Date(s)
B.C./B.C.E.
approximate |
Bible
Events
|
Cultural/
Historical Events
|
Global
Perspective
|
|
Before
2000
|
Creation to the Flood
|
|
Mesopotamia:
Sumerian civilization; cuneiform writing
Egypt: Nile valley civilization; hieroglyphic
writing |
| c.
2100 |
Abram (later
renamed Abraham) moves from Ur to Canaan.
|
Covenant community,
extended family, nomadic herders |
Bronze Age
Egypt: Old Kingdom
No. America: early Inuit society |
| c.
1750 |
Joseph in Egypt
Israelites enslaved in Egypt (c. 1700-1275) |
agricultural
society
patriarchal structure |
Egypt: Age of
Pharaohs
Mesopotamia: Epic of Gilgamesh written
(c. 1750)
Crete: Minoan civilization |
| c.
1500 |
Moses, the Exodus
wilderness (c. 1275-1235) |
nomadic tribal
migration |
China: Shang
dynasty (c. 1480-1050) |
|
c. 1300
|
Joshua
The Occupation of Canaan (c. 1250-1050)
|
invasion of Canaan |
Rise of India's
civilizations |
|
Beginning of time of Judges
(c. 1235-1050)
|
agricultural
economy tribal villages |
Greece: c. 1190
Trojan War China: Chou dynasty |
|
c. 1100
|
United Kingdom (c. 1050-922)
Saul (c.
1020)
David (c.
1000)
Solomon (c.
965-922)
|
monarchy --multiple
villages to kingdom |
Central America:
founding of Mayan dynasties |
| c.
950 |
Writing
of much biblical text
Early prophets (Amos) |
Solomon's kingdom
divided: North, Israel; South, Judah
722 Assyrians conquer Israel |
North Africa:
founding of Carthage by Phoenicians
Greece: first Olympic Games; Homeric epics
Italy: founding of Rome |
| c.
700 |
621
Hilkiah finds Deuteronomy text
Editing of OT material
Prophecies of Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk |
587 Babylonians
conquer Judah, destroy Temple, deport people
to Babylon |
Persia: Zoroaster
Greece: Aesop's Fables; Sappho; laws
of Solon |
| c.
600 |
Babylonian Captivity (c.
587-539)
Building of Second
Temple
Second Temple Period (c. 536 BC- 70 AD)
Prophecy of Zechariah, Haggai
|
538 Cyrus allows
Israelites to return to Jerusalem; Judah a
Persian province |
India: Siddhartha
Gautauma, the Buddha (c. 563-483)
China: Confucius (c. 551-479)
Greece: Archaic period |
| c.
500 |
480 Esther becomes
Queen of Persia
458 Ezra sent to Judah
444 Nehemiah
397 Prophecy of Malachi |
Ezra's reforms;
building of Second Temple |
Greece: Persian
Wars; Classical Age; Pericles in Athens; Parthenon
built; Socrates, Plato, Euripides, etc.; Peloponnesian
War |
| c.
350 |
285-246 Septuagint
translated in Alexandria |
333 Alexander
the Great conquers Persian Empire; Hellenization
begins |
Rise of Roman
Republic |
| c.
200-100 |
First
books OT
Apocrypha written |
Seleucid heirs
of Alexander rule Judea |
China: Han dynasty
Rome conquers Carthage, Greece, and Asia Minor |
| c.
170 |
Maccabean revolt
overthrows Seleucids (c. 165-63) |
Jewish self-rule
under Hasmoneans
c. 143 Essene community begins |
|
