From Babylonian to Roman Times
| Dates | Important Events / Figures | Outside Powers |
| 609 BCE | Battle at Esdraelon / Megiddo: Josiah opposes Pharaoh Necho, is defeated and killed | Egypt / Babylonia |
| 601 BCE | Rebellion against Babylon under king Jehoiakim | Babylonia |
| 598/7 BCE | Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar sacks Jerusalem; exiles upper crust of population incl. king Jehoiachin; uncle Zedekiah becomes king. | (2 Kgs 24:14; Jer 52:28) |
| 589 BCE | after Zedekiah revolts, siege of Jerusalem (18 months) | |
| 587/6 BCE | Jerusalem falls, Temple is destroyed, population
exiled: End of First Temple Period (960/50s-587/6 BCE)
c. 4600 Judeans exiled to Babylonia |
|
| Babylonian Exile | Development of prayer -facing Jerusalem-,development of synagogue, study of scripture / lore. | |
| 538 BCE | With permission of Persian king Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1 "Messiah") a first group returns from Babylonia, begins rebuilding of Temple | Persians defeat Babylonians |
| 522 BCE | a large group returns from Babylonia (40.000[?]) | |
| 515 BCE | Temple rebuilding finished, beginning of
Second Temple Period (515 BCE - 70 CE) |
|
| c.450 BCE
(or later?) |
Nehemiah, Ezra re-ordering religious life in Judah:
|
(Canonization of Torah) |
| 333 BCE | Battle of Issus (Asia Minor): Alexander the Great defeats Persian Empire led by Darius III. | Greeks: Alexander / his generals founders of: |
| 323 BCE | after Alexander's death, split of Empire Judah goes back and forth b/w Ptolemaic and Seleucid control. | Ptolemies and Seleucids |
| 167 - 164 BCE | Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV tries to force Hellenistic religion on Jews, desecrates Temple (w. statue of Zeus) | |
| 164 BCE | Maccabean Revolt successfully defeats Seleucids
event commemorated in Feast of Hanukkah |
|
| 142 BCE | Hasmonean dynasty | political independence |
| 60's BCE | growing Roman control over Judah; 37 BCE- Herod the Great | Roman Empire |
| 66-70 CE | Roman-Jewish war: Destruction of Temple |