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A Timeline of Biblical History

This timeline runs from the traditional dating of Abraham through the end of the apostolic era — the span the Bible itself covers as history, set against what outside sources (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Greco-Roman records) can independently confirm. Diamonds mark single, mostly undisputed dates; bars mark spans, whether a reign, an exile, or a genuinely contested range. Where scholars disagree sharply about when something happened — the Exodus, above all — both proposed dates get their own row rather than one row trying to average or favor either.

The Long View: Abraham to the End of Jewish Independence

BC / ADAbraham (traditional dating): 2000 BC – 1825 BC — Both the exact dates and the historicity of the patriarchal narratives themselves are disputed; many scholars read Genesis 12–50 as later literary composition rather than history.2000–1825 BCAbraham (traditional dating)The Exodus — early date: 1446 BC — Based on 1 Kings 6:1 (480 years before Solomon's temple); associated with the reign of Thutmose III.1446 BCThe Exodus — early dateThe Exodus — late date: 1250 BC — Based on Ramesses II's building projects matching Exodus 1:11's “Raamses”; favored by most archaeologists. A third view, held by some biblical archaeologists, doubts a mass Exodus occurred as described at all.1250 BCThe Exodus — late dateConquest of Canaan: 1400 BC – 1200 BC — Excavations at Jericho found no Late Bronze Age walls matching either proposed conquest date, a major point of dispute; some scholars favor gradual settlement or internal uprising models instead of a military conquest.1400–1200 BCConquest of CanaanPeriod of the Judges: 1200 BC – 1050 BC1200–1050 BCPeriod of the JudgesSaul's reign: 1050 BC – 1010 BC1050–1010 BCSaul's reignDavid's reign: 1010 BC – 970 BC — David's historicity was widely doubted until the 1993 discovery of the Tel Dan Stele, which names a “House of David”; the size of his kingdom remains debated.1010–970 BCDavid's reignSolomon's reign; First Temple built: 970 BC – 931 BC — Temple construction traditionally begun 966 BC (1 Kings 6:1).970–931 BCSolomon's reign; First Temple builtKingdom divides (Israel / Judah): 931 BC931 BCKingdom divides (Israel / Judah)Israel (north) falls to Assyria: 722 BC722 BCIsrael (north) falls to AssyriaJudah falls to Babylon; Temple destroyed: 586 BC586 BCJudah falls to Babylon; Temple destroyedBabylonian Exile: 586 BC – 539 BC586–539 BCBabylonian ExileCyrus's decree ends the exile: 538 BC — Corroborated by the Cyrus Cylinder, an independent Babylonian record.538 BCCyrus's decree ends the exileSecond Temple completed: 516 BC516 BCSecond Temple completedEzra and Nehemiah's reforms: 458 BC – 445 BC458–445 BCEzra and Nehemiah's reformsAlexander the Great conquers the region: 332 BC332 BCAlexander the Great conquers the regionHellenistic rule (Ptolemies, then Seleucids): 301 BC – 167 BC301–167 BCHellenistic rule (Ptolemies, then Seleucids)Maccabean Revolt: 167 BC – 160 BC — Basis of Hanukkah; 1 and 2 Maccabees are canonical in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not in Protestant or Jewish canons.167–160 BCMaccabean RevoltHasmonean kingdom (Jewish independence): 140 BC – 63 BC140–63 BCHasmonean kingdom (Jewish independence)Rome takes Jerusalem (Pompey): 63 BC63 BCRome takes Jerusalem (Pompey)2000 BC1800 BC1600 BC1400 BC1200 BC1000 BC800 BC600 BC400 BC200 BCAD 1Approximate dates, BC

Diamonds mark single, largely undisputed dates; bars mark spans or genuinely contested ranges. Hover any mark for the full date.

The Roman & Apostolic Era, in Detail

The last two centuries BC through the first century AD are far more tightly dated than everything before them, so they get their own chart at a finer scale rather than being crowded into a corner of the one above.

BC / ADHerod the Great's reign: 37 BC – 4 BC — 4 BC is the majority scholarly date for Herod's death; a minority of scholars argue for 1 BC instead.37–4 BCHerod the Great's reignBirth of Jesus: 6 BC – 4 BC — Placed before Herod's death, meaning Jesus was almost certainly born a few years “before Christ” — a quirk of the 6th-century calendar calculation that fixed the BC/AD boundary, made after the fact and slightly off.6–4 BCBirth of JesusCrucifixion of Jesus: AD 30 — Most scholars favor AD 30; a substantial minority argue for AD 33 based on a different reading of the Gospel of John's Passover chronology.AD 30Crucifixion of JesusPaul's conversion: AD 33 – AD 36AD 33–36Paul's conversionPaul's missionary journeys; earliest NT letters: AD 46 – AD 57AD 46–57Paul's missionary journeys; earliest NT lettersJerusalem council: AD 49AD 49Jerusalem councilThe Gospels written: AD 65 – AD 100 — Mark is usually dated earliest (c. 65–70), John latest (c. 90–100); exact dates for each Gospel remain debated.AD 65–100The Gospels writtenSecond Temple destroyed by Rome: AD 70AD 70Second Temple destroyed by RomeTraditional end of the apostolic era: AD 100 — Conventionally marked by the death of John, tradition's last surviving apostle.AD 100Traditional end of the apostolic era40 BC20 BCAD 1AD 20AD 40AD 60AD 80AD 100Approximate dates, BC / AD

Diamonds mark single, largely undisputed dates; bars mark spans or genuinely contested ranges. Hover any mark for the full date.

How Certain Are These Dates?

The further back an entry sits on this chart, the less independent verification it has. Almost nothing before roughly 900 BC is corroborated by a source outside the Bible itself; the patriarchal narratives and the Exodus rest on internal biblical chronology (mainly 1 Kings 6:1's count backward from Solomon), not on external records naming any of the people involved. That changes noticeably once Israel and Judah start appearing in Assyrian and Babylonian royal inscriptions — David is the clearest example, unmentioned outside the Bible until the 1993 discovery of the Tel Dan Stele, which shifted scholarly opinion from treating him as likely legendary toward accepting him as a real historical king, even as the size of his kingdom stays disputed.

Biblical archaeology itself splits roughly into two camps on how much weight the biblical text should carry as a historical source: a more skeptical, “minimalist” school (associated with scholars like Israel Finkelstein) that treats much of the early narrative as later literary and theological construction with limited historical core, and a more traditional school (associated with scholars like Kenneth Kitchen) that argues the text holds up well against the archaeological and textual record once its genre and purpose are accounted for. Both are represented in mainstream biblical scholarship; this chart doesn't take a side between them, only shows what each dating approach implies.

Once the narrative reaches the Persian and Greco-Roman periods, dates are corroborated by independent, cross-checkable records — the Cyrus Cylinder, Greek and Roman historians, Josephus — and the remaining disagreements (Herod's exact death year, the year of the crucifixion, when each Gospel was written) are narrower, usually a matter of a few years rather than centuries.

Worth Knowing, Event by Event

Dating disputes, outside corroboration, and minority scholarly views for individual entries above — also available by hovering any mark on the charts.

Abraham (traditional dating) (2000–1825 BC) — Both the exact dates and the historicity of the patriarchal narratives themselves are disputed; many scholars read Genesis 12–50 as later literary composition rather than history.

The Exodus — early date (1446 BC) — Based on 1 Kings 6:1 (480 years before Solomon's temple); associated with the reign of Thutmose III.

The Exodus — late date (1250 BC) — Based on Ramesses II's building projects matching Exodus 1:11's “Raamses”; favored by most archaeologists. A third view, held by some biblical archaeologists, doubts a mass Exodus occurred as described at all.

Conquest of Canaan (1400–1200 BC) — Excavations at Jericho found no Late Bronze Age walls matching either proposed conquest date, a major point of dispute; some scholars favor gradual settlement or internal uprising models instead of a military conquest.

David's reign (1010–970 BC) — David's historicity was widely doubted until the 1993 discovery of the Tel Dan Stele, which names a “House of David”; the size of his kingdom remains debated.

Solomon's reign; First Temple built (970–931 BC) — Temple construction traditionally begun 966 BC (1 Kings 6:1).

Cyrus's decree ends the exile (538 BC) — Corroborated by the Cyrus Cylinder, an independent Babylonian record.

Maccabean Revolt (167–160 BC) — Basis of Hanukkah; 1 and 2 Maccabees are canonical in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not in Protestant or Jewish canons.

Herod the Great's reign (37–4 BC) — 4 BC is the majority scholarly date for Herod's death; a minority of scholars argue for 1 BC instead.

Birth of Jesus (6–4 BC) — Placed before Herod's death, meaning Jesus was almost certainly born a few years “before Christ” — a quirk of the 6th-century calendar calculation that fixed the BC/AD boundary, made after the fact and slightly off.

Crucifixion of Jesus (AD 30) — Most scholars favor AD 30; a substantial minority argue for AD 33 based on a different reading of the Gospel of John's Passover chronology.

The Gospels written (AD 65–100) — Mark is usually dated earliest (c. 65–70), John latest (c. 90–100); exact dates for each Gospel remain debated.

Traditional end of the apostolic era (AD 100) — Conventionally marked by the death of John, tradition's last surviving apostle.

Sources & Further Reading

  • 1 Kings 6:1; 2 Kings; Ezra; Nehemiah; the Gospels; Acts
  • Kenneth Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (2003)
  • Israel Finkelstein & Neil Asher Silberman, The Bible Unearthed (2001)
  • William Dever, Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? (2003)
  • The Tel Dan Stele; the Cyrus Cylinder (primary archaeological sources)
  • Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews
  • F. F. Bruce, New Testament History (1969)