The Complete Biblical Timeline

Why the order matters

Your table of contents is not a timeline.

The Bible you own groups its books by type: law, history, poetry, prophets, letters. It never tells you when anything happened. So you finish Malachi, turn one page, and land in Matthew four hundred years later with nobody explaining what went on in between.

This series puts the books in the order the events unfolded, and it puts the Apocrypha back between the Old and New Testaments, where it sat in 1611. The Maccabees fighting Greek oppression, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, the visions of 2 Esdras. Read it this way and the prophets land where they were always going to land. Chronology reveals context.

The 18 seasons

Creation to Revelation, in order.

1. Season 1 · c. 4000–2000 BC

   Creation & Early World

   Genesis 1–11 · Job 1–42

2. Season 2 · c. 2000–1800 BC

   Patriarchs

   Genesis 12–50

3. Season 3 · c. 1800–1400 BC

   Egypt & Exodus

   Exodus 1–40 · Leviticus 1–27 · Numbers 1–36 · Deuteronomy 1–34

4. Season 4 · c. 1400–1050 BC

   Conquest & Judges

   Joshua 1–24 · Judges 1–21 · Ruth 1–4

5. Season 5 · c. 1050–930 BC

   Kingdom of Israel

   1 Samuel 1–31 · 2 Samuel 1–24 · Psalms 1–150 · 1 Chronicles 1–29 · 1 Kings 1–11 · 2 Chronicles 1–9

6. Season 6 · c. 930–586 BC

   Divided Kingdom

   1 Kings 12–22 · 2 Kings 1–25 · 2 Chronicles 10–36

7. Season 7 · c. 830–586 BC

   Prophets During the Kingdoms

   Joel 1–3 · Jonah 1–4 · Amos 1–9 · Hosea 1–14 · Isaiah 1–66 · Micah 1–7 · Nahum 1–3 · Zephaniah 1–3 · Habakkuk 1–3 · Obadiah 1 · Jeremiah 1–52

8. Season 8 · c. 586 BC

   Babylonian Exile

   Lamentations 1–5 · Ezekiel 1–48 · Daniel 1–12 · Prayer of Azariah & Song of the Three Holy Children 1 · Susanna 1 · Bel and the Dragon 1

9. Season 9 · c. 722–538 BC

   Exile Writings

   Tobit 1–14 · Baruch 1–5 · Letter of Jeremiah 6

10. Season 10 · c. 538–400 BC

    Return from Exile

    Ezra 1–10 · Nehemiah 1–13 · Haggai 1–2 · Zechariah 1–14 · 1 Esdras 1–9 · Prayer of Manasseh 1

11. Season 11 · c. 483–400 BC

    Persian Period

    Esther 1–10 · Judith 1–16 · Esther (Greek) 10–16

12. Season 12 · c. 970–100 BC

    Wisdom Literature

    Proverbs 1–31 · Ecclesiastes 1–12 · Song of Solomon 1–8 · Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 1–51 · Wisdom of Solomon 1–19

13. Season 13 · c. 175–135 BC

    Greek Oppression & Maccabees

    1 Maccabees 1–16 · 2 Maccabees 1–15

14. Season 14 · c. 430 BC

    Final Old Testament Prophet

    Malachi 1–4

15. Season 15 · c. 70–135 AD

    Bridge to the New Testament

    2 Esdras 1–16

16. Season 16 · c. 5 BC–30 AD

    The Messiah Era

    Matthew 1–28 · Mark 1–16 · Luke 1–24 · John 1–21

17. Season 17 · c. 30–100 AD

    Early Church

    Acts 1–28 · James 1–5 · Galatians 1–6 · 1 Thessalonians 1–5 · 2 Thessalonians 1–3 · 1 Corinthians 1–16 · 2 Corinthians 1–13 · Romans 1–16 · Ephesians 1–6 · Philippians 1–4 · Colossians 1–4 · Philemon 1 · 1 Timothy 1–6 · Titus 1–3 · 2 Timothy 1–4 · Hebrews 1–13 · 1 Peter 1–5 · 2 Peter 1–3 · 1 John 1–5 · 2 John 1 · 3 John 1 · Jude 1

18. Season 18 · c. 95–96 AD

    Final Prophecy

    Revelation 1–22