1.

From Cain & Abel to the Judges

Historical dates cannot be verified reliably until King Ahab of Israel and King Adad-idri (Ben-Hadad)
of Aram are recorded as taking part in a coalition venture against King Shalmaneser III
of Assyria at the Battle of Karkar in 853BC. After this, the kings of Israel and Judah are recorded
independently in the ninth century BC annals of Assyria.
Prior to this, traditional dates are still accepted by many scholars, while others such as Peter James
and David Rohl have more recently put forward alternative dates. The timeline below shows the ‘New
Chronology’ dates proposed by David Rohl. These ‘New Chronology’ dates have also been adopted
in the text (see Dating events in the Old Testament). For a full explanation of the ‘New Chronology’
see David Rohl, A Test of Time: The Bible – from Myth to History, Random House, 1995.

Life in Mesopotamia, Canaan and Egypt c.5000BC – c.1404BC

c.5000 BC Cain kills his brother Abel and starts a nomadic life
c.4250 BC Enoch arrives in Sumer (Mesopotamia)
c.3100 BC Noah builds the ‘ark’ and survives the Flood
c.2850 BC Nimrod builds the Tower of Babylonia in Sumer

c.1900 BC Abram is born at Ur in Lower Mesopotamia

c.1877 BC Abram sets off from Ur to Haran in Upper Mesopotamia
c.1855 BC Abram moves on from Haran to Canaan
c.1853 BC Abram visits the eastern Nile Delta
c.1842 BC Abram’s son Ishmael is born
c.1833 BC Abram rescues Lot and his family
c.1830 BC Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed
c.1829 BC Abraham’s son Isaac is born
c.1820 BC Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac
c.1815 BC Abraham dies and is buried at Hebron
c.1760 BC Isaac’s twin sons Jacob and Esau are born
c.1703 BC Jacob flees to Haran to escape Esau’s wrath
c.1696 BC Jacob’s son Joseph is born at Haran
c.1690 BC Jacob’s wife Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin
c.1679 BC Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt
c.1670 BC Joseph become Vizier to Pharaoh Amenemhat III
c.1662 BC Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers.
c.1660 BC Jacob and his family settle in Egypt
c.1642 BC Jacob dies in Egypt
c.1617 BC Joseph dies in Egypt

c.1528 BC Moses is born at Avaris in Egypt

c.1508 BC Prince Moses kills an Egyptian and escapes to Midian
c.1452 BC Moses is called by God at a burning bush in Sinai
c.1447 BC Moses leads the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt
c.1446 BC God gives the Law and Commandments to Moses at Mt Sinai
c.1407 BC Moses leads the Israelites into Moab
c.1406 BC Moses dies at Mt Nebo overlooking the ‘promised land’
c.1406 BC The Israelites invade Canaan under Joshua’s leadership
c.1404 BC Joshua dies at Shechem in the newly conquered land of Israel

The Judges rule over the people of Israel c.1397BC - c.1012BC

c.1397-c.1344 BC Othniel Othniel defeats King Cushan of Mesopotamia
c.1344-c.1268 BC Ehud Ehud kills King Eglon of Moab
c.1268-c.1208 BC Deborah Deborah defeats Sisera’s Caananite army
c.1208-c.1170 BC Gideon Gideon defeats the Midianite kings Zebah & Zalmunna
c.1170-c.1168 BC Abimelech Abimelech becomes the first King of Israel
c.1168-c.1146 BC Tola Tola restores the rule of the Judges
c.1146-c.1125 BC Jair Jair leads Israel for twenty two years
c.1125-c.1108 BC The Philistines and Ammonites rule over Israel for eighteen years
c.1108-c.1102 BC Jephthah Jephthah defeats the Ammonites
c.1102-c.1097 BC Ibzan (Israel is under the control of the Philistines)
c.1097-c.1088 BC Elon (Israel is under the control of the Philistines)
c.1088-c.1081 BC Abdon (Israel is under the control of the Philistines)
c.1081-c.1061 BC Samson Samson destroys the Philistine Temple of Dagon
c.1061-c.1024 BC Eli Eli allows the Philistines to capture the sacred Ark
c.1024-c.1012 BC Samuel Samuel defeats the Philistines at Mizpah
The Book of Job is written during the time of the Judges in c.1100 BC

c.1094 BC Samuel is born at Ramah and grows up in the sanctuary at Shiloh

c.1060 BC Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem from Moab
c.1050 BC Ruth (the great grandmother of King David) marries Boaz
c.1024 BC The Philistines capture the Ark at the Battle of Ebenezer
c.1024 BC The Ark is returned 7 months later to Beth Shemesh
c.1024 BC The Ark is moved to Kiriath Jearim where it stays for twenty years

2. From the Kingdom of Israel to the Exile

The United Kingdom of Israel and Judah (the ‘United Kingdom’) lasted a brief eighty years, under
the rule of Saul, David and Solomon, from c.1012 to c.931BC. For eighteen of these years,
however, the kingdom was anything but ‘united’. The kingdom was permanently divided into two at
the death of Solomon.
The northern kingdom of Israel - with its capital initially at Shechem, then at Tirzah and finally
at Samaria - existed for 209 years until it was overthrown by the Assyrians in 722BC. The
southern kingdom of Judah – with its capital at Jerusalem - lasted a further 135 years before the
Babylonian conquest in 587BC. The exiles began returning from Babylonia fifty years later, in 537
BC, but the restored walls of Jerusalem were not completed until 445BC.

The United Kingdom of Israel and Judah c.1012BC - c.931BC

c.1012-c.1011 BC Saul becomes King of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah
c.1011-c.1004 BC Ishbosheth becomes King of Israel; David becomes King of Judah
c.1004-c.971 BC David becomes King of the re-united Kingdom of Israel
c.995-c.984 BC Absalom becomes King of Israel; David rules in exile at Mahanaim
c.984-c.971 BC David defeats Absalom and returns to Jerusalem
c.971-c.931 BC Solomon reigns as King of Israel
Many of the Psalms, the Book of Proverbs, the Song of Songs and the Book of Ecclesiastes are
written around this time

c.1012 BC Saul defeats the Ammonites at Bezek

c.1012 BC Saul beats the Philistines at Gibeah
c.1012 BC Saul defeats the Amalekites of Havilah
c.1012 BC David kills the Philistine champion Goliath of Gath
c.1011 BC Saul is killed by the Philistines at the Battle of Gilboa
c.1011 BC Ishbosheth, Saul's son, becomes King of Israel
c.1011 BC David becomes King of Judah at Hebron
c.1004 BC Ishbosheth is murdered and David becomes King of Israel and Judah
c.1004 BC David captures Jerusalem
c.1004 BC David defeats the Philistines at Baal Perazim
c.1004 BC David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
c.999 BC David has an affair with Bathsheba and defeats the Ammonites
c.998 BC David defeats the Arameans at Helam
c.995 BC David’s son Absalom rises in revolt and claims the throne
c.984 BC David defeats Absalom at the Battle of Ephraim
c.982 BC David purchases the land on which the Temple is later built
c.972 BC Adonijah, David's eldest surviving son, claims the throne
c.971 BC David dies and his son Solomon becomes King of Israel
c.968 BC Solomon begins to build the Temple in Jerusalem
c.961 BC Solomon finishes building the Temple
c.948 BC Solomon finishes building his palace in Jerusalem
c.947 BC Solomon’s ships set out for Ophir
c.946 BC Solomon’s Egyptian queen dies
c.945 BC The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon in Jerusalem
c.939 BC Ramesses II of Egypt fights the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh
c.938 BC King Rezon of Damascus rebels against Solomon
c.931 BC Solomon dies and is succeeded by his son Rehoboam
c.931 BC Israel rebels against Rehoboam. Jeroboam becomes King of Israel.
Rehoboam continues to rule as King of Judah

The Divided Kingdom c.931BC - 722BC

The Kingdom of Judah The Kingdom of Israel
c.931-c.914 BC Rehoboam c.931-c.911 BC Jeroboam I
c.914-c.913 BC Abijah c.911-c.910 BC Nadab
c.912-c.871 BC Asa c.910-c.887 BC Baasha
c.887-c.886 BC Elah
c.886 BC Zimri
c.886-c.883 BC Tibni
c.886-c.874 BC Omri
c.871-849 BC Jehoshaphat c.874-852 BC Ahab
855-853 BC Ahaziah
849-842 BC Jehoram 853-842 BC Joram (Jehoram)
842 BC Ahaziah
842-835 BC Athaliah 842-813 BC Jehu
835-795 BC Joash 813-797 BC Jehoahaz
795-767 BC Amaziah 797-783 BC Jehoash
767-737 BC Azariah (Uzziah) 782-741 BC Jeroboam II
747-731 BC Jotham 741-740 BC Zechariah
740 BC Shallum
740-731 BC Menahem
739-737 BC Pekaniah
737-730 BC Pekah
731-716 BC Ahaz 730-722 BC Hoshea

c.931 BC Jeroboam I of Israel fortifies Shechem and Penuel

c.927 BC Jerusalem is attacked by Israel’s ally Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt
c.914 BC King Abijah succeeds Rehoboam. Judah is at war with Israel
c.910 BC King Baasha of Israel fortifies Ramah then moves to Tirzah
c.887 BC King Baasha of Israel is succeeded by his son Elah
c.886 BC King Elah of Israel is assassinated by Zimri
c.886 BC Omri is installed as King of Israel by a military coup
c.881 BC The capital of Israel is transferred from Tirzah to Samaria
c.874 BC King Ahab of Israel and Queen Jezebel introduce Baal worship
c.870 BC The prophet Elijah tells Ahab about the forthcoming drought
c.867 BC Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel
c.857 BC King Ben-Hadad III of Aram (Damascus) lays seige to Samaria
c.856 BC King Ahab seizes Naboth's vineyard to extend his palace
853 BC King Ahab & King Ben-Hadad III fight King Shalmaneser III of Assyria at
the Battle of Karkar
853 BC Elijah is taken up to heaven and is succeeded by Elisha
852 BC King Ahab is killed in the battle for Ramoth Gilead
849 BC King Joram of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attack Moab
848 BC Elisha helps King Joram to defeat the King of Syria at Dothan
842 BC Hazael murders Ben-Hadad III and becomes King of Syria
842 BC Jehu defeats King Joram of Israel and kills his mother Jezebel
842 BC Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, grabs power in Judah
835 BC Joash is proclaimed King of Judah by Jehoiada the priest
811 BC King Hazael of Syria attacks Gath and Jerusalem
802 BC Pharoah Shoshenk I defeats the Arameans and rescues Israel
785 BC King Jehoash of Israel defeats King Amaziah of Judah
782 BC King Jeroboam II of Israel recaptures all the land east of the Jordan
Amos and Hosea denounce social injustice in Israel between 760BC and 725BC

747 BC King Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah is struck by leprosy

741 BC King Zechariah of Israel is assassinated by Shallum who is murdered
Micah speaks against both Israel and Judah between 747 and 722BC
Isaiah prophesies the destruction of Israel and Judah between 737BC and 716BC
Jonah preaches a message of judgement to Ninevah before the defeat of Israel in 722BC.

733 BC King Tiglath-Pilesar of Assyria invades Israel and captures Galilee

732 BC The Israelites from Galilee and Napthali are deported to Assyria
731 BC Tiglath-Pilesar captures Damascus and kills King Rezin of Syria
724 BC Shalmaneser V of Assyria seizes Hoshea and lays seige to Samaria
722 BC Samaria and the northern kingdom of Israel fall to the Assyrians
721 BC The defeated Israelites are led into exile in Assyria

The Kingdom of Judah 722BC - 586BC

727-699 BC Hezekiah
698-644 BC Manassah
644-642 BC Amon
642-610 BC Josiah
610 BC Jehoahaz
610-598 BC Jehoiakim
598-597 BC Jehoiachin
597-587 BC Zedekiah

711 BC Isaiah heals King Hezekiah’s boils with a poultice of figs

705 BC King Hezekiah builds a tunnel to secure Jerusalem’s water supply
702 BC King Sennacherib of Assyria destroys Lachish and attacks Jerusalem
702 BC Prince Taharka of Egypt attacks but is unable to defeat the Assyrians
698 BC Manasseh becomes King of Judah and re-builds the altars to Baal
642 BC King Amon is assassinated by his royal officials
624 BC Hilkiah re-discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple
624 BC King Josiah destroys the pagan altars and celebrates Passover
612 BC The Babylonians conquer Nineveh, the capital of Assyria
Nahum celebrates the destruction of Ninevah by the Babylonians in 612BC
Jeremiah & Zephaniah warn the people of Jerusalem prior its fall in 587BC that it will be judged
for its unfaithfulness to God
Habbakuk asks why God apparently allows the cruel Babylonians to succeed.

610 BC Pharaoh Neco of Egypt defeats King Josiah at Megiddo

610 BC Neco deposes Josiah's son Jehoahaz and installs Jehoiakim as King of Judah
606 BC Neco is defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Carchemish
605 BC Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah and Jehoiakim becomes a vassal king
602 BC Neco re-takes Gaza and Jehoiakim rebels against Nebuchadnezzar
598 BC Nebuchadnezzar beseiges Jerusalem. King Jehoiachin surrenders
597 BC Jehoiachin is taken to Babylon and Zedekiah is installed as king
597 BC Ten thousand captives (including Ezekiel) are taken to Babylonia
Ezekiel predicts the fall of Jerusalem and speaks about the return of the exiles to Israel.
Daniel is in exile in Babylon at the same time as Ezekiel. He is persecuted for his faith between
598 and 539BC.

589 BC Zedekiah rebels and Jerusalem is beseiged for over a year and a half
587 BC Jerusalem falls and the population is taken to exile in Babylonia
586 BC The Temple and royal palace are burnt and the walls are demolished
The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem in
587BC.
Obadiah decries Edom after it takes advantage of Jerusalem's fall in 587BC.

3. From the Exile to the Birth of Jesus

The Exile and Restoration of Jerusalem 587BC - 445BC
587 BC Gedeliah is appointed Governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar
586 BC Gedeliah is assassinated. Jeremiah accompanies the rebels to Egypt
539 BC Babylon is captured by King Cyrus of Persia
537 BC The first group of exiles returns to Jerusalem under Sheshbazzar
536 BC Work begins on rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem
Haggai & Zechariah spur on the returned exiles to rebuild the Temple in c.520BC.

516 BC The Second Temple is completed

Malachi, writing after the completion of the Temple in 516BC, urges Israel to be faithful as God's
people.

525 BC A second group of exiles returns under Zerubbabel and Joshua

522 BC Darius I becomes King of Persia
486 BC Xerxes I becomes King of Persia
483 BC Queen Vashti is deposed by Xerxes I
479 BC Esther becomes Queen of Persia
473 BC Haman’s plot to kill the Jews fails. The Festival of Purim established
465 BC Artaxerxes I becomes King of Persia
458 BC A third group of exiles returns to Jerusalem under Ezra
445 BC A fourth group of exiles returns under Nehemiah
445 BC The walls are completed and the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated
Joel, writing some time after the exile in the 5th or 4th century BC, promises hope after a plague
of locusts.

Between the Old and New Testaments 445BC - 6BC

333 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia, defeats the Persian King Darius III at the
Battle of Issus
332 BC Judaea is conquered by Alexander the Great.
It becomes part of the Hellenic (Greek) world ruled by the Seleucid
(Greek) kings of Syria
and then by the Ptolemaic (Greek) kings of Egypt
201 BC Judaea comes under the control of the Seleucid kings again
167 BC Antiochus Epiphanes, the Seleucid (Greek) King of Syria, bans Jewish
religious practices
and dedicates the Jewish Temple to the Greek god Zeus. He establishes
the
‘abomination of desolation’ (a stutue of Zeus) in the Temple in
Jerusalem.
This prompts a Jewish rebellion led by Mattathias and Judas
Maccabaeus
165 BC The Jewish rebels (the Maccabees) gain control and re-dedicate the Jewish
Temple.
The festival of Hannukah celebrates this re-dedication of the Temple
152 BC Jonathan Maccabaeus establishes the Hasmonaean dynasty as rulers of
Judaea
67 BC The Roman Emperor Pompey invades Syria and creates the Roman province
of
Judaea. Hyrcanus is established as a ‘puppet’ king under Roman
authority.
40 BC Herod defeats the Parthian (Persian) invaders with Roman assistance and is
appointed
Roman Governor of Galilee
37 BC Herod the Great is appointed ‘King of the Jews’ by the Romans

4. From the Birth to the Death of Jesus

From the Birth of Jesus to his Death and Resurrection
The exact date or the time of year of the birth of Jesus Christ is uncertain. Matthew’s Gospel (see
Matthew 2:1) records that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great (who died in 4BC).
Herod’s decision to order the slaughter of all boys in the Bethlehem area aged two or under when
he heard the report of the magi (see Matthew 2:16) suggests that Jesus was born during the two
years before the death of Herod.

The birth and childhood of Jesus 6BC – 26AD

6 or 5 BC Jesus is born in Bethlehem. He is visited by the shepherds at Bethlehem,
and consecrated to the LORD at the Temple in Jerusalem.
6 or 5 BC Jesus is visited by the magi at Bethlehem. He and his family escape
Herod’s persecution by fleeing to Egypt.
4 BC Herod the Great dies. Palestine is divided between his three sons –
Archelaus, Herod Antipas and Philip.
c.2 BC Jesus and his family return from Egypt to Nazareth in Lower Galilee.
c.5 AD Saul (Paul) is born at Tarsus in Cilicia.
6 AD Archelaus is deposed. Judaea is ruled by a Roman procurator.
c.7 AD Jesus sets off to visit the Temple in Jerusalem aged 12, rapidly
approaching manhood on his thirteenth birthday.
14 AD Augustus Caesar dies.
26 AD Pontius Pilate is appointed as Procurator of Judaea.

The ministry of Jesus Summer 26AD – Spring 30AD

Summer 26AD John the Baptist begins his ministry.
26AD Jesus is baptised by John in the River Jordan.
26AD Jesus meets Andrew and his brother Simon.
26AD Jesus is tempted by the satan (the ‘accuser’) in the Judaean Desert.
Autumn 26AD Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding at Cana in Galilee.
Spring 27 AD Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. He performs many
miracles and teaches Nicodemus about spiritual re-birth.
Summer 27 AD Jesus and his disciples baptise in the River Jordan.
27 AD John the Baptist is imprisoned at Machaerus by Herod Antipas.
27 AD Jesus goes north to Galilee. En route he meets the Samaritan woman
at Jacob’s Well in Sychar (Shechem).
Autumn 27 AD Jesus is met at Cana by a royal official. Jesus heals his son.
27 AD Jesus raises a widow’s son from death at Nain.
27 AD Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James and John to be his disciples.
27 AD Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law at Capernaum.
27 AD Jesus makes Capernaum the base for his ministry.
27 AD John sends two disciples to ask whether Jesus is the ‘Messiah’.
Winter 27 AD Jesus goes on his first preaching tour in Galilee.
Spring 28 AD Jesus preaches the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ near Capernaum.
28 AD Jesus heals a paralysed man in Capernaum.
28 AD Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to be a disciple.
28 AD Jesus’s disciples pick ears of corn on the Sabbath.
28 AD Jesus heals a man in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Sabbath,
and the Pharisees begin to plot Jesus’s death.
28 AD Jesus appoints his twelve apostles overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Summer 28 AD Jesus teaches parables about the ‘Kingdom of God’.
Autumn 28 AD Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
28 AD Jesus sends numerous evil spirits into a herd of pigs near Gadara.
28 AD Jesus brings Jairus’s daughter back to life at Capernaum.
28 AD John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod Antipas at Machaerus.
Winter 28 AD Jesus sends out his twelve disciples across Galilee.
Spring 29 AD Jesus feeds five thousand people in the territory of Decapolis.
29 AD Jesus walks on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
29 AD Jesus visits the Mediterranean coastal towns
of Tyre and Sidon. He heals the daughter of a Phoenician woman.
29 AD Jesus miraculously feeds another four thousand people.
Summer 29 AD Jesus visits Bethsaida and heals a blind man.
29 AD Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the ‘Messiah’ at Caesarea Philippi.
29 AD Jesus is transfigured on the snow-topped Mount Hermon.
29 AD Jesus pays his temple tax to the tax collectors at Caesarea.
Autumn 29 AD Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. The Pharisees try to
stone him for alleged blasphemy. He heals a blind man.
Winter 29 AD Jesus is in Jerusalem for the mid-winter festival of Hanukkah.
29AD Jesus declares ‘I and the Father are one’. The Jews try to stone him
for what they perceive to be blasphemy.
Spring 30 AD Jesus travels east and preaches near the River Jordan.
30 AD Jesus visits Mary and Martha at Bethany. He raises Lazarus from
death.
30 AD Eyewitnesses report the event to the Jewish Sanhedrin, who plot to
kill Jesus. Jesus escapes secretly to Ephraim with his disciples.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Spring 30AD

Spring 30 AD Jesus passes through Jericho on his last journey to Jerusalem. He meets
Zacchaeus and heals Bartimaeus – a blind man.
Sunday 2 April Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds assembling for the
Passover Festival spread palm leaves on the road and greet him as the ‘Messiah’. Jesus and the
disciples stay overnight at Bethany.
Monday 3 April Jesus curses the fig tree for its failure to bear fruit. On arrival
in Jerusalem, Jesus enters the outer courtyards of the Temple and drives out the merchants and
money-changers.
Tuesday 4 April Jesus teaches in the shade of Solomon’s Porch, a colonnaded portico on
the edge of the Temple courtyard. In the evening, Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume
at Bethany.
Wednesday 5 April Judas Iscariot goes to the chief priests and agrees to betray Jesus.
Thursday 6 April In the evening, Jesus and his disciples share the Passover meal in an
upper room in Jerusalem. Afterwards, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of
the Mount of Olives. Jesus is arrested and is held overnight at the house of Annas, one of the
chief priests.
Friday 7 April Jesus is tried before the Jewish council (the ‘Sanhedrin’) at daybreak. He is
found guilty of ‘blasphemy’ which the council considers merits the death penalty. Peter follows, but
denies three times that he knows Jesus. Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate in
the Praetorium (Herod’s Palace) and is condemned to death for insurrection. He is crucified by
the Romans at Golgotha (the ‘Place of the Skull’) on the hill of Calvary just outside the walls
of Jerusalem, and is buried in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. The Sabbath day,
the first day of the Feast of Passover, begins at dusk.
Saturday 8 April The tomb is guarded by Roman soldiers during the Sabbath day.
Sunday 9 April Three women come to anoint Jesus’s body, but find the tomb empty. An
angel tells them that Jesus has risen from the dead. The risen Lord Jesus then appears to Mary
Magdalene, to two disciples journeying to Emmaus, and to the eleven disciples in the upper room.
One week later Jesus appears again to the eleven disciples in the upper room and invites
Thomas to touch his wounds.
Some time later After the disciples return to Galilee, Jesus appears to them on the shore
of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus cooks breakfast for them and asks Peter to ‘take care of my sheep’.
Forty days later Jesus blesses the disciples and passes into heaven on the Mount of
Olives.

5. From Acts of the Apostles to John's Revelation

The early growth of the church in Jerusalem 30 – 35AD
30 AD Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem at the start of the Passover Festival. He rises from
death and appears to hundreds of his followers. He is taken up to heaven from the Mount of
Olives.
30 AD The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
30 AD Peter and John heal a crippled man in the Temple courts.
30 AD Peter and John are arrested and appear before the Jewish council.
c.32 AD The believers share their possessions. Joseph the Levite (‘Barnabas’) sells a field
and donates the money to provide for poor believers. Ananias and Sapphira lie about the price
obtained for a property.
c.32 AD The apostles perform many miraculous signs and wonders. The believers meet
regularly in Solomon’s Porch on the edge of the outer court of the Temple.
c.33 AD The apostles are arrested by the High Priest but are released during the night by an
angel. They are brought before the Jewish council, flogged, and ordered not to preach about the
resurrection of Jesus.
c.34 AD Seven assistants are appointed to oversee the distribution of food to widows and
poorer believers.
35 AD Stephen, one of the assistants, is accused of blasphemy by some Jews
from Cyrene and Alexandria. He defends himself powerfully, but is unlawfully stoned to death.
35 AD Persecution breaks out against the church in Jerusalem. The Jewish believers are
scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria, and flee to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch in Syria.
c.35 AD The Letter of James is sent by the leader of the church in Jerusalem to the Jewish
believers dispersed by persecution.

The journeys of Philip and Peter and the conversion of Saul 35 – 46AD
35 AD Philip joins the believers who have fled to Sebaste (Samaria). Many people are
healed and more become believers. Peter and John are sent from Jerusalem. As they pray for the
new believers, the Samaritans are filled with the Holy Spirit.
35 AD Philip baptises an official from the court of the Queen of Ethiopia, then travels
to Caesarea where he settles.
35 AD Saul (Paul) travels to Damascus to persecute the believers. On the way, the risen
Lord Jesus appears to him and he is converted. He spends some time away from the city, then
returns to Damascus for three years.
35 AD Peter visits the believers in Lydda where he heals Aeneas. In Joppa, he raises
Tabitha from death.
35 AD Peter travels to Caesarea where Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his family
become the first Gentile believers.
38 AD Paul visits Peter and James, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Paul is sent by
the believers to Tarsus, from where he ministers to the believers in Syria and Cilicia for the next
five years.
43 AD Paul arrives in Antioch in Syria with Barnabas, and ministers there for a year.
44 AD James, the brother of John, is beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I. Peter is
imprisoned by Herod Agrippa but is miraculously set free.
44AD Peter hands over the leadership of the church to James, the brother of Jesus, and
flees from Jerusalem.
44 AD Paul and Barnabas make a famine relief visit to the believers in Jerusalem. They
take John Mark back to Antioch.
44 AD Herod Agrippa dies while Paul and Barnabas are in Jerusalem.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey 46 - 48 AD

46 AD Paul and Barnabas are commissioned by the believers in Antioch to spread the
Good News about Jesus around the eastern Mediterranean.
46 AD Paul and Barnabas travel across Cyprus. At Paphos they preach to the Roman
proconsul and condemn Elymas, a sorcerer, to blindness.
46 AD Paul and Barnabas sail from Paphos to Perga on the coast of Pamphylia.
46 AD Paul and Barnabas head inland to Antioch in Pisidia. The Jews are abusive, so
from this point on Paul begins to preach to the Gentiles.
47 AD Paul and Barnabas spend some months at Iconium. They leave when they
discover some Jews are plotting to stone Paul for blasphemy.
47 AD At Lystra, the people think that Paul and Barnabas are human incarnations of the
Greek gods Hermes and Zeus. Later, Paul is stoned, dragged outside the city walls and left for
dead.
47 AD Paul and Barnabas preach the Good News in Derbe. From Derbe, the disciples
retrace their steps back to the coast at Perga.
48 AD Paul and Barnabas sail back to Antioch in Syria from Attalia.
48 AD Paul and Barnabas report back to their ‘home church’ in Antioch.
49AD Emperor Claudius expels all the Jews (and Jewish Christians) from Rome. Gentile
Christians are not expelled.
49 AD Paul and Barnabas attend the Council of Jerusalem in 49/50AD.
50 AD Paul writes his Letter to the Galatians from Antioch.

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey 50 – 52 AD

50 AD Paul and Silas travel through Syria and Cilicia to Derbe. At Lystra they are joined
by Timothy.
50 AD Barnabas and John Mark revisit the Jewish believers in Cyprus.
50 AD Paul, Silas and Timothy travel through Phrygia, Galatia and Mysia to
the Aegean coast at Troas.
51 AD Joined by Luke, they sail across the Aegean Sea to Neapolis where Paul first sets
foot on European soil.
51 AD Paul and Silas are dragged before the Roman magistrates in Philippi after casting
an evil spirit out of a girl.
51 AD Leaving Luke in Philippi, Paul and Silas travel along the Via
Egnatia to Thessalonica. After a riot, Paul is dragged before the Roman magistrates again, and is
forced to flee to Berea.
51 AD Silas and Timothy stay in Berea while Paul travels to Athens.
51 AD Paul addresses the Areopagus (the Athenian council) on Mars Hill.
51 AD Paul moves on to Corinth – where Silas and Timothy rejoin him.
51 – 52 AD Paul stays in Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla for a year and a half.
51 – 52 AD Paul writes his First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians from Corinth.
52 AD Paul leaves Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla and sails to Ephesus.
52 AD Paul leaves Aquila and Pricilla in Ephesus and sails to Caesarea.
52 AD Paul reports back to the church leaders in Jerusalem, then returns to his ‘home
church’ at Antioch in Syria.

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey 53 – 57 AD

53 AD Paul and Timothy revisit the believers in Galatia and Phrygia.
53 - 56 AD Paul and Timothy stay with Aquila and Pricilla in Ephesus for three years.
53 –56 AD From Ephesus, Paul’s fellow-workers carry the Good News of Jesus throughout the
Roman province of Asia. Epaphras, for example, establishes new churches
at Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis.
56 AD Paul writes the First letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus.
56 AD Paul sends Timothy and Erastus on ahead to Macedonia.
56 AD After a riot led by the silversmiths in Ephesus, Paul joins Timothy and Erastus and
writes the Second letter to the Corinthians from Philippi.
56 – 57 AD Paul stays for three winter months in Corinth.
57 AD Paul writes his Letter to the Romans from Corinth.
57 AD Paul returns overland through Macedonia. He stays in Philippi for the Passover
festival before sailing to Troas with Luke.
57 AD Paul and his companions meet up at Assos and sail to Miletus where Paul meets
the leaders from the church in Ephesus.
57 AD Paul and his companions sail back to Caesarea via Tyre and Ptolemais.
57 AD Paul and his Gentile companions arrive in Jerusalem, where Paul reports back to
the church leaders. He presents the Jewish Christian leaders with the offerings brought from the
Gentile churches.

Paul’s arrest, imprisonment and Journey to Rome 57 – 62 AD

57 AD Paul is arrested by the Roman commander in the Temple courtyard.
57 AD Paul addresses the Jewish council and causes uproar between the Pharisees and the
Sadducees. He is re-arrested for his own safety.
57 AD Paul is transferred to the Roman headquarters at Caesarea where he appears
before the Roman governor Felix.
57 - 59 AD Paul is kept under prolonged house arrest in Caesarea. On several occasions he
speaks to the Roman governor Felix and his Jewish wife Drusilla.
59 AD Felix is succeeded as Roman governor of Judaea by Porcius Festus.
59 AD Paul refuses Festus’s request to go to Jerusalem to be tried and appeals to the
Emperor in Rome.
59 AD Paul sets sail from Caesarea for Rome in the autumn with Luke and Aristarchus.
59 AD Paul is shipwrecked and spends the winter months in Malta.
60 - 62 AD Paul reaches Rome in the spring and is kept under house arrest for two years
awaiting trial before the Roman emperor Nero.
60 – 62 AD Luke writes the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles while staying with Paul
in Rome. John Mark writes the Gospel of Mark in Rome at about the same time.
c.60 AD Paul writes his Letter to the Ephesians, the Letter to the Colossians and his Letter to
Philemon from Rome. He also writes a Letter to the Laodiceans which has not survived.
c.61 AD Paul writes his Letter to the Philippians while under house arrest.
62 AD Paul is tried before Emperor Nero and is aquitted and released.
c.62 AD James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the Jerusalem church, is unlawfully
stoned to death by Jews in Jerusalem.

Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey and his execution in Rome 62 – 67 AD

c.62 AD Paul travels to Crete and commissions Titus to lead the church there.
c.62 AD Paul visits Miletus, then leaves Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus.
c.63 AD Paul travels to Troas and Philippi, possibly visiting Colossae en route.
c.63 AD Paul writes his First Letter to Timothy from Philippi.
c.63/64 AD Paul probably visits Ephesus again before travelling back
to Rome via Corinth and Nicopolis. Paul writes his Letter to Titus from Corinth.
64 AD The Great Fire of Rome is followed by intense persecution of Christians by Emperor
Nero.
c.65 AD The Letter to the Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who are suffering
persucution.
c.65 AD The Letter of Jude is written by the brother of James and Jesus.
66 AD The outbreak of the Romano – Jewish War is followed by persecution of Jews
throughout the Roman Empire.
66 AD Peter, John and other believers begin escaping from Jerusalem, which is now
becoming dominated by extreme nationalist zealots. Over the next two years, many Jewish
Christians escape to Pella in Peraea (modern-day Jordan) where Symeon, a nephew of James
(the brother of Jesus) leads the Jewish Christian community.
66 AD Peter writes his First Letter to the persecuted Jewish Christian believers scattered
across the northern part of Asia Minor.
c.67 AD Paul is imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison in Rome.
c.67 AD Paul writes his Second Letter to Timothy while in prison in Rome.
c.67 AD Paul is executed during the intense persecution of Jewish Christians by Emperor
Nero.
c.67 AD Peter, imprisoned in Rome, writes his Second Letter.
c.67 AD Peter is executed in Rome during the persecution of Jewish Christians by Emperor
Nero.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the ministry of John 67 – 95AD

70 AD The Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans under Titus. Following this,
Jewish rabbis, meeting in Jamnia, take steps against the Jewish Christians who refused to support
the Jewish nationalists in the war against the Romans. They introduce a prayer – the ‘Birkhath
ham-Minim’ – a ‘blessing’ (in reality a curse) on ‘heretics’ – to make it impossible for Jewish
Christians to join in synagogue worship.
c.75 AD Matthew (Levi) writes the Gospel of Matthew for Jewish Christian believers
scattered across the Roman world. He probably writes his gospel at Antioch in Syria, the main
centre of Greek-speaking Jewish Christians.
c.85 AD John writes the Gospel of John in Ephesus.
c.85 – 88 AD John writes his First, Second and Third letters from Ephesus.
c.88 – 89 AD John is persecuted by the Roman emperor Domitian.
c.90 – 95 AD John is exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea.
c.90 AD John receives his Revelation from Jesus while in exile on Patmos.
c.95 AD John returns to Ephesus where he dies and is buried.