Pre-pottery Neolithic (stone age)

Jericho, the oldest city in the world, in existence

Modern Jericho, but what it may have looked like

Pottery Neolithic6000-4300 BCE

Beit Shean is founded, among others

Tel Beit Shean, the hill in the back

- 6000 BCE

Entrance gate to ancient Beer Sheva

Calcolithic 4300 – 3300 BCE

Towns of Beer Sheva, Gezer, Arad founded, among others

BCE - before common era = BC - before Christ CE - common era = AD - anno domine

Early Bronze3300-2000 BCE

Towns of Hazor, Megiddo, and Ai founded

Aerial view of Tel Megiddo

Abraham Sacrificing Isaac1650 - Laurent De La Hire Musée Saint-Denis, Reims

Middle Bronze 2000-1550 BCE First written documents appear in

Acadian cuneiform language

Period of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob 1900 BCE

Wall painting of workers, Egypt

Late Bronze

1550-1200 BCE

Israelites enslaved in Egypt.

Hittite empire established (Gen. 23:10)

First mention of "Hebrews" in Land of Israel on Egyptian Stele (1220 BCE)

Settlement of the Sea People (Philistines) on the coastal plain

International marine trade established ; coastal cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon founded

Moses parting the waters

Iron Age I1200 - 1000 BCE

Exodus from Egypt led by Moses (Book of Exodus) ;

Conquest of the mountain regions of Canaan led by Joshua (Book of Joshua);

Period of the Judges (Judges)

FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD or Iron Age II1000 - 586 BCE

United Kingdom (David and Solomon)

1000 - 925 BCE

David becomes king (II Samuel 5: 3), captures Jerusalem (II Samuel 5: 7) brings the Ark to Jerusalem (II Samuel 6: 12).

David playing the harpApethorpe Hall, England

Solomon builds the First Temple in Jerusalem (I Kings 6: 1).

Possible rendering of Solomon’s Temple

David slaying Goliath

The Divided Kingdom Israel and Judah

925 - 721 BCEThe Kingdom divided (I Kings 12: 17).

The fall of Israel to Assyrian king Shalmaneser (II Kings 17: 6)

Loss of the Ten Tribes of Israel

Map of Israel and Judah

Kingdom of Judah 925 - 586 BCE Jerusalem fortified by King Hezekiah

(II Chronicles 32:4-5) Attack by Assyrian King Sennacherib (II Kings: 18:13; II Chron. 32: 1).

702 BCE

586 BCEKingdom of Judah conquered by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (II Kings 25:1; II Chron. 36: 10). The First Temple destroyed (II Kings 25: 9).

End First Temple Period

Hezekiah burning pagan idolsHenry VIII Bible, 1538

Babylonian Exile

586 - 538 BCE

Chronicle Concerning the Early Years of Nebuchadnezzar II, Stele inscription

SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD538 BCE-70CE

Persian Period538-332 BCE

Cyrus II, King of Persia, conquers Babylon and allows the Jews to return to Judea

Return to Zion (Ezra 1: 5);Rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3: 8)Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt (Nehamiah 6:15)

Cyrus cylinder, disc. Early 20th C,Southern Iraq, Robert Koldeway British Museum, London

Hellenistic Period

Statue and bust of Alexander the GreatFound PergamumIstanbul Archaeological Museum

332-167 BCE Conquest by Alexander of Macedonia

305 – 198 BCE Ptolemaic Rule from Egypt

198 – 167 BCE Seleucid Rule from Antioch (modern Turkey)

Hashmonean Period

167-67 BCE Rebellion against Seleucids under Judah MaccabeeJerusalem and Temple freed and purified, Beginning of holiday of Hanukkah

Sculpture of Judah Macabee with hanukkiah

Roman Period67 BCE-324 CE Conquest by the Romans under General Pompey

following civil war between two Hashmonean brothers

37 – 4 BCE

Head of Herod the Great1st Century, Florence

Bust of General Pompey

Rule of Herod the GreatMassive building of Jerusalem, Temple Mount, Caesarea, Masada

Ministry of Jesus

Last Supper,Leonardo da VinciMilano

Detail from Arch of Titus, Romedepicting capture of Temple treasures

66-70 CE Rebellion against Rome

Conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and 2nd Temple by Roman General Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian

End Second Temple Period

Coin minted during Bar Kochba rebellion

132-135 Bar Kochba Rebellion against Rome

Jerusalem rebuilt as Roman city Aelina Capitolina by Emperor Hadrian

200The writing of the Mishnah (first Jewish commentary on Bible)

Mosaic of Emperor Constantine Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, c. 1000

Byzantine Period

324-636 Christianity legalized by Emperor Constantine the Great

The writing of the Jerusalem Talmud in Tiberias400

614585 Mohammad founds Islam in Mecca

Invasion by Persia, great destruction of buildings and towns

Early Arab Period

636-1099 Conquest by MuslimsRule by Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties

Umayyad palace in Jerusalem

Crusader Period

1099-1291 Conquest by European Crusaders

Establishment of Kingdom of Jerusalem

1187 Battle at the Horns of Hittin, loss of KingdomEstablishment of 2nd Kingdom with Acco as capital

1291 Final defeat to Mameluke Sultan Beybars

Mameluke Period

1291-1516 Conquered by Mamelukes

Crusader Knight

Mameluke Horseman

Ottoman Period

1516-1917 Conquered by Ottomans

Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent1536

19th Century First roads and railways built by OttomansExtensive exploration of the Holy Land by European and American explorers

1882 First wave of Jewish Zionist immigration and the beginning of the rebuilding of the land

1897

Suleiman the Magnificent

Theodore Herzl

Establishment of World Jewish Congress by Theodore Herzl in Basel

1914-1918 First World War

Allenby entering Jerusalem, Jaffa GateDecember 11, 1917

British Mandate

1917-1948 Conquest by General Allenby for the British

British Mandate of Palestine established through the League of Nations

1920

1939-1945 Second World War

1933-1948 Holocaust in Europe

Map of full British Mandate in Palestine

- 1948 Jewish resistance against British policies in Palestine

Blowing up of south wing of King David HotelJuly 22, 1946

Map of partition plan

November 29, 1947 UN vote and acceptance of Palestine Partition Plan

May 14, 1948

State of Israel

Declaration of State of Israel

May 15, 1948 Final British withdrawal

David Ben Gurion reading Declaration of Independence