A Broad Swath of Key Ancient Dates Relevant to Our Readings
c. 3500-2500 BC
c. 3500 BC
c. 4,000-2700 BC
c. 3150-31 BC
c.2700 BC |
Proto-“Greeks” leave Caucasus and Anatolian Plain to invade the Peloponnese peninsula and islands, what will later become known as "Greece"
Beginnings of Minoan culture/empire
Invention of writing, Mesopotamia
Egyptian Empire
Gilgamesh: Historical Events Occur; King Gilgamesh unites Sumeria/Mesopotamia (Iraq) |
2150 BC
c.2000-1900 BC |
Oldest extant copy of Sumerian creation myth; this contains the flood story, retold in The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Narration set down in writing on clay tablets |
c. 1850 BC |
Abraham journeys from Sumeria to Caanan (Israel) |
c. 1760 c. 1700 BC |
Children of Israel arrive in Egypt |
c.2600-1400 BC
c. 1600-1100 BC (Bronze Age)
c. 1100-900 BC |
Minoan/Crete society flourishes
Mycenaen Greek society flourishes
Mycenaen Greek society “dark ages” |
1438 – 1347 BC |
Tutankhamon rules Egypt |
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c.1500-1200 BC |
Israelites flee Egypt, Moses at Sinai (Egypt)
Illiad/Odyssey/Trojan War: Historical Events Occur (N. Turkey) |
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1010-970 BC |
King David rules United Israel |
970-931 BC |
King Solomon rules. Stories of what will become the Torah begin to be collected |
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c.800 BC |
Illiad/Odyssey/Trojan War: Narration originally set down in writing by "Homer" |
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721 BC 597 BC
586 BC 538-539 BC |
Northern Judea captured by Assyrians Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem and sends enslaved Jews to Babylon Nebuchadnezzar levels temple. Persian Cyrus defeats Babylon, frees Jews, returns stolen religious artifacts |
469-399 BC 427-327 BC |
Socrates Plato |
384-322 BC |
Aristotle
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356-323 BC
c. 150 - 70 BC |
Alexander the Great's Empire; Hellenistic culture spreads
Greeks conquer and occupy "Israel"
Oldest fragments of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: Dead Sea Scrolls |
c. 70 BC |
Rome captures Jerusalem |
Birth of Jesus
c. 30 AD |
Crucifixion of Jesus |
c. 70 AD |
Rome destroys the second Temple; Jewish Diaspora |
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570 - 632 |
Mohammed, Mecca (Saudi Arabia): Writing of the Koran |
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c. 500 - 600 |
Beowulf setting, S. Scandanavia |
c. 700 - 800 |
Beowulf composed/set down in writing, England |
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