Old Testament Timeline
Overview4000 BC Genesis Creation
God creates the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them in 6 days.
Adam and Eve
The first sin. The serpent (Satan), tricks Eve and her and Adam eat from the forbidden Tree of knowledge. They are sent out of the garden of Eden. Adam lives to be 930.
Cain and Abel
The first murder. Cain is jealous of Abel's offering to God and kills him.
2300 BC Worldwide Flood Noah
Everyone was very wicked except Noah. God tells Noah to build an ark and gather pairs of animals. World is Flooded. Noah and his family with the animals on the ark are saved.
Noah lives to be 950. Noah was 600 at the time of the Flood.
Tower of Babel
All people speak the same language. People become proud and try to build a tower to reach heaven. God causes them to start speaking in different languages and they can't communicate. The tower cannot be finished.
2000 BC Abraham
God tells Abram that he will be the father of the Hebrew nation. (Israelites). God changed his name to Abraham and his wife Sarai to Sarah. Abraham and his family along with his nephew Lot and his family traveled to Canaan. Lot went to Sodom instead. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were very evil. God decided to destroy them. Lot and his family escaped but his wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt because God told them not to look back. Abraham lived to be 175.
Isaac
Isaac was Abraham's son. God tested Abraham to see if he would sacrifice Isaac, but stopped him before he did. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twins Jacob and Esau. Isaac lived to be 180.
Jacob and Esau
Jacob trades a bowl of stew for his brother Esau's birthright. Later Jacob tricks his blind father Isaac into giving him Esau's blessing. God changes Jacob's name to Israel. Jacob has 12 sons who will form the 12 tribes of Israel. (Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim form 2 tribes. Levi formed the Levites, a 13th priestly tribe living among the 12 tribes.)
Joseph
Joseph could interpret dreams. Josephs brothers didn't like him and sold him into slavery. An Egyptian named Potiphar bought him. Potiphar's wife loved Joseph but Joseph respected Potiphar and would not flirt with her. Potiphar's wife got mad and told lies to Potiphar and Joseph was put in prison. Joseph gets out of prison to interpret Pharaohs dream. Joseph is made 2nd in command to Pharaoh. Joseph saves Egypt and the surrounding area from 7 years of famine.
1750 BC Book of Job Job
God allows Satan to test a very righteous man named Job. Job looses everything he has but continues to praise God through it all. He friends try to accuse him of wrong doing. After Job passes his test God gives him back double of all he had. God talks to him mentioning the great beasts Leviathan and Behemoth.
1550 BC Exodus to Deuteronomy Moses
Israel is becoming stronger and Pharaoh is afraid. He makes law to throw all Israelite babies into the Nile river. Baby Moses is put into a basket in the Nile and saved by Pharaoh's daughter. Moses is raised, taught and treated much like an Egyptian prince. When Moses is older he kills an Egyptian who is beating an Israelite slave. Moses is forced to run. God speaks to Moses from a burning bush and tells him to lead his people out of Egypt. Moses and his brother Arron go to Pharaoh but Pharaoh refuses to release the Israelites. God sends 10 plagues to the Egyptians, water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally death to all the firstborn males both human and animal. Each time Pharaoh refuses until the last plague when his son dies. Pharaoh lets them leave but soon changes his mind and goes after them with his army. Moses parts the Red sea and crosses, but when Pharaoh and his army tries the waters close on them and they all drown. Moses leads the Israelites to Canaan and God provides them with Manna to eat and water. On Mount Sinai God gives Moses the 10 commandments and the laws for them to live by. Moses builds a tabernacle to worship God and store the Ark of the Covenant and other items used to make sacrifices. After spies give reports of the land of Canaan the Israelites are afraid to trust God to give them the land. God makes them wander in the wilderness for the next 40 years until all the people over 20 were dead. Moses lived to be 120.
Joshua Joshua
After Moses dies Joshua is the new leader. He is the one who finally leads the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan. One battle Joshua fought was at Jericho where they marched around the city 7 times, blew trumpets, and shouted, then the walls crumbled.
Judges Judges
Judges were the first leaders of the Israelites. They were religious leaders chose by God.
1300 BC Deborah
Deborah was one of the judges. She led the Israelites in defeating General Sisera's army.
Gideon
Gideon was a judge who led a 300 man army to defeat 135,000 Amalekites and allies.
1100 BC Samson
Samson was a judge who took a Nazarite vow not to shave his head. His hair was the secret to his strength. He was the strongest man who ever lived. Once he killed a lion with his bare hands. Another time he killed 1,000 Philistines by himself with only a jawbone of a donkey. He finally revealed the secret to his strength to Delilah. His hair was cut, his eyes put out and he was taken prisoner. During a large gathering of the Philistines Samson was brought and he pushed down the pillars of the building causing it to crash and kill everyone including himself.
Ruth and Naomi Ruth
Ruth was Naomi's daughter in law who stayed with her faithfully always.
Samuel Samuel
Samuel was dedicated to the service of God at a very young age by his mother. Samuel also took a Nazarite vow and didn't cut his hair. Samuel was the last of the judges. Samuel was the one who anointed both Saul and David king.
1050 BC Kings Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles
Kings led more by power than relying on God. God preferred the judges to kings. The people wanted a king instead of a judge so God unhappily agreed to it.
Saul - Samuel
Saul was the first king. Saul started out OK but became crazy as he got older. Saul was possibly possessed with an evil spirit. Saul's son Jonathan became very good friends with David, Saul's armor bearer and musician.
1000 BC David Samuel
David was the second king. Saul had tried to kill David but was never successful. David was a good king. He was a great musician. When David was young and helping Saul he killed a Giant named Goliath. David made a bad mistake once and took another man's wife. Her name was Bathsheba. He had her husband killed, but later asked God for forgiveness. David wrote many of the Psalms (songs the Israelites used to worship God.)
Solomon Samuel
Solomon was Davids son. He was the third king of the Israelites. Solomon asked God for wisdom and became the wisest man ever to live. Solomon built the first temple. Solomon also wrote many of the Proverbs (wise instructions to live by.)
940 BC The Kingdom Divides 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles
Bad kings started to rule and Israel divides north and south. The North 10 tribes kept the name Israel but the 2 southern tribes were called Judah. Ahab and his wife Jezebel were just 2 of the bad leaders during this time.
Elijah Kings and Chronicles
Elijah challenged Baal and his prophets. God burnt Elijah's altar stones and all. Baal, a false god and his prophets were unable to burn anything. Elijah performed many miracles with God's help. He caused a widow's meal and oil never to run out. He also brought her son back to life. Elijah left this world in a fiery chariot.
Elisha Kings and Chronicles
Elisha was Elijah's helper. Like Elijah he also performed many miracles with God's help. He also brought a boy back to life, caused a widow to have an almost endless supply of oil to sell, and cured Naaman of his leprosy.
800 BC Jonah Jonah
Jonah ran from God's will and was caught in a storm at sea. He was thrown overboard and saved by a giant fish prepared by God. He remained inside the fish for 3 days. After that he reluctantly went to Nineveh and warned the people to change their ways like God wanted.
720 BC to 600 BC During this time the Assyrians ruled.
650 BC Josiah Kings and Chronicles
Josiah was a good king. He repaired the temple and built a bonfire to burn the idols of the false gods. During the repairs they find an old scroll of the Israelite laws. Josiah reads it to the people.
600 BC Jeremiah Jeremiah
From 600 BC to 550 BC the Babylonians ruled. King Nebuchadnezzar was the leader of Babylon. Jeremiah tries to warn the people not to rebel against them but they won't listen and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the temple.
Ezekiel Ezekiel
Ezekiel has visions of heavenly beings and of dry bones coming to life.
Daniel Daniel
Under King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel is made chief adviser. Daniel's 3 friends, Shadrach Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship an idol of Nebuchadnezzar's. Jealous people tell on them and they are put into a fiery furnace. An angel comes and saves them from any harm. The Persians defeat the Babylonians, but Daniel is still well liked by the new Persian King Darius. Daniel is made a governor. Again people are jealous and they trick Darius into passing a law that Daniel breaks by praying when he wasn't suppose to. Daniel is put into a den of lions but again God saves Daniel.
550 BC to 330 BC During this time the Persians ruled.
500 BC Esther Esther
Esther becomes Persian king Xerxes' queen. She saves her Jewish nation from death.
400 BC Zerubbabel Ezra Nehemiah Ezra Nehemiah
Between 550 BC to 450 BC the Persian kings Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes allow 3 groups of Jews to return to Jerusalem. The first group led by Zerubbabel rebuild the temple. Ezra the high priest leads the second group back. The third group led by Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem's walls. After everything was completed Ezra read the Jewish laws to the people.
Copyright 2011 Mike Barnard
magnum7@charter.net
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