Biblical Chronological Timeline
Explore a clear chronological timeline of the Bible. See the distinction between the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, key characters, world history, and context for every major period.
| Time | Testament | Group | Books | World History | Characters | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation – Flood – Babel (trad. ~4000–2000s BC) |
OT | Pentateuch / Beginnings | Genesis 1–11; Job | Early civilizations; Mesopotamian cultures | Adam, Eve, Noah, post-Flood peoples | Creation, Fall, Flood, Tower of Babel; origins of humanity and nations |
| 2000–1700s BC (Patriarchs) |
Genesis 12–50 | Middle Bronze Age; Abrahamic migrations; early Egypt | Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, Joseph | Covenant with Abraham; sojourn in Canaan then Egypt; Joseph rises in Egypt | ||
| 1400s–1200s BC (Exodus & Wilderness) |
Pentateuch | Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy | New Kingdom Egypt; Late Bronze Age collapse begins | Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua (as aide), Pharaoh | Exodus from Egypt, Sinai covenant & Law, wilderness wanderings, preparation to enter Canaan | |
| 1200s–1050 BC (Conquest & Judges) |
Historical | Joshua, Judges, Ruth | Iron Age I; Philistine settlement; Canaanite city-states | Joshua, the Judges (Deborah, Gideon, Samson, etc.), Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, Samuel | Conquest of Canaan; cycle of apostasy–oppression–deliverance; Ruth (Moabite inclusion in David’s line) | |
| 1050–931 BC (United Kingdom) |
Historical / Wisdom | 1–2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1–11, 1 Chronicles, Psalms (many), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs | Rise of Israel as regional power; early Iron Age kingdoms | Saul, David, Solomon, Samuel, Nathan, Bathsheba, Queen of Sheba | United monarchy under Saul–David–Solomon; Jerusalem as capital; Temple built; wisdom literature associated with Solomon | |
| 931–722 BC (Divided Kingdom) |
Historical / Prophetic | 1 Kings 12–22, 2 Kings 1–17, 2 Chronicles 10–28; Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Isaiah (parts), Micah | Neo-Assyrian Empire rises; regional wars | Jeroboam I (Israel), Rehoboam (Judah), Ahab & Jezebel, Elijah, Elisha, Jehu, Hoshea | Split after Solomon: Northern Kingdom of Israel (10 tribes, capital Samaria) under non-Davidic kings, persistent idolatry. Southern Kingdom of Judah (Judah + Benjamin, Jerusalem, Davidic line). Prophets confront both, especially Israel’s unfaithfulness. | |
| 722 BC | Historical / Prophetic | 2 Kings 17; Amos, Hosea, Isaiah (parts), Micah, Jonah, Tobit | Assyrian Empire peak (Shalmaneser V / Sargon II) | Hoshea (last king of Israel), Assyrian kings | Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel: Assyria conquers Samaria; mass deportation/exile of Israelites (“lost tribes”); foreigners resettled → later Samaritans. Judah survives as vassal. | |
| 722–586 BC (Judah alone) |
Historical / Prophetic | 2 Kings 18–25, 2 Chronicles 29–36; Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (early), Daniel (early) | Assyria declines; rise of Neo-Babylonian Empire (Nebuchadnezzar); Egypt intervenes | Hezekiah, Manasseh, Josiah (reform), Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel | Judah continues under Davidic kings. Reforms (esp. Josiah) and prophetic warnings. Vassalage to Assyria then Babylon. Multiple deportations begin. | |
| 597 & 586 BC | Historical / Prophetic | 2 Kings 24–25, 2 Chronicles 36, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel; Obadiah; Baruch | Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II | Jehoiachin (exiled 597), Zedekiah (last king), Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel | Fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah: Babylon takes Jerusalem (597 first major deportation including Jehoiachin/Daniel; 586 destruction of Temple and city, final major exile). Judah’s elite and many people deported to Babylon. | |
| 586–538 BC (Exile) |
Prophetic / Historical / Wisdom | Ezekiel, Daniel, Lamentations, Baruch; parts of Isaiah; Tobit; Esther (later) | Babylonian Empire; then Persian conquest of Babylon (539 BC, Cyrus) | Ezekiel, Daniel, Shadrach/Meshach/Abednego, Esther & Mordecai | Babylonian Exile of Judah’s people. Prophetic hope of restoration. Daniel serves in Babylonian/Persian courts. Tobit reflects faithful life in exile (Assyrian context). | |
| 538–400 BC (Return & Restoration) |
Historical / Prophetic / Wisdom | Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, 1–2 Chronicles, Esther, Wisdom, Sirach; Judith; Joel | Persian Empire (Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes); Second Temple period begins | Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | Cyrus’s edict allows return. Temple rebuilt (~516 BC). Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt (Nehemiah). Religious reforms. Esther in Persian court. Wisdom literature develops. | |
| 200–100s BC (Hellenistic / Maccabean) |
Historical / Wisdom | 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees; Sirach, Wisdom | Alexander the Great → Ptolemaic/Seleucid rule; Antiochus IV Epiphanes; Maccabean Revolt | Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, his brothers; Antiochus IV | Greek (Hellenistic) oppression, desecration of Temple, Jewish revolt and rededication (Hanukkah origin). Hasmonean independence begins. Deuterocanonical historical books. | |
| 4 BC – 30/33 AD | NT | Gospels | Matthew, Mark, Luke, John | Roman Empire; Herodian client kings; Pontius Pilate | Jesus, Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Twelve, Mary Magdalene, etc. | Birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus in Judea/Galilee under Roman rule. |
| 30–100 AD | Historical / Epistles / Apocalyptic | Acts, Pauline letters, General Epistles, Revelation | Early Roman Empire; Jewish War (66–70 AD, Temple destroyed); Domitian era | Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Stephen, James, John, early church leaders | Spread of the Church from Jerusalem to Rome; Gentile inclusion; letters addressing doctrine, ethics, persecution; apocalyptic vision (Revelation). |
The Kingdoms of Israel & Judah
From the united monarchy under Saul, David, and Solomon to the divided kingdoms that followed. Trace the distinct histories of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (exiled by Assyria in 722 BC) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (exiled by Babylon in 586 BC).
| Time | Books | Kings | Kingdom | World History | Characters | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1050–931 BC United Kingdom |
1–2 Samuel 1 Kings 1–11 1 Chronicles Psalms (many) |
Saul | United Israel (12 tribes) |
Rise of Israel as a regional power; early Iron Age | Samuel, Jonathan, David (young) | First king. Anointed by Samuel. Rejected by God for disobedience. Dies in battle against the Philistines. |
| David | Samuel, Nathan, Bathsheba, Absalom, Joab | Unites the tribes, conquers Jerusalem, makes it capital. Expands the kingdom. Covenant of an eternal dynasty. | ||||
| Solomon | Nathan, Queen of Sheba, Jeroboam (later) | Builds the First Temple. Peak of wealth and power. Idolatry in later years leads to the division after his death. | ||||
| 931 BC The Split |
1 Kings 12 2 Chronicles 10 |
Rehoboam | Judah (South) |
After Solomon’s death, the kingdom divides | Rehoboam, elders, young advisors | Rehoboam’s harsh reply causes the northern tribes to secede. |
| Jeroboam I | Israel (North) |
Jeroboam I | Sets up golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Begins the long pattern of idolatry in the Northern Kingdom. | |||
| 874–853 BC | 1 Kings 16–22 | Ahab | Israel (North) |
Assyria rising; Aramean wars | Ahab, Jezebel, Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah | Peak of Baal worship under Jezebel. Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. |
| 872–848 BC | 1 Kings 22 2 Chronicles 17–20 |
Jehoshaphat | Judah (South) |
Alliance with Ahab | Jehoshaphat | Godly king who reforms worship but allies with the house of Ahab. |
| 722 BC | 2 Kings 17 Amos, Hosea, Isaiah (parts), Micah, Jonah, Tobit |
Hoshea (last king) |
Israel (North) |
Assyrian Empire (Shalmaneser V / Sargon II) | Hoshea, Assyrian kings | Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Samaria falls after a 3-year siege. Mass deportation of the ten tribes (“lost tribes”). Foreigners resettled → later Samaritans. |
| 715–686 BC | 2 Kings 18–20 Isaiah, Micah |
Hezekiah | Judah (South) |
Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib (701 BC) | Hezekiah, Isaiah | Major reform. Trusts the Lord; Jerusalem is miraculously delivered from Assyria. |
| 640–609 BC | 2 Kings 22–23 2 Chronicles 34–35 Jeremiah (early), Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk |
Josiah | Judah (South) |
Assyria collapsing; rise of Babylon | Josiah, Hilkiah, Jeremiah | Last great reformer. Discovers the Book of the Law. Dies in battle at Megiddo against Egypt. |
| 597 & 586 BC | 2 Kings 24–25 2 Chronicles 36 Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Obadiah, Baruch |
Jehoiachin (597) Zedekiah (586) |
Judah (South) |
Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II | Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel | Fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. 597 BC – first major deportation (including Jehoiachin & Daniel). 586 BC – Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed; final exile to Babylon. |