counsels the Ephesian Christians against materialism, and encourages them to put on "the new personality." He writes about God's purpose for an administration to "gather all things together again in the Christ," about the "sacred secret of the Christ," about proper subjection, and about putting on the "complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil."

si EPHESIANS; it EPHESIANS, LETTER TO THE

Bible (Book of Philemon): Paul's letter to Philemon, written while Paul is in prison in Rome, encourages that love and mercy be shown to Onesimus, Philemon's runaway slave, who has become a Christian.

it PHILEMON, LETTER TO; si PHILEMON

Bible (Book of Philippians): Paul's letter to the Philippians, written while he is in prison in Rome, reflects the love that existed between him and the Christians at Philippi. Paul had established the congregation at Philippi about 50 C.E. while on his second missionary tour.

it PHILIPPIANS, LETTER TO THE; si PHILIPPIANS

Circa 60 to 65 CE - back

Bible (Book of Mark): Sometime during this time period, Mark, in Rome, completes the writing of the Bible book of The Good News According to Mark. The book is a fast-moving account of the ministry of Jesus, representing him as the miracle-working Son of God. This is the third and shortest Gospel to be written, and is evidently written with non-Jews in mind. The book covers the years 29 to 33 CE.

it MARK, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO; si MARK

Circa 61 CE - back

Bible (Book of Hebrews): While in prison in Rome, Paul writes a legal argument to the Jews in Jerusalem in support of Christ as being pointed to by features of the Mosaic Law, and to fortify the Hebrew Christians and enable them to help fellow countrymen during the final years of the Jewish system.

it HEBREWS, LETTER TO THE; si HEBREWS

Bible (Book of Acts): Luke, a close associate of the apostle Paul, writes the Bible book of the Acts of the Apostles in Caesarea. The book covers 28 years from the ascension of Jesus in 33 CE to the second year of Paul's imprisonment in Rome circa 61 CE, and describes the founding of the congregation as a result of the operation of the holy spirit and the expansion of the witness, first among the Jews and Samaritans, then to the nations. The appearances of the resurrected Jesus to his disciples and the activities of the apostles Peter and Paul are featured.

it ACTS OF APOSTLES; si ACTS

62 CE - back

Bible (Book of James): Sometime before this year, James writes his letter from Jerusalem, emphasizing that faith has to be supported, not just by words, but by works.

it JAMES, LETTER OF; si JAMES

Judea: Governor Festus, the Roman procurator, dies this year. Josephus says that during the interval between the death of Festus and the arrival of his successor Albinus, the high priest "convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned." (Jewish Antiquities, XX, 200 [ix, 1].)

Acts 12:1–3; it JAMES 2; w91 3/15 23

Circa 62 to 64 CE - back

Bible (Book of First Peter): Peter writes his first letter, from Babylon, sometime between 62 and 64, to encourage Christians to be vigilant and to endure faithfully despite trials. His letter is written shortly before Nero launches his persecution against Christians in 64 CE.

it PETER, LETTERS OF; si 1 PETER

64 CE - back

Judea: The work of rebuilding the Temple, begun by Herod in 17 BCE, is completed. This temple remains standing for only six more years. (See 70 CE.)

it HEROD 1 (Temple and Other Building Works); w59 3/1 155

Ten Persecutions and Early Christians: In July, Rome is ravaged by a great fire that destroys about one-fourth of the city. According to the Roman historian Tacitus, Emperor Nero was unable to "banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. . . . Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired." See more about Nero, the burning of Rome, and Christians at Tacitus on the Christians.

Nero thus begins the first of ten major persecutions of Christians by the Roman emperors. These persecutions will continue nearly three hundred years. (See the next persecution at 81 CE and the last one at 303 CE.)

w97 11/15 29; w88 5/1 29; w51 9/1 516

Bible (Book of First Timothy): Paul's first letter to Timothy, written sometime between 61 and this year, from Macedonia, is regarding Timothy's responsibilities and the qualifications for those who serve in the congregations.

it TIMOTHY, LETTERS TO; si 1 TIMOTHY

Bible (Book of Titus): Paul, writing to Titus, possibly from Macedonia, sometime between 61 and this year, gives counsel to him regarding handling situations in a difficult assignment in Crete.

it TITUS, LETTER TO; si TITUS

Bible (Book of Second Peter): Peter writes his second letter approximately this year, possibly from Babylon, to encourage Christians to exert themselves, to follow the model of the Christ, and to cling to the prophetic word. He includes warnings against apostasy.

it PETER, LETTERS OF; si 2 PETER

65 CE - back

Early Christians: It is approximately this year that the apostle Paul is imprisoned for the second time in Rome, then executed by the orders of Nero. (See 64 CE.) Tradition has it that soon after Paul wrote to Timothy that "Luke alone is with me" and requested that Timothy and Mark come to him (2 Timothy 4:6–8, 11), he was executed as a martyr by beheading.

w07 11/15 20; w99 9/15 31; w97 11/15 29; w94 7/1 20; w91 1/15 31; w88 5/1 29; w73 12/15 740; it PAUL

Bible (Book of Second Timothy): Writing his second letter to Timothy during his second imprisonment in Rome, possibly this year, Paul encourages Timothy to remain firm in the difficult times ahead.

it TIMOTHY, LETTERS TO; si 2 TIMOTHY

Bible (Book of Jude): Jude, the half brother of Jesus, probably writes his short book (consisting of only 25 verses) about this year, possibly from Palestine. Because of immoral men who had slipped in among the Christians, he urges them to "put up a hard fight for the faith" and "by building up yourselves on your most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, keep yourselves in God's love." By giving examples of past judgments against the wicked, he proves that Jehovah's judgment will just as surely be executed upon ungodly persons. Unique to this short book is a reference to the prophesying of Enoch in pre-Flood days (vv. 14, 15), and to the dispute between the archangel Michael and the Devil over Moses' body (v. 9).

it JUDE, THE LETTER OF; si JUDE

66 CE - back

Judea: The Jewish revolt against the Romans begins. Jewish revolutionaries massacre the Roman garrisons at Masada and Jerusalem. The Roman Twelfth Legion under the command of Cestius Gallus marches into Judea and beats the Jewish rebel forces back to Jerusalem and pins them within the city. On the last day of Tishri (about November 5, Gregorian calendar), Cestius enters Jerusalem and begins undermining the temple walls. The "disgusting thing" that Jesus prophesied at Matthew 24:15 is now "standing in a holy place."

Josephus relates in Wars of the Jews (Book II, chapter 19) that the attacking Romans even undermined part of the temple wall, and were about to set fire to the gate of Jehovah's temple. "And now it was that a horrible fear seized upon the seditious, insomuch that many of them ran out of the city, as though it were to be taken immediately." He relates how some of the Jews were ready to open the gates and admit Cestius as their benefactor "who, had he but continued the siege a little longer, had certainly taken the city; but it was, I suppose owing to the aversion God had already at the city and the sanctuary, that he was hindered from putting an end to the war that very day."

Josephus continues: "It then happened that Cestius was not conscious either how the besieged despaired of success, nor how courageous the people were for him; and so he recalled his soldiers from the place, and by despairing of any expectation of taking it, without having received any disgrace, he retired from the city, without any reason in the world." Cestius withdrew his troops approximately 10 November. Rupert Furneaux, a specialist in interpreting military history, comments: "No historian has succeeded in supplying any adequate reason for Gallus's strange and disastrous decision."

The Jewish rebels pursue the retreating Roman troops, but only as far as Antipatris, about 30 miles from Jerusalem, which is located on the way to the Roman capital in Caesarea. As soon the rebels return to Jerusalem, they assemble at the temple to map out their war strategy and recruit youths to strengthen fortifications and to serve in the military.

The lifting of the siege means the fulfillment of Jesus prophecy at Matthew 24:22: 'Unless those days are cut short, no flesh will be saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.' When the Roman army retreats, it makes it possible for the "chosen ones," the Christians, in both Jerusalem and Judea to be saved by heeding Jesus' warning at Matthew 24:15, 16 and Luke 21:20, 21: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her." This time for the Christians to withdraw came in mid-November, just before winter. Jesus had warned at Matthew 24:20: "Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime." There was no time to lose!

The Christians who flee Jerusalem and Judea make their way into the mountainous regions, with some possibly settling at Pella in the province of Perea on the east side of the Jordan River.

w97 4/1 5; 12/15 15–16; w96 6/1 16; w94 3/15 30; w90 10/15 4; w84 6/1 16; w74 7/15 425–9; it ANTIPATRIS; ka 301

67 CE - back

Galilee: The Romans, now under the command of Vespasian, renew their war operations against the Jews and subdue Galilee this year. See detailed account in Josephus' Wars of the Jews, Book III, at http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/wars-jews/b3c1.html.

w96 6/1 16

68 CE - back

Roman Empire: When Nero loses the support of the Praetorian Guards, he commits suicide. Galba's Praetorian Guards support him as emperor, and he marches to Rome with Otho and is made Roman emperor, until 69 CE.

it ROME; AAEnc "Galba, Roman Emperor"

Judea: Vespasian continues in his campaign against the Jews in the Jewish war and subdues Judea. But when Nero dies, Vespasian returns to Rome and gets involved in the Imperial succession. (See 69 CE.) [Look up: Details for Vespasian and surrounding political intrigues. Also, what happened to the Judean war in the meantime?]

w85 10/1 12

Archaeology: Many of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" later discovered in caves around the Qumran area were likely put there this year by Jews fleeing the Roman army's advance on Judea. (See 1947 CE.)

w91 4/15 12–13

69 CE - back

Early Christians: Polycarp is born in Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey) approximately this year. He will become an elder in the congregation of Smyrna and then be martyred in 155 CE. [Polycarp's connection with the apostle John]

w93 11/15 10

Judea: After Vespasian is made Emperor of Rome this year, he will send his son Titus to finish the Judean war.

w85 10/1 12

Roman Empire: Emperor Galba adopts a successor, which enrages Otho, who then conspires with the Praetorians and murders Galba. The Guards and the Senate proclaim Otho emperor, but at the same time the armies in Germany and Egypt are hailing their generals Vitellius and Vespasian as emperors. Vitellius invades Italy, Otho kills himself, and Vitellius proclaims himself Emperor. But Vespasian is declared Emperor by the eastern armies in July, his general Antonius invades Italy, defeats and kills Vitellius, and Vespasian is confirmed emperor in December. He will rule until 79 CE, during which time he will begin the construction on the Colosseum and other monuments and generally strengthen the Roman Empire. Early in his reign, in 70 CE, his son Titus defeats the Jews and destroys Jerusalem.

w88 5/1 29; it ROME; SEVENTY WEEKS (Desolations to the city and the holy place); AAEnc "Galba, Roman Emperor"; "Vespasian, Roman Emperor"; SC-3 284–5

70 CE - back

Judea: The Roman legions now under General Titus return to besiege Jerusalem from April to August. They build a fortification of pointed stakes around the city in fulfillment of Jesus' words at Luke 19:41–44. After a siege of five months, Jerusalem, including the temple, is destroyed. The Jews who die number 1,100,000, with 600,000 corpses being thrown out of the city gates. Besides those killed by the Romans, Jews are killed by rival bands of Jews. Starvation leads to cannibalism. Those who try to escape are killed. After Jerusalem falls, 97,000 remaining Jews are either slaughtered or carried off captive, with many later dying in gladiatorial events. General Titus stages gladiatorial events in Caesarea Philippi using these captive Jews as victims. The Romans also send many surviving Jews to Egypt, which is a further fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:68.

The Jewish historian Josephus (who lived from about 37 CE to about 100 CE) is an eyewitness to Jerusalem's destruction. He says in The Jewish War (Book 6, chapter 9; 418): "As for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old, he put them into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines. Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theaters, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves."

This year concludes the last days for the Jewish system of things that began in 29 CE. The desolation of the Roman province of Judea is so complete that the Roman Emperor Vespasian sells pieces of land therein as real estate to Gentile buyers. The city of Jerusalem will remain virtually desolate until 130 CE.

w97 12/15 16; w96 6/1 16; 8/15 16–17; w94 3/15 30–31; w80 10/1 23; w68 12/15 747; it CAESAREA PHILIPPI; EGYPT, EGYPTIAN (Under Greek and Roman rule); JERUSALEM; Vol. II p. 751

Bible: Fragments of the Gospel of Matthew have been dated to approximately this year. (See 1996 CE.)

w98 12/15 29; w96 2/15 32

73 CE - back

Judea: The last Jewish stronghold in Judea, the fortress at Masada to the west of the Dead Sea, falls to the Romans, thus completing the subjugating of Judea.

w68 12/15 747; it DAGGER MEN; Vol. II p. 751

79 CE - back

Roman Empire: General Titus, the destroyer of Jerusalem in 70 CE, succeeds his father Vespasian (69–79 CE) as emperor. Titus will be emperor until his death in 81 CE.

w88 5/1 29; it SEVENTY WEEKS (Desolations to the city and the holy place)

Italy: Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the European continent, and thought to be extinct up until this time, erupts and buries the cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabiae at its base.

w93 3/1 3; g96 9/8 22–26; AAEnc "Vesuvius"

81 CE - back

Roman Empire: Titus, who led the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem in 70 CE and who ruled as Roman emperor from 79 CE to 81 CE, dies. He is succeeded by his younger brother Domitian.

Ten Persecutions: Domitian revives the official persecution of Christians, beginning the second of ten persecutions of Christians by Roman emperors. (See 64 CE and 98 CE.) He demands that he be worshiped as god, and he assumes the title Dominus et Deus noster ("our Lord and God"). According to tradition, sometime during this persecution the apostle John is exiled to the penal isle of Patmos. Domitian will rule until he is assassinated in 96 CE . It has been said that Domitian acted like a "madman" during the last three years of his reign.

w88 5/1 29; w51 9/1 516; si 264, 293

93 CE - back

Judea: The Jewish historian Josephus writes about the destruction of Herod's army as being thought by some to be "divine vengeance, and certainly a just vengeance, for his treatment of John, surnamed the Baptist. For Herod had put him to death, though he was a good man and had exhorted the Jews to lead righteous lives, to practise justice towards their fellows and piety towards God." This is secular confirmation of the existence of John the Baptizer. (See 29 CE.)

Matthew 3:1–12; it ARETAS; HEROD 2; sh 66–67; gm 60

Circa 95 CE - back

Roman Empire and Christians: Some 40,000 Christians are said to have suffered martyrdom during this year under Emperor Domitian's second wave of persecution against the Christians.

w51 9/1 516

Bible: Clement of Rome quotes from the Bible book of Acts.

it ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Circa 96 CE - back

Bible (Book of Revelation): While imprisoned on the isle of Patmos, the apostle John writes the Bible book of the Revelation to John. The book is also called the Apocalypse of John the Apostle (Apocalypse = "Uncovering" or "Unveiling"). The book is a series of sixteen visions that "uncover" or "unveil" Jehovah's view of what he will accomplish through Christ during "the Lord's day." The Lord's day (that is, Christ Jesus' day) begins with the crowning of Jesus as heavenly king in 1914 CE and ends when Jesus hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father.

w97 12/15 11; it LORD'S DAY; REVELATION TO JOHN; si REVELATION

96 CE - back

Roman Empire: Domitian, the Roman emperor from 81 to 96 CE, is assassinated and succeeded by Nerva. Nerva will rule briefly for thirteen months, until 98 CE, but will not continue Domitian's persecution against Christians. The apostle John is apparently released from imprisonment on the isle of Patmos sometime during Nerva's reign (96 to 98 CE).

w88 5/1 29; w51 9/1 516–7

Sacred Secret: Jesus, who is already ruling in a spiritual kingdom over his followers, reveals to the apostle John that their final number will be 144,000. (See After 4026  BCE, 55 CE, and 1879 CE.)

Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 1:13–20; Revelation 1:1; 14:1–3; w97 6/1 16 (chart); it KINGDOM

Circa 98 CE - back

Bible: The Bible canon is likely completed this year. The apostle John writes the Bible books of The Good News According to John and the three Letters of John after Trajan began to rule.

w88 5/1 29

Bible (Book of John): The apostle John writes the Bible book of The Good News According to John, from Ephesus or nearby. After the prologue, the book covers the years from 29 to 33 CE. This account of the life of Jesus highlights the theme that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and through him eternal life is possible.

it JOHN, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO; si JOHN;

Bible (Book of First John): The apostle John writes the Bible book of First John, from Ephesus or nearby. The book is in the style of a treatise designed to safeguard Christians from apostate influences.

it JOHN, THE LETTERS OF; si 1 JOHN

Bible (Book of Second John): The apostle John writes the Bible book of Second John, from Ephesus or nearby. He addresses the book to "the chosen lady," perhaps an individual or possibly a congregation, and encourages her to walk in the truth, to cultivate love, and to be on guard against deceivers.

it JOHN, THE LETTERS OF; si 2 JOHN

Bible (Book of Third John): The apostle John writes the Bible book of Third John, from Ephesus or nearby. It is a letter to Gaius dealing with hospitality to other Christians and with encouragement to avoid bad and imitate what is good.

it JOHN, THE LETTERS OF; si 3 JOHN

98 CE - back

Roman Empire: Nerva, Roman emperor from 96 to 98 CE, is succeeded by Trajan, who will rule until 117 CE. It is under Trajan that the Empire reaches its greatest limits, with boundaries extending to the Rhine and the North Sea, the Danube, the Euphrates, the cataracts of the Nile, the great African Desert, and the Atlantic on the west. Although the Empire covers about 2,500,000 square miles, it still has less area than the continent of Australia.

Ten Persecutions: Trajan begins a third wave of persecution against Christians. (See 81 CE and 162 CE.)

w88 5/1 29; g64 12/8 24; it ROME

Bible: The oldest (or perhaps second oldest—see 1996 CE) available portion of the Bible is P52, a fragment of John 18:31–34 found in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, and dated 100–150 CE (perhaps 125 CE), with a gap perhaps as little as 30–40 years from the time John originally wrote his Gospel. The fragment is now in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, England.

g88 7/22 19–23; w88 11/15 30–31

Bible: Syriac (an Aramaic dialect) translations of the Christian Greek Scriptures are produced from this century onward. Tatian's Diatessaron, a Gospel harmony in Syriac, is produced in this century. Versions of the Bible in Latin probably appear in the latter part of this century.

it VERSIONS

Chronology: Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer in Alexandria, gathers existing astrological information into the Tetrabiblos, which will serve as a basic text for astrology into modern times. Ptolemy's Canon, or list of kings, is the basis for secular historians' setting the incorrect date of 587 or 586 BCE for the desolation of Jerusalem. In the book The Crime of Claudius Ptolemy, physicist Robert R. Newton concludes that many of Ptolemy's astronomical observations were "deliberately fabricated" to agree with his preconceived theories "so that he could claim that the observations prove the validity of his theories." Scientific American magazine (October 1977, p. 80) states: "Ptolemy's forgery may have extended to inventing the length of reigns of Babylonian kings. Since much modern reconstruction of Babylonian chronology has been based on a list of kings that Ptolemy used to pinpoint the dates of alleged Babylonian observations, according to Newton 'all relevant chronology must now be reviewed and all dependence upon Ptolemy's [king] list must be removed.'"

w77 12/15 747; w69 2/1 88–92; sh 87

Second Century Christians: In this century sects appear among the Christians. The apostasy develops rapidly after John's death. Early in this century, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, introduces the monarchical episcopate with a single churchman in charge of each congregation, replacing the groups of elders. Gnosticism gains prominence early in this century, although it began in the first century CE, possibly with Simon Magus (perhaps the Simon of Acts 8:9). Gnosticism has its origins in Babylonish religion, Persian dualism, and China's 'yin' and 'yang' teachings. (See 12th  Century BCE.) Marcion and Montanus of this century are prominent Gnostics, but Valentinus, a Greek poet, becomes the most prominent Gnostic of all time. In the latter part of th