Old Testament History Overview

Period References Personalities Summary
Ante-Diluvian Genesis 1-7 Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah From Creation to the Flood
Post-Diluvian Genesis 8-11 Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth From the Flood to the Call of Abraham
Patriarchal
~ 2166 BC - 1876 BC
Genesis 12-50 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Joseph From the Call of Abraham to the Death of Joseph
Bondage
~ 1876 BC - 1446 BC
Exodus 1-12 Moses, Aaron, Levi, Pharoah From the Death of Joseph to the Release from Egypt
Wilderness
~ 1446 BC - 1406 BC
Exodus 13-40 Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, Miriam From the Release from Egypt to the Arrival in Canaan
Conquest
~ 1406 BC - 1372 BC
Joshua Joshua The Conquest of Canaan Led by Joshua
Judges
~ 1372 BC - 1066 BC
Judges Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samson The People Led By Judges
United Kingdom
~ 1066 BC - 945 BC
1&2 Samuel
1 Kings 1-11
Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon Nation of Israel United Under One King
Divided Kingdom
~ 945 BC - 721 BC
1 Kings 12-22
2 Kings 1-17
Asa, Ahab, Elijah, Elisha After the Rebellion, Judah is the Southern Kingdom, and Israel is the Northern Kingdom
Judah Alone
~ 721 BC 586 BC
2 Kings 18-23 Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah After Israel is Destroyed by the Assyrians, Only Judah Remains
Captivity
~ 586 BC - 520 BC
2 Kings 24-25 Jehoiakim, Hehoiachin, Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar After Judah is Destroyed by the Babylonians, and All Its Leading Families Are Taken to Captivity in Babylon
Restoration
~ 516 BC - 450 BC
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Cyrus, Zerubbabel After The Jews Return to Rebuild Jerusalem