Timeline of the Hebrew Bible and the Roman Christian Church
c.2100 BCE |
Calling of Abraham - the Father of the ancient Biblical Nation of Israel |
c.2000 BCE |
Birth of Jacob, later to be called Israel. The twelve tribes of Israel are named after Jacob's sons. |
c.1900 BCE |
Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt. Israelites eventually become captives in the land. |
c.1446 or 1290 BCE |
The Exodus begins. Led by Moses, the Israelites leave Egypt and eventually settle in Canaan. |
c.1010 BCE |
David becomes king of Israel, making Jerusalem his capital. |
c.970 BCE |
David's son Solomon becomes king. He later builds a temple in Jerusalem to honor God. |
c.930 BCE |
Following Solomon's death, the Kingdom is divided into two sections: Northern (Israel) and Southern (Yahud). |
753 BCE |
Traditional date for the founding of Rome. |
721 BCE |
Fall of the kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians. |
612 BCE |
Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, falls to the Babylonians. |
586 BCE |
Babylonians take Jerusalem and destroy Solomon's temple. Yahudi nation is taken into captivity in Babylon (the exile). |
538 BCE |
Return of some of the exiles. Start of reconstruction of the temple. |
512 BCE |
Completion of the rebuilt temple. |
330 BCE |
Conquest by Alexander the Great. Rise of Hellenism (Greek culture). |
250 BCE |
Work begins to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. This is known as the Septuagint or LXX. |
63 BCE |
Roman rule of Israel begins. |
4 BCE |
Birth of Yahshua (aka Jesus) in Bethlehem. |
30 CE |
Execution of Yahshua (aka Jesus) a Messiah for insurrection |
33 |
Pentecost
and the coming of the Holy breath?? (Acts 2). |
33 |
Stephen - First Christian martyr (Acts 7). |
48 |
Council
of Jerusalem (Acts 15). |
62-65 |
Martyrdom of James, (real name Yacob) "The Lord's Brother". |
64 65-68 |
Rome burns under Nero – he blames the Christians, many are killed. Apostle Peter and Paul/Saul are martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. |
68-69
70 |
Approximate date of the book of Revelation written (by an unknown John)
Jewish rebellion against the Roman empire ends. Destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by Rome. |
From 70 |
Centre of Christianity moves to Antioch, Alexandria and Rome. |
144
|
A hearing took place before the clergy of the congregations in Rome. Marcion a Greek presents his Compiled Greek Testament, his theology and money to fund it, but it was rejected as having too many monstrous views by the presbyters. He was formally excommunicated – his money returned. A new Greek collection begins in earnest by the Roman Church, to replace Marcion’s collection. |
161-180 |
Widespread
persecution of Christians under Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. |
301 |
Armenia becomes world's first country to officially adopt a form of Christianity as the state religion. |
312 |
Roman
emperor Constantine receives a vision of a flaming cross with the words |
313 |
Edict of Milan issued by Constantine - Christianity becomes a legal religion within the Roman empire. |
325 |
Constantine calls the first ecumenical council at Nicea. Arian heresy which declared Christ was a created being is refuted. The Nicene Creed is drawn up, declaring Christ to be "...Begotten, not made; and of one essence with the Father..." |
331
367 |
Euebius arranges for scribes to produce 50 copies of the compiled work to date of the agreed “New Testimonie” writings, to be sent to Constantine. This is the first mention of “the New Christian Testament” in the historical records. Saint Athanasius is the first to list all 27 approved New Testament books in his festal letter. |
381 |
Ecumenical Council at Constantinople revises the Nicene creed to its current form. |
382 |
Saint Jerome begins a translation of the Bible into Latin. |
397 |
Synod at Carthage ratifies the 27 books of the Catholic New Testament as their sacred scripture. |
431 |
An Ecumenical council is held at Ephesus that refutes Nestorianism. The doctrine that Messiah (Christ) was two persons (one human, the other divine) - but in one body is established; Mary is declared Theotokos i.e. 'a God-bearer' or more commonly, known as 'Mother of God'. |
449 |
At Ephesus, Pope Leo I delivers his 'Tome', defending orthodox Christian belief. Leo also asserts Papal supremacy. |
451 |
Ecumenical council at Chalcedon affirms Christ as having two distinct natures united in one person (known as the 'Hypostatic Union'). |
553 |
Ecumenical council at Constantinople affirms teaching of previous councils. |
563 |
Columba establishes a monastery at Iona. |
589 |
Insertion of the filioque (Latin: 'and the son') into the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed at a council in Toledo. |
597 |
Following a mission authorized by Pope Gregory I, St. Augustine becomes the first Archbishop of Canterbury. |
664 |
Synod of Whitby ratifies the authority of the Pope in England. |
680-81 |
Ecumenical council at Constantinople rejects Monothelite heresy of one will in Christ. |
731 |
Bede writes his Ecclesiastical History. |
787 |
Ecumenical council at Nicea ends the controversy over the use of icons in worship. |
800 |
Charlemagne is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III. |
988 |
Conversion of Prince Vice Imir in Kiev. Growth of Christianity in Russia. |
1054 |
Great Schism - Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic churches separate. |
1095 |
Pope Urban II authorizes the first CrusCEe to recover the Holy Land from Moslems. |
1099 |
Crusaders conquer Jerusalem. |
1182 |
Massacre of Latin inhabitants of Constantinople. |
1187 |
Jerusalem recaptured by a Moslem army led by Salin. |
1189 |
Third Crusade led by Richard the Lionhearted of England. |
1204 |
Sack of Constantinople during the fourth crusade. |
1216/23 |
Papal approval of the Dominican and Franciscan mendicant ('begging') orders. |
1266-73 |
Thomas Aquinas writes his great work of systematic Theology: Summa Theologiae. |
1305 |
Papacy moved to Avignon following a dispute with Philip IV of France. |
1341 |
Defense of Orthodox spirituality by Gregory Palamas. Rise of Hesychasm. |
1376 |
John Wycliffe writes 'Civil Dominion', arguing for reform of the church. |
1378 |
Following the return of the Papacy to Rome, rival claimants (Antipopes) emerge. Dispute ends in 1417 with election of Martin V. |
1380 |
John Wycliffe translates the Bible into Middle English. |
1453 |
Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Turks. |
1517 |
Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany; beginning the Protestant reformation. |
1521 |
Diet of Worms - Luther's final breach with the Catholic church. |
1525 |
William Tyndale completes his translation of the Bible into English. |
1534 |
Ignatius of Loyola founds the Jesuits. |
1534 |
Act of Supremacy passed - Henry VIII becomes supreme leader of the English church. |
1536 |
John Calvin publishes his Institutes of the Christian Religion. |
1545-63 |
Council of Trent - Roman Catholic counter reformation. |
1549 |
Thomas Cranmer publishes the Book of Common Prayer in England (later revised in 1662). |
1555 |
Peace of Augsburg ends religious wars in Germany. |
1611 |
Publication of the King James Version of the Bible. |
1618-48 |
Protestant/Catholic conflict in Germany (Thirty Years War). |
1730-60 |
The 'Great Awakening' - A revival movement among Protestants in the USA. |
1738 |
John and Charles Wesley converted. They lead an Evangelical revival in England and form the Methodist church. |
1854 |
Dogma of the Immaculate conception of Mary proclaimed by the Roman Catholic church. |
1870-1 |
First Vatican council. Dogma of Papal infallibility proclaimed. |
1906 |
Azusa street revival in Los Angeles. Beginnings of the Pentecostal movement. |
1910 |
World mission conference held in Edinburgh. |
1918 |
Billy Graham born. Later becomes one of the most prominent evangelists in Christian history. |
1948 |
Formation of the World Council of Churches. |
1950 |
Dogma of the Assumption of Mary proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church. |
1962-5 |
Second
Vatican council. Major reforms in the Roman Catholic church are initiated. |
1997 |
Death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta - founder of the 'Missionaries of Charity'. |
1999 |
Signing of the Joint Declaration on Justification by the Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches. |
2005 |
Death of Pope John Paul II, who is succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI. |
2006 |
World Methodist Council CE opts the Lutheran/Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification. |
2011 |
Beatification of Pope John Paul II. |
2013 |
Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who is succeeded by Pope Francis. |