A Timeline of Bible and World Events
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Bible Events
Creation
Genesis 1:1—(Undated)
Noah builds the ark
Genesis 6:1—(Undated)
Abraham born
Genesis 11:26—(2166)
Abraham enters Canaan
Genesis 12:1—(2091)
Isaac born
Genesis 21:1—(2066)
Jacob & Esau born
Genesis 25:19—(2006)
Jacob flees to Haran
Genesis 27:41—(1929)
Joseph born—Gen. 30:22
sold into slavery—Gen. 37:18
set to rule Egypt—Gen. 41:33
World Events
2500 B.C. Egyptians discover papyrus & ink
for writing and build first libraries;
iron objects manufactured in
the ancient Near East—(2500 B.C.)
Egyptians import gold
2400 B.C. from Africa—(2400)
Semitic chieftain, Sargon,
conquers Sumer to become
first “world conqueror”—(2331)
2300 B.C. Horses domesticated in Egypt;
chickens domesticated in Babylon
bows & arrows used in wars—(2300)
2200 B.C.
Mesopotamians make glass, build
2100 B.C. ziggurats (like the tower of Babel);
earliest known drug, ethyl alcohol,
used to alleviate pain—(2100)
Native Americans immigrate from
north Asia; China develops stock
2000 B.C. breeding & irrigation; English erect
Stonehenge, India’s bellows allow
higher furnace temps.—(2000)
Egyptians use irrigation system to
1900 B.C. control Nile floods; spoked wheel
invented in ancient Near East;
horses used to pull vehicles—(1900)
 (1915-1885)
Joseph dies
Genesis 50:22—(1805)
Moses born
Exodus 2:1—(1526)
The Exodus from Egypt
Exodus 12:31—(1446)
Ten Commandments given
Exodus 20:1—(1445)
Hebrews enter Caanan
Joshua 1:1—(1406)
Judges begin to rule Israel
Judges 3:7—(1375)
Deborah becomes Israel’s
judge—Judges 4:1—(1209)
Gideon becomes Israel’s
judge—Judges 6:1—(1162)
Samuel born
1 Samuel 1:19—(1105)
Samson becomes Israel’s
judge—Judges 15:1—(1075)
Saul becomes Israel’s first
king—1 Samuel 10:1—(1050)
David becomes Israel’s king
1800 B.C.
Babylonian mathematicians use
cube and square root; Hammurabi
provides first legal codes—(1750)
Egyptian papyrus document
1700 B.C. describes medical and surgical
procedures—(1700)
1600 B.C.
1500 B.C. Sundials used in Egypt;
Mexican Sun Pyramid built—(1500)
First period of Chinese literature;
1400 B.C. intricate clock used in Egypt—(1400)
Earthquake destroys Palace of
Knossos on island of Crete—(1380)
Egyptian King Tutankhamen dies;
1300 B.C. entombed with treasures—(1358)
Silk fabric manufactured in China
(1250)
Labor strike in Thebes;
1200 B.C. first Chinese dictionary—(1200)
Destruction of Troy during
the Trojan War—(1183)
1100 B.C. Greek mythology fully developed;
City of Peking built; Californian
Indians build wood-reed houses;
Chinese math utilizes geometry,
root multiplication, proportions,
theory of motion; glazing of bricks
 2 Samuel 2:1—(1010) 1000 B.C. and tiles begins in Near East—(1000)

Solomon becomes Israel’s

king—1 Kings 1:28—(970)
Temple erected in Jerusalem
1 Kings 6:1—(959)
Kingdom of Israel divides
1 Kings 12:1—(930)
Elijah prophesies in Israel
1 Kings 17:1—(875)
Ahab becomes Israel’s king
1 Kings 16:29—(874)
Elisha prophesies in Israel
2 Kings 2:1—(848)
Joash becomes Judah’s king
2 Kings 11:4—(835)
Jonah becomes a prophet
Jonah 1:1—(793)
950 B.C. Gold vessels and jewelry
popular in Northern Europe—(950)
Celts invade Britain; Assyrians
900 B.C. invent inflatable skins for soldiers
to cross rivers—(900)
Evidence of highly developed metal
850 B.C. and stone sculptures in Africa—(850)
Carthage trading post set up—(814)
Babylonian & Chinese astronomers
800 B.C. understand planetary movements;
India develops caste system; spoked
790 B.C. wheels, ice skates used in Europe;
Homer writes Iliad & Odyssey—(800)
780 B.C.

770 B.C. First known Olympic games—(776)

760 B.C.
Hosea becomes a prophet City of Rome founded—(753)
Hosea 1:1—(753) 750 B.C. Music notation written in Greece;
Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria Celts introduce plow to Britain (750)
invades Israel—2 Kings 15:19 740 B.C.
Isaiah becomes a prophet)
Isaiah 1:1—(740) 730 B.C.
Israel (north kingdom) falls
2 Kings 17:1—(722) 720 B.C.
Hezekiah is Judah’s king
2 Kings 18:1—(715) 710 B.C.

Jerusalem besieged by 700 B.C. False teeth invented in Italy—(700)

Sennacherib of Assyria
2 Kings 18:13—(701) 690 B.C.

680 B.C.

670 B.C.

660 B.C.

650 B.C. Soldering of iron invented—(650)

 Josiah is Judah’s king
2 Kings 22:1—(640)
Jeremiah becomes prophet
Jeremiah 1:1—(627)
Assyrian capital of Ninevah
destroyed—(612)
Daniel taken captive to
Babylon—Daniel 1:1—(605)
Judah (southern kingdom)
falls to Babylon
2 Kings 25:1—(586)
King Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon dies—(562)
Cyrus of Persia overthrows
Babylon—Daniel 5:30—(539)
First Jewish exiles return to
Jerusalem—Ezra 1:1—(538)
New temple completed in
Jerusalem—Ezra 6:13—(516)
Esther becomes queen of
Persia—Esther 2:15—(479)
Ezra returns to Jerusalem
Ezra 7:1—(458)
Nehemiah builds Jerusalem
wall—Nehemiah 2:11—(445)
Malachi becomes a prophet
Malachi 1:1—(430)
Horse racing first held
640 B.C. at 33rd Olympic Games—(648)
630 B.C.
620 B.C.
610 B.C.
Temple of Artemis , one of the
600 B.C. seven wonders of the world,
built in Ephesus—(600)
590 B.C.
580 B.C.
570 B.C. Gautama Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism, born in India—(563)
560 B.C. Aesop writes his fables—(560)
Cyrus defeats Medes, starts Persian
550 B.C. empire; lock & key, water level, and
carpenter’s square invented—(550)
540 B.C. Horseback postal service
used in Persian empire—(540)
530 B.C. Tragedy emerges as a
form of Greek drama—(534)
520 B.C. Persians add polo as sport—(525)
Athens opens public libraries—(520)
510 B.C. Rome become a Republic—(509)
China imports glass from Near East;
500 B.C. Cataract surgery by Susrata of India;
Celts start Halloween festival—(500)
490 B.C. First time Greek men
choose short haircuts—(490)
480 B.C.
470 B.C. Philosopher Socrates born—(469)
Birth of Democritus, who introduced
460 B.C. an atomic theory—(460)
Golden Age of Athens begins—(457)
450 B.C. The Parthenon built on top of
Athens’ Acropolis—(448)
440 B.C. Pheidias sculpts 60-foot statue of
Zeus, one of seven wonders—(438)
430 B.C. Romans agree to concept of dictator
in military emergency—(430)
420 B.C.
410 B.C.
400 B.C. Socrates condemned to death
 Aramaic begins to replace by Athenian jury—(399)
Hebrew as Jewish language 390 B.C.
(390) Aristotle born—(384)
380 B.C.

370 B.C. Plato writes his most famous book:

The Republic—(370)
360 B.C.

350 B.C.

340 B.C.

330 B.C. Alexander the Great defeats the

Persian Empire—(331)
320 B.C.
Romans build first paved road,
310 B.C. the “Appian Way,”
from Rome to Capua—(312)
300 B.C.

290 B.C.

280 B.C.

270 B.C.

260 B.C. Hebrew Old Testament translated

into Greek and called the
250 B.C. “Septuagint”—(255)

240 B.C. Romans conquer Sicily and add first

non-Italian territory to Empire—(241)
230 B.C.

220 B.C.
Great Wall of China built—(215)
210 B.C.

200 B.C.

190 B.C.

180 B.C.
Antiochus IV plunders
Temple of Jerusalem—(169) 170 B.C.
Judas Maccabeus revolts
against Antiochus IV—(165) 160 B.C.

150 B.C.

140 B.C. Jews and astrologers banished


Herod the Great made king
of Judea by Romans—(37)
Jesus’ mother born—(25?)
Herod the Great remodels
temple in Jerusalem—(20)
Jesus Christ born—Luke 2:1
Herod dies—Matt 2:19—(4)
Paul born—(5? A.D.)
Judea becomes a Roman
province; Jesus visits temple
as boy—Luke 2:41—(6)
John the Baptist begins
his ministry—Luke 3:1—(26)
Jesus begins his ministry
Luke 4:14—(26/27)
Jesus crucified—Luke 23:26
Jesus ascends—Luke 24:50
Pentecost—Acts 2:1—(30)
Paul’s conversion on road to
Damascus—Acts 9:1—(35)
Herod Agrippa appointed
king of Judea—(40)
from Rome—(139)
130 B.C.
120 B.C.
110 B.C.
Chinese ships reach east coast of
100 B.C. India; Danes use ball bearings (102)
Birth of Julius Caesar,
90 B.C. first Roman emperor—(100)
80 B.C.
70 B.C.
60 B.C. Romans conquer England, part of
Roman empire until A.D. 442—(55)
50 B.C. Cleopatra last independent
Egyptian ruler of ancient world—(51)
40 B.C. Julius Caesar became dictator for
life; assassinated 2 years later—(46)
30 B.C. Cleopatra and lover Marc Antony
die by suicide—(30)
20 B.C. Sumo wrestling in Japan—(23)
10 B.C.
—0— Europeans first use saddles—(1 A.D.)
Judean zealots oppose Rome—(7)
10 A.D.
Tiberius succeeds Caesar Augustus
as Roman emperor—(14)
20 A.D.
Pilate appointed governor—(26)
30 A.D.
40 A.D.
London founded; first definite

Paul begins first missionary
journey—Acts 13:1—(46)
Paul writes Romans, Paul
imprisoned in Caesarea
Acts 23:23—(57)
Paul’s trip to Rome Acts 27:1
Paul writes “prison letters”
Acts 28:30—(60)
Paul freed from prison—(62)
Paul martyred—(67)
Romans ruin Jerusalem (70)
960 Jews commit suicide at
Masada while under Roman
attack—(73)
Apostle John writes
Revelation—Rev. 1:1—(95)
reference to diamonds—(43)
50 A.D. Romans begin using soap—(50)
Emperor Claudius poisoned,
Nero becomes emperor—(54)
60 A.D.
Fire burns much of Rome; Nero
blames Christians for setting it—(64)
Romans destroy Jews’ commune at
70 A.D. Qumran, but Jews hide Bible scrolls,
(Dead Sea scrolls, found 1948)—(68)
Rome constructs Colosseum—(75)
80 A.D. Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius erupts, killing
30,000 people and burying cities
of Pompeii and Herculaneum—(79)
90 A.D.
100 A.D.