Jewish Calendar Timeline

The current definition of the Jewish calendar is generally said to have been set down by Sanhedrin president Hillel II in approximately AD 359. At that time he is believed to have stated that Adam was created in the year we now call 3761 BC. Thus, 23rd September 2006 is the start of Jewish year AM 5767, not 6024. Click here for a page that lets you enter a current Jewish year and view its starting date from our perspective. Thus, there is a difference between these two timelines of 257 years. Below I have set out places where this difference may have occurred, using New Testament references and beliefs that may well have not been acceptable to Hillel.

3761 BC Adam
1883 BC Terah was born 1878 years later and lives 205 years
1813 BC Birth of his children when Terah was 70 years old
1738 BC Abraham left Haran to go into the land of Canaan when he was 75 years of age. Here is the first passage where we need the New Testament to interpret it correctly. In Genesis 11:26 it says that Terah was 70 years old and he had 3 sons: Abraham and his 2 brothers. Abraham is mentioned first as he is the most important, but he was not the eldest. In Acts 7:4 it says Abraham lived in Haran until his father died. This point is not found in Genesis. As his father was 205 years old when he died, Terah must have been 130 years old when Abraham was born. Thus we have a 60 year difference.
1308 BC The Exodus 430 years later
1268 BC Joshua enters Canaan. Commencement of the period of the judges/administrator-leaders.
911 BC Appointment of King Saul by Samuel. Here is the second passage where we need the New Testament to interpret it correctly. In 1 Kings 6:1 it says the temple was built in the 480th year of being out of Egypt the place of servitude. However, to not realize that this therefore excluded the 93 years of servitude during the judges, leaves the period of the judges as being only 357 years, while Acts 13:20 clearly states it was 450 years. Click here for details of that 93 year difference. Thus 357 years were assumed until the start of the reign of King Saul and Saul reigned for 40 years (see Acts 13:21)
871 BC Reign of King David (from Judah) - 40 years (see 1 Kings 2:11)
831 BC First year of reign of King Solomon (David's son) - Reigned 40 years (see 1 Kings 11:42)
828 BC Fourth year of reign - starts building a magnificent temple. This date assumes it is 480 years since leaving Egypt (see 1 Kings 6:1)
791 BC After his reign Israel splits into two. 390 years of division. (see Ezekiel 4:4)
419 BC Beginning of Babylonian captivity in 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar (see Jeremiah 25:1-11)
401 BC Jerusalem destroyed (including the temple) in the 19th year of Neb's reign (see 2 Kings 25:8)
349 BC 70 years captivity complete. Babylon now completely fallen to the Medes and Persians. Zerubbabel leads the Jews back to Israel as decreed by King Cyrus in Persia. The temple eventually rebuilt and Ezra the scribe returns.
300 BC Walls rebuilt by Nehemiah and restoration fully complete. People now await the coming of the King, the Anointed One, known as Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek)
135 AD It is now 483 years (69 sevens) from using the date of 349 BC for Cyrus's decree till the cutting off of the man the Jews believed was the Christ - see the prophecy in Daniel 9:25-26. Bar Kokhba (as assumed Messiah) leads a rebellion and both he and Jews in Jerusalem are cut off (104 years after Jesus was "cut off"). Here we have the third passage with a 104 year difference between the New Testament scriptures and Jewish belief. So, 60+93+104 equals 257.
Click here for a reconciliation with James Ussher's chronology.

End of Article

3761 BC	Adam
1883 BC	Terah was born 1878 years later and lives 205 years
1813 BC	Birth of his children when Terah was 70 years old
1738 BC	Abraham left Haran to go into the land of Canaan when he was 75 years of age. Here is the first passage where we need the New Testament to interpret it correctly. In Genesis 11:26 it says that Terah was 70 years old and he had 3 sons: Abraham and his 2 brothers. Abraham is mentioned first as he is the most important, but he was not the eldest. In Acts 7:4 it says Abraham lived in Haran until his father died. This point is not found in Genesis. As his father was 205 years old when he died, Terah must have been 130 years old when Abraham was born. Thus we have a 60 year difference.
1308 BC	The Exodus 430 years later
1268 BC	Joshua enters Canaan. Commencement of the period of the judges/administrator-leaders.
911 BC	Appointment of King Saul by Samuel. Here is the second passage where we need the New Testament to interpret it correctly. In 1 Kings 6:1 it says the temple was built in the 480th year of being out of Egypt the place of servitude. However, to not realize that this therefore excluded the 93 years of servitude during the judges, leaves the period of the judges as being only 357 years, while Acts 13:20 clearly states it was 450 years. Click here for details of that 93 year difference. Thus 357 years were assumed until the start of the reign of King Saul and Saul reigned for 40 years (see Acts 13:21)
871 BC	Reign of King David (from Judah) - 40 years (see 1 Kings 2:11)
831 BC	First year of reign of King Solomon (David's son) - Reigned 40 years (see 1 Kings 11:42)
828 BC	Fourth year of reign - starts building a magnificent temple. This date assumes it is 480 years since leaving Egypt (see 1 Kings 6:1)
791 BC	After his reign Israel splits into two. 390 years of division. (see Ezekiel 4:4)
419 BC	Beginning of Babylonian captivity in 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar (see Jeremiah 25:1-11)
401 BC	Jerusalem destroyed (including the temple) in the 19th year of Neb's reign (see 2 Kings 25:8)
349 BC	70 years captivity complete. Babylon now completely fallen to the Medes and Persians. Zerubbabel leads the Jews back to Israel as decreed by King Cyrus in Persia. The temple eventually rebuilt and Ezra the scribe returns.
300 BC	Walls rebuilt by Nehemiah and restoration fully complete. People now await the coming of the King, the Anointed One, known as Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek)
135 AD	It is now 483 years (69 sevens) from using the date of 349 BC for Cyrus's decree till the cutting off of the man the Jews believed was the Christ - see the prophecy in Daniel 9:25-26. Bar Kokhba (as assumed Messiah) leads a rebellion and both he and Jews in Jerusalem are cut off (104 years after Jesus was "cut off"). Here we have the third passage with a 104 year difference between the New Testament scriptures and Jewish belief. So, 60+93+104 equals 257. Click here for a reconciliation with James Ussher's chronology.