Historical events in Bible from AD 25 to 1982

about 25 AD (1975 years ago)

Jesus begins His ministry. He is about 30 years old. He probably began preaching around 25 AD.

about 28 AD (1972 years ago)
Jesus is crucified
Jesus is falsely accused of being an anti-government rebel. He is sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of the land of the Jews, to be crucified.

70 AD (1930 years ago)
Romans destroy Jerusalem and Temple
In 70 AD, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, to suppress an uprising of the Jews. According to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews were killed. Others were taken as slaves.

135 AD (1865 years ago)
Romans destroy and plow Jerusalem
In 135 AD, the Romans, under Hadrian, kill an estimated 580,000 Jews to suppress the Bar Kochva uprising. The Romans ran a plow over Jerusalem to completely destroy the Holy City. The Romans ban the Jews from living in Jerusalem.

1291
Tyre attacked and destroyed, again
Tyre again is attacked and destroyed, this time by the Arabs. The once-great city never recovers its former greatness. This fulfills a prophecy from Ezekiel that Tyre would be attacked by many nations, never to rise again to prominence.

late 1800s
Zionist Movement begins
The Zionist movement gains momentum in late 1800s among Jews living in Europe. They begin a quest to re-establish an independent Israel.

1878
Jews begin returning to homeland
Jews begin returning to their ancient homeland of Israel, which at the time was called Palestine. Many Jews are returning from various Middle East countries.

1896
"The Jewish State" is published, Zionism grows
Theodor Herzl, a journalist from Vienna, Austria, writes "The Jewish State." He calls for the creation of a Jewish nation as a solution to the Diaspora (the scattering of Jews worldwide) and to anti-Semitism.

1897
Jews unite in effort to regain homeland Israel
Theodor Herzl organizes the first World Zionist Congress, unifying diverse Zionist groups into one movement. The meeting helped establish Zionist organizations in many countries that had large Jewish populations.

1917
The British gain control of Palestine (Israel)
During World War I, British forces defeat the Turks in Palestine and govern the area via a League of Nations mandate from 1923. Until then, the land had been controlled by the Turks (Ottoman Empire) for about 400 years.

1933 - 1944
6 million Jews murdered by Nazis
During the 1930s and 1940s, Jews are persecuted by Hitler. Many move to Palestine. The Holocaust - the Nazi's genocide of 6 million Jews - increases international sympathy for the Zionist quest to re-establish a Jewish homeland.

1948, May 14
Jews declare independence of Israel
On May 14, 1948, the Jews declare independence for Israel. This is the first time in 2900 years that Israel is both independent and united. (Israel became a divided country about 2900 years ago, and lost its independence about 2600 years ago).

1948, May 15
Surrounding countries invade Israel
Within hours of Israel's declaration of independence, the surrounding Arab countries launch an invasion of Israel.

1949
Israel prevails in first Arab-Israeli war
Israel prevails in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948-9. Israeli forces recapture more of the ancient Jewish homeland, expanding the size of Israel by about 50 percent.

1967
Six-Day War: Jews capture holy city of Jerusalem
During the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel takes control of Jerusalem and other ancient-Jewish territories.

1982
Hebrew becomes official language of Israel
Hebrew was the language of the Jewish people in Biblical times, and most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The language dies out over time but is revived in the 1900s. In 1982, it becomes Israel's official language.