A Timeline of Ancient Religious History Knowledge and Myth Sources: Dr. Ehrman, Dr. Coggan (Prof. Religious Studies UCD), The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, A History of Israel, and other sources recommended by Dr. Coggan

Remember, other than 35,000 BCE, which can be carbon-dated, all dates are approximate since all kingdoms had their own way of dating and even when recording the same event, don’t give it the same date. Dating was not as important to them as to us. The cycles of the moon, the years of a dynasty, etc., were important. Nor did they record the same events similarly so that we know that they were the same events because they used different names for each other, and, just as today, The winners wrote history and often ignored or destroyed what they didn’t like

35,000 BCE 7,000 BCE (Neolithic Era) Writing invented Evidence of Shamnism & Agricultural cultures worshipped Goddess 2800 BCE Sumeria, The Great Goddess in cave paintings, religion (Paganism) Killed the King, Fertility Rites Egypt, Chin (2200), Statues, burials, etc. Throughout Europe Priestess & son/husband that is the dying/rising god, Pakistan/Harrappa but Belief in Animism. Worshipped at first the crops. Split to 2 figures: Life giver & Death dealer, then we can’t read it. All poly- animals & spirits & birth 3 figures: Virgin, Mother, Crone, & then a 4th sometimes: Virgin, theistic: worship many Gods Lover, Mother, Crone. Theory: Nomads Male Gods & Goddesses combined the but we don’t know much about because they were nomads Male & Female traditions Those in harsh climates had fearful harsh GODS Creator, Sun Male Female: .In medium climates, they had more mild Gods Earth-Mother, Areas: (Pakistan Example, many American Indians & African tribes Harrappa, 3500-1500), China Have shamans, male gods, some female & value life (2200) Europe, Egypt(4- 1000) Sumeria 3500-2400), , The Prophets in Ancient Israel sky, Gods. Father spirit Storm. . (1000 BCE Tried to suppress Polytheism but didn’t succeed until around/after Jesus} Many, including Romans, believed in Local spirits: Animism. It survived & so did Shamans.

2400-530 BCE 2600-2400 BCE 1400 BCE Evidence of the Semite Epic Gilgamesh— w/ flood story First Monotheism in Egypt. Tribes invading Mesopotamia that ends up in Old Test. as Noah Sun God Lasted only the life (Iran, Iraq, area of Tigris & & the Ark. First known wrtg that of that Pharaoh. Then Euphrates rivers, the area of the rebels against killing the King went back to Polytheism. Middle East today) in the Goddess tradition of dying/rising God They had a dying/rising God Akkadians, Old Babylonians, Ammorites, Subversive Literature myth (Osiris, Isis & son Horus) Cannaanites, Assyrians, Bablylonians from before & after this Pharaoh Babylon. Assyrians: (Ishtar & Tammuz, dying Rising god myth). Sea serpent, Sun god, Father God, etc. Babylonians: same gods, top was a tribal war god. Cannaanites: tribal war god who dies & rises, sea Monster, animism, etc. Assyrians—Assur top god, Babylonians—Marduk top god, Cannaanite—Baal, Israelites—Yahweh. Note: Israelites aren’t listed As one of the large conquering tribes Hindu goes from at least 2000 BCE into 500 BCE. W/ some changes after Buddha. Today some 900 million followers Compassionate Gods, no punishment. They also have a dying/rising religious cycle

Old Hebrew/Jewish timeline of some of Old Testament 1250-950 BCE 850 BCE 750-650 BCE 600-520s BCE Moses & 10 Commandments? With death of great king Solomon Assyrians conquer Babylon conquers Prophets telling Jews to worship 10 tribes of Israel split in the North They disperse the 10 Destroy temple in Only Yahweh, so we know they were & 2 in the South (Juda) 2nd known northern tribes. Fall Judah. Take leaders worshipping other gods/goddesses. First scrolls that get in Torah/OT . Josiah King in 612 into exile. Write the “P” Jewish scrolls (“J” text) to get in Torah, OT (“E” text) King Omri and King Ahab of doc. As Jehu, Son of Omri text for priest text group (Old Testament) 1210-1213 1st mention of Israel against Moab victories recorded in being defeated. written Israel outside Bible by King Merneptah of Egypt 850 against the King of Moab, a neighboring in a campaign against Canaan. They’re not a region. Also Judah in South splits from Israel Kingdom but recognized as a nomadic people living in the South. 10 tribes Israel & 2 in Judah in Canaan 950 BCE Tribal confederacy w/ Egypt's victory over King Rehoboam in about 925 at time Bible has Solomon’s temple destroyed. Archaeology Shows no large kingdom & temple made by group that ruled before Doesn’t seem to be any outside evidence for Solomon or David as Kings but remember, if they weren’t a threat or well known, there wouldn’t be even if they were very important to Jewish history. A small kingdom definitely existed at least from early 900 BCE –750 BCE & beyond as they were ruled by others but kept kingdom or were at constant war, winning some & losing some.

The Big Period of Change called The Axial Age—800-300 BCE 800-500 BCE 600-350 BCE 750-550 600-500 600-300 India Birth of Philosophy, Greek philosophy Israel the Prophets Persia Zoroastrianism China Philosophy birth Great Hindu 2nd texts. Born, beg. of Science of O.T. Classical Prophet Zarathustra Confucius, 100 Hinduism peaks. Buddha Plato influenced by Buddhist Judaism. Canaan God some say older, 1000 schools of thought Born. Jainism also born Monks? & believes ReincarnationEl (elohim = gods) 2nd Monotheism but really eventually Taoism & other Eastern ideas. Unites w/ classic tribal Classic Dualism Also has myth of humans as war god, Yaweh & get source of Apocalyptic thinking Jewish & Christian originally being 2 in 1 (like Hindu) “henoism” 1 god while good/evil, heaven/hell Similar to Jewish mystics. Who believing in others. influenced who? Probably Eastern to Greece to Jews.

Back to Judaism and into Christianity

500-400 BCE 331-100 163 63 0-100CE Persia conquers Babylon Alexander conquers Greek O.T. written Rome conquers And Judah. Lets Jews/Rabbis Persia. Jews become influenced Judeah Go back to Jerusalem. Wisdom by Greeks. Influenced by Zoroaster Literature written. 400 temple apocalyptic ideas, later purged except Rebuilt. 1st nonsemites Book of Daniel. Gradually El (Canaan God) Elohim = gods Book of Job 400 set. No more & Yaweh (Hebrew God) become 1. Jewish Monotheism Changes though poetry part is started under Moses takes hold. Moses Ancient. 3rd surviving piece of probably got idea from Egypt. Ancient subversive literature Book of Daniel apocalyptic written to confirm the faith under invaders

Development of Christian Writings c. 0 BCE c. 30 BCE c. 50s CE c. 66-70 CE post 70 CE Date given for Christ’s Crucified by the Beginning of Paul’s Jews Rebel against Gospel according to Birth Romans letters. He wrote almost Rome. Jerusalem destroyed Mark. Not Jesus’ apostle 1/2 what is in the NT though Temple Herod the Great built All gospels anonymous several letters, the Book of Acts, destroyed. Jews dispersed. In Greek a Pagan. & Bk of Hebrews said written by No evidence of massacre re Never met Jesus. him we know are forgeries. children looking for Jesus in Probably a Jew, but wrote for Bible Pagans. Crafted the interpretation Of Jesus’ death & founded churches. Never met Jesus

70-80 CE c. 85-90 c. After 90 c. 100 c. 95- 100 “Deutero-Pauline Gospel according Gospel according to Gospel according Book of Revelations Writings” Paul To Luke. Never met Jesus Mathew. Never met Jesus .to John. The most forgeries Written in Greek Written in Greek removed from the times II Thessalonians 85-90, Bk of Hebrews Ephesians attributed to Paul Colossians

312 CE 320? CE 325 CE

Constantine, Roman Emperor, Edict of Milan Council of Nicaea won a decisive battle to recombine allowing Christians freedom to worship Voted on the concept of the Roman Empire supposedly after and recover property from the government the trinity & rejected idea of Jesus seeing a figure in the sky with an X above as being partly human. Any who the sun. He claimed it was Jesus & converted believed that after the council were to Christianity but continued Pagan practices, excommunicated & later killed for their including an arch to Mithras, the sun god & belief. Constantine also commissioned 50 changing the Sabbath to the Sun’s day, Sunday bibles. What went into them was voted on. to worship. He also made Christ’s bday be on It no longer exists except in part in the Grk Dec. 25, the winter solstice instead of in June. Did Orthodox church. The Roman Catholic use Not get baptized till on death bed. A different one.

Late 400s CE 570-632 CE 700sCE 777 CE Constantine had over 3000 Mohammed’s life approx. Arabs conquered Palestine Charlemagne conquered Saxons. Christians Executed because Dates. As soon as he Didn’t interfere w/ Christian or Jews Option to convert to Christianity or die, their views Of Christianity didn’t died, Muslims started pilgrims or worship. Muslims, They chose to die. He beheaded 4500 in agree w/ his. He killed more than conquering Magyars & Vikings cont. invading One morning. Christians under Romans Jews the chosen weren’t killed. Muslims said not convert by sword but to rule by sword OK. They did both

Wars of the Christians and the Muslims: the Holy Wars

1071 1095-1099 1099 1147-1149 Fall basically of Byzantine 1st crusade by Pope Christians took Jer. Co-existed in Holy Land Empire to Muslims to help Byzantium slaughtered the Jews til Muslims took a small town Though Grk. Orthodox keep their capitol. Called Pope Urban II had Edessa. Pope called for 2nd crusade The Roman Pope wanted Holy War. Killed Jews promised full penance & Also attacked Damascus. It back. Throughout Empire heaven to any who died This was the 2nd crusade & against Grk Orthodox Christians Wars among the Christians and against others. There were 9 major crusades & MANY small ones

1122 1187-1200s 1208-1249 1212 Christian crusaders slaughtered Egypt retook Jerusalem, the 5th crusade the children’s crusade Jews (women & children) in so Pope called for lasted decades & None reached the holy land Jerusalem & Muslims in a Holy the 3rd crusade was about polotics They were sold as slaves, settled Wars against infidels. Went to They didn’t reach the city. & heretical Christians down on the way, or died of hunger church & thanked God for his mercy. 1202 tried again w/ 4th Catholics to Southern France . crusade that ended up to kill Christian Cathars & Hijacked to capitol of gain control politically of region Constantinople to put a Grk Orthodox on throne. 1204 destroyed the city

1215-1219 1228 1478-1808, 1812-1834 1492-on 5th crusade to holy land Emperor Frederick II, the 1st Spanish Inquisition. Christians Indians killed in the name went through Egypt. Crusade not by a Pope Tortured Christians for not accepting of God. Est. 18 million on Haiti 1219 captured a city in negotiated to have 3 holy cities Official dogma. Includes inquisitions All killed by 1555 justified by Catholic Egypt. Pope urged them {Jerusalem, 1) delivered to in Peru & Mexico. In Spain, est. Church. Spain kicked out all Jews To take Cairo & the Nile the crusaders for 10 years Approx. 2-3,000 killed: Jews, Muslim While under Muslims, Jews Flooding meant surrender This was the 6th crusade & nonCatholics. accepted. 1248-54 7th crusade King Louis IX 1270, 8th crusade The 9th crusade in 1271. against Egypt a failure. Shepherd’s. King Louis IX again to help crusader King Edward I of England Crusade happened in 1251. In states In Syria. Ended up to Syria did nothing. in Tunis where Louis died.

The crusades officially lasted into the 1500s

Jews and the Crusades: The Crusaders' atrocities against Jews in the German and Hungarian towns, later also in those of France and England, and in the massacres of non-combatants in Palestine and Syria have become a significant part of the history of anti-Semitism. They ultimately resulted in excommunication and similar ecclesiastical penalties against their perpetrators, as no Crusade was declared against Jews, and left behind for centuries strong feelings of ill will on both sides. The social position of the Jews in western Europe was distinctly worsened, and legal restrictions increased during and after the Crusades. They prepared the way for the anti-Jewish legislation of Pope Innocent III and formed the turning-point in medieval anti-Semitism.

1562-’98 The Reformation 1618-1648 Protestants vs. Catholics religion as Roman Empire/ Spain the same) These are Germany (North Sea to the Called the French wars Med.) recognized Lutheran but & the Reformation wars Not Calvinism