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Chronological History of Biblical Leaders
By Adam Bartlett
Note: All dates are approximates but considered by many theologians to be reliably accurate within a few years.
1200 B.C. – The Jewish nation was enslaved and tortured under Rameses II and also under the reign of Merneptah. They spent a generation in the desert wandering due to their rebellious attitude and disobedience.
1150 B.C. – It is believed that the Jewish nation entered the Land of Canaan about this time starting their conquest to take the land under Joshua’s command.
1028 B.C. – It is believed that Saul started his reign about this time.
1013 – 973 – David’s reign lasted 40 years according to 1 Kings 2:11.
973 – 933 – Solomon also reigned for 40 years following David according to 1 Kings 11:42. Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem but at his death the northern ten tribes, led by Jeroboam revolted forming the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom. Only Benjamin and Judah remained in the Southern Kingdom which was also referred to as the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem as its capital. The Northern Kingdom was referred to as Israel.
The Northern Kingdom
933 – 911 – Jeroboam was king over the Northern Kingdom with its capital in Shechem. This Kingdom would be known for its many assassinations.
912 – 911 – Jeroboam’s son Nadab was murdered after a reign of only two years.
911 – 887 – Baasha was said to have usurped the throne and moved its capital to Tirzah. He reigned from 911 – 888, but his son and successor Elah had reigned hardly two years when he was killed by one of his officers named Zimri, who then made himself king.
887 – 875 – After only one week of rule Zimri was assassinated by Omri, the general of the army. He moved the capital to Samaria.
875 – 853 – Ahab, Omri’s son took the throne and married the Tyrian princess Jezebel who was the opposer to Elijah. Ahab died in the war with Syria and Jezebel was eaten by dogs as prophesied by Elijah in 1 Kings 21:17-25 and fulfilled in 2 Kings 9: 34-37.
853 – 852 – Ahaziah ruled only two years and was succeeded by Joram.
852 – 843 – Joram ruled succumbing to defeat by the Moabites.
843 – 816 – Jehu, Ahab’s general was urged to usurp the throne by Elisha according to 2 Kings 9. He wiped out the house of Ahab as was prophesied by Elijah in 1 Kings 21.
816 – 800 – Jehoahaz reigned.
800 – 785 – Jehoash reigned.
785 – 744 – Jeroboam II reigned and won back Damascus, it was also during his reign that the prophet Amos prophesied around 765 - 750.
744 – 721 - Was basically a time of anarchy and confusion with several different rulers with short reigns. Shallum usurped Jeroboam’s son Zechariah but only ruled a short time before Menahem took over 744 – 738 (the times of Hosea). Pekahiah, 738 – 737, Pekah, 737 – 733, and Hoshea, 733 – 722. Assyria, under Tiglath-pileser III began what would be the campaign against Israel, 745 – 727. His successor, Shalmaneser V, 727 – 722 and Sargon, 722 – 705 completed the destruction of the Northern Kingdom taking Samaria in 722 and in 721 carrying off more than twenty-seven thousand Jews to Mesopotamia. This would mark the end of the Northern Kingdom and these ten tribes would never return to this land.
Southern Kingdom
The Southern part of Solomon’s kingdom which was reduced to the tribes of Benjamin and Judah continued on and secured the unbroken line of Davidic lineage. From David to Zedekiah in 586 it lasted 427 years which is one of the longest lineage rules ever recorded.
933 – 917 – Solomon’s son Rehoboam reigned after Solomon and remaining in Jerusalem as the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.
917 – 915 – Abijah ruled.
915 – 875 – Asa ruled.
875 – 851 – Jehoshaphat ruled.
851 – 844 – Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram ruled and married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Athaliah was able to gain control and almost succeeded in destroying the Davidic lineage.
844 – 798 – Jehoash who was saved from Athaliah’s attempts to destroy the Davidic line became king.
798 – 780 – Amaziah succeeded Jehoash and during his reign made war with Israel and was badly beaten and in the process Jerusalem was captured and half destroyed.
780 – 740 – Uzziah succeeded Amaziah and began a new era by refortifying Jerusalem and restoring Judah.
740 – 735 – Jotham reigned after Uzziah and continued the work of rebuilding. Isaiah started prophesying during this time also.
735 – 720 – Ahaz ruled and basically became a slave to Assyria and their demands.
720 – 692 – Hezekiah became more at the will of the Assyrians.
692 – 639 – Manasseh started suppressing the prophets and allowed idolatry back into Judah.
639 – 638 – Amon ruled and was soon assassinated.
638 – 607 – Josiah ruled and brought back the worship of Jehovah along with the finding of the book of Deuteronomy in the Temple around 621. Zephaniah and Jeremiah prophesied during this time also. Nineveh fell in 612 as described by Nahum during this time also. Josiah died at Megiddo in 607 resisting the invasion of Necho II, Pharaoh of Egypt.
607 – 597 – Jehoiakim became king and during his reign the Babylonians became the rising power and took Judah away from Egypt around 604. Jehoiakim resisted the siege of the Babylonians but died in the battle.
597 – 586 – Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim reigned in his father’s stead and surrendered the city to Babylon and was taken into captivity. Zedekiah, another son of Josiah was placed on the throne by Babylonian leaders but got caught making deals with the Egyptians and the Babylonians returned in 586 and destroyed Jerusalem and put an end to Judah’s existence. This story is captured by Jeremiah.
The Period of Exile and the history after their return
The Exile period was covered by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and parts of Isaiah especially chapters 40 – 55. The exile was ended with the rise of Persia under Cyrus who took Babylon in 538 and gave the Jews permission to return to the land of Israel. Some went then but some would not but later returned with Haggai and Zechariah around 520 – 519. The Temple was rebuilt around 516 and under Nehemiah the city walls were restored around 444. In 397 Ezra brought the complete Law from Babylon and read it to the people who solemnly embraced it.
Alexander defeated Darius and continued taking the land of Israel which brought them under the Greek control around 333. Alexander died in 323 and it went back into the hands of Egypt under Ptolemies. Israel remained under Egyptian control until about 198 when Seleucidae and the Syrian empire took it back.
Around 175 – 164 there was an effort by King Antiochus Epiphanes to try and impose the Greek customs and culture on the Jews. This led to a revolt under the leadership of Judas Maccabee which lasted until around 165 where he restored their religious freedom. Around 141 Judas’ brother Johathan with the help of Simon gained their political freedom as well after 450 years of subjection to foreign powers. It was under Simon’s son John Hyrcanus, 135 – 103 that the Pharisees came into prominence as a ruling party of the Jewish people.
Alexander Jannaeus was the next important ruler from 103 – 76 who was a vigorous opponent of the Pharisees and was the catalysts of the Saducee party. It was the feuds between these two parties that eventually brought the Romans into the country to restore peace.
Around 63 Pompey entered Jerusalem to display the Roman might and control over the area. Around 39 -4 B.C. the Romans inserted Herod the Great as the king of that region and it was at the end of his reign that it is believed that Jesus was born somewhere between 4 B.C. – 6 A.D.. During this ten year period after Herod’s death in 4 B.C. his son Archelaus became ruler of Judea, Samaria, and Edom but was not given the title of king.
The Time of Jesus’ Birth and After
Archelaus’ brother Herod Antipas was made governor of Galilee and Perea and held that office for forty years from 4 B.C. – 37 A.D.. This is the Herod mentioned in the Gospels which had John the Baptist put to death and took part in Jesus’ trial. Around A.D. 39 this territory was given to Herod Agrippa I who was grandson to Herod the Great. This is the Herod mentioned in Acts chapter 12 and he died around A.D. 44.
Herod Agrippa II the son of Herod Agrippa I reigned in his father’s stead and continued in power until about A.D. 100. This is believed to be the Herod that Paul made his defense to in Acts chapter 26.
In the time of Jesus’ ministry Galilee was governed by what were called procurators which had been in place since around A.D. 6. According to Roman history this is most likely the succession of procurators of that time. Coponius A.D. 6 – 9, Marcus Ambivius 9 – 12, Annius Rufus 12 – 15, Valerius Gratus 15 – 26, Pontius Pilate 26 – 36 (who condemned Jesus), Marcellus 36 – 37, Carullus 37 – 41.
After Herod Agrippa I died there was also a series of procurators for this region which were believed to be in the following order. Cuspius Fadus 44 – ?, Tiberius Alexander ? – 48, Ventidius Cumanus 48 – 52, Antonius Felix 52 – 58 (whom Paul appeared in Acts 24), Porcius Festus 58 – 62 (who brought Paul before Agrippa in Acts 26), Albinus 62 – 64, and Florus 64 – 66 under whom the Jewish revolt began until around A.D. 70.
The following are a list of Roman Emperors, many of whom are listed in the Bible and again the dates are all approximates. Agustus 31 B.C. – A.D. 14 (in whose reign Jesus was born); Tiberius 14 – 37 (in whose reign Jesus was crucified); Gaius 37 – 41; Claudius 41 – 54 mentioned in Acts 11:28; Nero 54 – 68 to whose court Paul was sent for trial; Galba 68 – 69; Otho 69; Vitellius 69; Vespasian 69 – 79 believed to be the time of the writing of Mark; Titus 79 – 81 believed to be the time of the writing of Matthew; Domitian 81 – 96 believed to be the time of the writing of 1 Peter; Nerva 96 – 98; Trajan 98 – 117 believed to be the time of the writing of the letter of John; Hadrian 117 – 138; Antoninus Pius 138 – 161.
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