Timeline

*This page is an ongoing project to layout the biblical chronology. Dates are approximate and rely primarily upon the work of James B. Jordan.

Post-Exilic Era

  • 627 BC – The Call of Jeremiah in the 13th year of King Josiah’s reign (Jer. 1:2, 25:3)
  • 623 BC – The Birth of Ezekiel (Daniel also born around this time)
  • 621 BC – Zephaniah Prophesies (Zeph. 1:1)
  • 613 BC – Medes and Babylonian Take Nineveh (Fulfillment of Nahum)
  • 608 BC – Death of Josiah, Pharoah’s failure begins the first of 70 years of servitude of all nations to Babylon (Jer. 25:8-12)
  • 607 BC – Habakkuk Prophesies
  • 605 BC – Nebuchadnezzar subjugates Palestine and Jerusalem. Daniel and Jehoiakim are sent back to Babylon. This begins 70 years covered by Daniel’s prophesies. Prophecy of Jeremiah 25.
  • 604 BC – Baruch reads Jeremiah’s scroll in the Temple. When it is read in the palace Jehoiakim tears up the scroll (Jer. 36)
  • 603 BC – Daniel interprets dreams and is elevated to power (Dan. 2)
  • 598 BC – 3,023 Jews taken captive to Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar’s 7th year (Jer. 52:28)
  • 597 BC – End of Jehoiachin’s 3-month reign, Zedekiah put on throne. Jews taken captive, including Ezekiel and Mordecai (Jer. 52:29, Ezek. 1:1-3, Esther 2:6-7)
  • 593 BC – Jeremiah sends oracle of doom to Babylon (Jer. 51:59), Ordination and call of Ezekiel at age 30 (Ezek. 1:1)
  • 592 BC – God desolates Temple (Ezek. 8-10), This begins 70 years of desolation.
  • 588 BC – God’s 70 years of indignation against Jerusalem begins (Zech. 1:12)
  • 587 BC – 832 Jews taken captive during siege in Nebuchadnezzar’s 18th year (Jer. 52:29), Ezekiel prophesies against Egypt (Ezek. 29:1-16), against Tyre and High Priest (Ezek. 26-28), against Egypt (Ezek. 30:20-31:18)
  • 586 BC – Fall of Jerusalem (July 18th), Jeremiah dragged off to Egypt.
  • 585 BC – Word of Jerusalem’s fall reaches exiles (Ezek. 33:21), Ezekiel laments for Pharoah and Egypt (Ezek. 32)
  • 583 BC – 745 Jews taken into captivity (Jer. 52:30)
  • 573 BC – Ezekiel Vision (Ezek. 40-48), Year of Jubilee.
  • 571 BC – Egypt given to Nebuchadnezzar as reward for destroying Tyre (Ezek. 29:17-30:19). Beginning of Egypt’s 40 years of desolation (Ezek. 29:9-13)
  • 562 BC – Death of Nebuchadnezzar. Accession of Evil-Merodach.
  • 561 BC – Jehoiachin is elevated. (Jer. 52:31-34)
  • 560 BC – Death of Evil-Merodach. Accession of Neriglissar.
  • 556 BC – Death of Neriglissar. Accession of Labashi-marduk for two months. Then accession of Nabonidus.
  • 553 BC – Belshazzar becomes vice-regent. Vision of Daniel 7.
  • 551 BC – Vision of Daniel 8
  • 550 BC – Conventional date for Cyrus’s conquest of Media, creating Medo-Persian empire.
  • 539 BC – Belshazzar proclaims himself co-regent, the city falls, events of Daniel 5. Cyrus/Darius the Mede (age 62) receives the kingdom. Events of Daniel 6 (lion’s den). This ends the 70 years of servitude to Babylon that begin in 608 BC.
  • 538 BC – Cambyses becomes go-regent with Cyrus of Babylon. Daniel’s calculations and prayer of Daniel 9. Cambyses is removed as “king of Babylon,” Gabriel strengthens Cyrus (Dan. 11:1). Beginning of 70 Weeks of Years (Dan. 9:24), and 7 Weeks of Years (Dan. 9:25)
  • 537 BC – Cyrus decrees that the Jews are to rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4). Return of the Jews under Zerubbabel; includes Mordecai and Nehemiah (Ezra 1-2). Feast of Tabernacles celebrated (Ezra 3)
  • 536 BC – Work begins, and opposition arises (Ezra 3:8, Ezra 4:1-3)
  • 535 BC – God appears to Daniel after he mourns three weeks because of opposition to Temple building (Daniel 10:1-4)
  • 531 BC – End of Egypt’s 40 years of desolation.
  • 530 BC – Reign of Cambyses II
  • 522 BC – Darius/Artaxerxes/Ahasuerus takes throne and must reconquer Persian Empire. 70th year of temple’s desolation ends.
  • 520 BC – Haggai and Zechariah prophesy and encourage temple rebuilding project.
  • 519 BC – Zechariah sees God cleanse the Temple and renew the covenant (Zech. 1:6-6:8). Darius gives a 7-day feast for everyone in Susa (Esther 1:5), Vashti deposed as queen.
  • 518 BC – Zechariah answers questions about fasting (Zech. 7:1)
  • 516 BC – Esther selected for trial as queen (Esther 2:12). The Temple completed (Ezra 6:15), this is in the 71st year after the fall of Jerusalem and burning of the temple.
  • 515 BC – Esther becomes queen (Esther 2:16), Ezra goes to Jerusalem and assembles the people (Ezra 7-10:16)
  • 514 BC – Assessments of marriages concludes (Ezra 10:17)
  • 510 BC – Darius promotes Haman, decree issues to exterminate Jews (Esther 3). Esther’s intercession and feasts.
  • 509 BC – Jews defend themselves and celebrate feast of Purim (Esther 9)
  • 503 BC – Nehemiah hears of the distress of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:1)
  • 502 BC – Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem and restoration work begins (Neh. 2-9)
  • 491 BC – Nehemiah returns to Darius (Neh. 13:6)
  • 489 BC – Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem, Year 50 of 70 Weeks begins Year of Jubilee.