The Bible’s story runs from creation, through Abraham, Moses, David, the exile and the return, to Jesus and the first churches. This timeline puts the twelve main eras in order, with the books, people and stories that belong to each, and shows dates as traditions and historians give them.
Old Testament
Undated
Beginnings: creation to Babel
Adam
Eve
Noah
God creates the world and humanity; the first humans turn away; violence spreads; the flood; the tower of Babel and the scattering of the nations.
Genealogy-based dating
Some readers add up the ages in Genesis 5 and 11 to date creation; the best-known result is Archbishop James Ussher’s 4004 BC (1650).
Not a calendar
Many Christians and most scholars read Genesis 1–11 as not intended to give a datable chronology, and place no dates on these chapters.
God calls Abraham and promises him land, descendants and blessing for all nations. The promise passes to Isaac and Jacob; Joseph is sold into Egypt and later saves his family from famine. Job is often thought to be set in this era.
From the Bible’s own numbers
Counting back from 1 Kings 6:1 and Exodus 12:40 places Abraham’s birth around 2166 BC and Jacob’s move to Egypt around 1876 BC.
Many historians
Place the stories loosely in the Middle Bronze Age (roughly 2000–1500 BC) or consider them too early to date precisely.
Israel is enslaved in Egypt. God calls Moses, sends the plagues, and brings the people out at the Passover. At Mount Sinai God makes a covenant and gives the law; after forty years in the wilderness Israel reaches the edge of Canaan.
Early date, c. 1446 BC
Based on 1 Kings 6:1 (480 years before Solomon began the temple). Common in traditional and many evangelical chronologies.
Late date, c. 1270–1250 BC
Based partly on the city name Rameses (Exodus 1:11) and archaeology. Held by many historians and archaeologists who accept a historical exodus; others think the account cannot be dated at all.
Joshua leads Israel into Canaan. Under the judges, the people repeatedly turn from God, suffer oppression, cry out and are rescued by leaders such as Deborah, Gideon and Samson. Ruth’s story is set in these days.
Following the early exodus date
Joshua enters Canaan around 1406 BC.
Following the late exodus date
Israel’s settlement begins around 1200 BC, when Israel is first named outside the Bible (the Merneptah Stele, c. 1208 BC).
Samuel anoints Saul as Israel’s first king, then David. David makes Jerusalem his capital and receives God’s promise of a lasting dynasty. Solomon builds the temple. Many psalms and much of the wisdom literature are linked to this period.
Read:1 Samuel 16–17 · 2 Samuel 7 · 1 Kings 3 · 1 Kings 8
After Solomon the kingdom splits: Israel in the north, Judah in the south. Prophets confront kings and people: Elijah and Elisha in the north, then Amos, Hosea and Jonah; Isaiah and Micah in Judah. Assyria destroys Samaria in 722 BC and the northern kingdom ends.
Judah survives Assyria under Hezekiah and sees reform under Josiah, but turns away again. Jeremiah warns of judgment; Babylon takes captives in 605 and 597 BC, then destroys Jerusalem and the temple.
586 BC
The most commonly cited year for the fall of Jerusalem.
587 BC
Preferred by some historians, depending on how the reigns in Kings and Babylonian records are aligned.
Many from Judah live as exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel sees visions of God’s glory and of dry bones coming to life; Daniel and his friends serve foreign kings while staying faithful. Persia conquers Babylon in 539 BC.
Cyrus of Persia lets the exiles return (538 BC). The temple is rebuilt and completed around 516 BC, encouraged by Haggai and Zechariah. Esther’s story unfolds in Persia; Ezra teaches the law (traditionally 458 BC; some date him later) and Nehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls (c. 445 BC). Malachi is usually dated to this period.
Persian rule gives way to Alexander the Great (from 333 BC) and his successors. The Maccabean revolt (167–164 BC) restores Jewish worship in the temple, remembered at Hanukkah. Rome takes Jerusalem in 63 BC and later (40 BC) names Herod king of Judea. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include books from this period, such as 1 and 2 Maccabees; Protestant Bibles do not.
Jesus is born in Bethlehem and grows up in Nazareth. After his baptism by John he teaches, heals and calls disciples in Galilee, then goes to Jerusalem, where he is crucified under Pontius Pilate. The Gospels report that he rose on the third day.
Birth
Before Herod the Great died (usually dated 4 BC), so most scholars place it around 6–4 BC.
Crucifixion
Most often dated to AD 30 or AD 33; both fit a Passover under Pontius Pilate.
Read:Luke 2:1-20 · Matthew 5–7 · Luke 15 · John 19–20
The Spirit comes at Pentecost and the church grows in Jerusalem. Paul, once a persecutor, travels across the Roman world (roughly AD 46–57), planting churches and writing letters. Rome destroys the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. Revelation is traditionally dated to about AD 95, though some date it before 70.
In outline: creation and the early world, the patriarchs (Abraham to Joseph), the exodus and the law, the conquest and the judges, the united kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon, the divided kingdom, the fall of Jerusalem and the exile, the return, the period between the Testaments, the life of Jesus, and the early church.
Are the dates on a Bible timeline certain?
No. Dates after about 900 BC are fairly secure because they can be checked against Assyrian and Babylonian records. Earlier dates depend on how biblical numbers are read and are debated; this timeline shows the main views with attribution.
When was the exodus?
Two dates are commonly proposed: about 1446 BC, based on 1 Kings 6:1, and about 1270–1250 BC, preferred by many archaeologists. Neither is universally accepted.
How long is the period between the Old and New Testaments?
Roughly 400 years, from Malachi (around 430 BC) to the birth of Jesus (around 6–4 BC). Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include books from this period, such as 1 and 2 Maccabees.
Can I read the Bible in chronological order?
Yes. Our chronological reading plan arranges all 1,189 chapters in the order events happened, over 365 days, and explains each placement.