538-333 B.C.E. 538 B.C.E. 520-515 B.C.E. 520 B.C.E. 500 B.C.E. 450-400 B.C.E. ca. 450 B.C.E.

438 B.C.E. 426 B.C.E. 425 B.C.E. 424 B.C.E. 411 B.C.E. 333-63 B.C.E. 333/331 B.C.E. ca. 320-168 B.C.E. ca. 250 B.C.E. ca. 230-146 B.C.E. ca. 201 B.C.E. ca. 200 B.C.E.-135 C.E. 175 B.C.E. 166-160 B.C.E. 142-129 B.C.E. 63 B.C.E. 66-73 C.E. 69 C.E. 70 C.E.

Persian Period. Edict of Cyrus (first return from Exile). Jerusalem ("Second") Temple rebuilt. Judean Prophet Haggai. The notion of a Messiah, a political/military-religious/moral leader, develops. Reformation led by Ezra and Nehemiah. Torah (Pentateuch = first division of Jewish Scriptures) begins to gain recognition as Scripture. Achashverosh becomes king of Persia. First decrees by Haman; fast ordered by Esther, Haman's downfall and execution. Haman's ten sons executed; Purim celebration. Megillah recorded. Bagoas, a Persian, is made governor of Jerusalem. Hellenistic (Greek) period. Alexander the Great conquers the Land of Israel. Judaism under Greek Ptolemies & Seleucids. "Septuagint" translation of Torah into Greek. Coming of Rome to the east Mediterranean. Prophets (second division of Jewish Scriptures) recognized by some as Scripture Jewish Qumran community. Selicid, king of Syria, plunders Jerusalem, murdering many. Jewish Maccabean revolt against restrictions on practice of Judaism and desecration of the Temple. Jewish autonomy under Hasmoneans. Rome (Pompey) annexes the land of Israel. First Jewish Revolt against Rome. Vespasian gives Yochanan ben Zakkai permission to establish a Jewish center for study at Yavneh Destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple.