Maps

a.d. 132–135 News of Hadrian’s plans to transform Jerusalem into a thoroughly Roman city, complete with pagan temples, dashed Jewish hopes of one day rebuilding the temple of the Lord. In response, Jewish leaders prepared for revolt by stockpiling weapons and… Read More »The Bar Kochba Revolt

a.d. 66–73 Years of growing Jewish resentment toward Roman rule and paganism eventually erupted in full-scale revolt in a.d. 66. The revolt was ignited in Caesarea and quickly spread to Jerusalem, Judea, Idumea, parts of Samaria, and Galilee. The following spring, the Roman… Read More »The First Jewish Revolt

c. 753 b.c.–a.d. 117 From its earliest beginnings as a small kingdom centered in Rome, the Roman Empire eventually grew to become one of the most powerful empires the world has ever known. After solidifying control over the Italian peninsula, the Romans… Read More »The Rise of the Roman Empire

Map 15: The Spread of Christianity in the First Two Centuries

Map 14: Paul’s Third Missionary Journey and His Voyage to Rome

Map 13: Paul’s First and Second Missionary Journeys

Map 12: The Apostles’ Early Ministry

Map 11: Palestine under Roman Rule

Map 10: Jerusalem

Map 9: Israel under the Maccabees

Map 8: The Persian and Greek Empires

Map 7: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires

Map 6: The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

Map 5: Israel under Saul, David, and Solomon

Map 4: The Tribal Allotments of Israel

Map 3: The Exodus from Egypt

Map 2: The World of the Patriarchs

Map 1: The Middle East Today

c. a.d. 95 John addressed the book of Revelation “to the seven churches that are in Asia,” namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, although there were undoubtedly other churches elsewhere in the province of Asia (e.g., Miletus and Colossae,… Read More »The Setting of Revelation

c. a.d. 85 John likely wrote 1 John from Ephesus, where apparently he had relocated near the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in a.d. 70. The letter was probably intended to be read by the church in Ephesus and perhaps… Read More »The Setting of 1 John

c. a.d. 62–63 Peter, probably writing from Rome (called “Babylon” in 5:13), addressed 1 Peter to believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. These names all referred to Roman provinces in Asia Minor, north of the Taurus Mountains.

c. a.d. 40–45 The epistle of James was likely written to predominantly Jewish Christian house churches outside of Palestine, based on its mention of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1), its distinctly Jewish content, and its focus on persecution and poverty.… Read More »The Setting of James

c. a.d. 62–64 Paul likely wrote Titus during a fourth missionary journey not recorded in the book of Acts. Writing from an unknown location, he instructed Titus in how to lead the churches on the island of Crete. The churches there had… Read More »The Setting of Titus

c. a.d. 64–67 Paul likely wrote 2 Timothy during a second imprisonment in Rome following a fourth missionary journey which is not recorded in the book of Acts. Expecting that death would come soon, Paul wrote this “farewell” letter to Timothy, who… Read More »The Setting of 2 Timothy

c. a.d. 62–64 Paul likely wrote 1 Timothy during a fourth missionary journey not recorded in the book of Acts. Writing from an unknown location, Paul wrote to Timothy at Ephesus to instruct him on how to lead the church there. Ephesus… Read More »The Setting of 1 Timothy

c. a.d. 49–51 Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians from Corinth near the end of his second missionary journey. Paul and his companions had established the church in Thessalonica but were forced to leave by opponents of the gospel. Later, Paul sent Timothy back… Read More »The Setting of 1 Thessalonians

c. a.d. 62 Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians during a time of imprisonment, probably in Rome. The church at Colossae was likely established during Paul’s third missionary journey as he ministered for three years in Ephesus. It appears that Paul… Read More »The Setting of Colossians

(c. a.d. 62) Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians during a time of imprisonment, probably in Rome. Located along the famous Egnatian Way, Philippi was the site of a key military victory by Augustus Caesar, and as a result it was… Read More »The Setting of Philippians

(c. a.d. 62) Ephesus was a wealthy port city in the Roman province of Asia. It was a center of learning and was positioned near several key land routes in western Asia Minor. Paul probably wrote his letter to the Ephesians while… Read More »The Setting of Ephesians

(c. a.d. 48) Paul’s letter to the Galatians was likely written to the churches he had established during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28). He probably wrote the letter from his home church in Antioch in Syria, sometime before the Jerusalem council… Read More »The Setting of Galatians

c. a.d. 55–56 Paul wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia a year or so after writing 1 Corinthians, during his third missionary journey. He had just finished his three-year ministry in Ephesus and was visiting the churches in Macedonia as he made his… Read More »The Setting of 2 Corinthians

c. a.d. 53–55 Paul wrote 1 Corinthians during his third missionary journey, near the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:21–22). Both Corinth and Ephesus were wealthy port cities steeped in pagan idolatry and philosophy. Corinth benefited both militarily and… Read More »The Setting of 1 Corinthians

(c. a.d. 57) Paul probably wrote Romans from Corinth during his third missionary journey (Acts 20:2–3). Rome was the epicenter of the powerful Roman Empire, ruling over many of the great ancient centers of Western civilization. Paul had established the church at… Read More »The Setting of Romans

c. a.d. 60 Appealing his case to Caesar, Paul was ordered by Festus to be transferred to Rome. Paul’s journey was marked by difficult weather, as they had begun their voyage late into the season for sea travel. A bad decision to… Read More »Paul’s Journey to Rome

c. a.d. 63 Not long after Festus succeeded Felix as procurator over Palestine, Herod Agrippa II came to visit him at Caesarea. Agrippa had come to power after the death of his father, but his territory was greatly reduced by the Romans.… Read More »The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa II

c. a.d. 58 After Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, the Roman tribune learned of a plot by some Jews to kill Paul. He transferred Paul to the Roman administrative city of Caesarea during the night under heavy guard, going by way of Antipatris.

c. a.d. 52–57 Paul’s third missionary journey traversed much the same ground as his second (cf. map). Passing through Galatia and Phrygia, he proceeded directly to the great port city of Ephesus. After three years of preaching and teaching there, Paul traveled again… Read More »Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:22–21:17)

c. a.d. 49–51 Paul and Silas revisited the places in Asia Minor where Paul had preached on his first journey (cf. map), while Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul and Silas visited Derbe, Lystra, and Antioch in Pisidia. From there… Read More »Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22)

c. a.d. 46–47 Barnabas and Paul first visited Barnabas’s home region of Cyprus before sailing to the southern region of Asia Minor. When they reached Perga in Pamphylia, John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. Making their way to Antioch… Read More »Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4–14:26)

c. a.d. 41 Largely due to his influential friendships with the Roman emperors Gaius (Caligula) and Claudius, Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great, pieced together what was essentially his grandfather’s old kingdom plus the region of Abilene to the… Read More »The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa I

c. a.d. 39? The apostle Peter traveled to the crossroads town of Lydda and healed a paralyzed man, leading many in that region to turn to the Lord. Later Peter traveled to Joppa and raised a woman from the dead. While Peter… Read More »Peter’s Early Ministry

c. a.d. 35–39 As Paul approached Damascus to arrest followers of the Way, Jesus appeared to him (1). Galatians 1:17makes it clear that soon after this Paul spent time in Arabia (2, 3) before going to meet church leaders in Jerusalem (4). When… Read More »Paul’s (Saul’s) Conversion and Early Travels

Philip, a leader in the church in Jerusalem, began his evangelistic ministry in Sebaste (also called Samaria). God then led him south toward Gaza, where he explained the gospel to a God-fearing Ethiopian royal official. Afterwards Philip was transported by… Read More »The Ministry of Philip the Evangelist

c. a.d. 30/33 Pentecost attracted Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual festival. Those who heard the apostles’ message in their native languages at Pentecost came from various regions within the two great competing empires of the… Read More »Nations at Pentecost

c. a.d. 30–60 The book of Acts records the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, thus fulfilling the risen Christ’s words to his apostles in Acts 1:8.

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

As they returned from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jesus and his disciples followed the expedient route and passed through Samaria, stopping to rest at the village of Sychar, near the ancient city of Shechem (which no longer existed in NT times).… Read More »Jesus Travels through Samaria

Herod the Great and his successors renovated the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by two aqueducts that brought water from as far as 7 miles (11 km) away. The towns… Read More »Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Each of the Gospels and a few other NT books mention various appearances by Jesus after his resurrection, but only Luke notes that Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. Luke also recounts Jesus’ discussion… Read More »Jesus’ Appearances after His Resurrection

Though John mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus during his ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount only one, which occurred as Jesus prepared for his triumphal entry and subsequent death and resurrection. Beginning at Capernaum, Jesus was apparently diverted… Read More »Jesus Travels to Jerusalem

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the small hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

As the time drew near for Jesus to be born, a mandatory Roman registration made it necessary for Joseph to return to his ancestral home of Bethlehem. There Mary gave birth to Jesus, and later, wise men from the East… Read More »Jesus’ Birth and Flight to Egypt

The events in the book of Luke take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman… Read More »The Setting of Luke

The path from Jesus’ arrest to his crucifixion (part of which is often called the Via Dolorosa, “Way of Sorrows”) is difficult to retrace with certainty. According to a possible harmony of the Gospel accounts, after the Passover meal Judas… Read More »Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion

By the time of Jesus, Jerusalem had grown from a modest military fortress to a world-class city with a newly renovated temple that rivaled nearly any in the ancient world. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by… Read More »Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Though John mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus during his ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount only one, which occurred as Jesus prepared for his triumphal entry and subsequent death and resurrection. Beginning at Capernaum, Jesus was apparently diverted… Read More »Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem

Almost all of Jesus’ ministry took place within the traditional borders of Israel in areas dominated by Jews. Yet Jesus also traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he healed a Gentile woman’s daughter, and to the region… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry beyond Israel

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

The events in the book of Mark take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman… Read More »The Setting of Mark

The path from Jesus’ arrest to his crucifixion (part of which is often called the Via Dolorosa, “Way of Sorrows”) is difficult to retrace with certainty. According to a possible harmony of the Gospel accounts, after the Passover meal Judas… Read More »Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion

After Jesus and his disciples ate the Passover meal, they crossed the Kidron Valley and entered a garden called Gethsemane (meaning “oil press”), where they often spent time while visiting Jerusalem (cf. Luke 22:39).

By the time of Jesus, Jerusalem had grown from a modest military fortress to a world-class city with a newly renovated temple that rivaled nearly any in the ancient world. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by… Read More »Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Though John mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus during his ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount only one, which occurred as Jesus prepared for his triumphal entry and subsequent death and resurrection. Beginning at Capernaum, Jesus was apparently diverted… Read More »Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem

Almost all of Jesus’ ministry took place within the traditional borders of Israel in areas dominated by Jews. Yet Jesus also traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he healed a Gentile woman’s daughter, and to the region… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry beyond Israel

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. He grew up in the hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of… Read More »Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

As the time drew near for Jesus to be born, a mandatory Roman census made it necessary for Joseph to return to his ancestral home of Bethlehem. There Mary gave birth to Jesus, and later, wise men from the east… Read More »Jesus’ Birth and Flight to Egypt

The events in the book of Matthew take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman… Read More »The Setting of Matthew

c. 460 b.c. Malachi likely prophesied several decades after the first exiles of Judah, now under Persian rule, had returned from Babylon to the minor province of Judea and rebuilt the temple. Edomites had migrated northwest from their traditional homeland just… Read More »The Setting of Malachi

c. 520 b.c. Zechariah prophesied to the people of Jerusalem after they returned from Babylon in 538 b.c. and before they rebuilt the temple in 515. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins, the walls and the temple having been destroyed by the… Read More »Jerusalem at the Time of Zechariah

c. 520 b.c. By Zechariah’s time the borders of the land of Israel and Judah, later called Palestine, had been completely redrawn from the days before the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions. The minor Persian province to which exiles of Judah returned… Read More »Palestine at the Time of Zechariah

c. 520 b.c. Zechariah prophesied to the people of Judah soon after they had returned from exile in Babylon. Several years earlier, in 539 b.c., Cyrus the Great, who had united the Persians and the Medes under his rule, conquered Babylon and… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Zechariah

c. 520 b.c. Haggai prophesied to the people of Jerusalem after they had returned from Babylon in 538 b.c. and before they had rebuilt the temple in 515. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins, the walls and the temple having been destroyed… Read More »Jerusalem at the Time of Haggai

c. 620 b.c. Zephaniah prophesied against Judah’s longtime enemies in Philistia, to the west of Judah along the coast.

c. 620 b.c. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah, when Egypt, Judah, and Babylonia (with the help of the Medes) were regaining their autonomy and eroding the power of Assyria. Shortly after this time the Babylonians would replace the Assyrians… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Zephaniah

c. 660–614 b.c. Nahum likely prophesied sometime between the zenith of Assyria’s power around 664 b.c. and the fall of Nineveh in 612. During this time the Assyrian Empire was in decline as Egypt, Judah, and Babylonia (with the help of the Medes)… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Nahum

c. 740 b.c. Micah foretold the destruction that awaited Jerusalem and the towns that guarded the approach to the city. Though these towns lay to the southwest of Jerusalem, they lay along the route normally traveled by invading forces from the… Read More »Micah Prophesies Destruction

c. 740 b.c. Micah prophesied to Israel and Judah during the decades just before the fall of Samaria through the time of King Hezekiah of Judah. Micah witnessed the destruction of Israel by the rising Assyrian empire, yet he probably also… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Micah

c. 760 b.c. Jonah prophesied during the politically prosperous time of Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:23–28). During this time the Assyrians were occupied with matters elsewhere in the empire, allowing Jeroboam II to capture much of Syria for Israel.… Read More »The Setting of Jonah

c. 570 b.c. Though various dates have been given for the prophecy of Obadiah, it was most likely written sometime after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 b.c. but prior to the fall of Edom in 553. Obadiah condemned the… Read More »The Setting of Obadiah

c. 750 b.c. Amos, a shepherd from the Judean town of Tekoa, prophesied during a resurgence of political power for Israel and Judah. Under Jeroboam II, Israel had captured much of Syria, though it is not certain how firmly they held… Read More »Israel and Judah at the Time of Amos

c. 750 b.c. Amos likely prophesied to Israel during the decades just prior to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrian Empire. The resurgence of this ancient empire dominated much of the politics of the ancient Near East from the time… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Amos

c. 500 b.c.? Though there is much debate about the date of Joel’s prophecies, it is likely that they occurred during a national calamity sometime after Judah returned from exile in Babylon.

c. 740 b.c. Hosea prophesied during a time of great political turbulence in Israel and Judah. The early part of his ministry witnessed a brief period of resurgence under the reign of Jeroboam II, who captured much of Syria for Israel.… Read More »Israel and Judah at the Time of Hosea

c. 740 b.c. Hosea prophesied to Israel and Judah during the decades surrounding the fall of Samaria to the Assyrian Empire. The resurgence of this ancient empire dominated much of the politics of the ancient Near East from the time of… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Hosea

c. 167–63 b.c. The Maccabean kingdom of Israel had its beginnings when the priest Mattathias and his family refused to obey the Seleucid rulers’ order to sacrifice to the pagan god Zeus at Modein. They led a revolt that initially controlled… Read More »The Maccabean Kingdom

c. 198–133 b.c. By the second century b.c., the Seleucid Empire was losing its grip on much of its territory, and the Roman Empire was rapidly expanding throughout the Mediterranean world. In an attempt to unite his empire and shore up his… Read More »The Empires of Daniel’s Visions: The Ptolemies and the Seleucids (Late)

c. 323–198 b.c. The two most powerful successors to Alexander, Ptolemy and Seleucus, continued to expand their domains into territory claimed by other generals of Alexander, and they repeatedly clashed with each other over land along the eastern coast of the… Read More »The Empires of Daniel’s Visions: The Ptolemies and the Seleucids (Early)

c. 538–331 b.c. After Cyrus the Great united the Median and Persian empires, he overthrew the Babylonians and established the greatest power the world had ever known. Under later rulers the Persian Empire eventually extended from Egypt and Thrace to the… Read More »The Empires of Daniel’s Visions: The Persians

c. 605–538 b.c. Though their empire was short-lived by comparison with the Assyrians before them and the Persians after them, the Babylonians dominated the Near East during the early days of Daniel, and they were responsible for his initial exile to… Read More »The Empires of Daniel’s Visions: The Babylonians

c. 571 b.c. Ezekiel’s final vision describes the boundaries of a restored Israel, including the allotment to each tribe and the temple. Rather than following the boundaries traditionally occupied by the Israelites, which included Gilead east of the Jordan River and… Read More »Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s New Boundaries

c. 571 b.c. Ezekiel prophesied that even the great nation of Egypt and its allies would fall to the Babylonians, who already occupied the land of Israel and Judah. The rule of the Babylonians would eventually extend as far as the… Read More »Ezekiel Prophesies against Egypt

c. 593 b.c. Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living in the vicinity of Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had engulfed virtually all of the area along the eastern coast of… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel

In a series of prophetic condemnations of nations surrounding Judah, Jeremiah foretold of the doom of Moab and its cities. Moab had often acted as an enemy of Judah, from the time God’s people were preparing to enter the Promised… Read More »Jeremiah Prophesies against Moab

c. 586 b.c. Many of the leading families who had been freed from Ishmael chose to flee to Egypt to escape the Babylonians’ wrath over Gedaliah’s murder. Though Jeremiah himself warned against this course of action, he apparently was forced to… Read More »Jeremiah Prophesies against Egypt

586 b.c. After depopulating Judah of all but the poorest of its inhabitants, the Babylonians set up a new governor, Gedaliah, in Mizpah. Among Gedaliah’s new officers was Ishmael, a member of the Judean royal family. King Baalis of the Ammonites… Read More »Gedaliah Is Assassinated

586 b.c. As punishment for Zedekiah’s rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. After the Babylonians had made a breach in the wall at the middle gate, Zedekiah realized his fate was sealed if he stayed in the city, so he and his soldiers… Read More »The Fall of Jerusalem

586 b.c. The Babylonians had invaded Judah at least once before in 597 b.c., but in 586 Nebuchadnezzar completely destroyed the walls of Jerusalem and the temple as punishment for Zedekiah’s rebellion. Zedekiah himself fled Jerusalem but was caught by the Babylonians… Read More »Babylon Attacks Judah

c. 597, 586, 582 b.c. Jeremiah witnessed multiple deportations of many of his fellow Judeans to Babylon (see 52:28–30), which he and other prophets had foretold would happen if the people did not repent of their wickedness. Jeremiah specifically foretold that the… Read More »The Babylonian Empire

c. 620 b.c. Though the exact date of the prophecies of Habakkuk are difficult to determine, it is likely that he prophesied a short time before the Babylonian invasions of Judah, which began in 605 b.c. During this time the Assyrian Empire was… Read More »The Near East at the Time of Habakkuk

The events of the Gospel of John take place in Palestine, incorporated into the Roman Empire in 63 b.c.Appointed by the Romans as king over the Jews in 37 b.c., Herod the Great ruled until his death in 4 b.c.The Romans divided his… Read More »The Setting of John