Master Modules Faith

Bible Timeline: The Whole Story in 12 Eras

Updated

The Bible story moves through twelve broad eras, from Creation and the first families to the early church and the closing visions of Revelation. This page lays them out in order, with traditional dates, the major events in each era and the books that belong there. Dates are marked "traditional" or "approximate" where scholars differ, because the Bible itself rarely gives calendar years.

How to read a Bible timeline

Two cautions make a timeline more useful.

  1. Early dates are approximate. Before about 1000 BC, dates depend on how one reads the genealogies and other numbers in the text, and on how they line up with other ancient records. This page uses the early-date view for the Exodus, around 1446 BC, and marks it. Other scholars favor a later date.
  2. The books are not in time order. A printed Bible groups books by kind, so the prophets sit together near the end of the Old Testament, even though they spoke during the time of the kings. A timeline puts them back where they belong. For a reading order that does this, see the chronological Bible reading plan.

The 12 eras at a glance

EraTraditional datesBooks most tied to it
BeginningsBefore c. 2100 BC (undated)Genesis
The Patriarchsc. 2100–1800 BC (traditional view)Genesis, Job
Egypt, Exodus and Sinaic. 1800–1446 BC (early-date view)Exodus, Leviticus
Wilderness and Conquestc. 1446–1390 BC (early-date view)Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua
The Judgesc. 1390–1050 BCJudges, Ruth
The United Kingdomc. 1050–931 BC1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
The Divided Kingdom931–586 BC1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
The Exile586–538 BCLamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Return and Rebuilding538–c. 430 BCEzra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
The Life of Jesusc. 5 BC–AD 30 (approximate)Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
The Early ChurchAD 30–c. 62Acts, James, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians
Letters and Revelationc. AD 50–96 (approximate)Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation

The Old Testament eras

Beginnings (Before c. 2100 BC (undated))

Creation, the first families, the flood and the scattering of nations: the opening scenes of the biblical story.

Books: Genesis.

The Patriarchs (c. 2100–1800 BC (traditional view))

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph move through Canaan and Egypt; Job is often placed in this world.

Books: Genesis, Job.

Egypt, Exodus and Sinai (c. 1800–1446 BC (early-date view))

Israel grows in Egypt, leaves under Moses, and receives the law and tabernacle instructions at Sinai.

Books: Exodus, Leviticus.

Wilderness and Conquest (c. 1446–1390 BC (early-date view))

Israel wanders, hears Moses' final addresses, and enters Canaan under Joshua.

Books: Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua.

The Judges (c. 1390–1050 BC)

A repeating cycle of drift, trouble and rescue marks the years before Israel had a king.

Books: Judges, Ruth.

The United Kingdom (c. 1050–931 BC)

Saul, David and Solomon reign over all Israel; Jerusalem and the temple take center stage.

Books: 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.

The Divided Kingdom (931–586 BC)

The nation splits into Israel and Judah; prophets speak as Assyria and Babylon rise.

Books: 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.

The Exile (586–538 BC)

Jerusalem falls and many are taken to Babylon, where prophets and poets reflect on loss and hope.

Books: Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel.

Return and Rebuilding (538–c. 430 BC)

Exiles return under Persian rule to rebuild the temple, the city walls and community life.

Books: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

The New Testament eras

The Life of Jesus (c. 5 BC–AD 30 (approximate))

The four Gospels tell of the birth, teaching, death and reported resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

The Early Church (AD 30–c. 62)

Acts follows the spread of the first Christian communities from Jerusalem across the Roman world.

Books: Acts, James, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians.

Letters and Revelation (c. AD 50–96 (approximate))

Letters to churches and individuals address daily life and belief; Revelation closes with symbolic visions.

Books: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.

What the timeline shows

Putting the story in order makes several things clear.

The prophets spoke into specific moments

Amos and Hosea prophesied around 760 BC, when Israel was prosperous but unjust. Isaiah was called around 740 BC, as Assyria was rising. Jeremiah began around 627 BC, before Babylon took Jerusalem. Ezekiel was among the exiles taken in 597 BC. Haggai and Zechariah spoke around 520 BC to the returned exiles who were rebuilding. A timeline lets you read each prophet next to the events he addressed.

Wisdom and poetry sit in the story too

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon are tied by tradition to the time of David and Solomon. The Psalms span a longer stretch, from about 1000 to 400 BC, with some written in exile. Job is often placed in the patriarchal era because of its setting, though its author and date are debated.

The New Testament letters sit within Acts

Many of Paul's letters were written during the journeys and imprisonments described in Acts. Galatians and the Thessalonian letters sit in the early church period, while Romans (c. AD 57, traditional view) falls in the middle of the story. The letters to Timothy and Titus come late in Paul's life, in the traditional view. Revelation closes the story, traditionally dated to about AD 95.

Gaps and overlaps

Some stretches of time are not covered in the Bible's own books. The period between the Old Testament and the New, sometimes called the "silent years" or the intertestamental period, runs roughly from the time of Malachi (c. 450–430 BC) to the birth of Jesus (c. 5 BC). Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include books such as 1 and 2 Maccabees that describe part of that history. Other times overlap: Samuel, Kings and Chronicles all cover the same centuries from different angles, and the four Gospels each retell the life of Jesus in their own way.

A quick way to remember the sequence

Many readers memorize the story in eight steps:

  1. Creation and the first families
  2. The patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph
  3. Egypt, Exodus and Sinai: Moses
  4. Wilderness and conquest: Joshua; then the judges
  5. The kingdom: Saul, David, Solomon, then a divided kingdom
  6. Exile and return
  7. The life of Jesus and the early church
  8. Letters and the closing vision

If you can say those eight steps, you can place any passage you read.

Using the timeline when you read

Where to go next

For a deeper view of the first 39 books, see the Old Testament timeline. To read the Bible in the order of this timeline, use the chronological Bible reading plan. To see who wrote each book and when, see who wrote the Bible and when.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Bible timeline in order?

The story moves from Creation and the first families, through the patriarchs, the Exodus, the judges, the united and divided kingdoms, the exile and return, to the life of Jesus, the early church and the New Testament letters. This page lists twelve eras in that order.

How accurate are Bible dates?

Early dates are approximate and depend on how scholars read the text and match it with other ancient records. Later dates, from the exile onward, are better anchored in outside history. Every date on this page is marked as traditional or approximate where that applies.

When did the Exodus happen?

One common view, the early-date view, places it around 1446 BC. Other scholars propose a date in the 1200s BC. This page follows the early date and says so.

How many years are covered in the Bible?

The biblical story runs from Creation, which is undated, through about AD 95 in the traditional timeline. Exact totals depend on which dating scheme is used for the early periods.