Old Testament timeline — monarchy and exile

From the first king in 1050 BC to Malachi around 430, five tracks on one year axis.

After the division in 930 the dates follow Thiele, cross-checked against Assyrian records at Qarqar (853), Jehu's tribute (841), the fall of Samaria (722) and Sennacherib (701). The united monarchy is counted back from 930 using the Bible's own figures — forty years each for Saul, David and Solomon — so all of it is approximate and drawn with a dashed edge. The Judah column changes office along the way: united kingdom, then southern kingdom, then a governor appointed by Babylon and Persia.

Genesis 1–11 — sequence only

No dates are given here. From Ussher's 4004 BC to an old earth, people who believe the same things about Scripture reach different conclusions, and writing a number would sell one school's position as a fact.

  1. Creation Heaven and earth, and man made in God's image — Gen 1–2
  2. The Fall The serpent, the fruit, and the first promise — Gen 3:15
  3. Cain and Abel The first murder, and the split between two lines — Gen 4
  4. The Flood Judgment and covenant — Noah, the rainbow, Gen 6–9
  5. The Tower of Babel Scattering — Gen 11. The next chapter calls one man.

Abraham to the judges — two datings

If the date of the exodus moves, this whole segment moves with it, by about 180 years. BT601 13-2 teaches the argument without settling it, so the chart shows both. The gridlines are a century apart, coarser than the monarchy's, because the dates are.

BC Early date — 1 Kings 6:1 (exodus 1446) Late date — Exodus 1:11 (thirteenth century)
2200 BC
2100 BC
2000 BC
1900 BC
1800 BC
1700 BC
1600 BC
1500 BC
1400 BC
1300 BC
1200 BC
1100 BC
1000 BC
Abraham 2166–1991
Isaac 2066–1886
Jacob 2006–1859
Joseph 1915–1805
The Sojourn in Egypt 1876–1446
Moses 1526–1406
Forty Years in the Wilderness 1446–1406
Joshua — the Conquest 1406–1380
The Period of the Judges 1380–1050
2091 The Call of Abraham
1446 The Exodus
1446 The Sinai Covenant
1406 Crossing the Jordan · Jericho
1200 Deborah and Barak
1160 Gideon
1100 Samson
Abraham 1950–1775
Isaac 1850–1670
Jacob 1790–1643
Joseph 1700–1590
The Sojourn in Egypt 1660–1260
Moses 1340–1220
Forty Years in the Wilderness 1260–1220
Joshua — the Conquest 1220–1195
The Period of the Judges 1195–1050
1875 The Call of Abraham
1260 The Exodus
1260 The Sinai Covenant
1220 Crossing the Jordan · Jericho
1125 Deborah and Barak
1100 Gideon
1075 Samson

Monarchy and exile — 1050–430 BC

BC Judah Israel Empires Prophets Events
1180 BC
1130 BC
1080 BC
1030 BC
980 BC
930 BC
880 BC
830 BC
780 BC
730 BC
680 BC
630 BC
580 BC
530 BC
480 BC
430 BC
380 BC
330 BC
Saul 1050–1010
David — at Hebron 1010–1003
David — at Jerusalem 1003–970
Solomon 970–930
Rehoboam 931–913
Abijah 913–911
Asa 911–870
Jehoshaphat 873–848
Jehoram 853–841
Ahaziah 841–841
Athaliah 841–835
Joash 835–796
Amaziah 796–767
Uzziah 792–740
Jotham 750–735
Ahaz 735–715
Hezekiah 715–686
Manasseh 697–642
Amon 642–640
Josiah 640–609
Jehoahaz 609–609
Jehoiakim 609–598
Jehoiachin 598–597
Zedekiah 597–586
Gedaliah — Governor 586–586
The Babylonian Exile 586–538
Sheshbazzar — Governor 538–535
Zerubbabel — Governor 520–510
Ezra 458–440
Nehemiah — Governor 445–430
Jeroboam I 931–910
Nadab 910–909
Baasha 909–886
Elah 886–885
Zimri 885–885
Omri 885–874
Ahab 874–853
Ahaziah 853–852
Joram 852–841
Jehu 841–814
Jehoahaz 814–798
Jehoash 798–782
Jeroboam II 793–753
Zechariah 753–752
Shallum 752–752
Menahem 752–742
Pekah 752–732
Pekahiah 742–740
Hoshea 732–722
The Philistines 1175–1000
Egypt — Twenty-First Dynasty 1077–945
Aram-Zobah 1010–990
Egypt — Twenty-Second Dynasty 945–715
Aram (Damascus) 900–732
The Assyrian Empire 883–612
Neo-Babylon 626–539
Nebuchadnezzar 605–562
Cyrus 559–530
Persia 539–331
Darius I 522–486
Xerxes (Ahasuerus) 486–465
Artaxerxes I 465–424
Samuel 1075–1020
Gad — David's Seer 1010–970
Nathan 1000–970
Ahijah 940–910
Elijah 870–850
Elisha 850–800
Jonah 785–775
Amos 760–750
Hosea 755–715
Isaiah 740–681
Micah 735–700
Nahum 660–612
Zephaniah 640–620
Jeremiah 627–582
Habakkuk 612–598
Daniel 605–536
Ezekiel 593–571
Obadiah 586–585
Haggai 520–520
Zechariah 520–518
Malachi 433–424
1050 Saul Anointed — the Monarchy Begins
1010 Gilboa — the Deaths of Saul and Jonathan
1003 The Capture of Jerusalem — the City of David
1000 The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
995 The Davidic Covenant
966 The Temple Begun — Solomon's Fourth Year
959 The Temple Completed
930 The Kingdom Divided
925 Shishak's Invasion
853 The Battle of Qarqar
841 Jehu's Tribute
745 Tiglath-pileser III Takes the Throne
740 The Death of Uzziah · the Call of Isaiah
734 The Syro-Ephraimite War
722 The Fall of Samaria — the End of the Northern Kingdom
701 Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem
622 Josiah's Reform — the Book of the Law Found
612 The Fall of Nineveh
609 Megiddo — the Death of Josiah
605 The Battle of Carchemish · the First Deportation
597 The Second Deportation
586 The Fall of Jerusalem · the Destruction of the Temple
582 The Third Deportation
561 The Release of Jehoiachin
539 The Fall of Babylon
538 Cyrus's Decree · the First Return
520 The Temple Work Resumes
516 The Second Temple Completed
479 Esther Becomes Queen
473 Purim
458 Ezra's Return — the Second
445 Nehemiah's Return · Rebuilding the Wall
444 Covenant Renewal

firmly dated depends on a co-regency scholars differ

Events

  1. 1050 BC

    Saul Anointed — the Monarchy Begins

    "Appoint for us a king to govern us" — 1 Sam 8:5

  2. 1010 BC

    Gilboa — the Deaths of Saul and Jonathan

    1 Sam 31

  3. 1003 BC

    The Capture of Jerusalem — the City of David

    A city belonging to no tribe becomes the capital — 2 Sam 5:7

  4. 1000 BC

    The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

    David dances ahead of it — 2 Sam 6

  5. 995 BC

    The Davidic Covenant

    "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever" — 2 Sam 7:16

  6. 966 BC

    The Temple Begun — Solomon's Fourth Year

    "In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of Egypt" — 1 Kings 6:1, the verse behind the early-Exodus dating

  7. 959 BC

    The Temple Completed

    In seven years — 1 Kings 6:38

  8. 930 BC

    The Kingdom Divided

    Rehoboam's answer and Jeroboam's revolt — 1 Kings 12

  9. 925 BC

    Shishak's Invasion

    The temple and palace treasuries are plundered — 1 Kings 14:25

  10. 853 BC

    The Battle of Qarqar

    Ahab joins a coalition against Assyria — an extrabiblical record fixes the date

  11. 841 BC

    Jehu's Tribute

    Depicted on Shalmaneser III's Black Obelisk

  12. 745 BC

    Tiglath-pileser III Takes the Throne

    Assyria rises again — the backdrop to the next two centuries

  13. 740 BC

    The Death of Uzziah · the Call of Isaiah

    "In the year that King Uzziah died" — Isa 6:1

  14. 734 BC

    The Syro-Ephraimite War

    Aram and the northern kingdom attack Judah, and Ahaz calls in Assyria

  15. 722 BC

    The Fall of Samaria — the End of the Northern Kingdom

    Two hundred years, nine dynasties, not one king who did right

  16. 701 BC

    Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem

    Hezekiah and Isaiah — recorded even in Assyrian sources, but the city does not fall

  17. 609 BC

    Megiddo — the Death of Josiah

    The end of the reforms, and Judah's last twenty-three years

  18. 582 BC

    The Third Deportation

    Reprisal after Gedaliah's assassination — Jer 52:30

  19. 561 BC

    The Release of Jehoiachin

    Kings ends on this scene — 2 Kings 25:27. David's lamp had not gone out

  20. 479 BC

    Esther Becomes Queen

    The providence of a book that never names God

  21. 473 BC

    Purim

    Esther 9

  22. 444 BC

    Covenant Renewal

    The Law is read aloud at the Water Gate square — Neh 8