Biblical Timeline
The history of the Bible spans thousands of years across 12 major eras.
Creation and Primeval History
None AD — -2100 BC
The opening chapters of Genesis covering creation, the fall, the flood, and the tower of Babel. These foundational narratives establish God as Creator, the origin of sin, and the scattering of nations.
Patriarchs
-2100 BC — -1800 BC
The era of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph — God's covenant promises of descendants, land, and blessing. From Abraham's call out of Ur to Joseph's rise in Egypt, establishing the people of Israel.
Exodus and Wilderness
-1446 BC — -1406 BC
Israel's deliverance from Egyptian slavery under Moses, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and forty years of wilderness wandering. The defining event of Old Testament faith — God's mighty acts of redemption.
Conquest and Judges
-1406 BC — -1050 BC
Joshua's conquest of Canaan and the tumultuous period of the Judges. Israel cycles through sin, oppression, crying out to God, and deliverance through Spirit-empowered leaders like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson.
United Kingdom
-1050 BC — -930 BC
Israel's golden age under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon. David established Jerusalem as the capital and received God's covenant promise of an eternal dynasty. Solomon built the Temple but his idolatry sowed seeds of division.
Divided Kingdom
-930 BC — -586 BC
After Solomon's death, the kingdom split into Israel (north, 10 tribes) and Judah (south, 2 tribes). Prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and Jeremiah called both kingdoms to repentance as they spiraled toward judgment.
Exile
-586 BC — -538 BC
The Babylonian captivity — God's judgment on Judah for persistent idolatry and injustice. The Temple was destroyed in 586 BC. Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel ministered among the exiles, sustaining hope for restoration.
Return and Restoration
-538 BC — -400 BC
Cyrus of Persia permitted the Jews to return and rebuild. Under Zerubbabel the Temple was restored; under Nehemiah the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt. Ezra renewed covenant faithfulness through Scripture.
Intertestamental Period
-400 BC — -4 BC
The four centuries between Malachi and Matthew — the 'silent years' when no canonical prophets spoke. Persian, Greek (Alexander, Ptolemies, Seleucids), and Roman empires ruled successively. The Maccabean revolt and rise of Pharisees and Sadducees set the stage for Jesus.
Life of Jesus
-4 BC — 30 AD
The incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — the climax of all Scripture. Born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, baptized in the Jordan, crucified in Jerusalem, and risen from the dead.
Apostolic Age
30 AD — 100 AD
The era of the early church — from Pentecost through Paul's missionary journeys to the writing of the New Testament. The gospel spread from Jerusalem to Rome as the apostles established churches throughout the Roman Empire.
New Testament Writings
49 AD — 100 AD
The period during which the 27 books of the New Testament were composed — from Paul's earliest epistles (~AD 49) through John's Revelation (~AD 95). These writings became the authoritative Scripture of the Christian church.