Abraham’s journey
Genesis tells of Abram leaving his homeland for Canaan. Its placement in the early second millennium is traditional, not an independently established date.
Genesis 12From the patriarchs to Nicaea
Timeline of Christian origins.
People, places, and turning points. Follow the long history behind the first Christians, then see where their story went next.
Patriarchs
Isaac and Jacob
The stories of Isaac and Jacob continue the patriarchal narratives. Precise dates cannot be securely recovered from the text.
Genesis 25–35Joseph in Egypt
Genesis ends with Joseph in Egypt and Jacob’s family settling there. This date is a traditional framework, not an archaeological identification.
Genesis 37–50Exodus & Kings
The Exodus
Exodus recounts Israel’s departure from Egypt under Moses. Both the dating and the historical reconstruction remain debated.
Exodus 12–14The period of the judges
Judges presents a sequence of local leaders before the monarchy. The chronology is approximate and cannot be read as a simple list of consecutive reigns.
Judges 2David and Jerusalem
Samuel describes David establishing his rule in Jerusalem. Dates for the early monarchy are approximate.
2 Samuel 5Solomon’s Temple
Kings describes Solomon building the Temple in Jerusalem, a central place in Israel’s worship and memory.
1 Kings 6–8The kingdom divides
Kings recounts the division into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah after Solomon’s death.
1 Kings 12Prophets & Exile
The prophets speak
Amos and Isaiah address worship, injustice, and the future of Israel and Judah against the backdrop of growing imperial power.
Amos 1; Isaiah 1Samaria falls
The Assyrian conquest ends the northern kingdom. Kings describes the fall of Samaria and the deportation of its inhabitants.
2 Kings 17Jerusalem and the exile
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem’s Temple and deport part of the population. Ancient chronological systems account for the two common dates.
2 Kings 25A return from exile
Ezra places the authorization to return and rebuild in the first year of Cyrus’s rule over Babylon.
Ezra 1The Second Temple
Ezra records the completion of the rebuilt Temple in the sixth year of Darius. It will stand through the time of Jesus.
Ezra 6:15Jesus
The birth of Jesus
Matthew and Luke preserve the birth narratives. Their chronological details are difficult to reconcile precisely; the year remains debated.
Matthew 2; Luke 2Jesus’ public ministry
The Gospels describe Jesus teaching, gathering disciples, and traveling through Galilee and Judea. Exact starting and ending dates are debated.
Luke 3–4The cross and the empty tomb
Jesus is crucified under Pontius Pilate. The Gospels recount his burial, the empty tomb, and appearances to his followers.
John 19–20Apostles
Pentecost
Acts describes the disciples speaking publicly in Jerusalem, with about three thousand people accepting their message that day.
Acts 2Stephen and the scattering
Acts recounts Stephen’s death and the persecution that scatters believers beyond Jerusalem. Stephen is traditionally called the first Christian martyr.
Acts 7–8Saul on the Damascus road
Acts tells of Saul’s encounter with Jesus, his blindness, and Ananias’s visit. The former persecutor becomes a preacher.
Acts 9Christians in Antioch
Acts identifies Antioch as the place where the disciples were first called Christians, as the community expands beyond its Jewish beginnings.
Acts 11:19–26The Jerusalem meeting
The apostles and elders consider the place of Gentile believers and reject requiring their circumcision, while issuing specific instructions.
Acts 15Persecution
Fire and persecution in Rome
Tacitus reports that Nero blames Christians after the great fire and subjects them to brutal public executions.
Tacitus, Annals 15.44Jerusalem’s Temple destroyed
Roman forces destroy the Temple during the Jewish War. By this point, Christian communities are established beyond Jerusalem.
Josephus, The Jewish War, book 6Pliny writes to Trajan
A Roman governor reports Christians meeting before dawn and singing to Christ. His letter asks the emperor how to handle accusations against them.
Pliny, Letters 10.96–97The Great Persecution
Imperial edicts begin a severe persecution under Diocletian and his colleagues. Enforcement varies across the empire.
Eusebius, Church History, book 8Constantine
Constantine and toleration
Constantine’s victory at the Milvian Bridge is followed by the agreement with Licinius commonly called the Edict of Milan, affirming religious toleration.
Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors 44, 48The Council of Nicaea
Bishops gather at Constantine’s invitation to address disputes, including the relationship of the Son to the Father, and formulate a creed.
Eusebius, Life of Constantine, book 3“c.” means circa, or approximately. Dates for the patriarchs and the Exodus are traditional or debated; they are not established by the biblical texts alone. Ancient sources are linked for the narratives they preserve, not as proof of every modern date assigned to them.