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Appendix C.
Outline of the History of Israel

  1. The Patriarchal Age
    • c. 2000–1700 B.C.: Abraham leaves Ur in Babylonia for Canaan.
    • Genesis 14 and Hammurabi
    • Isaac, Jacob; migration to Egypt (c. beginning of 15th Cent B.C.?)
    • Joseph's rise to power in Egypt
  2. Moses and the Exodus; 13th Cent. or 15th Cent. ?
    • Sojourn in Egypt
    • Pharaoh of the Oppression, Ramses II (?)
  3. Joshua and the Judges
    • Joshua secures foothold for Israel in the central part of Palestine, (c. 1250 B.C.)
    • Judges, conquest of the land
  4. Rise of the Monarchy
    • Extension of Philistine power
    • Rise of Saul, just before 1000 B.C.
  5. Reign of David, c. 1000 B.C.
    • At first a supporter of Saul
    • The death of Saul
    • David recognized as king in Judah
    • Capture of Jerusalem
    • David extends his rule
    • Rebellion of Absalom
  6. Reign of Soloman
    • A reign of peace
    • Hollow splendor
    • First Temple built, c. 950
  7. The Division of the Kingdom, c. 925
    • Open rebellion under the leadership of Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephriam.
    • Judah continues loyal to Rehoboam. son of Soloman
    • Exposure of the land to perils from without
    • Battle of Karkar, 853 B.C.
    • Philistines and Arabians defeat and plunder Jerusalem, 845 B.C.
  8. The Fall of Samaria, 721 B.C.
    • Shalmaneser V (726–722 B.C.) invades Israel and besieges Samaria
    • After a three-year siege the Northern Kingdom falls in 721 B.C. before Sargon II (721–705 B.C.).
    • Assimilation and intermarriage of the ten so-called "lost tribes."
  9. Kingdom of Judah after the fall of Northern Israel (721–584 B.C.)
    • Survival for 150 years after the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
    • The prophet Isaiah (c. 734–700 B.C.) son of Amoz, contemporary of King Hezekiah. Book of Isaiah, chapters 1-39
    • Hezekiah strengthens the defenses of Jerusalem.
    • Jerusalem delivered from Assyrian troops by miraculous intervention.
    • Battle of Carchemish, 605 B.C.
    • Ezekiel and 10,000 others taken captive, 597 B.C.
  10. The Fall of Jerusalem, 587 B.C.
    • Rebellion of Jehoichin against Babylonia
    • Chaldean armies appear at the gates of Jerusalem
    • Zedekiah placed on the throne in Jerusalem
    • Prophesies of Jeremiah
    • City of Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed, 587 B.C.
    • Lachish Letters, contemporary records
  11. Exile and Restoration to the Holy Land (587–537 B.C.)
    • Some exiles absorbed in captivity. Others maintain their separateness and cherished hope of restoration to their land.
    • Time of the Prophet Ezekiel, c. 593–573 B.C.
    • Second Isaiah ("Deutero-Isaiah"). Isaiah chapters 40 to the end of the book.
    • Cyrus the Persian defeats the Babylonians, 539 B.C., and gives permission for the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
    • Return of the Jews under Zerubbabel, 537, and rebuilding of the temple begins
  12. The Persian Period (539–330 B.C.)
    • Haggai and Zechariah
    • The rebuilding of the Temple
    • Missions of Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem
  13. The Greek Period (331–175 B.C.)
    • Death of Alexander the Great, 323 B.C.
    • The Seleucids and the Ptolemies
    • Great dissention among the Jews
  14. The Maccabean or "Hasmonean" Age, (175–63 B.C.)
    • Antiochus Epiphanes (175–163 B.C.)
    • Jewish revolt under the Maccabees
    • Jewish parties of Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes
  15. The Roman Period (63 B.C. – A.D. 70)
    • Pompey captures Jerusalem, 63 B.C.
    • Tension between Pharisees and Sadducees
    • Palestine involved in Roman civil wars
    • Herod comes to power as king, 35 B.C.
    • Third Temple built, c. 20 B.C.
    • Jewish revolt of A.D. 66; city and the Third Temple destroyed, A.D. 70. The temple has never been rebuilt since then, but its religious heritage and significance continue to our day.
    • Life and ministry of Jesus, 4 B.C. – A.D. 30
    • Paul's ministry and letters, c. A.D. 35 – A.D. 65
    • Gospel of Mark written, c. A.D. 40
    • Matthew, Luke, and Acts written, c. A.D. 80
    • The last New Testament books written, c. A.D. 85 to 120 or possibly 150.
  16. The Finalization of the Hebrew Old Testament Canon
    • The Hebrew Law, or Torah, (the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses), had the authority of scripture by c. 400 B.C.
    • The Hebrew Prophets (including the historical books of the Old Testament, Joshua through 2nd Kings) gradually considered scripture c. 230–132 B.C.
    • The "writings," the remaining Old Testament books, were accepted into the canon by c. 90–118 B.C.