A Historical Chronology of the Land of Israel
About 4000 years ago- Abraham arrives with his clan from Mesopotamia (a part of Iraq today) through Harran (today’s south-east Turkey).
1200 B.C- The exodus from Egypt led by Moses, the land of Canaan is conquered by the Israelites led by Joshua, and is settled by them.
1000 B.C– King David conquers Jerusalem, declares it as the capital of his kingdom and unites the 12 tribes of Israel.
980 B.C– King Salomon builds the First Temple.
980-586 B.C– The Period of the First Temple.
586 B.C– Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon conquers the Land of Israel, demolishes the Temple and exiles the Jews to Babylon.
516 B.C– Cyrus King of Persia beats the Babylonians, declares the Return to Zion and the Second Temple is built.
334 B.C– The Land of Israel is conquered by Alexander the Great- the Hellenistic Period.
167-63 B.C– Rule of the Jewish Kingdom of Hasmoneans.
63 B.C– The Land of Israel is conquered by the Romans empire , the beginning of Roman rule over the Land of Israel.
31 A.C– Jesus is crucified.
66-73 A.C– the Great revolt against the Romans and the fall of the Second Temple and Masada.
132-135 A.C– The Bar Kochba revolt and the fall of Judea.
200 A.C– The Mishna is sealed in Tzippori.
400 A.C– The Talmud is sealed.
634 A.C- The end of the Byzantine era and the conquering of the Land of Israel by the Muslims.
Arab Muslim rule over the Land of Israel.
1099 A.C– The crusaders conquer the Land of Israel begging a rule of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
1260-1516 A.C– The Mameluke (Muslims) Period.
1516-1918– The Ottoman Period.
1918– Beginning of the British Mandate.
1948– The War of Independence, lasting 16 months against 6 Arab armies.
The State of Israel is established.
As is evident in the chronological timetable, the Land of Israel has experienced many conquests and rulers.
The Jewish people settled in the land of the forefathers 3,200 years ago and established a grand kingdom.
The nation had been exiled from its land many times and lived in Diaspora for thousands of years.
Only in the late 19th century did Jewish pioneers begin the return to their homeland. The desolate, barren country began building itself slowly, in constant battle with an enemy that never ceased its aspiration to demolish the Jewish peoples’ only homeland.