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Old Testament Timeline
(c. 2000 BC – c. 400 BC)The Old Testament is the first major section of the Christian Bible and largely corresponds to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). It comprises 39 books (in Protestant tradition) covering creation, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Exodus from Egypt under Moses, the conquest of Canaan, the era of judges, the united and divided monarchies of Israel and Judah, prophetic ministries, the Babylonian exile, and the return and restoration. Its texts were composed over roughly a thousand years and form the foundational scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. More Less
Composition of Biblical Books
Old Testament composed over centuries
1000 BC - 100 BC
The Old Testament consists of many distinct books by various authors produced over a period of centuries, forming a diverse collection of law, history, prophecy, poetry, and wisdom literature.
Image source: Old Testament
Prophetic books written between the 8th and 6th centuries BC
800 BC - 500 BC
The books of the various prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve 'minor prophets'—were written between the 8th and 6th centuries BC, with the exceptions of Jonah and Daniel, which were written much later.
Image source: Prophets in Judaism
Book of Job completed by the 6th century BC
600 BC
Among the 'wisdom' books, Job was completed by the 6th century BC, contributing poetic reflections on suffering and divine justice to the Old Testament's wisdom literature.
Image source: Book of Job
Deuteronomistic History composed during the Babylonian exile
600 BC - 539 BC
There is a broad consensus among scholars that Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings originated as a single work—the so-called 'Deuteronomistic History'—during the Babylonian exile of the 6th century BC.
Books of Chronicles probably date from the 4th century BC
400 BC - 301 BC
The two Books of Chronicles cover much the same material as the Pentateuch and Deuteronomistic history and probably date from the 4th century BC.
Image source: Books of Chronicles
Proverbs possibly completed by Hellenistic times
332 BC - 198 BC
The book of Proverbs was possibly completed by the Hellenistic time (332–198 BC), though it contains much older material as well.
Image source: Proverb
Ecclesiastes completed by the 3rd century BC
300 BC - 201 BC
The wisdom book Ecclesiastes was completed by the 3rd century BC, offering philosophical meditations on the meaning of life.
Image source: Ecclesiastes
Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah finished during the 3rd century BC
300 BC - 201 BC
Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah were probably finished during the 3rd century BC, completing key historical works of the Hebrew Bible.
Books of the Maccabees written in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC
200 BC - 100 BC
Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments contain two (Catholic) to four (Orthodox) Books of the Maccabees, written in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, recounting Jewish revolt and resistance.
Modern Scholarship
Mainstream scholarship takes balanced approach from 9th century BC onward
900 BC
Mainstream scholarship generally takes a skeptical but balanced approach to historical material from the 9th century BC onward; some chronologically later biblical traditions align with archaeological findings.
Key Facts
- The Old Testament contains 39 books (Protestant canon) organized into the Law (Torah), Prophets, and Writings.
- Key early events include creation, the flood narrative, and God's covenant with Abraham around 2000 BC.
- The Exodus from Egypt, traditionally dated to the 15th or 13th century BC, marks the formation of Israel as a nation under Moses.
- King David established Jerusalem as Israel's capital around 1000 BC, and his son Solomon built the First Temple.
- The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC led to the exile, followed by the return under Persian rule beginning in 538 BC.
Source
This Old Testament timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
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