17 Dates Along the Old Testament Storyline

The Old Testament storyline is important for Bible readers to grasp, even though it consists of many books. Over the years, I have found that a series of dates can help position key characters and events for readers to learn (and re-learn).

Rather than trying to date anything specifically in Genesis 1-11, I’m going to start listing dates that begin with Genesis 12 and the story of Abraham. The following 17 dates will take Bible readers from the days of Abraham to the days of Malachi.

2000 BC – We can associate this date with Abraham’s life. We first meet Abraham when he is 75 years old (at the end of Gen. 11 and the beginning of Gen. 12), and he dies 100 years later in Genesis 25. The Lord makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, and the sign of circumcision is established in Genesis 17. Abraham is a patriarch along with his son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob. The descendants of Abraham (through Jacob) are the Israelites.

1446 BC – This is the date of the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt (see Exod. 12). Using a calculation with information provided by 1 Kings 6:1, we arrive at the date of the exodus being 1446. This is when Moses leads the Israelites from Egypt and through the Red Sea (Exod. 12 and 14). The year 1446 would also be when the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai and form a covenant with the Lord (Exod. 24). The Israelites stay at Mount Sinai for approximately 11 months.

1406 BC – This is when the conquest of Canaan began, led by Joshua (Moses’s successor). The reason this event is 40 years after the exodus is because the exodus generation rebelled against the Lord (in Num. 13–14). The Lord pronounced a 40-year period of wandering in the wilderness until a new generation of Israelites grew up and were prepared to take the promised land. After Moses died (in approximately 1406 BC), Joshua led the Israelites to subdue the Canaanites.

1010 BC – This is the rise of David as king of Israel. He is the first king of Israel from the tribe of Judah. His predecessor, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin. David is king for 40 years, reigning from 1010 to 970 BC. David called for the ark of the covenant to be brought to the city of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6). During his reign, the Lord made a covenant that promised a future son who would rule on the throne forever (2 Sam. 7). This “son of David” would be the Messiah.

970 BC – This is when David’s son Solomon began to reign, and Solomon reigned for 40 years (from 970 to 930 BC). During Solomon’s reign the temple was constructed over a seven-year period. He presided over a peaceful time in Israel’s history, unlike his warring father David. Solomon was incredibly wise and ambitious. He wrote many songs and proverbs, some of which we have in the Old Testament canon.

930 BC – Solomon’s son Rehoboam provoked a rebellion that divided the united kingdom of Israel (see 1 Kings 12). A man named Jeroboam led the Northern Kingdom, which retained the name Israel. Rehoboam presided over the Southern Kingdom, which was called Judah. The division of the land into a Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom was a crucial historical development that impacted all the subsequent years until the respective times of destruction.

722 BC – The Northern Kingdom (Israel) fell to the Assyrians. This event was prophesied by multiple prophets (like Hosea and Isaiah and Amos). When the Assyrians came against the Northern Kingdom, they did so by the decree of God who was bringing judgment upon the Israelites (see 2 Kings 17).

605 BC – The first deportation of people from the Southern Kingdom (Judah) began, with Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon leading the effort. People were taken into Babylonian captivity. Exiles included Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (see Dan. 1).

597 BC – A second deportation of exiles from Judah took place, and this time Ezekiel was among them (see Ezek. 1).

586 BC – The destruction of Jerusalem happened. The walls of the city were destroyed, the king was deposed, and his palace was burned. The Babylonians brought the temple to ruins, just as the prophets had foretold. This event in 586 was the capital-E “Exile,” even though some earlier deportations had taken place. The Southern Kingdom had fallen to Babylon (see Jer. 52).

539 BC – The Persians conquered the Babylonians (see Dan. 5). The prophets had foretold Babylon’s impending demise, and the Lord raised up Cyrus the Persian to accomplish it (see Isa. 45:1-7). Not long after the Persians conquered Babylon, they permitted the Israelites to return to the promised land to rebuild their lives and their temple (2 Chron. 36).

536 BC – A wave of returnees went to the land of Israel, led by a man named Zerubbabel. They returned and began rebuilding the temple, specifically its foundation and altar. But the progress stalled (see Haggai 1; Ezra 1-3).

520 BC – The prophets Haggai and Zechariah conducted their ministries and reinvigorated the people who had returned to the land. Work on the temple resumed.

516 BC – The rebuilt temple was completed.

483-473 BC – Not all Jews had returned to the promised land. During this span of years, the story in the book of Esther took place, a story which unfolded in the heart of the Persian Empire. Despite her initial hesitancies, Esther intervened in a situation that would have ensured the deaths of Jews throughout the Persian kingdom. But because of Esther’s plan, the lives of the Jews were spared, and the malicious goals of the wicked (such as Haman) were thwarted (Esth. 4–7).

458 BC – Ezra traveled to the promised land to rebuild the people, teaching and instructing them (Ezra 7). He faced the spiritual lethargy of the land’s returnees. Part of what Ezra also confronted was the situation of intermarriage between Jews and idolaters (Ezra 9–10).

444 BC – Nehemiah came from Persia to the promised land in 445 BC, and in the following year (444) he completed a 52-day campaign to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem (Neh. 6:15). The ministries of Nehemiah and Ezra overlapped. Furthermore, Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries of Malachi, who was the final Old Testament prophet.

The previous 17 dates take us from the days of Abraham to the days of Malachi. For a concise telling of the Old Testament storyline, see Hope for All the Earth: Understanding the Story of the Old Testament.

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