BibleFacts

Judges Time Line

Ancient History

This Chart takes off where the Jasher Chart ends, with the death of Joshua. the chronology is from the Seder Olam (a Jewish chronology work dates about 160 AD) and notes from Josephus and others.

Seder Olam Time Line for the period of the Judges
 
Date AM Judge Foreign Power
1 Creation  
1656 Flood  
2448 Exodus  
2488 Death of Moses  
2516 Death of Joshua  
  17 yr rule of elders  
2533-2573 1st Judge Othniel 40 yrs  
2533-2541   King of Aram 8 yrs
2573-2654 2nd Judge Ehud 80 yrs  
2566-2584   King of Moab 18 yrs
2651-2654 3rd Judge Shamger co ruled with Ehud
2654-2694 4th Judge Deborah (with Barek) 40 yrs  
    Canaanites (Sisra) 20 yrs
2694-2734 5th Judge Gideon 40 yrs  
    Midian 7 yrs*
2734-2737 6th Judge Abimelech 3 yrs  
2737-2760 7th Judge Tola 23 yrs  
2758-2780 8th Judge Jair 22 yrs 2 yr overlap with Tola
2764-2782   King of Amon 18 yrs
2779-2785 9th Judge Jeptheth 6 yrs  
2781 2nd yr of Jepthath and 300 yr mark  
2785-2792 10th Judge Ibzan 7yrs  
2792-2802 11th Judge Elon 10 yrs  
2802-2810 12th Judge Abdon 8 yrs  
2810-2830 13th Judge Samson 20 yrs  
2790-2830   Philistines 40 yrs
2830-2870 14th Judge Eli the high Priest 40 yrs  
2871-2884 15th Judge Samuel the prophet 13 years* overlap with Saul 2 yrs
2882 King Saul*  
2884 King David anointed at Hebron  
2892 King David anointed at Jerusalem  
2924 King Solomon  
2928 Solomon lays the foundation of the temple  
2935 Solomon dedicates the temple  
     


Notes:
The number of years that Saul and Samuel overlapped, but the total time of both was from 2871-2884, or 13 years. Either 10+3 or 11+2. Either way this gives 1 year of joint rulership. In the MT the spot for (2 or 40) is blank.
The Seder Olam seems to say the 7rs of Midian are not inside the time of the rule of Gideon.
Josephus has a chronology starting at 5000 BC, how ever in Ant 8.3 he shows the dedication of the temple to be in the year 3102 AM, a difference of only 166 years form our text.

The 480 yrs from the Exodus to the laying of the foundation of the temple works out right.
The 300 yrs from the 2nd yr of Jeptheth's rule back to 2481 when they had just settled in the land, works our right.