JEWISH RELIGIOUS LAW (these dates overlap with the second timeline)

597-538 BCE  the leadership class of Judah and skilled classes are in exile in Babylon

597-538 BCE    prophets and elders led the exiles in Babylon

538 BCE    Some Judahites return to Judah (now called Judea), especially priests and major landholders

538 BCE - 140 onward    The highest Jewish official is the high priest. He is advised by a council of priests.

450 BCE    Ezra re-affirms the importance of Torah law for Judea, enlists teachers/scribes to teach the Torah to all

450 BCE onward      Jews base their knowledge of God’s will on their interpretation of Scripture.         There are some interpreters of Scripture who are particularly recognized for their expertise in different areas of religious law.  There are competing authorities for the correct interpretation of Scripture, and in certain periods this leads to actual competing religious factions and sometimes political-religious conflict. Agreement by most Jews that "the rabbis" have the final word on Jewish law is not reached until the 5^th century CE or a bit later!!

140-37 Hasmonean rulers are kings and high priests

100s BCE beginning of the recording of the teaching of the scribes/Pharisees that eventually are preserved in the Mishna

37 BCE onward Political ruler is separate from high priest; political ruler has power to appoint the high priests from the priestly families

200 CE the Mishna is completed

POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS EVENTS IN JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN HISTORY (these dates overlap with above)

333-332 BCE   Conquest of Judea by Alexander the Great

ca 300-198 BCE   Judea ruled by the Ptolemies of Egypt

198-140   Judea ruled by the Seleucids of Syria

----175-164 BCE Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), king of Syria, rules Judea

----167 BCE   desecration of Temple, beginning of the Hasmonean (Maccabean) revolt

----166-140    Maccabees re-dedicate Temple, struggle for full autonomy

140-37 BCE    Hasmonean dynasty rules Judea

----140 BCE    Romans (ascending power in the Mediterranean) approve Hasmonean rule

----63 BCE    struggle for succession of Hasmonean kingship leads to Roman conquest of Judea, and the Romans appoint successor king-high priest. Judea is now semi-independent, and rulers (king and high priest) are "client" rulers

37-4 BCE    Herod is appointed king, high priest is appointed by him

4 BCE - 6 CE    Romans appoint Herod’s son to rule Judea

4 BCE - 39 CE    Galilee is a separate province and is ruled by Herod’s son Antipas

ca 4 BCE Birth of Jesus of Nazareth

6 CE - 66 CE    Judea is governed by Roman prefects/procurators

ca 20s CE    John the Baptist gains a large following, then is executed by Herod’s son Antipas

ca 30 CE     Death of Jesus

mid-30s CE     Paul begins to preach about Jesus

37 CE    Birth of Josephus

66-74   Jewish revolt against Rome in Judea

70   Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple

80s    Followers of Jesus begin to record oral stories of Jesus into Greek gospels

early 80s    Josephus writes The Jewish War

115-117 CE   Jewish revolt against Rome in the Diaspora

132-135 CE    Jewish revolt against Rome in Judea (Bar Kokhba Revolt)

135-140 CE    Emperor Hadrian punishes Jews in Judea, outlaws Judaism there

140 Judaism becomes legal again

135 CE    Judea becomes a consular province called Palaestina, hereafter led by Roman governors drawn from the highest class of senatorial officials

200 CE     Mishna is completed. It contains earlier material by scribes/priests/Pharisees/sages about their interpretations of Scriptures and their understanding of God’s will.

200 CE - 600 CE    Mishna becomes the basis for discussions that are recorded

212 CE    Roman citizenship is conferred upon all free subjects of the Roman Empire

235-284    breakdown of authority in Roman Empire

284-305   Emperor Diocletian restores order. He persecutes Christians as an unlawful sect.

306-337   Emperor Constantine ruled the entire Roman Empire. He stops the persecution of Christians, and in 313 he begins to support Christianity: recognizes the privileges of the Christian clergy, convenes a worldwide Church Council in Nicea (325), and moves his capital to Byzantium. He converted to Christianity before his death.

200- 430    discussions on Mishna among Palestinian scholars are recorded in the Palestinian Talmud

200-600    discussions on Mishna among Babylonian scholars are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud