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OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS TIMELINE BY CHAPTERS

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EXODUS TO DAVID TIMELINE BY CHAPTERS

Old Covenant Law   Judges History   Judges to Kings   Major Events
YEAR BC
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
Major Events
1530
1520
1510
1500
1490
1480
1470
1460
1450
1440
1430
1420
1410
1400
1390
1380
1370
1360
1350
1340
1330
1320
1310
1300
1290
1280
1270
1260
1250
1240
1230
1220
1210
1200
1190
1180
1170
1160
1150
1140
1130
1120
1110
1100
1090
1080
1070
1060
1050
1040
1030
1020
1010
1000
990
980
970
960
ExodusExodus - 1440-1530 BC
1
2
12
LeviticusLeviticus - 1440-1450 BC
NumbersNumbers - 1410-1440 BC
1
DeuteronomyDeuteronomy - 1410-1440 BC
1
JoshuaJoshua - 1380-1410 BC
1
JudgesJudges - 1060-1380 BC
1
3
3
3
3
3
4
5
6
8
10
13
RuthRuth - 1150-1150 BC
1 Samuel1 Samuel - 1010-1070 BC
1
9
15
2 Samuel2 Samuel - 970-1000 BC - 3 chapters
1
11
Moses Born -1526
Moses Flees Egypt -1486
Out of Egypt -1446
Joshua judge -1406
Joshua dies -1375
Othniel judge -1367
Othniel dies -1327
Ehud judge -1309
Ehud dies -1229
Shamgar dies -1210
Deborah judge -1209
Deborah dies -1169
Gidean judge -1162
Ruth & Boaz -1150?
Gidean dies -1122
Jephthah judge -1078
Samson -1075
Samson dies -1055
Saul King -1050
David King -1010
solomon King -970

SAMUEL TO MALACHI BOOK TIMELINE BY CHAPERS

Historical Books   Major Prophets   Minor Prophets   Major Events
YEAR BC
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chron.
2 Chron.
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Major Events
1050
1040
1030
1020
1010
1000
990
980
970
960
950
940
930
920
910
900
890
880
870
860
850
840
830
820
810
800
790
780
770
760
750
740
730
720
710
700
690
680
670
660
650
640
630
620
610
600
590
580
570
560
550
540
530
520
510
500
490
480
470
460
450
440
430
420
1 Samuel1 Samuel 9:1-2 -Saul's narration begins. Verse 24 -The people accept his as king of all Israel. 10:1 -Samuel anoints Saul king. 11:1-11 -Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh. 11:12-15 -All opposition to Saul ends. Chapter 12 -Samuel's farewell speech. Chapter 13 -Samuel Rebukes king Saul. Chapter 14 -Jonathan attacks the Philistines. Chapter 15 -The Lord rejects Saul as king. Chapter 16 -Samuel anoints David king of all Israel; David is Saul's service. Chapter 17 -David kills Goliath and Israel defeats the Philistines. Chapter 18 -Saul is jealous of David. Chapter 18 -Saul tries to kill David. Chapter 20 -Jonathan helps save David from Saul. Chapter 21 -David seek refuge at Nob and Gath. Chapter 22 -David escaped to the cave at Adullam and then to Moab, meanwhile kills the priests at Nob for helping David. Chapter 23 -David saves Keilah as Saul continues to pursue David. Chapter 24 -David spares Saul's life while in a cave. Chapter 25 -David, Naabal and his wife Abigail. Chapter 26 -David spares Saul's life a second time. Chapter 27 -David seeks sanctuary among the Philistines. Chapter 28 -Saul visits the witch of Endor. Chapter 29 -The Philistines attack Israel and send David back home. Chapter 30 -David destroys the Amalekites. Chapter 31 -Saul takes his life in battle.
9
15
2 Samuel2 Samuel Chapter 1 -David lament for Saul and Jonathan. Chapter 2 -David moves to Hebron in Judah, made king, and civil war between Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul begins. Chapter 3 -Civil war continues. Chapter 4 -Ish-Bosheth murdered. Chapter 5 -David Becomes King of all Israel. Chapter 6 -Ark Brought to Jerusalem. Chapter 7 -God's promise to David. Chapter 8 -David's victories. Chapter 9 -David and Mephibosheth. Chapter 10 -David defeats the Ammonites. Chapter 11 -David's sin with Bathsheba and her husband murder. Chapter 12 -Nathan rebukes David's sin. Chapter 13 -Amnon sin against Tamar, Absalom kills Amnon, Absalom expelled. Chapter 14 -Absalom returns to Jerusalem. Chapter 15 -Absalom's conspiracy to overthrow David. Chapter 16 -David flees Jerusalem. Chapter 17 -Absalom's foolish decisions. Chapter 18 -Absalom's death and David mourns. Chapter 19 -David returns to Jerusalem. Chapter 20 -Sheba Rebels against David. Chapter 21 -The Gibeonites avenged and wars against the Philistines. Chapter 22 -David's psalm of praise. Chapter 23 -The last words of David and David's mighty men. Chapter 24 -David's sin of counting the men, the angel of death, and David builds an altar.
2
5
1 Kings1 Kings Chapter 1 -David's old age problem, Adonijah set himself up as king, and David makes Solomon king. Chapter 2 -David's directives for Solomon and Solomon's throne established. Chapter 3 -Solomon asks the Lord for wisdom. Chapter 4 -Solomon's officials and governors, provisions, and wisdom. Chapter 5 -Preparations for building the temple. Chapter 6 -Building the temple begins. Chapter 7 -Building Solomon's palace. Chapter 8 -The ark brought to the Temple. Chapter 9 -The Lord Appears to Solomon and his other activites. Chapter 10 -the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon and his splendor. Solomon's many foreign wives, sins, adversaries including Jeroboam, and death. Chapter 12 -Rehoboam King and Israel rebels because of his foolishness and Solomon's sins. Rehoboam rules Judah and Jeroboam rules Israel who builds golden calves as false gods. Chapter 13 -A man from God curses the false idols and altars. Chapter 14 -Prophet Ahijah brings the Lord's news to Jeroboam that his household will fall because of his sins and Israel will go to another. Rehoboam's reign as king of Judah attached by Egypt, carrying off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. Chapter 15 -Abijah, then Asa kings of Judah. Hadab, then Baasha kings of Israel. Chapter 16 -Elah, Zimri, Omri, then Ahab kings of Israel. Chapter 17 -Elijah feb by ravens, then the miracle of the endless widow's bread, and her son brought back to life. Chapter 18 -Elijah via a faithful man, Obadiah tells Ahab he will visit with him. Eliah and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. Chapter 19 -Elijah feed by an angel as he flees to Horeb, the mountain of God, where the Lord meets with him. The call of Elisha. Chapter 20 -Aram's king, Ben-Hadad attacks Israel and is defeated by King Ahab. A prophet condemns Ahab. Chapter 21 -Ahab, at Jezebel's leading, steals Naboth's vineyard. Elijah brings word of judgment, Ahab repents, and the Lord said he will delay the disaster till after Ahab dies. Chapter 22 -Micaiah prophesies against Ahab, king of Israel while establishing a war pack against Aram with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Ahab dies in battle as prophesied. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Ahaziah, king of Israel.
9
12
15
16
22
2 Kings2 Kings Chapter 1 -Elijah delivers the Lord's message to Ahaziah, king of Israel, that he will die and he did. Joram becomes Israel's king. Chapter 2 -Prophet Elijah taken up to Heaven and Elisha succeeds him. Elisha healed bad water and cursed evil youths. Chapter 3 -Moab revolts Joram, king of Israel. Joram asks Jehoshaphat, king of Judah to join him in war against Moab. Elisha prophecies victory. Chapter 4 -The Lord through Elisha fills empty jars with oil. The Lord through Elisha restored a Shunammite son's life. The Lord through Elisha purifies a pot full of death and another time feeds a hundred. Chapter 5 -The Lord through Elisha heals the commander of Aram's army of leprosy. Chapter 6 -The Lord through Elisha makes an iron ax head float and traps and blinds Arameans. Famine in besieged Samaria. Chapter 7 -Miracle food for Samaria as the siege is miraculously lifted. Chapter 8 -Shunammite's land restored and Elisha predicts Aram's recovery, death, replacement, and the replacement's evil actions against Israel. Jehoram and then Ahaziah (aka Uzziah), kings of Judah. Chapter 9 -Jehu anointed king of Israel, kills Joram and Ahaziah, and ordered Jezebel killed. Chapter 10 -Ahab's family and ministers of Ball killed. Chapter 11 -Athaliah, the queen mother kills the royal family; Joash son of Ahaziah is recused. Chapter 12 -Joash is made king and repairs the temple. Chapter 13 -Jehoahaz and then Jehoash kings of Israel. Chapter 14 -Amaziah king of Judah and Jeroboam II king of Israel. Chapter 15 -Azariah, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah and Pekah kings of Israel. Jotham, king of Judah. Chapter 16 -Ahaz, king of Judah when Aram and Israel attacked Jerusalem. Ahaz seeks Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria's help with gifts of gold and sliver from the temple of the Lord. Chapter 17 -Hoshea, last king of Israel. Israel exiled because of sin and Samaria resettled. Chapter 18 -Hezekiah king of Judah and Sennacherib, king of Assyria threatens Jerusalem. Chapter 19 -The LORD through prophet Isaiah answers Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance from Sennacherib. Chapter 20 -The Lord through the word of Isaiah heals King Hezekiah. Hezekiah entertains and shows envoys from Babylon everything. Chapter 21. Manasseh and then Amon kings of Judah. Chapter 22 -Josiah king of Judah and the book of the Law found. Chapter 23 -The Old Covenant renewed. Jehoahaz and then Jehoiakim kings of Judah. Chapter 24 -Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon defeated Jehoiakim because of Manasseh's sins. Jehoiachin and then Zedekiah kings of Judah under Babylon's control. Chapter 25 -Jerusalem falls to Babylon and Jehoiachin, pervious king of Judah released from prison.
8
12
14
15
15
17
18
19
21
22
23
24
1 Chron.1 Chronicles Chapters 1 through 9 -Genealogies. Chapter 10 -Saul takes his life during a battle with the Philistines. Chapter 11 -David king of Israel, conquers Jerusalem, and his mighty men. Chapter 12 -Warriors join David. Chapter 13 -The failed attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem. Chapter 14 -David's palace and family and victory over the Philistines. Chapter 15 -The ark brought to Jerusalem. Chapter 16 -David's psalm of thanks. Chapter 17 -The Lord's promise to David through the prophet Nathan and David's prayer. Chapter 18 -David's victory's and officials. Chapter 19 -Israel defeats the Ammonites. Chapter 20 -Israel laid waist to the Ammonites and defeated the Philistines. Chapter 21 -David's sin of counting the men leads to the angel of death coming and the purchase of land where the temple would be built. Chapter 22 -Preparations for the temple. Chapter 23 -The Levites, Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites. Chapter 24 -The divisions of the priests and the Levites. Chapter 25 -The singers. Chapter 26 -The gatekeepers, treasurers, and other officials. Chapter 27 -Army divisions, officers of the tribes, and the king's overseers. Chapter 28 -David's announces his plans for the temple and gives instructions to his son Solomon. Chapter 29 -Gifts for the temple and David's prayer. Solomon king of Israel and David's death.
8
10
11
29
2 Chron.2 Chronicles Chapter 1 -Solomon asks for wisdom and the Lord's reveals himself and answers his request and more. Chapter 2 -Preparations for building the temple. Chapter 3 -The temple is built. Chapter 4 -The temple's furnishings. Chapter 5 -The ark brought to the temple. Chapter 6 -Solomon's speak and prayer. Chapter 7 -The dedication of the temple. The Lord appears a second time to Solomon. Chapter 8 -Solomon's other building activities. Chapter 9 -The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon, Solomon's splendor, and death. Chapter 10 -Rehoboam king and Israel rebels because of his foolish decision. Chapter 11 -Rehoboam fortifies Judah and his family. Chapter 12 -Rehoboam and Judah abandon the law of the LORd so Egypt attacks. Prophet Shemaiah rebukes Rehoboam and Judah who repent. Chapter 13 -Abijah king of Judah and attacks Jeroboam, king of Israel as recorded by prophet Iddo. Chapter 14 -Asa king of Judah and the Cushites defeated. Chapter 15 -Asa's reforms. Chapter 16 -Asa seeks Aram's help in defeating Baasha king of Israel's invasion attempt. Hanani the seer rebukes Asa. Asa's foot disease until he died. Chapter 17 -Jehoshaphat king of Judah. Chapter 18 -Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab, king of Israel by marriage. Ahab convinces Jehoshaphat to go against Aram at Ramoth Gilead. Prophet Micaiah predicts Ahab's death in battle. Ahad dies. Chapter 19 -The Lord through prophet Jehu rebukes Jehoshaphat for allying with Ahab. Jehoshaphat appoints judges. Chapter 20 -Jehoshaphat defeats Moab and Ammon, made an alliance wit Ahaziah king of Israel, and was rebuked by the Lord through prophet Eliezer. Chapter 21 -Jehoshaphat dies and Jehoram became king of Judah and died of a painful disease because of his sins. Chapter 22 -Ahaziah was king of Judah for one year. Athaliah, his mother proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah except Joash who was hidden. Chapter 23 -Joash made king and Athaliah killed. Chapter 24 -Joash repairs the temple. Joash turns wicked and dies. Chapter 25 -Amaziah king of Judah. Chapter 26 -Uzziah (aka Azariah) king of Judah, defeated the Philistines, became proud, and his death. Chapter 27 -Jothan king of Judah. Chapter 28 -Ahaz king of Judah. Chapter 29 -Hezekiah king of Judah, he purifies the temple, and orders restoration of temple service. Chapter 30 -Hezekiah orders the Passover be observed the first time in a long time. Chapter 31 -Contributions for worship. Chapter 32 -Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatens Jerusalem and the Lord rescues Jerusalem. Hezekiah's pride, success, and death. Chapter 33 -Manasseh and then Amon king of Judah. Chapter 34 -Josiah king of Judah and his reforms. The book of the law found. Chapter 35 -Josiah celebrates the Passover. Josiah's death. Chapter 36 -Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and then Zedekiah kings of Judah. The fall of Jerusalem because Judah continually violated their covenant with the LORD, their God.
8
10
14
17
21
22
24
25
26
26
27
28
29
32
33
34
36
EzraEzra Chapter 1 -Cyrus, king of Persia, helps the exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Chapter 2 -List of exiles who returned. Chapter 3 -Rebuilding the altar and the temple. Chapter 4 -Zerubbabel reject the locals request to help causing them to oppose the rebuilding and write a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, causing the temple work to be stopped. Chapter 5 -Work resumes and a letter is sent to King Darius. Chapter 6 -The decree of Darius. Completion and dedicating of the temple. The Passover observed. Chapter 7 -Ezra comes to Jerusalem. King Artazerzes' letter to Ezra. Chapter 8 -Lists of the family heads returning with Ezra, and the return. Chapter 9 -Ezra's prayer about intermarriage. Chapter 10 -The people's confession of sin and a list of those guilty of intermarriage.
6
7
NehemiahNehemiah Chapter 1 -Nehemiah's prayer. Chapter 2 -Artazerzes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem. Nehemiah inspects Jerusalem's walls. Chapter 3 -Builders of the wall. Chapter 4 -Opposition to the rebuilding. Chapter 5 -Nehemiah helps the poor. Chapter 6 -Further opposition to the rebuilding. What wall completed. Chapter 7 -The list of the exiles who returned and Ezra reads to Law. Chapter 8 -Ezra reads to Law to the people and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Chapter 9 -Israelites confess their sins. Chapter 10 -List of people who binned their seal of the agreement. Chapter 11 -The new residents of Jerusalem. Chapter 12 -The priests and Levites. The wall dedicated. Chapter 13 -Nehemiah's final reforms.
2
EstherEsther Chapter 1 -Xerxes, ruler of Persia deposes Queen Vashti. Chapter 2 -Esther made queen. Mordecai uncovers a conspiracy. Chapter 3 -Haman's plot to destroy the Jews. Chapter 4 -Mordecai persuades Esther to help. Chapter 5 -Esther's request to the king. Haman's rage against Mordecai. Chapter 6 -Mordecai honored. Chapter 7 -Haman hanged. Chapter 8 -The king's edict in behalf of the Jews. Chapter 9 -Triumph of the Jews. Purim celebrated. Chapter 10 -The greatness of Mordecai.
IsaiahIsaiah 1:1 records the opening line to a summary of his prophecies, "The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." Chapter 6 -Isaiah's commission. Chapter 7 -The sign of Immanuel. Chapter 8 -Assyria, the Lord's instrument of judgement, fear God. Chapter 9 -To us a child is born. The Lord's anger against Israel.
JeremiahJeremiah
37
EzekielEzekiel
DanielDaniel
5
10
HoseaHosea
JoelJoel
AmosAmos
ObadiahObadiah
JonahJonah
MicahMicah
NahumNahum
HabakkukHabakkuk
ZephaniahZephaniah
HaggaiHaggai
ZechariahZechariah
MalachiMalachi
1050: Saul King
1048: The Lord Rejects Saul
1010: Saul Commits Suicide in Battle
1010: David King of Judah, Civil War
1002: David King of all Israel
970: Solomon King
930: Israel & Judah Split
910: Asa Becomes King of Judah
872: Jehoshaphat Co-Regency with Asa
869: Jehoshaphat Becomes King
853: Jehoram Co-Regency with Jehoshaphat
848: Jehoram Becomes King
841: Athaliah Becomes Queen
835: Joash Becomes King
797: Amaziah Becomes King
792: Uzziah (Azariah) Co-Regency with Amaziah Begins
767: Uzziah (Azariah) Becomes King
750: Jotham Co-regency with Azariah Begins
740: Jotham Becomes King
734: 1st Assyrian Attach
722: Israel Falls to Assyria
715: Hezekiah Becomes King
701: Judah Attached
697: Manasseh Co-regency with Hezekiah Begins
686: Manasseh Becomes King
640: Josiah Becomes King
609: Egypt Conquers Judah
605: 1st Babylon Attack
597: 2nd Babylon Attack
586: 3rd Babylon Attack
581: Judah Falls to Babylon
October 12, 539: Babylon Falls
538: Jews 1st Return
516: Temple Rebuild Complete
486: Xerxes Becomes Ruler of Persia
458: Jews 2nd Return
444: Jews Final Return

Several sources were used to confirm the dates listed. Some sources had slight differences in dates. Dates for the historical books mark the years covered. Dates for the ic books are ranges the books would have been distributed to and read by the intended audiences they were initially written for. What we know call books were then scrolls which would have been hand copied, a time consuming venture.

Some information is from the NIV Study Bible, 1986, which adopted the dates from "A Chronology of the Hebrew Kings" by Edwin R. Thiele; copyright 1977 by The Zondervan Corporation; used by permission.

Israel did not calculated a king's ascension and reign as other nations. After Israel and Judah split Judah kept calculating to "old way" and Israel switched and started calculating the way other nations did around them. Read "The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings" by Edwin Richard Thiele for more understanding on how Israel and Judah calculated the dates of their king's ascension and reign.

Zimri reigned in Israel for seven days.

Tibni and Omri both contended for the throne for four years until "Tibni died and Omri reigned".

aka Jehoahaz and Azariah.

Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and wife of Jehoram, king of Judah. After her husband and son died she tried to kill all of her husband's children and did so with the exception of the very youngest, Jehoash (Joash) who was hidden from her.

The people made Uzziah (aka Azariah) king of Judah in his father's stead twenty years before his father's death. Otherwise his reign would have started in 779 B.C. (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chronicles 26:1)

Jotham reigned in his father, Uzziah's stead for the last 10 years of his father's life when his father became a leper. Officially his reign would have started in 740 B.C.

JEWISH RETURN FROM BABYLON TIMELINE BY CHAPERS

Historical Books   Major Prophets   Minor Prophets   Major Events
YEAR BC
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Daniel
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Major Events
540
539
538
537
536
535
534
533
532
531
530
529
528
527
526
525
524
523
522
521
520
519
518
517
516
515
514
513
512
511
510
509
508
507
506
505
504
503
502
501
500
499
498
497
496
495
494
493
492
491
490
489
488
487
486
485
484
483
482
481
480
479
478
477
476
475
474
473
472
471
470
469
468
467
466
465
464
463
462
461
460
459
458
457
456
455
454
453
452
451
450
449
448
447
446
445
444
443
442
441
440
439
438
437
436
435
434
433
432
431
430
429
428
427
426
425
424
423
422
421
420
EzraEzra - 515-538 BC
NehemiahNehemiah - 433-445 BC
EstherEsther - 473-483 BC
DanielDaniel - 536-540 BC
HaggaiHaggai - 520-520 BC
ZechariahZechariah - 518-520 BC
MalachiMalachi - 420-430 BC
539: Babylon defeated by Cyrus
538: Cyrus decrees 1st return
537: Daniel's Last Vision (10-12)
536: Temple construction begins
530: Temple Work Halted
522: Darius I Persian King
520: Temple Work Resumes
519: Haggai & Zechariah message
516: Temple Completed
515: Temple Dedicated March 12
486: Xerxes King of Persia
483: Vashti removed as Queen
482: Persia tries to enter Greece
481: campain continued
480: campain continued
479: Persia fails Greece campaign
478: Esther made queen
458: 2nd Return - Ezra
444: Nehemiah returns - Walls
432: Final Return - Nehemiah 2nd term
430: Malachi prophesies
OLD TESTAMENT ISRAEL HISTORY
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