In Genesis 12:1, God told Abram to get up and go, and Abram, setting an example for us all, got up and went, taking his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their possessions, and headed for the land of Canaan. Abram, later to become Abraham, lived under a promise that God would bless him and make him a great nation and that through him all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). And that is the beginning, not of theological truth, but of history, in the Bible. And, while the story from that point on is historical, it is theological truth that dominates and is best served by the choices of people and events described and the words used to tell what happened. It is noted that not all Bible experts agree with these exact times and dates, but they are reasonable estimates.
The Old Testament story comes to life once the basic framework and timeline are in place and the people and events can be placed in proper context. It is for that reason that the timeline chart below was constructed by me, used in my OT study, and later in confirmation classes. Of course the greatest value is not in the use of such a device but in the construction of it. Nevertheless, here it is to use and/or improve as you see fit. Click on it for a better view.
Thanks for your detailed work on this time line. I am writing a blog on this topic: http://www.hearinggod.mentorsnotebook.com/blog
May I use this chart if I give you and your website credit? Thanks again, Susanne
I hope I replied to this in a timely fashion, Susanne, but of course you are welcome to use it. Better late than never.
I think this is off by 200 years.Exodus was 1450 or 1464 BC not 1250 BC
It's possible, but I think there is no independent corroboration as from Egyptian history about that event so is still somewhat uncertain and subject to the opinions of various OT scholars. This is the timeline I learned in my OT/theology course in Seminary. Seems I remember that we have to get to King David to find some independent corroboration of the dates.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me. skifte