Religion 212, SECTION 3, ANNETTE Y. REED

October 5, 2001

Timeline for Christian Origins

All dates approximate

66 BCE – The Roman general Pompey conquers Jerusalem, bringing an end to the period of native rule under the Hasmonean Dynasty (i.e. the family of the Maccabees)

31 BCE – Fall of the Roman Republic; rise of the Roman Empire; Augustus (Octavian) first Emperor of Rome, confirms Herod as King of the Jews

4 BCE – Death of Herod

6 CE - Judea placed under direct Roman rule (i.e. ruled by Roman Procurators). When Judea becomes a Roman province, a census is taken in 6 or 7 CE (see Luke 2:2).

6 CE – Birth of Jesus of Nazareth

26-30 CE – Mission of John the Baptist

26-36 CE -- Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea

27/28 CE – Beginning of the Mission of Jesus of Nazareth

30 CE – Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

35-36 CE – The Pharisee Saul (a student of Rabbi Gamaliel) joins the Jesus Movement, after a revelation on the road to Tarsus, and becomes the Apostle Paul, begins his missionary activities to the gentiles

44-46 CE – Jewish messianic uprising against Rome lead by Theudas, who is then captured by the Romans and beheaded.

49-60 CE –Pauline Epistles written (earliest text in the NT = 1 Thessalonians)

52-60 CE – Numerous prophets cause social unrest in Judaea, including the “Egyptian”

60-65 CE – Death of Paul

64 CE – Great fire in Rome; Emperor Nero seems to have blamed and executed Christians

66-70 BCE – Jewish Revolt against Rome

70 CE – Roman Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple

70 CE – Gospel of Mark written

75-79 CE – In Rome, the Jewish historian Josephus writes his Jewish War; which includes the only non-Christian reference from this period to the activities of Jesus

80-85 CE – Gospel of Matthew , Gospel of Luke, and Acts written

90-110 CE – Gospel of John and Book of Revelation written

132-135 CE – Jewish messianic uprising lead by “Bar Kokhba,” brutally quelched by Rome

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367 CE – Canonization of the New Testament as we know it (27 books total)