Introduction

Since we have a good number of points to present the ages before the time of Christ in a different context as most books or magazines on history will tell it, we shall demonstrate in a hopefully, easy to follow format the key points of the history of the Bible Lands this way. In doing so we shall begin with the more firmly defendable events and their participants.

Starting with the time of King Saul

The Biblical framework of this portion of World History is presented as follows:

1. The 430 years of the Promise of God to Abraham to make his descendants into a great nation (ca. 1875-1445), Joseph.
   
2. The 480 years from the Exodus (-1445) to the start of the time of King David and King Solomon and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem (-965) and the plundering of it by Shishak.
   
3. The 20 Generations.
   
4. After the period of the Judges and the Amalekites came the period of the Kings of the 12 tribes of Israel from Saul to Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
   
5. The period of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin from the time of Asa to Zedekiah.
   
6. The period of the 10 tribes from Jeroboam to Hoshea.
   
7. The 490 years from the Decree of the Persian King to the accomplishment of the Mission of the Messiah.
   
8. The start of the 2300 years from the Decree of the Persian King to `the Cleansing of the Sanctuary.'

623 -- The later prophet and statesman Daniel is born.

608 -- King Josiah of Judah is fatally wounded in the field of battle against Pharaoh Necho/Ramses II near Megiddo.

605 -- First invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans, a priestly caste (Hattusilis), taking a smaller group of captives among which were Daniel and his 3 friends and Temple treasures.; Daniel 1:1,2.
Pharaoh Necho/Ramses II campaigns against Hattusilis/Nebuchadnezzar of one of his pre-Babylon capitals Kadesh/Carchemish, but the effort is a loss to him.

598 -- Second invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans taking the last larg group of exiles, together with the remaining Temple treasures to Babylon, the capital of idolatry, 800 miles away.
Time of the Babylonian wise men, among them the astronomer Nabu-rimannus and Kidinnu. The former collected records covering 200 yrs and compiled tables of the sun' motions in relation to the moon. He also calculated the daily revolutions of the earth and measured the length of the year as 365 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes, 41 seconds. 2000 years later it was determined that his year was 26 minutes, 55 seconds too long. - - A little over 100 yrs later Kidinnu made similar tables. - - Daniel was made the head of all these Babylonian scientists because of his astute honesty, humbleness, wisdom and knowledge.

553 -- Nabonidus makes Belshazzar coregent of the Empire.

539 -- The Medo-Persians conquer Babylon.

536 -- First Persian decree by Cyrus allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem. Few go.
519 -- Second proclamation by Darius allowing Jews to return
525 -- Cambyses II invades Egypt, sends 50,000 to Siwa but they al perish in s desert dust storm.

457 -- Decree by Artaxerxes Longimanus allowing rebuilding and restoration of the Temple of Jerusalem.

331 -- Cyrus looses the battle of Gaugamela (Arbela) against Alexander the Great.

323 -- Alexander the Great dies in Babylon. His friend Perdiccas asks, who will inherit the kingdom? Alexander replies: `The strongest.' - - Prophecy carefully describes the events following the demise of the Greek goat, saying, "And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven." Daniel 8:9,10, and then he ". . . shall destroy the mighty and the holy people," and "he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes." Dan. 8:24,25. 301 -- Alexander's four generals: Lysimachus, Ptolemy, Seleucus and Cassandra divide up the empire.

168 -- June 22, the battle of Pydnia.

164 -- Death of Antiochus Eiphanes.

65 an 63 -- Rome conqueres Syria.
30 -- Rome makes Egypt its province.