A Brief Historical Outline of the Holy Land

Anthropological Approach

Stone Age


Before 4000 BCE


Skeletal remains of humans and large animals in the land. The abundance of flint in the area attracted nomads. By 7000 BCE, Jericho illustrates that a city state culture appears to exist in the Jordan Valley.


Copper Ages

4000-2800
BCE

Copper was the major weapon implement. Pottery wheel in use. Fortified towns and commerce routes in many areas of the land.

Bronze Ages:

Early (I)

2800-2150
BCE

Copper is mixed with tin to get harder weaponry - bronze. Empires develop in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Canaanites in the land remain in city-states (ELBA;TOMB OF UNI)


Middle (II)


2150-1550
BCE

Egyptians control coastal highways of the land. Mesopotamia use a trade route along the fertile crescent to Egypt. One such caravan includes Abraham of Ur of the Chaldees. (Gen. 12-50) (STORY OF SINUHE; CODE OF HAMMURABI circa C18 BCE; EXECRATION TEXTS; SESOTRIS III RECORDS)

 

Late (III)

 

1550-1200 BCE

The descendants of Abraham are enslaved in Egypt while Canaanite culture develops confederations and chariot use. Moses leads people out of Egypt, and under Joshua the Israelites take the land of Canaan establishing tribal rule. (Exodus - Joshua) (EL AMARNA LETTERS; MERNEPTAH STELE)


Iron Ages
I


1200-1000
BCE

Israelites carve out territory in hills and Philistines settle in the southern plains. Judges rule until pressure of Canaanite and Philistine chariots in the plains make monarchy more appealing. Saul (1025-1006) becomes king.


IIa


1000-928
 BCE

David (1006-968) expands empire; Solomon (968-928) consolidates it. High taxation and firm control becomes too much for Israelites.


IIb


928-722
BCE

Kingdom divides when Solomon dies.
(BCE 722) Assyria sweeps across fertile crescent and takes Aram and the Northern Kingdom at Samaria.

IIc

722-586
 BCE

(BCE 586) Babylon destroys the temple at Jerusalem and Judah becomes a province.


Persian Period


538-332
BCE

After the captivity in Babylon some Jews were allowed to return by Cyrus, a Persian who had taken Babylon the year before. (BCE 445) Nehemiah becomes governor/rebuilder, and Ezra reestablishes temple system under loose independence.


Hellenistic
Period

I


332-63 BCE

(Ptolemic)
332-200 BCE


Alexander the great conquers Persia in 331 and introduces Greek influences to the world. When he dies, the Ptolemies hold Egypt and Israel while the Seleucids hold Syria and Babylon.


II

(Seleucids)
200-167
BCE

After defeating the Ptolemies the Seleucids seize the priesthood to control Jewish affairs (priests appointed from outside the Zadokite line) and the Jews revolt under Maccabean (family name) brothers. Self-rule is developed.


III

(Hasmonean)
167-63 BCE

Their expanding rule almost restored the land held by David and Solomon. The East Bank and Golan are added to the Kingdom.

Roman

Period I

63-37 BCE
Pompey takes Jerusalem to settle dispute between Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II. Rome wants the land as a semi-dependent buffer zone from the Parthians.

II

37 BCE-
6 CE
Herod the great emerges to lead with firm loyalties to Rome. He is given autonomy, and the privilege to build monumental works. Herod’s sons lack his ability to maintain control.

III

6-70 CE
Rome directly controls through a series of procurators and puppet kings. Jews revolt and Titus quells revolt by destroying the Temple and the upper city.

IV

70-135 CE
Licking wounds, Jews began to flex national aspirations until Bar Kochba leads a revolt. Hadrian destroys the city and founds a pagan city in Jerusalem called Aelia Captolina.

V

135-324 CE
The land becomes a backwash of the empire. No disturbances, but tax quotas must be met. Jews move north to Golan and Galil.

Byzantine
Period

324-640 CE
Constantine moves empire capitol east to Byzantium (Constantinople). Christianity becomes a legal state religion. Churches become established and pilgrims flock in. Two destructive attacks: 529 - Samaritan Revolt; 614 - Persian Attack.

Early Arab Period

640-1099 CE
Muhammad (570-632) incites an army and seizes the weakened empire. Battle of Yarlmuk (636) brings surrender. Ummayyad (began in Syria), Abassid Baghdad), Fatimid dynasties build. Caliph Hakim destroys churches and Turks block Christian pilgrims.

Crusader
Period I

1099-1187 CE
Pope Urban calls for the release of holy sites by force. After taking Jerusalem, Moslems are massacred. Baldwin I is established as monarch.

II

1187-1250 CE
After Saladin wins at Horns of Hattin (1187), Crusaders gain access to some sites by treaty.

Mameluke
Period

1250-1517 CE
The Bahri Mamelukes overpower Ayybid (ruling Arab) dynasty and struggle from their base in Egypt to hold the Mongols in Syria. The land becomes a supply line.

Turkish
Ottoman
Period

1517-1918 CE
The Ottomans take Constantinople (1453) and Egypt (1517) defeating the Mamelukes and winning the land. Sultan Suliman rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem. A series of pashas with no desire to build or improve the city follows.