I. Summary of Archaeological Periods
This data taken from Encyclopedia Judaica. Different sources can give varying chronology!
| 8000 -- 4000 BCE | Neolithic Period |
| 4000 -- 3150 BCE | Chalcolithic Period |
| 3150 -- 2900 BCE | Early Bronze Age I |
| 2900 -- 2600 BCE | Early Bronze Age II |
| 2600 -- 2300 BCE | Early Bronze Age III |
| 2200 -- 1950 BCE | Middle Bronze Age I |
| 1950 -- 1550 BCE | Middle Bronze Age II |
| 1550 -- 1400 BCE | Late Bronze Age I |
| 1400 -- 1200 BCE | Late Bronze Age II |
| 1200 -- 1000 BCE | Iron Age I |
| 1000 -- 586 BCE | Iron Age II |
II. Timeline of Israeli History in Short
Source: The Highlights of Israeli History from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis is an abbreviated version of the source, since most events from the modern history are not relevant to the current site. Links to other detailed MFA History pages are given in the table, marked "More at MFA ..."
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| c. 17th century BCE | The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob -
patriarchs of the Jewish people and bearers of
a belief in one God - settle in the Land of
Israel.
Famine forces Israelites to migrate to Egypt.
More at MFA... |
| c. 13th century BCE | Exodus from Egypt: Moses leads Israelites from
Egypt, followed by 40 years of wandering in
the desert.
Torah, including the Ten Commandments,
received at Mount Sinai.
More at MFA... |
| 13th-12th centuries BCE | Israelites settle the Land of Israel |
| c. 1020 BCE | Jewish Monarchy established; Saul, first king.
More at MFA... |
| c. 1000 BCE | Jerusalem made capital of David's kingdom. |
| c. 960 BCE | First Temple, the national and spiritual center of the Jewish people, built in Jerusalem by King Solomon. |
| c. 930 BCE | Divided kingdom: Judah and Israel
More at MFA ... |
| 722-720 BCE | Israel crushed by Assyrians; 10 tribes exiled (Ten Lost Tribes). |
| 586 BCE |
Judah conquered by Babylonia; Jerusalem and
First Temple destroyed; most Jews exiled to
Babylonia.
More at MFA ... |
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| 538-515 BCE | Many Jews return from Babylonia; Temple
rebuilt.
More at MFA ... |
| 332 BCE | Land conquered by Alexander the Great; Hellenistic rule. |
| 166-160 BCE | Maccabean (Hasmonean) revolt against restrictions on practice of Judaism and desecration of the Temple |
| 142-129 BCE | Jewish autonomy under Hasmoneans.
More at MFA ... |
| 129-63 BCE | Jewish independence under Hasmonean monarchy. |
| 63 BCE | Jerusalem captured by Roman general, Pompey. |
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| 37 BCE - 4 CE | Herod, Roman vassal king, rules the Land of Israel; Temple in Jerusalem refurbished |
| c 20-33 | Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth |
| 66 | Jewish revolt against the Romans |
| 70 | Destruction of Jerusalem and Second Temple. |
| 73 | Last stand of Jews at Masada. |
| 132-135 | Bar Kokhba uprising against Rome. |
| c. 210 | Codification of Jewish oral law (Mishnah) completed. |
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| 313 | The Roman emperor Constantin adopts Christianity and founds the Bysantine Empire; by the end of the century the Land of Israel becomes a predominantly Christian country. |
| c. 390 | Commentary on the Mishnah (Jerusalem Talmud) completed. |
| 614 | Persian invasion |
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| 636 | The Land of Israel conquered by Arabs |
| 691 | On site of First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock built by Caliph Abd el-Malik |
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| 1099 | The army of the First Crusade capture Jerusalem, non-Christian population massacred; the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem established |
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| 1291 | Mamluks - Muslem warriors from Egypt - drive Crusaders out of the Land of Israel. |
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| 1517 | The Turkish Ottoman Empire conquests the Land of Israel |
| 1564 | Code of Jewish law (Shulhan Arukh) published. |
| 1860 | First neighborhood, Mishkenot Sha'ananim, built outside Jerusalem's walls. |
| 1882-1903 | First Aliya (large-scale immigration), mainly from Russia; four more waves of immigration will follow till 1948 |
| 1897 | First Zionist Congress convened by Theodor
Herzl in Basel, Switzerland; Zionist
Organization founded.
More at MFA ... |
| 1909 | First kibbutz, Degania, and first modern all-Jewish city, Tel Aviv, founded. |
| 1917 | 400 years of Ottoman rule ended by British
conquest;
British Foreign Minister Balfour pledges
support for establishment of a "Jewish
national home in Palestine".
More at MFA ... |
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| 1920 | Histadrut (Jewish labor federation) and Haganah (Jewish defense organization) founded. Vaad Leumi (National Council) set up by Jewish community (yishuv)to conduct its affairs. |
| 1921 | First moshav, Nahalal, founded. |
| 1922 | Britain granted Mandate for Palestine (Land of
Israel) by League of Nations;
More at MFA ... Transjordan set up on three-fourths of the area, leaving one-fourth for the Jewish national home Jewish Agency representing Jewish community vis-a-vis Mandate authorities set up. |
| 1924 | Technion, first institute of technology, founded in Haifa. |
| 1925 | Hebrew University of Jerusalem opened on Mt. Scopus. |
| 1929 | Hebron Jews massacred by Arab militants. |
| 1936-39 | Anti-Jewish riots instigated by Arab militants. |
| 1939 | Jewish immigration severely limited by British White Paper. |
| 1939-45 | World War II; Holocaust in Europe. |
| 1947 | UN proposes the establishment of Arab and Jewish states in the Land. |
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| 1948 |
End of British Mandate (May 14)
State of Israel proclaimed (May 14).
More at MFA ... Israel invaded by five Arab states (May 15) War of Independence (May 1948-July 1949) Israel Defense Forces (IDF) established |
| 1949 | Armistice agreements signed with Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. Jerusalem divided under Israeli and Jordanian rule. First Knesset (parliament) elected. |
| 1948-52 | Mass immigration from Europe and Arab countries. |
| 1956 | Sinai Campaign
More at MFA ... |
| 1962 | Adolf Eichmann tried and executed in Israel
for his part in the Holocaust.
More at MFA ... |
| 1967 |
Six-Day War, Jerusalem reunited.
More at MFA ... |
| 1968-70 | Egypt's War of Attrition against Israel |
| 1973 | Yom Kippur War
More at MFA ... |
| 1979 | Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty signed.
More at MFA ... |
| 1981 | Israel Air Force destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor just before it is to become operative. |
| 1982 | Israel's three-stage withdrawal from Sinai completed. Operation Peace for Galilee removes PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) terrorists from Lebanon. |
| 1987 | Widespread violence (intifada) starts in Israeli-administered areas. |
| 1991 | Israel attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles during Gulf war. Middle East peace conference convened in Madrid |
| 1993 | Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements for the Palestinians signed by Israel and PLO, as representative of the Palestinian people. |
| 1994 | Implementation of Palestinian self-government in Gaza Strip and Jericho area. |
| 1995 | Broadened Palestinian self-government implemented in West Bank and Gaza Strip; Palestinian Council elected. Prime Minister Rabin assassinated at peace rally. |
| 1996 | Fundamentalist Arab terrorism against Israel escalates. Operation Grapes of Wrath, retaliation for Hizbullah terrorists' attacks on northern Israel. |
| 1998 | Israel celebrates its 50th anniversary. Wye Agreement with PLO |