BACKGROUND CHRONOLOGY OF THE HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES
(180 - 476 AD)
ca. 1270 - Moses led Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. In Sinai desert, he gave them the Ten Commandments as part of the Covenant with Yahweh
1020 - 1010 - Saul became the first king. He united the nomadic tribes.
1010 - 960 - King David captured Jerusalem and made it his capital. The kingdom reached its greatest extent.
960 - 920 - King Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem.
928 - United kingdom ends. Northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah. Cult of Baal from Phoenicia introduced in the north.
722 - Sargon, king of Assyria, conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Many Israelites taken to Assyria. Kingdom of Judah survived.
587 -332 - PERSIAN PERIOD
587 - 586 - Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. Population of Judah exiled to Babylon. Cities destroyed. BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
539 - Persians capture Babylon.
538 - Cyrus, Persian emperor, permits Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Judah and rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Royal governors ruled over province of Judah.
445 - Ezra collected and published the first five books of Moses.
332 - Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire. The Greek conquerors acknowledge the leadership of the high priests and Elders. Jews struggle against Hellenistic rule.
167 - 141 - Hasmonaen uprising against Syrian Seleucid rule.
141 - 63 - Independent Hasomonaen monarchy included almost all Israel.
63 - 40 - Pompey, a Roman general, conquered Judah and set up a Roman vassal state.
40 - 6 AD - Herod's kingdom under Roman tutelage.
6 - 66 AD - Direct Roman rule.
66 - 70 AD - Jewish rebellion against Romans. Sealot revolt crushed
70 AD - Romans destroy Jerusalem and the Second Temple.
132 - 135 AD - Bar Kokhba Uprising crushed by the Romans under Hadrian. Jews barred from Jerusalem.
640 AD - Moslems conquer Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Judaea.
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