| 538-333 B.C.E. |
Persian Period. |
| 538 B.C.E. |
Edict of Cyrus (first return from Exile). |
| 520-515 B.C.E. |
Jerusalem ("Second") Temple rebuilt. |
| 520 B.C.E. |
Judean Prophet Haggai. |
| 500 B.C.E. |
The notion of a Messiah,
a political/military-religious/moral leader, develops. |
| 450-400 B.C.E. |
Reformation led by Ezra and Nehemiah. |
| ca. 450 B.C.E. |
Torah (Pentateuch
= first division of Jewish Scriptures) begins to gain recognition
as Scripture. |
| 438 B.C.E. |
Achashverosh becomes king of Persia. |
| 426 B.C.E. |
First decrees by Haman; fast ordered by Esther, Haman's downfall
and execution. |
| 425 B.C.E. |
Haman's ten sons executed; Purim celebration. |
| 424 B.C.E. |
Megillah recorded. |
| 411 B.C.E. |
Bagoas, a Persian, is made governor of Jerusalem. |
| 333-63 B.C.E. |
Hellenistic (Greek)
period. |
| 333/331 B.C.E. |
Alexander the Great conquers the Land of Israel. |
| ca. 320-168 B.C.E. |
Judaism under Greek Ptolemies & Seleucids. |
| ca. 250 B.C.E. |
"Septuagint" translation of Torah into Greek. |
| ca. 230-146 B.C.E. |
Coming of Rome to the
east Mediterranean. |
| ca. 201 B.C.E. |
Prophets (second
division of Jewish Scriptures) recognized by some as Scripture |
| ca. 200 B.C.E.-135 C.E. |
Jewish Qumran community. |
| 175 B.C.E. |
Selicid, king of Syria, plunders Jerusalem,
murdering many. |
| 166-160 B.C.E. |
Jewish Maccabean revolt against restrictions on practice of Judaism and desecration of the Temple. |
| 142-129 B.C.E. |
Jewish autonomy under Hasmoneans. |
| 63 B.C.E. |
Rome (Pompey) annexes
the land of Israel. |
| 66-73 C.E. |
First Jewish Revolt against Rome. |
| 69 C.E. |
Vespasian gives Yochanan
ben Zakkai permission to establish a Jewish center for study
at Yavneh that will become the hub for rabbinic Judaism. |
| 70 C.E. |
Destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple. |
