Timeline of the Palestine region


The timeline of the Palestine region is a timeline of major events in the history of Palestine. For more details on the history of Palestine see History of Palestine. In cases where the year or month is uncertain, it is marked with a slash, for example 636/7 and January/February.

Mesozoic/Cenozoic geological eras

  • c. 65–70 million BCE – A Prognathodon dies in the Negev region; its complete skull was discovered in a phosphate mine in the Negev in 1993.

    Palaeolithic

  • 420–220 ka BP – archaic humans occupy the Qesem Cave.

    Epipalaeolithic

  • c. 9000 BCE – Natufian hunter-gatherer groups form a permanent settlement that would come to be known as Jericho.

    Neolithic

Neolithic.
  • Pre-Pottery Neolithic
  • *Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
  • *Pre-Pottery Neolithic B
  • *Pre-Pottery Neolithic C
  • Pottery Neolithic

    Chalcolithic (Copper Age)

Chalcolithic.

Bronze Age; Canaanite city-states

Early Bronze Age

Early Bronze Age.
  • 34th century BCE – Taur Ikhbeineh was inhabited
  • c. 3300 BCE – The Egyptian city of Tell es-Sakan was established. It is the earliest fortified Egyptian settlement identified through archaeological excavation.
  • c. 3000 BCE – Tell es-Sakan was abandoned.
  • c. 2600 BCE – Tell es-Sakan was reinhabited by the Canaanites.
  • c. 2250 BCE – The Canaanite settlement of Tell es-Sakan was abandoned.

    Intermediate Bronze Age

.

Middle Bronze Age

Middle Bronze Age.

Late Bronze Age

Late Bronze Age.
  • c. 1469 BCE – In the Battle of Megiddo, Egyptian forces under the command of Pharaoh Thutmose III defeat a large Canaanite coalition under the king of Kadesh.

    Iron Age; Israelite kingdoms and Philistine pentapolis

Iron Age I

Iron Age I.
IAI can be split into Iron Age IA and Iron Age IB.

Iron Age II

Iron Age II.
IAII can be split into Iron Age IIA, Iron Age IIB, and Iron Age IIC.
File:Tissot The Flight of the Prisoners.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Babylonian captivity

Babylonian and Persian periods

The Babylonian period began with the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II in 587 or 586 BCE. The Persian period spans the years 539–332 BCE, from the time Cyrus II of Persia conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire, to the conquest of the region by Alexander the Great.

Hellenistic period and the Kingdom of Hasmonean Judea

The Hellenistic period began with Alexander the Great's conquest of Palestine in 332 BCE and ended with Pompey's conquest of Palestine in 63 BCE. Alternatively, it can be considered to end with the victory of Rome's client king, Herod the Great, over the last Hasmonean king of Judea in 37 BCE. After Alexander's death, Palestine was part of Ptolemaic Egypt until being conquered by the Seleucids.
  • c. 260 BCE – Beit She'an is refounded as the poleis Scythopolis by Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
  • 200 BCE – The Seleucid emperor Antiochus III the Great conquers Palestine.
  • 175 BCE:
  • * Seleucus IV dies and is succeeded by Antiochus, son of Seleucus IV.
  • * Antiochus IV Epiphanes becomes the Seleucid emperor.
  • 174 BCE – Antiochus appoints Jason as high priest of the Jerusalem Temple.
  • 172 BCE – Antiochus replaces Jason with Menelaus as high priest of the Jerusalem Temple as the latter offers to pay a much bigger tribute.
  • Late 170 BCE/early 169 BCE – Antiochus invades Egypt but decides to return. Perhaps because of disturbances in Palestine. His return is triumphant and he brings many spoils.
  • 169 BCE, autumn – On his way back from Egypt, Antiochus raids the Jerusalem Temple and confiscates its treasures.
  • 168 BCE, spring – Antiochus invades Egypt but the Romans force him to withdraw. Meanwhile, rumors spread in Judea that the king has died and Jason launches a surprise attack on Jerusalem, captures the city, and kills supporters of his rival Menelaus. Antiochus interprets Jason's attack as a rebellion and sends an army that retakes Jerusalem and drives Jason's followers away.
  • 167 BCE, autumn – Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlaws Judaism in Judea and allows pagan worship at the Jerusalem temple.
  • 165 BCE, spring – Antiochus campaigns against the Parthians.
  • 164 BCE:
  • * spring – Antiochus issues a letter repealing the ban on Judaism and promising amnesty for the insurgents who return before March 164. The provincial land-tax from 167 BCE is abolished. The Maccabees does not take up the Seleucids offer and the insurgency continues.
  • * summer – The Maccabees carries out a number of punitive expeditions, likely led by Judas, against people who had participated in the persecution against Jews.
  • * autumn/winter – Judas enters Jerusalem and the altar to Zeus and other pagan artifacts are removed from the Temple. Meanwhile, Antiochus dies in Persis, igniting a century-long war of succession in Antioch, the capital of the Seleucid empire.
  • 161 BCE – Judas Maccabeus is killed in battle and his army is routed.
  • 152 BCE – Jonathan Apphus is appointed high priest of the Jerusalem temple by the Seleucids.
  • c. 145 BCE – The Seleucid ruler Demetrius II Nicator lets Judea annex the three southern Samarian districts Lydda, Aphairema, and Ramathaim.
  • 135/4 BCE – John Hyrcanus becomes Hasmonean king.
  • 129 BCE – The Seleucid emperor Antiochus VII Sidetes dies.
  • c. 112–107 BCE – The Hasmoneans destroy the Samaritan temple at Mount Gerizim and devastates Shechem.
  • c. 108/7 BCE – The Hasmoneans destroy Scythopolis.
  • 104 BCE – Aristobulus I succeeds Hyrcanus as king of Judea.
  • 103 BCE – Alexander Jannaeus succeeds Aristobulus. He greatly extends the Hasmonean kingdom, concentrating on Greek cities along the Palestinian coast.
  • 76 BCE – Hyrcanus II succeeds Alexander Jannaeus.
File:Gerard van Honthorst - Adoration of the Shepherds.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Birth of Jesus
  • 67 BCE:
  • * Salome Alexandra dies and her son Hyrcanus II becomes king of Judea.
  • * A war of succession leads to a civil war among the Hasmoneans in Judea.

    Classical/Polytheistic Roman period

The Roman period lasted from Pompey's conquest of Palestine in 63 BCE, until the legal establishment of Christianity in the realm. Suggestions for the end date vary between the Edict of Milan in 313 CE by which Constantine the Great and co-emperor Licinius declare Christianity a permitted religion, and the declaration of Nicene Christianity as the sole state religion by three co-emperors including Theodosius, emperor of the East, through the Edict of Thessalonica of 380; 324, the year Constantine became sole ruler, is often preferred. The Roman period is split into Early and Late sub-periods, some authors adding a Middle one.
  • 63 BCE – Roman troops occupy Palestine.
  • 1st century BC – The earliest known burials at the Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis were created.
  • 57–54 BCE – Scythopolis is rebuilt by the Roman proconsul Gabinius.
  • 47 BCE:
  • * Herod the Great is appointed governor of Galilee.
  • * Herod clears out Hezekiah's "brigands," who had been harassing people in southern Syria.
  • 40 BCE:
  • * The Parthians invade Judea, seize Jerusalem, and appoint Antigonus II Mattathias King of Judea.
  • * Herod visits Rome to seek Mark Antony's support. He is appointed king by the Roman senate.
  • 37 BCE – Herod the Great conquers Judea with the help of Roman and Jewish troops. Antigonus II Mattathias, who had barricaded himself in the city, is beheaded by Mark Antony.
  • 31 BCE – 31 BC Judea earthquake. A powerful earthquake occurs in Judea.
  • 27 BCE – King Herod rebuilds Samaria and renames it Sebastia.
  • 23 BCE – King Herod builds a palace and fortress called Herodium, about south of Jerusalem.
  • 22 BCE – Herod begins construction of a new city and harbor called Caesarea Maritima at the old settlement Straton's Tower.
  • 20 BCE:
  • * Herod is awarded large swathes of northern territory by emperor Augustus to add to his kingdom.
  • * Citizens of Gadara appeal to Augustus to be excluded from Herod's kingdom.
  • 19 BCE – King Herod the Great further extends the Temple Mount's natural plateau and rebuilds the temple.
  • c. 10 BCE – Caesarea is completed.
  • 7 BCE - Herod has his two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, executed.
  • 7–2 BCE – Birth of Jesus.
  • 4 BCE – Herod dies and a wave of unrest sweeps Palestine.
  • 6 CE:
  • * Leading Jews and Samaritans ask Augustus to remove Herod Archelaus from the throne. He obliges and Archelaus is deposed and exiled. His territory, consisting of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, is organized into the Roman district Iudaea.
  • * First Roman census of Judea.
  • c. 20 – Tiberias in Galilee is founded by Herod Antipas, one of Herod the Great's successors.
  • 26–33 – Jesus is crucified.
  • 37 – Herod Philip dies.
  • 39 – Antipas is removed from his post and banished to Gaul. Herod Agrippa I receives his territories.
  • 41 – Agrippa I becomes king of parts of the Herodian kingdom which, in 6 CE, had been divided by Herod's sons.
  • 44 – Herod Agrippa I dies. Judea comes under direct Roman administration.
  • 62–64 – Completion of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple begun by Herod.
File:David Roberts - The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The destruction of the Jewish Temple in a painting by David Roberts from 1850)
  • 66–70 – First Jewish revolt:
  • * 66 – The revolt breaks out in the summer.
  • * 67 – Roman legions invade Palestine.
  • * 69 – Vespasian is declared emperor and leaves for Rome. His older son, Titus, takes command of the Roman legions in Palestine.
  • * 70 – The Romans capture Jerusalem and destroy the Second Temple.
  • * 73/4 – The Romans capture Masada, the last rebel holdout.
  • 70/1 – Provincia Iudaea is established.
  • 2nd century – The latest known burials at the Ard-al-Moharbeen necropolis were created.
  • 106 – The Romans annex Nabataea, reorganizing it as the province of Arabia.
  • 120 – First imperial road built through Galilee.
  • 129/130 – The Roman emperor Hadrian visits Syria, Palestine, and Arabia, and founds the Roman colony Aelia Capitolina at Jerusalem. Presumably, the outbreak of the Bar Kokhba revolt is directly linked to this event.
  • 132–135 – Bar Kokhba revolt:
  • 195 – The bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem, Theophilus and Narcissus, preside over a council in Caesarea to settle a growing dispute over the proper date of the celebration of Easter.
  • 222 – Caesarea becomes the metropolitan see for Palestine.
  • 270 – Zenobia, ruler of the Palmyrene Empire, conquers most of the Roman east including Palestine.
  • 272 – Palestine is recaptured by Rome.