Prophet Timeline

Birth of Esau
When they grew up Jacob, with help from his mother, disguised himself as Esau and tricked his father Isaac into blessing him. At that time people believed that if a father blessed his son that son would become the leader of the family after his father's death. Furthermore he would inherit a double portion of his father's property. They also believed that once a blessing was given it could not be withdrawn. A blessing was legally binding.

Birth of Jacob
When they grew up Jacob, with help from his mother, disguised himself as Esau and tricked his father Isaac into blessing him. At that time people believed that if a father blessed his son that son would become the leader of the family after his father's death. Furthermore he would inherit a double portion of his father's property. They also believed that once a blessing was given it could not be withdrawn. A blessing was legally binding.

Birth of Abraham
Abraham was born in the great city of Ur in what is now southern Iraq. Ur was a city-state and it was part of an ancient culture called the Sumerian. Hundreds of years before Abraham was born the Sumerians had become highly civilized.

Birth of Isaac
Both Abraham and Sarah were very old and having a son was a great blessing. His name Isaac means 'he laughs'. When he grew up Isaac married Rebekah.

Joseph was sold into slavery
Jacob had 12 sons but Joseph was his favorite. Their father's favoritism made the other brothers jealous. One day they sold Joseph as a slave and told their father Jacob that Joseph was dead. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to a man named Potiphar.

After being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife Joseph was sent to prison. However God enabled Joseph to interpret dreams. He interpreted those of a butler and a baker. The butler was later released.

Later still Pharaoh had a dream, which no one could interpret. The butler remembered Joseph and suggested he might be able to help. Joseph was summoned and God enabled him to interpret the dream. It foretold seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

At that time Egypt was one of the richest and most advanced societies on earth. However farming in Egypt depended on the Nile. Each spring the Nile flooded and deposited a layer of silt over the farmland. If the flood was large the harvest would be good. However if the Nile failed to flood famine would occur. Joseph suggested stockpiling food during the good years and rationing it during the famine years. Pharaoh then made him Vizier, or second in command.

Joseph's father and brothers settled in Egypt
Joseph was eventually reconciled with his brothers and the Pharaoh welcomed his family to come and live in Egypt

Birth of Moses
An Israelite woman named Jochebed gave birth to a boy and she hid him in a basket on the Nile, among the reeds. Pharaoh’s daughter found the child and adopted him. However when he grew up Moses killed an Egyptian and was forced to flee from Egypt.

Death of Moses and Joshua took over
Finally the Israelites invaded Canaan. At that time Canaan was divided into city-states. Each little country had a fortified city as its center. The Israelites invaded Canaan from the east across the River Jordan. God caused the River Jordan to dry up to allow the Israelites to pass. They then destroyed the city of Ai.

Birth of Samuel
During his lifetimes the Israelites fought the Philistines. They were originally from Crete and they invaded Canaan from the sea. The Philistines lived in Southwest Canaan and they fought the Israelites as both peoples tried to dominate the region.

David was king of Judah
After Saul's death David was accepted as king by the tribe of Judah but at first he was not accepted by the rest of Israel

David became king of all Israel
Eventually all the tribes accepted David as king. Furthermore David captured Jerusalem from a people called the Jebusites.

Solomon was king of Israel
During Solomon's reign Israel became a rich country. Solomon built a great palace for himself. He also built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. However Solomon also alienated the people by imposing heavy taxes and using forced labour.

Death of Solomon died and Rehoboam became king
The Israelites appealed to Rehoboam to reduce the burdens his father laid on them but he refused. As a result the kingdom split. Judah and Benjamin formed the kingdom of Judah in the south with Jerusalem as its capital. Rehoboam continued to rule in Judah.

However in the north 10 tribes broke away and formed a kingdom they called Israel. Its capital was, at first, at Shechem and later at Samaria. Jeroboam was its first king.

After the split both kingdoms drifted away from God and turned to worshiping idols.

The prophet Amos lived around this time. Amos means one with a burden
During Amos's lifetime Israel was a rich kingdom. However the wealth was very unevenly distributed. Amos was appalled by the oppression of the poor by the rich and he demanded social justice.

The prophet Jeremiah lived at this time
Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Judah as a judgement for her sins.

The prophet Daniel served the king of Babylon
In the Babylonian Empire the Jews lived in their own settlements. They were allowed to keep their own religion and customs. Some Jews rose to high positions in Babylon. One such was Daniel.

Ezra led another group of Jews to Jerusalem
Ezra found out that some Jews had married non-Jews. He commanded the people to separate from their non-Jewish wives.

Nehemiah led more Jews to Jerusalem
Led by Nehemiah the Jews rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem

Birth of Jesus
His family fled to Egypt to escape Herod but soon returned to Israel. Jesus grew up in Nazareth in Galilee.