Acts Timeline

Intertestamental Period

The end of the OT Cannon

430 BC

Alexander the Great Greek Empire

331 BC

Greek culture optional

Alexander the Great dies/ Power struggle ensues

323 BC

The rulership of the Holy Land is unstable

Ptolemy begins rule of Holy Land

310 BC - 198 BC

Seleucid rule of Holy Land

198 BC - 168 BC

Antiochus Epiphanes/ Desecration of the Temple

175 BC

Jewish Freedom

168 BC - 68 BC

Maccabean Revolt

168 BC

Pompey conquered Jerusalem

63 BC

Dynasty of King Herod

Herod the Great

37 BC - 4 BC

Archelaus

4 BC - 6 AD

Herod Antipas

4 BC - 39 AD

Philip

4 BC - 34 AD

Herod Agrippa I

39 AD - 44 AD

Herod Agrippa II

44 AD - 100 AD

The Main Events of the NT

The birth of Jesus

4 BC

Pentecost day

30 AD

The ascension of Jesus

30 AD

Stephen stoned

33 AD

Paul's conversion

34 AD

Peter's vision (conversion of Cornelius)

40 AD

James martyred

44 AD

Paul's 1st missionary journey

46 AD - 48 AD

Jerusalem Council

49 AD

Jews expelled from Rome

49 AD

Pauls 2nd missionary journey

50 AD - 52 AD

Paul's 3rd missionary journey

53 AD - 57 AD

Jews returned to Rome

54 AD

Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea

58 AD - 59 AD

Journey to Rome

60 AD

Paul's imprisonment in Rome

60 AD - 62 AD

Paul and Peter martyred

64 AD - 68 AD

Rome burned

64 AD

The fall of Jerusalem

70 AD

Main

The birth of Jesus

4 BC

Pentecost

30 AD

Martyrdom of Stephen

33 AD

Conversion of Saul

34 AD

Death of James (and King Herod Agrippa)

44 AD

Paul's 1st missionary journey

46 AD - 48 AD

Jerusalem Council

49 AD

Claudius expels Jews from Rome

Paul's 2nd missionary journey

50 AD - 52 AD

Paul's 3rd missionary journey

58 AD - 60 AD

Journey to Rome

Paul's Imprisonment in Rome

60 AD - 62 AD

Fire in Rome

64 AD

Paul is beheaded

Peter Crucified

67 AD

Fall of Jerusalem

70 AD

Roman Emperors

Augustus

27 BC - 14 AD

Tiberius

14 AD - 37 AD

Caligula

37 AD - 41 AD

Claudius

41 AD - 54 AD

Nero

54 AD - 68 AD

Galba

68 AD - 69 AD

Otho

69 AD

Vespasian

69 AD - 79 AD

Vitellius

69 AD

Titus

79 AD - 81 AD

Domitian

81 AD - 96 AD

Nerva

96 AD - 98 AD

Roman Procurators of Judea

Pontius Pilate

26 AD - 36 AD

Marcellus

36 AD - 38 AD

Marullus

38 AD

No procurator at this time

38 AD - 44 AD

Fadus

44 AD - 46 AD

Alexander

46 AD - 48 AD

Cumanus

48 AD - 52 AD

Felix

52 AD - 59 AD

Festus

59 AD - 61 AD

Albinus

61 AD - 65 AD

Florus

65 AD - 66 AD

Books of the NT

Matthew

33 AD - 60 AD

James

46 AD - 48 AD

Galatians

49 AD

Historians believe it was written somewhere between 49 and 52 AD

1 Thessalonians

51 AD

2 Thessalonians

51 AD

1 Corinthians

54 AD

2 Corinthians

56 AD

Romans

57 AD

Luke

58 AD - 62 AD

Colossians

60 AD - 62 AD

Ephesians

60 AD - 62 AD

Jude

60 AD - 70 AD

Probably began to be written in the late 60s AD

Philemon

60 AD - 62 AD

Philippians

60 AD - 62 AD

Revelation

60 AD - 90 AD

Historians believe it was written sometime during this time period

Acts

62 AD - 64 AD

1 Peter

63 AD - 64 AD

1 Timothy

63 AD

Titus

63 AD

2 Peter

64 AD

2 Timothy

64 AD

Hebrews

64 AD - 69 AD

Mark

64 AD

John

70 AD - 100 AD

1, 2, 3 John

80 AD

Historians believe these books were written somewhere between 80 and 90 AD

Chronology of the NT (Extra Biblical Evidence)

Birth of Jesus

11 BC - 5 BC

Impossible to give an exact date due to lack of evidence for census under Quirinius (Luke 2:2). By working backwards, scholars estimate it from 11-4 BC. The month is unknown, but most likely June-July due to Luke 2:8 placing the shepherds watching their flocks at night in Judea.

Death of Herod the Great

4 BC

Taken from Josephus record Antiquities and attested by an eclipse of the moon and by counting back from the end of Archelaus' rule

Jesus' Baptism

26 AD

Dated by Luke 3:1 "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" counting from the year he was made co-emperor with Augustus in 11 AD.

First Passover during Jesus' ministry

27 AD

Dated from John 2:20 "the Temple had been in construction for 46 years" and dated from Josephus who places the beginning in 20-19 BC

Death of Herod Agippa

44 Ad

Acts 12:23 attested by Josephus who dates his death 7 years after the beginning of the reign of Caligula in 37 AD

Edict of Claudius

49 AD

Acts 18:3 attested by Orosius in the date, and by Seutonius and Dio Cassius in event

Proconsulship of Gallio

50 Ad - 51 AD

Acts 18:12 attested by an inscription and Roman history

Procuratorship of Festus

59 AD

Acts 24:27 attested by Josephus, Eusebius, and Tacitus