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Timeline of Roman Empire
and Old Testament Events


Timeline of Roman Empire
and Old Testament Events

 
Date*
(B.C.)
 
Roman Empire / Rome
 
Biblical Events
8th
century
 
753 - Traditional date for the founding of Rome and Rome as a kingdom by Romulus.
753 - 715 - Reign of Romulus.
715 - 673 - Reign of Numa Pompilius. Creation of the Roman senate and the priestly offices.
753 - 509 - Period Ruled by the Seven Kings of Rome.
 
830 - 750? - Ministry of the Old Testament minor prophet Joel.  His prophecies concerned Israel (Northern Ten Tribes of Israel).
Kings of Israel
798 - 782 - Jehoash
793 - 753 - Jeroboam II **
753 -         Zechariah
752 -         Shallum
752 - 742 - Menahem
752 - 732 - Pekah
742 - 740 - Pekahiah
732 - 723 - Hoshea
723 -         FALL OF SAMARIA
Samaria falls to Assyrian King Shalmaneser V. The Ten Tribes of Israel (also known as the Northern Kingdom) are taken captive to Assyria.
Date*
(B.C.)
 
Roman Empire / Rome
 
Biblical Events
8th
century
 
 
 
 
 
780 - 740 - Ministry of the prophet Jonah.  His prophecies concerned the city of Nineveh.
 
765 - 725 - Ministry of the prophet Hosea.  His prophecies concerned Israel (Northern Ten Tribes of Israel).
 
760 - Ministry of the prophet Amos.  His prophecies concerned Israel and Judah.
 
740 - 700 - Ministry of the prophet Micah. His prophecies concerned Samaria and Jerusalem.
Kings of Judah
796 - 767 - Amaziah
792 - 740 - Azariah (Uzziah) **
750 - 732 - Jotham **
735 - 715 - Ahaz **
715 - 686 - Hezekiah
         
7th
century
 
673 - 642 - Reign of Tullus Hostilius. Building of the Curia Hostilia, the senate house.
642 - 617 - Reign of Ancus Marcius
617 - 578 - Reign of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Building of the Circus Maximus. Rome gets the first system of sewers.
 
640 - 620 - Ministry of the prophet Nahum. His prophecies concerned the Assyrians, primarily the city of Nineveh.
 
640 - 609 - Ministry of the prophet Zephaniah. His prophecies concerned Judah, Jerusalem, all Israel and all peoples.
 
608 - 605 - Ministry of the prophet Habakkuk. His prophecies concerned Babylon with implications for all peoples.
Kings of Judah
696 - 642 - Manasseh **
642 - 640 - Amon
640 - 609 - Josiah
609         - Jehoahaz (Shallum)
609 - 598 - Jehoiakim
         
6th
century
 
578 - 534 - Reign of Servius Tullius. Sacred boundary of Rome defined. Rome takes its first census.
534 - 509 - Reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last Roman king. He builds the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.
509 - Roman Republic begins. Tarquinius Superbus expelled. First consuls are Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus.
508 - The office of Pontifex Maximus (high priest) is created when these powers are stripped from the consuls.
 
Kings of Judah
598 - 597 - Jehoiachin
 
597 - FALL OF JERUSALEM
Jerusalem falls at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar captures Judah's King Jehoiachin, who, as prisoner, is taken to Babylon. He sets up Zedekiah as the new King of Judah
 
597 - 586 - Zedekiah
 
586 - JERUSALEM, TEMPLE DESTROYED

Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. He destroys the city and burns Jerusalem's temple. The destruction of the temple was started on the 9th of Ab (Hebrew month) and completed on the 10th. The 9th of Ab is also the day Jerusalem's SECOND temple (Herod's temple) is also completely destroyed in 70 A.D.

520 - Ministry of the prophet Haggai. His prophecies concerned Zerubbabel, Joshua and the returned remnant.
 
520 - 480 - Ministry of the prophet Zechariah. His prophecies concerned Zerubbabel, Joshua and the returned remnant.
 
Temple Rebuilt in 515 B.C.
The rebuilding of Jerusalem's (Solomon's) temple was completed. This is commonly referred to as the second temple or Herod's temple (King Herod, in 18 B.C., begins to restore and expand the temple after years of neglect).
         
5th
century
 
496 - Rome defeats the Etruscan-led Latin League at the battle of Lake Regillus.
449 - The Decemviri publishes the Twelve Tables of Roman law.
447 - Tribal Assembly created. Two quaestors elected for the first time.
443 - The office of consul is replaced by an assembly of military tribune with consular powers, the Tribuni militum consulari potestate for this year. Office of Censor created. Duties of Censor were Consular duties until this point, where consuls are replaced.
  420 - 400 - Ministry of the prophet Malachi. His prophecies concerned Israel (Twelve Tribes of Israel) and Israel of God today (the true church of God).
         
4th
century
 
396 - Rome captures and sacks the Etruscan city of Veii after a 10-year siege, the final assault being conducted by Marcus Furius Camillus. Roman soldiers earn their first salary.
390 - The Gauls defeat the Roman army at the battle of the Allia. The Gauls also sack Rome.
375 - 371 - Years of Anarchy where no magistrates elected.
340 - Rome enters the Latin War on the side of the Samnites.
338 - End of the Latin War. Latin League dissolved and territory placed under Roman control.
326 - Second Samnite War begins.
304 - End of the Second Samnite War. Rome establishes many new colonies and gains control over much of central and southern Italy.
   
         
3rd
century
 
264 - 241 - First Punic War against Carthage.
241 - Following the defeat of Carthage, Sardinia and Corsica becomes the first Roman province.
224 - Rome defeats invading Gallic army at the Battle of Telamon.
223 - Rome defeats Gauls in Cisalpine Gaul.
218 - 201 - Second Punic War against Carthage. Rome is defeated at the Battle of the River Trebia.
216 - Hannibal inflicts a disaster for Rome at the Battle of Cannae.
214 - 205 - First Macedonian War, Romans defeated.
213 - 211 - Siege of Syracuse where Rome captures the city.
204 - 202 - Scipio Africanus Major invades Africa. Hannibal recalled and defeated in the Battle of Zama in 202 B.C.
202 - 196 - Second Macedonian War which ends with Roman victory.
   
         
2nd
century
 
197 - Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Tarraconensis become Roman provinces.
192 - 189 - Syrian war against the Seleucid dynasty.
172 - 167 - Third Macedonian War which ends with Roman victory.
154 - 138 - War against the Lusitanians.
149 - 146 - Third Punic War against Carthage.
149 - 148 - Fourth Macedonian War.
146 - Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (Scipio Africanus the Younger) puts an end in the Punic and Macedonian threat by destroying the cities of Carthage and Corinth. Macedonia and Africa are annexed as provinces.
121 - Rome acquires the province of Transalpine Gaul (south of modern France) and a safe land route to Hispania.
 
Events Between
Old and New Testaments
The Maccabean Revolt
175 - Antiochus IV Epiphanes becomes ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. In an effort to unify the Greek elements of his empire, he begins campaign to force the Greek culture onto Judea.
167 - A Jewish priest, Mattathias, starts a revolt against the Seleucid overlords of Judea by refusing to worship the Greek gods. Mattathias dies about a year later. One of his five sons, Judas, becomes military chief of the rebellion. Judas would later be known as Judas Maccabaeus (or Judah the Maccabee), which translated means "Judah the Hammer." Judas was called "the hammer" as recognition of his ferocity in battle.
164 - Judas Maccabeus leads an army of Jewish dissidents to victory over the Seleucids. After the victory, he enters Jerusalem in triumph and religiously cleanses the Temple (which had been profaned by the pagan Seleucids).

On the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev the Temple was re-dedicated. Supposedly, only one day's supply of oil was available to burn in the candelabrum (holder for one or more candles) and it miraculously lasted for eight days. In commemoration of this event Jews celebrate Hanukkah each year.

160 - Judas Maccabeus dies in battle. Two of Judas' brothers continue the war to gain Judea's independence.
147 - Judea gains independence.
129 - Collapse of the Seleucid empire.
         
1st
century
 
91 - 88 - Social wars. The last rebellion of the Italian nations against Rome.
88 - Sulla crosses the pomerium with his legions and invades Rome.
88 - 85 - First Mithridatic War against Mithridates VI of Pontus.
83 - 82 - First Roman civil war which is between Sulla and the popular faction. Sulla wins and becomes dictator.
83 - 82 - Second Mithridatic War. Sulla returns to Rome and is nominated dictator.
74 - 66 - Third Mithridatic War which is eventually won by Pompey.
67 - Pompey clears the Mediterranean of pirates.
63 - Roman troops occupy Palestine (Judea).  Jerusalem falls.
60 - 54 - First triumvirate formed. It is an informal coalition between Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus used to govern the Roman Republic.
58 - 50 - Caesar fights the Gallic wars, acquiring the province of Gallia Comata.
54 - 53 - First campaign against the Parthian Empire in which Crassus is utterly defeated and killed.
44 - Caesar is assassinated on the Ides of March.
44 - 42 - Third Roman civil war between the assassins of Caesar (led by Cassius and Brutus) and Caesar's heirs, Octavian and Mark Antony.
43 - Octavian, Antony and Lepidus form the second triumvirate.
36 - Antony's Parthian campaign ends in failure.
32 - End of peaceful relations between Octavian and Antony.
31 - In the battle of Actium, Octavian decisively defeats Antony and Cleopatra.
30 - Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide. Egypt becomes a Roman province.
27 - End of the Republic and beginning of the Roman Empire. Octavian is now called Augustus Caesar and becomes the sole ruler of Rome.
 
63Fall of Jerusalem.
37 - Herod the Great is appointed ruler of Judea by Rome.
c. 20 B.C. - Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, is born.
18 B.C. - Herod, desirous of gaining the favor of the Jews, begins work to restore and expand Jerusalem's temple, which had laid unfinished for about five hundred years.
10 B.C. - Agrippa I (known as Herod Agrippa in the New Testament), grandson of Herod of Great, is born.
c. 4 B.C. - Herod the Great dies in Jericho and is buried in Herodium, Judea. Herod Antipas, Herod the Great's son, becomes tetrarch of Galilee and Perea.
 
 
 
 
 
Additional Bible Study Materials
Which Roman Emperor BEGAN
the persecution of Christians?
Who are the GREATEST
Empires in World History?
Which RARE, exotic animals were used
in the arena to entertain Romans?
What ROMAN ROAD
helped build the Empire?
How many times has
Rome ATTACKED Jerusalem?
 
 
 
 
* Date ranges for the Kings of Israel and Judah taken from the book The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings  by Edwin R. Thiele. Dates for Rome and events occurring in the Roman Empire taken from Wikipedia and other sources.
** Overlapping dates for kings usually occurs when a son sits on the throne with his father.
 
 
   
 
 

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