Adam, Eve and the Garden (4000 BC)
Man created by God to fellowship with God
Man created perfect with free will
Man placed in paradise (the garden)
Lucifer tempts with the knowledge of good and evil
Man submits to the temptation
Man cast out of paradise (paradise disappears)
Lucifer cast out of heaven with a third of the angels(?)
Populating the Earth
Satan's assault on the human race
Debatable what goes on during this period
Fallen Angels + Women = Nephilim
Population becomes wicked and evil
God has enough
Noah and the Flood (2350 BC)
God "Reboots" the earth with the deluge
Cleanses the earth of evil
Abraham (2000 BC)
Worshiped God
A friend of God
Met and talked with God (Jesus) Face-to-Face
Lot (Abraham's nephew), Sodom & Gomorrah
God will listen and will compromise
God's promise to Abraham - Descendents will populate the earth
Abraham and Sarah very old - but they believed
Isaac is born of Sarah
Abraham migrates from Ur (in present day Iraq) to the land God promises
him and his descendents (present day Israel)
Isaac (1900 BC)
Long story short…
Twin sons - Jacob and Esau
Jacob - Favored by God
Esau - Descendants are today's Muslims
Jacob (1841 BC)
God changes Jacob's name to Israel
12 Sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad,
Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin
1 Daughter: Dinah
Joseph (2nd from youngest) is favored by Jacob (Israel)
Joseph's brothers are jealous of Joseph and sell him into slavery in Egypt
They tell Dad that Joseph was killed by a lion.
Famine
Joseph rises to politically powerful position in EgyptProphesizes famine
Prepares Egypt for 7 years of Famine
Egypt is only area where people have food during the famine
Jacob (Israel) sends 10 of his 11 sons left to Egypt to buy grain
The youngest, Benjamin, stays home.
Long Story Short…
Joseph and Family are reunited
Jacob (Israel) and his sons and their families relocate to Egypt
75 people in all
The Nation of Israel and it's 12 tribes are established in Egypt
Israel worships Yahweh
Bondage in Egypt (1711 BC)
Israelis established in the southern region of Egypt called Midian
The Israel nation grows quickly in population
Egyptians begin to feel threatened by Israelis
Enslaves the Israelis
Murder of all Israelite males under 2 years old to control population growth
Moses (1576 BC)
A Levite
As an infant escaped the mass murder
Mother floated him down the Nile in a basket…
Picked-up by Pharaoh's daughter who raised him as her own.
Moses raised as Egyptian royalty.
Denounces his royalty and lives with the Israelites.
Becomes God's agent for bringing Israelis out of bondage.
Exodus (1500 BC)
Moses forces Pharaoh to "Let his people go"
Passover - First born male of all Egyptians killed
God's judgment for infant mass murders
But Pharaoh pursues..
Moses parts the Red Sea
Israelis escape into the Sinai
Israel begins journey to the promised land (present day Israel)
Led by God through Moses and his brother Aaron
40 Years in the Wilderness
Israelis had lived in bondage for generations
Had problems adapting to being a "free" people
Resisted God's efforts to bring them to the promised land
Fear of the unknown
God decides to keep them in the wilderness for one generation
Will then lead a generation of free people to the promised land
People who embrace freedom and want to
be brought to the promised land.
The 10 Commandments delivered and Moses' Laws delivered
"Rules" to live by - - "Users Manual"
Arc of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, Religious Ceremony's
established under God's direction.
All established to institutionalize the correct standard of living
12 Tribes established as a formal structure for the nation
Levites established as the priestly order
Joseph split into two half-tribes - Manasheh and Ephraim (Joseph's sons)
Aaron dies in the wilderness
Moses dies on the east bank of the Jordan
Dies just before the nation enters the promised land
Joshua named leader of the tribes and charged with entering
and conquering the promised land.
Possession of the Promised Land (1460 BC)
God uses the Israel nation to eradicate evil from the promised land
God's instructions are to completely eliminate the evil populations
and not to co-mingle with them.
Region by region Israel takes possession of the land, led by Joshua
But they do not completely eradicate
Specific areas of land (territories) are allocated to each of the 12 Tribes
Levites do not get land but live among the other tribes as priests
Jerusalem established as the center of the nation and of worship
Judges (1426 BC)
Theocracy established as form of civil government
Judges established in each tribe to settle domestic disputes
Principle is simple: Follow God's laws and you will do just fine.
Works well for a while
Problems:
Co-mingling with the pagan nations that were not eradicated
Leads to Idolatry (idol worship) and Pagan rituals
Tribes become fearful of other nations - lose trust in the protection of God
Want to put trust in man and establish a monarchy (King)
Samuel (1100 BC)
A prophet of God
God warns the people, through Samuel, that their behavior is
not acceptable and that they must turn back to Him
if they hope to have a peaceful, righteous society.
The people reject God as their authority
The people insist upon establishing a King (monarchy) so that
they can feel safe from their enemies.
God says: "Alright, I've warned you. You do not head my warning.
You want it, you've got it. Now suffer the consequences."
Kings (1100 BC)
Samuel anoints Saul as the first King of Israel.
Saul institutes a tax, drafts an army, and begins building his kingdom.
With power comes corruption.
Saul begins to fall away from God and begins to lead Israel
further away from God
God instructs Samuel to replace Saul as king with a righteous man
Samuel identifies David, from the tribe of Judah, as the next king.
Saul attempts many times to kill David before he is made king.
Saul is killed in battle and David becomes king. (1060 BC)
David loves God and God loves David
David leads Israel back to God
All is well for a while.
Solomon, David's Son, succeeds David to the throne. (1020 BC)
Solomon, although wise, falls short of being a righteous king
Continues to build his empire.
Builds the temple in Jerusalem
Increases taxes
Takes many pagan wives
Institutes Baal worship
Solomon dies and his son, Rehoboam, takes the throne. (980 BC)
The Nation Divides (980 BC)
Rehoboam is a young, power hungry man.
Very soon after Rehoboam is crowned king the nation split
2 Southern Tribes - The House of Judah
Judah and Benjamin
King: Rehoboam
Capital: Jerusalem
10 Northern Tribes - The House of Israel
King: Jeroboam (Tribe of Ephraim)
Capital: Samaria
Many conflicts between the two nations
Falling away from God
Baal worship, Ashera worship, Temple prostitutes, Child sacrifice
Goes on for generations with each falling further away from God
God finally has enough
House of Israel (Northern Tribes) Conquered and Scattered (750 BC)
God uses the Assyrians to execute judgment on the
House of Israel (the 10 northern tribes).
Assyria conquers Israel and scatters the 10 Northern Tribes
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel
It is not known what became of these people
Today's English speaking nations?
House of Judah (Southern Tribes) Taken into Captivity (500 BC)
250 years after the fall of the Northern Tribes
God uses the Babylonians, ruled by Nebakennezer,
to execute judgment on the House of Judah (the 2 Southern Tribes)
Solomon's Temple is destroyed
The Arc of the Covenant is lost
Judah taken into exile to Babylon (present day Iraq)
The profit Daniel encourages the people to submit to God's judgement
and the Babylonians, return their hearts to God, and live
out their captivity in love and peace.
Judah Returns to Palestine (The Promised Land) (430 BC)
70 years after their captivity, Judah is released
and are allowed to return to the promised land.
Occurred after the Babylonian empire is overthrown by the Persians (Iran)
Ruled by the Persians
The Temple is rebuilt
God's Law is reestablished
Inter-Testament Period - The Dark Period (400 BC to Birth of Jesus)
400 Year Period between the Old and the New Testament
Six distinct empires rule over Palestine (the Promised Land) during
this period:
- Persian
- Greek
- Egyptian
- Syrian
- Maccabean
- Roman
Language shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic
Jewish religion becomes dominant with two main sects, the Sadducees and the Pharisees.
Sadducees
Aristocrats - Wealthy
Political (Supported Roman Empire)
Unpopular with common people
Denied God's involvement in earthly matters
Denied existence of spiritual world
Pharisees
Middle Class
Popular with the people
Although a minority to the Sadducees they enjoyed
more power as an authority
Believed the written word was inspired by God
Placed importance on the Written Law
Put equal importance on Oral Laws (traditions)
Legalistic
More concerned with obeying the written and oral
laws than with establishing a relationship with God
Pompous
More concerned with appearing religious than
with the substance of faith in God
Sanhedrin
Acts as governing body for the Jews
The highest legal, legislative, and judicial council among the Jews
Governed by the Sadducees because of their majority status
Controlled by the Pharisees because of their popularity
The Jewish people await the prophesized Messiah
