Jewish Walkabout

By facebooker_1643466242465767
  • Period: 1800 BCE to 1200 BCE

    Patriarchs & Matriachs

  • 1260 BCE

    Sinai

  • 1210 BCE

    Merneptah Stele

  • 1200 BCE

    Exodus

  • Period: 1200 BCE to 1000 BCE

    Period of the Judges

    This period starts after the death of Joshua, when the Israelites lived independently in the land of Israel for the first time. Lacking a single strong leader such as Moses or Joshua, each tribe had a "judge" who led the tribe. These judges, however, were more akin to military leaders than judges as we know them today.
  • 1000 BCE

    King David

  • Period: 1000 BCE to 586

    First Temple Period

  • 722 BCE

    Assyrian Exile

    See ii Kings 15 & 16. Especially ii Kings 15:29 and ii Kings 16:7-9
  • 586 BCE

    Destruction of the First Temple

    The first temple was built by King Solomon as described in ii Chron. 3 and was destroyed by the Babylonians on the 9 of Av in 586 BCE.
  • Period: 519 BCE to 70

    Second Temple Period

  • 516 BCE

    Return to Israel: Time of Ezra & Nehemiah

    In 516 BCE, 70 years after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, the first Jews return from Babylon to rebuild Jewish society in Jerusalem.
  • 485 BCE

    Story of Purim

    Possibly takes place in Persia between 485 to 464 BCE. Most scholars believe King Ahashverus represents King Xerxes but there is little evidence linking the story of Purim to an actual historical event or time period in Jewish exile.
  • 450 BCE

    Compilation of the Torah

  • Period: 167 BCE to 161 BCE

    Time of Maccabees

  • Period: 150 BCE to 70

    Early Rabbinic Era

    This is the time of the Pharisees and the earliest stories in the New Testament. Rabbis living during this time are known as the Tannaim and they begin the oral tradition of what will become the first rabbinic corpus known as the Mishnah.
  • 70

    Destruction of the Second Temple

    The Romans occupy Israel in 63 BCE. Almost 100 years after that, they break up a Jewish revolt in Jerusalem, laying siege to the city from 66-70 CE, ultimately laying waste to Jerusalem in 70 CE.
  • Period: 200 to 500

    Late Rabbinic Era

    The rabbis during this period are known as Amoraim and they are teaching based off of the Mishnah, creating Midrashim, and redact the Babylonian Talmud by the ~6th Century CE.
  • Period: 500 to 1000

    Geonic Period

    A Rabbinic era centered in Babylon known best as the period in which the siddur (Jewish prayerbook) is developed. Also known for the advent of responsa (legal letters deciding specific case law based predominantly on the Babylonian Talmud).
  • 519

    Second Temple Built

    In 538 BCE, King Cyrus allowed Jewish exiles to return to the land of Israel. In 519 BCE, under King Darius, Jews started to erect the Second Temple, which was modest in size (500 x 150 feet), and built upon the foundation of the First Temple; but without any ornamentation. Instead of a gold altar, it was made of unhewn stone.
  • 597

    Babylonian Exile

    The first conquest of Judah takes place in 597 by Nebuchadnezzar who orders all of the most distinguished leaders of Judah and their treasures into exile in Babylonia. This is also the time of the prophet Ezekiel.
  • Period: 1000 to

    Medieval Rabbinic Period

    Rishonim: 1000-1400
    1040-1105: Rashi
    1135-1204: Rambam/Maimonides
    1250-1300: Zohar Achronim: 1400-1700
    1478-1492: Spanish Inquisition
    1440: Printing press created
  • Period: to

    Enlightenment: Jewish Haskalah