The Judges Period in Israel This chart is based on Andrew Steinmann, "The Mysterious Numbers of the Book of Judges," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 48/3 (2005): 491-500. CANAAN 1420 EGYPT Moses 1527-1406 Amenhotep II 1425-1400 Judges 1-2 Berlin ‘Israel’ inscription 1400 Joshua and the elders 1406-1379 Amenhotep III 1390-1353 1380 1378-1371 Cushan-rishathaim Soleb inscription, 'Shasu of Yahveh' Judges 3 1360 Othniel 1371-1332 Judges 19-21? Akhenaten 1353-1336 1340 Tutankhamun 1336-1324 1332-1315 Eglon of Moab 1320 1300 18th Dynasty Ehud, Shamgar 1315-1236 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19th Dynasty 1280 II AgeLateBronze Seti I 1290-1279 Amarah inscription, 1260 'Shasu of Yahveh' Ramesses II 1279-1213 1240 1236-1217 Jabin of Hazor 1220 Merneptah 1213-1203 Merneptah inscription, Judges 4-5 ‘Israel is laid waste’ Deborah & Barak 1217-1178 1200 19th Dynasty Judges 17-18? - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20th Dynasty 1180 1178-1172 Midianites Judges 6-8 1160 Gideon 1172-1133 Ruth? 1140 Judges 9 Abimelech 1133-1131 Tola 1131-1109 1120 Judges 10 Jair 1109-1088 1100 Eli 1109-1068 IronI Age Judges 11-12 Jephthah 1088-1083 1080 1088-1071 Ammonites 20th Dynasty Ibzan 1083-1077 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Elon 1077-1068 21st Dynasty Judges 13-16 Abdon, Samson 1068-1061 1060 1088-1049 Philistines 1 Sam 1-9 Samuel 1060-1031 1040 1 Sam 10-31 Saul 1048-1010 1020 1000 2 Sam 1-24 David 1010-970 980 Solomon 970-931 Siamun 973-954 IronII Age The Judges Period in Israel Samson was one of the last judges of Israel. He lived during the 40-year Philistine oppression (Judges 13:1) and judged Israel for twenty years (Judges 15:20). His life likely overlapped those of Eli, Samuel, and Saul, and he would not have predated David by much. Ammonite Oppression 1088-1071 Jephthah Elon Jair 1088-1083 Ibzan 1077-1068 Abdon 1109-1088 1083-1077 1068-1061 Samson uncertain dates Philistine Oppression 1088-1049 1100 1090 1080 1070 1060 1050 1040 1030 1020 1010 1000 Eli 1099-1060 Samuel 1060-1031 Saul 1048-1010 David 1010-970 The overlap of the Ammonite and Philistine oppressions is indicated by Judg 10:7. Judges 10:7 And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. 8 And they afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. Judges 13:1 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord , so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years. II 359 - 404 400 Artaxerxes 404 - Malachi 423 Darius II Darius Nehemiah Nehemiah Ezra I return of return – 423 - 445 return of return 465 – Artaxerxes , Joshua , 458 Exile & Return Sheshbazzar Zerubbabel 465 - Esther 486 Xerxes I Xerxes temple rebuilt temple 500 486 – - 522 - 522 Darius I Darius 516 Zechariah Haggai - 522 530 – – 520 first return, temple foundation laid laid foundation temple return, first – Gaumata 530 - Cambyses Cyrus 539 538 560 - 556 539 556 - - - 561 Ezekiel 555 559 Nabonidus – – Marduk - Daniel Marduk - Daniel Neriglissar Labashi sacked Amel third deportation, Jerusalem deportation, third – 562 - second deportation deportation second 605 587 Ezekiel – first deportation deportation first Jeremiah – Nebuchadnezzar 597 600 605 486 - 510 516 Darius I 521 I Darius - rebuilt rebuilt Temple Temple 520 522 AGGAI 520 H ECHARIAH Z Smerdis 522 - 529 Cambyses Cambyses 530 530 - 536 end, the of Vision Dan 10 Dan - 12 1 return, led by by led return, Sheshbazzar , 538 , Dan 9 9 Dan Prayer, 70 Prayer, - 7s, 538 7s, st Dan 6 6 Dan laid foundation Temple Cyrus 539 Cyrus 538 Den, Lion’s Kings of Persia Kings of Dan 5 5 Dan Writing on wall on Writing 540 539 - 536 - 556 556 Vision of ram & goat, 551 goat, & ram of Vision Belshazzar 553 Belshazzar 550 Vision of four beasts, 553 beasts, four of Vision Nabonidus Dan 7 Dan - 8 marduk - 557 - Labashi 559 usur - 560 560 - shal - 561 Nergal DANIEL marduk - Amel The tree dream, c 571 c dream, tree The 570 Dan 4 Dan Life of Life Daniel in Egypt in 562 - refugees 580 against Prophecy Prophecy Jer 44 Forced flight to Egypt, 585 Egypt, to flight Forced Fiery furnace, c 585 c furnace, Fiery Dan 3 Dan 3 Deportation, 587 Deportation, rd 587 - Nebuchadnezzar 605 Nebuchadnezzar ZEKIEL E 590 EREMIAH J Zedekiah 597Zedekiah 2 Deportation, 597 Deportation, Message to exiles, 597 exiles, to Message nd Jer 29 597 - 598 - 600 The statue dream, 603 dream, statue The 608 Dan 2 Dan 609 Dan 1 Dan Prophecy of captivity, 605 captivity, of Prophecy 1 Deportation, 605 Deportation, 609 st Jer 25 Jehoiachin Jehoiakim Jehoahaz 610 605 609 - - 625 Nabopolassar Kings of Judah Kings of Kings of Babylon of Kings Josiah 641 Josiah 620 Babylon to Alexander What happened to Alexander’s empire after he died? Daniel 11:1 "And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him. 2 "And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. 3 "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 "But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded; for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them. Perdiccas, 323-320 Antigonus (w estern Asia Minor) 288-285 Antipater (Macedonia) 301, after Ipsus Lysimachus (Anatolia, Thrace) Archon (Babylon) Lysimachus (Anatolia, Thrace) Ptolemy (Egypt) Asander (Caria) Ptolemy (Egypt) Seleucus (Babylonia, N. Syria) Atropates (northern Media) 315-311 Seleucus (Babylonia, N. Syria) Eumenes (Cappadocia, Pontus) Cassander vs. 318-316 Cassander (Macedonia) Laomedon (Syria) Lysimachus Antigonus Demetrius (Cyprus, Tyre, Demetrius (Macedonia, Cyprus, Leonnatus (Phrygia) Ptolemy Cassander Sidon, Agaean islands) Tyre, Sidon, Agaean islands) Lysimachus (Thrace) Peithon Seleucus Menander (Lydia) Ptolemy Bythinia Olympias (Epirus) vs. Bythinia Seleucus Epirus Epirus Peithon (southern Media) Antigonus Greece Greece Philippus (Bactria) vs. Aristodemus Heraclean kingdom Heraclean kingdom Ptolemy (Egypt) Demetrius Eumenes Paeonia Paeonia Stasanor (Aria) Nearchus Olympias Pontus Pontus and others . Peithon Polyperchon Rhodes Rhodes 330 320 310 300 290 280 270 260 250 Antipater, 320-319 Alcetas and Attalus (Pisidia ) Antigenes (Susiana) Antigonus (army in Asia) Arrhidaeus (Phrygia) Cassander (chiliarch) Cleitus (Lydia) 250 Laomedon (Syria) Antigonus II Gonatas (Macedonia) Antiochus II (Asia, Syria, Babylonia) Menander (2nd under Kings of 307 281 Ptolemy II (Egypt) Antigonus) Peace of 311 Cassander (Macedonia) Antigonus II Gonatas (Macedonia) Nicanor (Cappadocia) Antigonus (Asia) Lysimachus (Thrace) Antiochus I (Babylonia, northern Syria) Bactria Olympias (Epirus) Cassander (Macedonia) Ptolemy (Egypt) Ptolemy II (Egypt ) Peithon (eastern satrapies) Bythinia Lysimachus (Thrace) Seleucus (Babylon) Epirus Peucestas (Persis &Susiana) Ptolemy (Egypt) Bythinia Philippus (Parthia) vs. Greece Epirus Heraclean kingdom Ptolemy (Egypt) excluded - Antigonus (Asia) Greece Paeonia Seleucus (Babylon) Polyperchon (Corinth) Demetrius (Asia co-ruler) Heraclean kingdom Stasander (Aria) Parthia Seleucus (Babylon) Paeonia Pergamum Stasanor (Bactria) Greece Pontus and others . Pontus Greece Paeonia Rhodes Rhodes Contrary to popular perception, Alexander’s empire was not split into four kingdoms or among four of his generals (contra NIRV “It will be divided up into four parts”). Rather, the phrase “to the four points of the compass” (NAS) or “to the four winds of heaven” (ESV) is a common biblical and ANE expression that indicates the empire will be fragmented in all directions. Intertestamental Rulers of Palestine After the return from Babylonian captivity, the land of Israel, now called “Judea” was administered by the Persian Empire. This empire was conquered by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. Upon his death, Judea became a province under the rule of the Ptolemies in Egypt, although the region was contested by the northern kingdom of the Seleucids. The land came under Seleucid rule after the Battle of Panium in 198 BC. The offensive activities of Antiochus IV Epiphanies sparked the Maccabean Revolt in 167. 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 BC AD 20 Ptolemaic Rule 63 Pompey Seleucids conquers Jerusalem 198 Antiochus II 142 Independence Alexander the Great defeats Ptolemy V of the Jews Roman Rule Maccabees Herodian Dynasty 167 Maccabean Revolt Priests Sadducees Pharisees Hasidim Essenes 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 BC AD 20 This period also saw the birth of several religious groups that appear in the NT but are not known at the close of the OT. These include the sects of the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Sadducees seem to have arisen from the priestly class, while the Pharisees appear to have come from a pietistic group with uncertain roots during the intertestamental period. 539 - Medes & Persians 333 - Alexander the Great Jerusalem Destroyed - 70 sack Babylon 167 - Maccabean Revolt 63 - Pompey’s Invasion 600 500 400 300 200 100 BC/AD 100 Babylonian Persian Hellenistic Hasmonean Herodian Roman Maccabean Rulers 170 Mattathias - "King" Judas Maccabeus 160 167 - 166 - High