Biblical Timeline
Key events from Creation to the Early Church
The Exile
605-538 BCE
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took the first group of captives to Babylon, including the young Daniel and his companions. This began the Babylonian exile prophesied by Jeremiah.
Destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's army breached the walls of Jerusalem after an 18-month siege, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and deported most of the surviving population to Babylon. The Lachish Letters preserve correspondence from Judah's final days. Jeremiah had warned of this destruction for decades.
Ezekiel's Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones
God set Ezekiel down in a valley full of dry bones and asked: 'Son of man, can these bones live?' Ezekiel prophesied as commanded. The bones came together, sinew and flesh covered them, and breath entered them — they stood as a vast army. God explained: these bones represent the whole house of Israel who say 'our hope is lost.' God would open their graves and bring them back to their land.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace
King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden image and commanded all to bow before it. Three Jewish exiles — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — refused. They told the king: 'our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.' They were thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. Nebuchadnezzar saw four men walking unharmed in the fire.
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Under King Darius, Daniel's rivals conspired to make prayer to anyone but the king punishable by death. Daniel continued praying three times daily toward Jerusalem. He was thrown into a den of lions. The king spent a sleepless night and rushed to the den at dawn. Daniel was unharmed: 'My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths.' His accusers were then thrown in and immediately killed.
Fall of Babylon to Persia — Belshazzar's Feast
King Belshazzar of Babylon held a great feast using the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem Temple. A hand appeared and wrote on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. Daniel interpreted: God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and finished it; he had been weighed and found wanting; his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That very night Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took the kingdom.
6 events · Sources: Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts