The Importance of Chronology
Chronology (“study of time”) is the arrangement of events in the order of their occurrence in time. But do dates and numbers matter? Is chronology significant in understanding the events of the Bible and confirming their historical accuracy?
The importance of chronology becomes clear quickly. Without a precise place in time to identify particular events and people in both general history and Biblical history, we can only suggest that general similarities found in archaeology might be identified as events that are recorded in the Bible. With an absolute chronology, we can place events in a real, objective historical context. Besides the Bible, we have historical texts written by many of the other nations and cultures of the ancient world that give us more information to help us to better understand history, including specific chronological information. Moses, one of the most famous writers of ancient times, wrote in the 1400s BC and often included chronological information tied to events and people (Deuteronomy 31:24). Herodotus, a Greek of the 5th century BC, is often considered the first “historian,” and he also recorded chronological data so that events and people could be placed in an overall timeline of history. The chronologies of the ancient world and the Bible have been carefully constructed by compiling and analyzing information, with constant addition of information and refinement over centuries of scholarship. While small adjustments of the chronologies are needed from time to time, the changes are usually only a few years to a few decades. Thankfully, we have a reliable Biblical chronology and a chronology of the ancient world that we can sync to show where in time and in archaeological periods that major events occurred.
Biblical Timeline
3298 BC Noah, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 7:1-7)
3100 BC Sumerian Civilization (Genesis 10:10)
3000 BC Egyptian Kingdom
2600 BC Rise of Harrapan Civilization in India
2400 BC Akkadian Civilization
1950 BC The fall of Ur to the Elamites (Genesis 11:31)
1900 BC Minoan Civilization palace period on Crete
1876 BC Promise given to Abraham (Genesis 17:1-2)
1750 BC Code of Hammurabi
1707 BC Joseph enters Egypt (Genesis 37:2)
1614 BC Joseph dies (Genesis 50:22)
1570 BC Pharaoh Ahmose I expels Hyksos, enslavement begins (Exodus 1:8-11)
1526 BC Moses born (Genesis 2:2)
1446 BC Exodus and Law of Moses (Genesis 20:1-26)
1404 BC Israelites under Joshua begin the conquest (Joshua 1:1-6)
1260 BC Pharaoh Rameses II treaty with the Hittites
1180 BC Sea Peoples/Philistines invade Egypt and go to Canaan (Judges 10:6)
1010 BC David begins his reign (2 Samuel 5:3)
967 BC 4th year of Solomon’s reign Temple of Yahweh built (1 Kings 6:1)
931 BC Kingdom Splits into Israel and Judah (2 Kings 12:16-20)
926 BC Shoshenq I (Shishak) invades Israel and Judah (2 Chronicles 12:2-9)
722 BC Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria (1 Kings 17:1-6)
701 BC Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:13-17)
587 BC Kingdom of Judah destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylonians (2 Kings 25:1-11)
539 BC Persians conquer Babylon and King Cyrus frees exiles (Daniel 5:30-31)
517 BC Jerusalem Temple rebuilt under Zerubbabel (Ezra 6:15)
479 BC Esther made queen (Esther 2:17)
444 BC Decree to rebuild Jerusalem walls under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-5)
332 BC Alexander enters Jerusalem (Daniel 8:8-22)
63 BC Pompey the Great conquers Jerusalem for the Roman Republic
40 BC Herod the Great becomes King of Judea (Matthew 2:1)
27 BC Octavian becomes Emperor Augustus (Luke 2:1)
Jesus of Nazareth born (Luke 2:6-21)
04 BC Herod dies and leaves kingdom to Archelaus, Antipas, Philip, Salome (Matthew 2:19)
06 AD Archelaus exiled and Judea becomes a Province of the Empire (Matthew 2:22)
12 AD Tiberius receives power as Emperor (Luke 3:1)
33 AD Jesus of Nazareth crucifixion and resurrection (Luke 23:20-24:9)
34 AD Stephen martyred in Jerusalem (Acts 7:58-60)
35 AD Paul of Tarsus conversion (Acts 9:3-22)
41 AD Claudius becomes Emperor and Nazareth Inscription Edict (Acts 18:2)
44 AD Death of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 11:19-23)
46 AD Cyprus and Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:4-12)
47 AD Asia Minor (Acts 13:13-14:25)
48 AD Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-33)
49 AD Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 16:11-18:21)
53 AD Ephesus (Acts 19:1-41)
58 AD Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:23-26:32)
59 AD Malta (Acts 28:1)
60 AD Rome (Acts 28:11-31)
62 AD Paul Released and final journeys (Romans 15:28)
62 AD James martyred in Jerusalem
64 AD Great fire of Rome and Peter crucified (John 21:17-19)
67 AD Paul of Tarsus beheaded in Rome (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
70 AD Jerusalem destroyed (Luke 19:41-44)
95 AD John writes Revelation on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9)
In archaeology, besides “absolute dates” (years BC or AD), we also use archaeological periods to date broader ranges of time. These periods were divided based on both historical and technological developments. Primarily these terms, such as Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman period, are used to discuss artifacts, architecture, pottery, and various trends of religion, sociology, and politics within a span of a century or centuries. These archaeological periods also often coincide with Biblical events. For example, the transition between Late Bronze I and Late Bronze II in Canaan is the time of the Israelite conquest under Joshua, and the end of Iron IIC is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.
Archaeological Periods
Early Bronze I 3200-3000 BC
Early Bronze II 3000-2700 BC
Early Bronze III 2700-2200 BC
Intermediate Bronze Age 2200-2000 BC
Middle Bronze I 2000-1750 BC
Middle Bronze II 1750-1650 BC
Middle Bronze III 1650-1500 BC
Late Bronze I 1500-1400 BC
Late Bronze IIA 1400-1300 BC
Late Bronze IIB 1300-1200 BC
Iron IA 1200-1150 BC
Iron IB 1150-1000 BC
Iron IIA 1000-925 BC
Iron IIB 925-722 BC
Iron IIC 722-587 BC
Babylonian Period 587-539 BC
Persian Period 539-332 BC
Hellenistic Period 332-63 BC
Roman Period 63 BC-325 AD
The Importance of Chronology
Dr. Titus Kennedy is a field archaeologist working primarily with sites and materials related to the Bible. He works with ColdWater Media and Drive Thru History® to maintain historical accuracy throughout their scripts and locations. Many of the archaeology blog posts are based on his publications, including Unearthing the Bible, Excavating the Evidence for Jesus, and The Essential Archaeological Guide to Bible Lands.
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