Major World Events
In The Beginning TO 1 BCE
(Note: There is a spectrum of belief among Christians of WHEN God created the universe (cosmology): somewhere between 10,000 to 13.5 billion years. There are good people on different points of the spectrum. For the purpose of this timeline, I am including the old earth/universe dates that includes the Theistic Evolution (or evolutionary creationism), which is the view that God used evolution or some version of it. However, there is a gap theory within the cosmological spectrum that says between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, there is a gap of billions of years, in the same line as theistic evolution. We don't know when God created the universe; we just "KNOW" (by faith) that a Creator exploded this beautiful universe into existence. With God saying, "Let there be light," there would be evidence of a big bang, a cosmic starting point. And that "beginning" show up in observational date, much gathered from the from Hubble Telescope. The launching of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2020 has hopes to see even more, to just after the big bang. I believe in Jesus, so I believe in miracles. So I can accept that God could have created the world 10,000 years ago, but it seems like he would have to do a lot of trickery to make it all work (i.e. we have stars that are 2.5 million LIGHT YEARS away). When I get to heaven and ask God, "How long did it take you to make the universe and how did you do it?" If he said 13.8 years and evolution, I wouldn't be, "Really God? I'm out of here then!!!" If he said, "10,000 years just like it literally says in Genesis." I won't say, "Really God? I'm out of here." It's not about the when and the how for me (we have to keep an open mind as we learn). It's about who. And that who is a Creator.
It takes more faith to believe that all of this wonder, love, beauty, majestic sounds and that we are able to experience it, discuss it, and comprehend it all... just happened by accident. I don't have that much faith. We don't know how... exactly. Theories have been developed seeking to understand how it all came together. We know that God speaks in biology, chemistry, and physics. But we also know that God speaks in more than just the physical.
Hebrews 1:1-3 - "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. "
May we be forever curious learners using the brains we have to discover and learn and worship.
With this old earth mindset, check out this before you begin your fly over of the World History Dates.
THE BEGINNING AND THE EARLY UNIVERSE
13.5 billion years ago - In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth with, "Let there be light."
4.5 b. y. a. - Formation of planet Earth
3.8 b. y. a. - Beginning of biology, the language of God; he also speaks in chemistry and physics. John 1:3 says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
2.5 million y. a. - Evolution of the Homo genus in Africa - First stone tools. Hunter/gatherers.
500,000 y. a. - Neanderthals evolve in Europe and Middle East
300,000 y. a. - Daily use of fire (to first discover that would have been lit!)
200,000 y. a. - Homo Sapiens evolve in East Africa
70,000 y. a. - Basic language
30,000 y. a. - Neanderthals die out
16,000 y. a. - Homo Sapiens settle America
12,000 y. a. - Agriculture Revolution
4000-3000 BCE
3200-2400 Early Bronze Age
BRONZE AGE - 2600 TO 700 BCE
3000-2000?? Book of Job
2000 - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2150-2000)
2000-1000
1792 - Hamarabi, King of Babylon, begins 43 yr reign.
1730 - Glass making technology in India - crude
1500 - Moses
Traditional writing dates for Genesis - Deuteronomy
1410-450 Books of the Bible: Psalms, Joshua, Judges, Ruth
1332-1323 King Tut ruled in Egypt (b. 1341. Lived 18 yrs)
1200-1070 - Ramses
1000 Iron Age
1000 David reigns
1000 Assyrians are conquering
999-900
979-911 Babylon East West control
971-686 Books of the Bible: Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclessiates, I and 2 Samuel, I and 2 Chronicles
926-922 Solomon
900 ca - Kingdom split
899-800
850-800 Books of the Bible: Obadiah, Joel
IRON AGE 800 BCE TO 43 BCE
799-700775-710 Books of the Bible: Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah
771 The Great Wall of China construction begins
753 - Rome founded by Romulus and Remus, twin offspring of the god Mars
722 - Assyrian sack/siege of Jerusalem
699-600
700-680 Books of the Bible: Isaiah
640 Glass making manual
640-605 Books of the Bible: Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk
605-562 Nebuchadnezzar's reign
599-500
590–538 Books of the Bible: Ezekiel, Lamentations, Jeremiah, I and 2 Kings
586 - Israel's southern kingdom seized, the temple destroyed, and captives to Babylon, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (their Babylonian names were: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego).
SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD OF THE JEWS 580 BCE - 70 CE
538 - Babylon fell to the Persians while the Israelites where in captivity
536-520 Books of the Bible: Daniel, Haggai, Baruch
520-ish - Daniel in lion's den - Daniel was an old man
516 - The Israelite exiles return to Jerusalem
570 – 495 Pythagoras first to teach the earth was round and it circled the sun
499-400
480-430 Books of the Bible: Zechariah, Ezra, I and 2 Chronicles, Esther (to 331), Malachi, Nehemiah
470 Socrates born
460 Democritus born (d.370) Along with his mentor Leucippus, viewed matter as a collection of atoms. "Father of science”. Plato hated him so much he wished his books burned. Aristotle’s view of matter won the day, albeit wrong.
Hipooscrates birth - Greek Physician and founder of first university. Father of medicine.
447-438 Parthenon built in Athens (celebrating Athens’ Victory)
437 Plato born
400 - Juice from willow tree bark used to relieve pain but caused mouth and stomach problems - till 1899 AD.
399-300
399 - Socrates died (470-399)
395 - The Midrash, ancient commentary on the Torah, begins to take shape
384 - Aristotle born (384-322)
355 - Alexander the Great born
347 - Plato died
338 - Philip of Macedon defeats Athenian and Theban forces at battle of Chaeronea, uniting all of Greece.
336 - Alexander the Great reigns, conquering Persia, Phoenicia, Egypt, Babylon, etc.
323 - Alexander claims to be son of Zeus. Dies in this same year.
HELLENISTIC PERIOD 323 - 31 BCE
322 - ?? Masoretic text translated
Aristotle died
Ptolemy captures Jerusalem
300-200 - LXX
299-200
199-100175 - Antiochus IV Epiphanes becomes king of Syria
169 - Antiochus Epiphanes captures Jerusalem
167 - Antiochus persecutes the Jews. The Jewish Temple is dedicated to Zeus.
166 - Judah Maccabees led a revolt to free Israel from foreign rule. Many thought Judah was the promised Messiah sent by God to restore Israel to the glory days: Make Israel Great Again!!! Establishment of the Pharisees as a branch of Judaism till 70 AD, the destruction of the temple.
165 - The Jewish Temple is restored
141 - Judea becomes independent
133 - Rome expands reign to the east
130 - Galen birth - Roman Physician, most influential in medicine since Hippocrates (460)
The influence of the Pharisees sect rises
125 - Confucian teachings become official
100 - Glass blowing in Rome
99-0
87/86 Athens defeated by General Sulla of Rome
ROMAN AGE 63BCE TO 410 CE
63 Pompey annexed Palestine I to the Roman territory
61 - Julius Caesar wins first major victory
44 - Caesar becomes dictator of Rome for life
Cassius and Brutus assassinate Julius
40 - Herod the Great becomes king of Judea until 4 BCE
30 - Cleopatra and Antony commit suicide
Shammai and Hillel becomes schools of thought
Philo of Alexandria
20 - Herod the Great rebuilds the Jerusalem Temple
4 - Death of Herod the Great his kingdom is split between his three sons
Jesus’ birth