Kings and Events of the Babylonian, Persian, and Greek Dynasties
| 612 b.c. | Nineveh falls to neo-Babylonian army (Nebuchadnezzar) | |
| 608 | Pharaoh Necho II marched to Carchemesh to halt expansion of neo-Babylonian power | |
| Josiah, King of Judah, tries to stop him | ||
| Death of Josiah and assumption of throne by his son, Jehoahaz | ||
| Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, replaced Jehoahaz on the authority of Pharaoh Necho II within 3 months | ||
| Palestine and Syria under Egyptian rule | ||
| Josiah’s reforms dissipate | ||
| 605 | Nabopolassar sends troops to fight remaining Assyrian army and the Egyptians at Carchemesh | |
| Nebuchadnezzar chased them all the way to the plains of Palestine | ||
| Nebuchadnezzar got word of the death of his father (Nabopolassar) so he returned to Babylon to receive the crown. | ||
| On the way back he takes Daniel and other members of the royal family into exile | ||
| 605 - 538 | Babylon in control of Palestine, 597; 10,000 exiled to Babylon | |
| 586 | Jerusalem and the temple destroyed and large deportation | |
| 582 | Because Jewish guerilla fighters killed Gedaliah another last large deportation occurred |
SUCCESSORS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
| 562 - 560 | Evil-Merodach released Jehoiakim (true Messianic line) from custody | |
| 560 - 556 | Neriglissar | |
| 556 | Labaski-Marduk reigned | |
| 556 - 539 | Nabonidus: | |
| Spent most of the time building a temple to the mood god, Sin. This earned enmity of the priests of Marduk. | ||
| Spent the rest of his time trying to put down revolts and stabilize the kingdom. | ||
| He moved to Tema and left the affairs of state to his son, Belshazzar | ||
| Belshazzar: | ||
| Spent most of his time trying to restore order. | ||
| Babylonia’s great threat was Media. |
RISE OF CYRUS
| 585 - 550 | Astyages was king of Media (Cyrus II was his grandson by Mandane) | |
| 550 | Cyrus II, a vassal king, revolted | |
| Nabonidus, to restore balance of power, made alliances with: | ||
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1. Egypt 2. Crecus, King of Lydia |
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| 547 | Cyrus marched against Sardis (capital Lydia) and captured all of Asia Minor | |
| 539 | Gobiyas took Babylon without resistance (Dan. 5; Belshazzar Nabonidus’ co-regent; also Gobiyas possibly Darius the Mede, Dan. 5:31). | |
| Oct. 11, 539 | Cyrus entered as liberator from Nabonidus’ moon goddess, Zin |
CYRUS’ SUCCESSORS
| 530 | Cyrus’ son succeeded him (Cambyses II) | |
| 530 - 522 | Reign of Cambyses (Elephantine Papyri) | |
| Added Egypt in 525 to the Medo-Persian Empire | ||
| 522 - 486 | Darius I came to rule | |
| He organized the Persian Empire along Cyrus’ plan of satraps | ||
| He set up coinage like Lydia’s | ||
| 486 - 465 | Xerxes I (Esther) | |
| Put down Egyptian revolt | ||
| Intended to invade Greece, but was defeated in the Battle of Thermopoly in 480 | ||
| Xerxes I was assassinated in 465 | ||
| 480 | Battle of Thermopoly | |
| 465 - 424 | Artaxerxes I Longimanus (Ezra 7-10, Nehemiah, and Malachi) | |
| Greeks continued to advance until confronted with Pelopanisian Wars | ||
| Wars lasted about 20 years | ||
| During this period the Jewish community is reconstructed | ||
| 423 - 404 | Darius II | |
| Authorized the feast of unleavened bread in the Elephantine Temple | ||
| 404 - 358 | Artaxerxes II | |
| 358 - 338 | Artaxerxes III | |
| 338 - 336 | Arses | |
| 336 - 331 | Darius III |
GREECE
| 359 - 336 | Philip II of Macedon built up Greece | |
| He was assassinated in 336 | ||
| 336 - 323 | Alexander the Great (Philip’s son) | |
| Routed Darius II at battle of ISUS | ||
| He died in 323 in Babylon of a fever after conquering the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East | ||
| Alexander’s generals divided his empire at his death: | ||
|
1. Cassander - Macedonia and Greece 2. Lysimicus - Thrace 3. Selects I - Syria and Babylon 4. Ptolemy - Egypt and Palestine 5. Antigonus - small part of Asia Minor |
SELEUCIDS VS. PTOLEMIES
| 301 | Palestine was under Ptolemy’s rule for 100 years | |
| 175 - 163 | Antiochus Epiphanes | |
| Wanted to Hellenize Jews, constructed gymnasium | ||
| Constructed pagan altars; priests were mistreated | ||
| Dec. 13, 168 | Hog was slain on the altar by Antiochus Epiphanies. Some consider this to be the abomination of desolation. | |
| 167 | Mattathias and sons rebel. Mattathias killed. Judas took control. | |
| Judas Maccabeaus wages successful guerilla warfare | ||
| Dec. 25, 165 | Temple rededicated |
RULERS OF BABYLON AND MEDIA
| 625 - 585 | Nabopolassar dies (“Nabu, Protect the Sun”) | |
| Cyrzares | ||
| 585 - 550 | Nebuchadnezzar II (“Nebo, Protect the Boundary”) | |
| Astyages | ||
| 550 | Evil Merodack | |
| Cyrus II | ||
| Labaski Marduk | ||
| Nabonidus | ||
| Belshazzar | ||
| Gobiyas |
MEDO-PERSIAN
| 550 - 530 | Cyrus II (538 Medo-Persian dominate power called Achaemenian Empire) | |
| 530 - 522 | Cambyses II (Egypt added and Cyprus) | |
| 522 | Gaumata or Pseudo, Smerdis (reign 6 months) | |
| 522 - 486 | Darius I (Hystaspes) | |
| 486 - 465 | Xerxes I (Esther’s husband) | |
| 465 - 424 | Artaxerxes I (Ezra and Nehemiah in Palestine) | |
| 423 - | Xerxes II | |
| 424 - 404 | Darius II Nothus | |
| 404 - 359 | Artaxerxes II Mnemon | |
| 359 - 338 | Artaxerxes III Ochus | |
| 338 - 336 | Arses | |
| 336 - 331 | Darius III Codomannus |
GREEK
| 359 - 336 | Philip II of Macedon | |
| 336 - 323 | Alexander the Great | |
| 323 - | Generals divide Empire | |
|
1. Cassander - Macedonia 2. Lysimicus - Syria 3. Seleucus I - Syria and Babylon 4. Ptolemy - Egypt 5. Antigonus - Asia Minor (killed in 301 b.c.) |
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| The Ptolemies controlled Palestine, but in 175 - 163 control passed to the Seleucids. | ||
| 175 - 163 | Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the eighth Seleucid ruler | |
| *Dates and names have been mostly taken from A History of Israel by John Bright, pp. 461-471. | ||
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