Note: All dates are BC.
550 — Cyrus defeats Astyages, king of the Medes.
539 — Cyrus takes Babylon and establishes Persia as the new superpower.
538 — Cyrus issues the edict allowing Jews to returb to Judea.
537 — First contingent of Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem under Sheshbazzar.
530 — Cambyses, Cyrus's son, succeeds to the throne.
525 — Cambyses defeats Egypt.
522 — Darius ascends to the throne.
520 — Rebuilding of the second Temple in Jerusalem begins.
515 — Temple in Jerusalem is completed.
490 — Battle of Marathon.
486 — Ahasuerus (Xerxes) begins his reign.
484 — Esther begins her life at Ahasuerus's court.
481 — Battle of Thermopylae.
480 — Persians defeated by the Greeks at Salamis.
465 — Artaxerxes I begins his reign.
458 — Ezra begins his ministry in Jerusalem.
445 — Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem.
433 — Nehemiah ends his ministry in Jerusalem.
332 — Alexander the Great takes Egypt.
331 — Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander defeats Darius.
323 — Alexander the Great dies in Babylon.
311 — Seleucus captures Babylon and establishes the Seleucid Empire.
202 — Rome defeats Cathage at Battle of Zama.
198 — Antiochus III captures Egypt and gains control of Palestine.
190 — Cornelius Scipio defeats Antiochus III at Battle of Magnesia.
175 — Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) succeeds to the throne.
168 — Rome defeats the Macedonians at the Battle of Pydna.
167 — The Temple in Jerusalem profaned, and Start of the Maccabean Revolt
164 — The Temple in Jerusalem is recaptured, cleansed and rededicated in Festival of Hannukah.
160 — Judea gains independence from Seleucids; Hasmonean rule established.
146 — Rome captures and destroys Carthage.
133 — Attalus, king of Pergamun, bequeaths his territory to Rome.
63 — Pompey invades Palestine and brings Judea under Roman rule.
49 — Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, sparking the civil war.
48 — Pompey and his allies are defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus; Pompey flees to Alexandria and is murdered by Ptolemy.
44 — Julius Caesar is murdered on the Ide of March.
41 — Pathians conquer and occupy Jerusalem, and make Aristobulus II high priest and king.
40 — Roman Senate appoints Herod the Great king of Judea.
37 — Herod re-establishes his rule over Judea as Rome's client king.
31 — Octavian establishes his firm rule with the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.
c20 — Herod begins rebuilding of the Temple.
5 — Jesus is born.
4 — Herod the Great dies.
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