*** SDA BC III p. 109 Chronology of events in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah

By Ken Wade

Writer/Producer, Voice of Prophecy

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          The books of Ezra and Nehemiah document events that occurred over a period of 105 years, from 537 BC through 432 BC in Babylon and Jerusalem.  Because the events are not always told in chronological order, the following table is designed to help readers understand the stories and when each event happened.  Exact dates for some events can be determined by referring to known astronomical events like a new moon.  Whenever possible, exact dates are given, otherwise an approximate date is given.

 

Event                        

Date            

Text            

Kings of Persia

1.       

Cyrus' decree to rebuild temple          

September, 537 BC

Ez 1:1-11 (all)             

Cyrus 539-530

2.       

Zerubbabel & Jeshua lead 42,360 back       

c. 536          

Ez 2:1-2, 3-61, 62-70               

     "          "

3.       

7th month assembly, altar begun            

Sept/Oct 536 BC 

Ez 3:1-7                   

     "          "

4.       

Work on Temple begins in 2nd mo. 2nd yr.   

Ap/May 535 BC

Ez 3:8-13                   

     "          "

5.       

Offers of help, but then opposition        

536-520 BC

Ez 4:1-5

Cambyses 530-522

Smerdis 522

6.       

  Work stopped until 2nd yr. Darius I       

-->520 BC

Ez 4:24       

Darius I  522-486

7.       

 

   

     "          "

8.       

Haggai & Zechariah get work started again with Zerubbabel & Jeshua leading out.

520 BC          

Ez 5:1-2                   

     "          "

9.       

Tattenai & Shethar-Bozenai question activity & write to Darius

520 BC          

Ez 5:3-17                   

     "          "

10.   

Darius finds Cyrus' decree & issues his own

c. 519?         

Ez 6:1-12                   

     "          "

11.   

Building continues & prospers               

520-515 BC      

Ez 6:13-14                  

     "          "

12.   

Temple completed                           

c. March 12, 515

Ez 6:15                   

     "          "

13.   

Temple dedicated & priests installed       

515 BC          

Ez 6:16-18                  

     "          "

14.   

Passover celebrated                        

c. April 21, 515

Ez 6:19-22                  

     "          "

15.   

At beginning of Xerxes’ reign, the people of the land brought a Charge against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem

c. 486

Ez 4:6

Xerxes    486-465

(Ahasuerus)

16.   

Artaxerxes' decree about Jerus. & temple   

Early 457 BC    

Ez 7:11-27                  

Artaxerxes465-423

17.   

Ezra assembles people for journey          

Early 457 BC    

Ez 8:1-30                   

     "          "

18.   

Ezra begins journey to Jerusalem           

March 457 BC*   

Ez 7:9; 8:31                

     "          "

19.   

Ezra arrives in Jerusalem with others      

July 457 BC*    

Ez 7:1-10;8:32              

     "          "

20.   

Ezra rests 3 days                          

July 457 BC     

Ez 8:32                   

     "          "

21.   

Ezra begins work: offerings & sacrifices   

July 457 BC     

Ez 8:33-36                  

     "          "

22.   

Ezra hears of people's unfaithfulness

Sum/Fall 457

Ez 9:1-2                   

     "          "

23.   

Ezra prays, confesses peoples' sins

Sum/Fall 457

Ez 9:3-15                   

     "          "

24.   

Shecaniah suggests sending wives away      

Dec. 457 BC     

Ez 10:1-4                    

     "          "

25.   

Oath & proclamation                        

Dec. 457 BC     

Ez 10:5-8                   

     "          "

26.   

People assemble in Jerusalem               

Dec. 7, 457     

Ez 10:9-15                  

     "          "

27.   

Officials deal w/ intermarriage problem    

Dec. 18, 457 to

 April 15, 456      

Ez 10:16-44              

     "          "

28.   

Mithredath, Tabeel and colleagues, with Rehum and Shimshai, wrote to Artaxerxes about the long history of rebellion at Jerusalem, and A. ordered the work stopped.

Probably around 449 during

 revolt of Megabyzos, governor

 of province "Beyond

the River"

Ez 4:7-23

     "          "

29.   

                                                                                               

     

30.   

(Break in narration.  Time leap to Nehemiah's day)

     

31.   

Hanani arrives in Susa, reports to Neh.    

Dec., 445 BC    

Nh 1:1-3                    

     "          "

32.   

Nehemiah fasts, weeps, prays               

Through Mar. 444   

Nh 1:4-11                    

     "          "

33.   

Nehemiah asks king to send him to Jerus.   

April, 444 BC   

Nh 2:1-8                   

     "          "

34.   

Nehemiah travels to Jerusalem              

Summer, 444**   

Nh 2:9                   

     "          "

35.   

Sanballat, Tobiah are disturbed            

Summer, 444     

Nh 2:10                   

     "          "

36.   

Nehemiah inspects wall                     

Summer, 444     

Nh 2:11-16                  

     "          "

37.   

Rebuilding begun                            

Summer, 444     

Nh 2:17-18                  

     "          "

38.   

Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem ridicule         

Summer, 444     

Nh 2:19-20                  

     "          "

1.       

Account of rebuilding                      

Summer, 444     

Nh 3:1-32                   

     "          "

2.       

Sanballat & Tobiah's ridicule              

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:1-3                   

     "          "

3.       

Nehemiah's prayer                          

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:4-5                   

     "          "

4.       

Wall reaches half height                   

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:6                   

     "          "

5.       

Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites, Ashdodites plot to destroy wall.

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:7-9                   

     "          "

6.       

Workers discouraged by threats             

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:10-12                  

     "          "

7.       

Rebuilding continues under heavy guard     

Summer, 444     

Nh 4:13-23                  

     "          "

8.       

The usury controversy                      

Summer, 444     

Nh 5:1-13                   

     "          "

9.       

Nehemiah's faithfulness, beneficence       

444-432 BC      

Nh 5:14-19                  

     "          "

10.   

Plots against Nehemiah: Sanballat, Tobi, Geshem, Mehetabelah, 

Summer, 444     

Nh 6:1-14      

     "          "

11.   

The wall completed                         

Sept. 21, 444 

Nh 6:15-16                  

     "          "

12.   

Nobles' correspondence w/ Tobiah           

Summer, 444     

Nh 6:17-19                   

     "          "

13.   

Gatekeepers, singers, Levites appointed    

Fall, 444       

Nh 7:1                   

     "          "

14.   

Hanani & Hananiah placed in charge Jerus.  

Fall, 444       

Nh 7:2-3                   

     "          "

15.   

Jerus. sparsely populated, people registered 

Fall, 444       

Nh 4:4-5                   

     "          "

16.   

     (List of first settlers)                          

 

Nh 4:6-73                   

     "          "

17.   

People assemble at Jerusalem, Ezra  reads law, people weep then rejoice   

Sept. 26,444*** 

Nh 8:1-12                   

     "          "

18.   

Celebration of Feast of Booths             

Sept. 27-Oct. 4, 444 

Nh 8:13-18                  

     "          "

19.   

Assembly                                    

Oct. 5, 444     

Nh 8:18                   

     "          "

20.   

Fasting, sackcloth, confession, making & sealing agreement w/ God

Oct. 19, 444    

Nh 9:1-10:39                

     "          "

21.   

One in ten settled in Jerusalem                         

Between 444 and 432

Nh 11:1-19                  

     "          "

22.   

Rest of people in ancestral towns                      

Between 444 and 432

Nh 11:20-36                 

     "          "

23.   

List of priests & Levites in Nehemiah's time           

 

Nh 12:1-26                  

     "          "

24.   

Dedication of the wall: choirs heard far away          

Between 444 and 432

Nh 12:27-43                 

     "          "

25.   

Establishment of priestly, Levitical orders and provision for their support

Between 444 and 432

Nh 12:44-47                 

     "          "

26.   

Nehemiah returns to Artaxerxes             

432 BC          

Nh 13:6                   

     "          "

27.   

Eliashib gives Tobiah room in temple                   

 

Nh 13:4                   

     "          "

28.   

Priests & Levites not properly provided for            

 

Nh 13:10                   

     "          "

29.   

Book of Moses read: Ammonites, Moabites excluded from assembly of God

 

Nh 13:1-3                   

     "          "

30.   

Tobiah thrown out, temple rooms purified               

 

Nh 13:7-9                   

     "          "

31.   

Nehemiah rebukes officials: no tithes brought          

 

Nh 13:10-11                 

     "          "

32.   

Tithes restored                                         

 

Nh 13:12-13                 

     "          "

33.   

Nehemiah asks God to remember him                      

 

Nh 13:14                   

     "          "

34.   

Sabbath-keeping reform                                 

 

Nh 13:15-22                 

     "          "

35.   

Punishments for intermarrying                          

 

Nh 13:23-28                 

     "          "

36.   

Nehemiah purifies priests, assigns duties, makes provisions for contributions

 

Nh 13:30-31                  

     "          "

*SDA BC III p. 104

**SDA BC III p. 103

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