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New Testament Historical Background
Compiled by A.D. Riddle.
Compiled by A.D. Riddle.
Rome
Roman Civil War
49 BC
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Julius Caesar against Pompey
Battle of Pharsalus: Caesar defeats Pompey
48 BC
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Julius Caesar
48 BC - 44 BC
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Assassinated.
Battle of Philippi: Octavian and Antony defeat Brutus and Cassius
42 BC
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Battle of Actium: Octavian defeats Antony
31 BC
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Octavian given name Augustus
27 BC
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CAESAR AUGUSTUS
27 BC - 14 AD
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Mentioned in Luke 2:1.
TIBERIUS
14 AD - 37 AD
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Mentioned in Luke 3:1.
Caligula
37 AD - 41 AD
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Caligula is a nickname. His real name is Gaius Caesar. Assassinated.
CLAUDIUS
41 AD - 54 AD
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Poisoned. Mentioned in Acts 11:28.
Nero
54 AD - 68 AD
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Committed suicide.
Galba
68 AD - 69 AD
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"Year of the Four Emperors." Lynched.
Otho
69 AD - 69 AD
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"Year of the Four Emperors." Committed suicide.
Vitellius
69 AD - 69 AD
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"Year of the Four Emperors." Assassinated.
Vespasian
69 AD - 79 AD
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"Year of the Four Emperors." Emperor who oversaw fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 AD.
Titus
79 AD - 81 AD
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Domitian
81 AD - 96 AD
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Assassinated.
Nerva
96 AD - 98 AD
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Trajan
98 AD - 117 AD
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Judea
Dates for Hasmoneans and Herodians based on Geza Vermes, The True Herod (New York: Bloomsbury, 2014).
Dates for Pontius Pilate taken from R. Steven Notley, “Pontius Pilate: Sadist or Saint?” Biblical Archaeology Review 43/4 (2017): 40-49, 59-60.
Mattathias begins Maccabean Revolt
166 BC
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Judas Maccabeus captures Jerusalem
164 BC
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First son of Mattathias.
Simon Thassi
143 BC - 135 BC
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Third son of Mattathias.
John Hyrcanus I (Hasmonean)
135 BC - 104 BC
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King Judas Aristobulus I (Hasmonean)
104 BC - 103 BC
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King Alexander Jannaeus (Hasmonean)
103 BC - 76 BC
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Queen Salome Alexandra (Hasmonean)
76 BC - 67 BC
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Wife of Alexander Jannaeus.
King Judas Aristobulus II (Hasmonean)
67 BC - 63 BC
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Roman General Pompey conquers Syria and Judea
63 BC
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King John Hyrcanus II (Hasmonean)
63 BC - 40 BC
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"King" Mattathias Antigonus (Hasmonean)
40 BC - 37 BC
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Parthian conquest of Judea
40 BC - 37 BC
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Herod appointed "King of the Jews" by Octavian and Antony
40 BC
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Takes Herod 3 years to defeat Mattathias Antigonus and the Parthians and recapture Jerusalem.
King HEROD THE GREAT
37 BC - 4 BC
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Mentioned in Matthew 2:1-12, 19; Luke 1:5.
Ethnarch HEROD ARCHELAUS
4 BC - 6 AD
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Rules Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Ruled incompetent by the Romans and replaced with Roman prefects. Mentioned in Matthew 2:22.
Tetrarch HEROD PHILIP
4 BC - 33 AD
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Rules Gaulanitis and Paneas, Batanea, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Iturea. Mentioned in Luke 3:1.
Tetrarch HEROD ANTIPAS
4 BC - 39 AD
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Rules Galilee and Perea. He divorces his Nabatean wife, daughter of Aretas IV Philopatris, in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip. Mentioned in Matthew 14:1-12 ( Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:19; 9:7-9); Luke 3:1; 23:5-12; Acts 13:1.
Roman Prefect Coponius
6 AD - 9 AD
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Roman Prefect Marcus Ambivulus
9 AD - 12 AD
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Roman Prefect Annius Rufus
12 AD - 15 AD
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Roman Prefect Valerius Gratus
15 AD - 18 AD
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Roman Prefect PONTIUS PILATE
18 AD - 36 AD
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Also thought to rule 26-36 AD.
Roman Prefect Marcellus
36 AD - 37 AD
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Roman Prefect Marullus
37 AD - 41 AD
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Flavius Josephus (historian)
37 AD - 99 AD
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Jewish general, then advisor to Romans. Wrote four works: The Jewish War (or Bellum Judaicum), Antiquities of the Jews, Against Apion, and The Life of Josephus (or Vita).
King HEROD AGRIPPA I
41 AD - 44 AD
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Briefly rules territory nearly as large as that of his grandfather, Herod the Great. Mentioned in Acts 12:1-24.
Herod of Chalcis
41 AD - 48 AD
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Brother of Agrippa I and grandson of Herod the Great. Emperor Claudius appoints him ruler of Ituraea and Abilene, territories adjacent to Galilee. After Agrippa I dies, Herod of Chalcis is granted supervision of the temple in Jerusalem.
Roman Procurator C. Cuspius Fadus
44 AD - 46 AD
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Roman Procurator Tiberius Julius Alexander
46 AD - 48 AD
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Roman Procurator P. Ventidius Cumanus
48 AD - 52 AD
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King HEROD AGRIPPA II
50 AD - 100 AD
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Last of the Herods to rule. Son of Agrippa I. Inherits Herod of Chalcis's territories (Iturea and Abilene) and supervision of the temple in Jerusalem; later expands rule over Batanea, Gaulanitis, Trichonitis, and parts of Galilee. Mentioned in Acts 25:13-26:32.
Roman Procurator M. Antonius FELIX
52 AD - 58 AD
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Some sources say he ruled to 60 AD.
Roman Procurator Porcius FESTUS
58 AD - 60 AD
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Some sources say he ruled 60-62 AD.
Roman Procurator Lucceius Albinus
60 AD - 64 AD
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Some sources say he ruled 62-64 AD.
Roman Procurator Gessius Florus
64 AD - 66 AD
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Roman Procurator M. Antonius Julianus
66 AD - 70 AD
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First Jewish War ended 70 AD.
First Jewish Revolt
66 AD - 70 AD
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Masada conquered 73 AD. Roman procurators continue to rule Judea after the revolt.
New Testament
Dates based on Eckhard J. Schnabel, Early Christian Mission, Volume 2: Paul and the Early Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2004).
Jesus' birth
5 BC
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Jesus is born within 2 years of Herod the Great's death (based on instruction to kill male children 2 years of age and under in Matthew 2:16). This places the birth in 6 or 5 BC.
Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection
33 AD
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Some believe Jesus died in 30 AD. The death of Jesus can be narrowed to 30 or 33, the two years when Passover fell on a Friday.
Paul's conversion
35 AD
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If Jesus died in 30 AD, then Paul's conversion would be moved back to about 32 AD.
Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
48 AD
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Paul and Peter executed in Rome
67 AD
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Nabatea
Dates based on Joan Taylor, Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans (Amman: Al-ʿUzza, 2007).
Aretas I
175 BC - 130 BC
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Beginning and ending dates for his reign are unknown. He rules in ca. 168 BC when the Jewish high priest Jason flees to Nabatea.
Rabbel I
130 BC - 103 BC
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Beginning and ending dates for his reign are unknown.
Aretas II
103 BC - 96 BC
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Obodas I
96 BC - 86 BC
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Aretas III Philhellen
86 BC - 62 BC
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Obodas II
62 BC - 59 BC
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Malichus I
59 BC - 30 BC
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Obodas III
30 BC - 9 BC
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ARETAS IV PHILOPATRIS
9 BC - 40 AD
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Daughter was married to Herod Antipas, but Antipas divorced her, which led to battle and Antipas's army being defeated by the Nabateans in 27 AD. Mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:32.
Malichus II
40 AD - 70 AD
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Rabel II Soter
70 AD - 106 AD
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Roman emperor Trajan annexes Nabatea
106 AD
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