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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jon Peter" <jnp AT home.com>
  • To: "Corpus Paulinum" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Chronology of Paul
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999 11:12:44 -0700

Bob Schact's question  inspired me to organize one possible answer. This table is html and should be readable to email clients set up for that view.  If anyone has additions or variations, please let me know.

Best regards,
Jon


A Plausible New Testament Chronology
Based on work of Bo Reike (deceased) Universitat Basel, Switzerland;
From Oxford Companion to the Bible (1993)
Note: Nearly all dates approximate and uncertain

Year

Event

NT Reference

External Reference

5 BC

John the Baptist’s birth

Mt 2.1 Lk 1.5

Herod’s death 4B C Jos.Ant. 14.14. Strabo, Tacitus, Appian

4 1/2 BC

Jesus’ birth

Lk 1.26
cf Augustan tax under Quirius Lk 2.1-2

Later (6CE) a similar tax caused Judean revolt, not in Galilee (Jos . War 7.8.253-56; Ant 18.1.3-10 23-25)

4 BC (to 39 AD)

Herod Antipas tetrachy begins

 

(see above)

28 AD

John Baptist ministry

Lk 3.1

N/A

29 ?-33

Jesus’ ministry

 

 

31
32

Tiberias as Roman emperor
Ordered provincial governors to support Jewish interests in contrast to Sejanus before him.

 

Philo, Legation to Gaius 161. Explains positive rapport of Pilatus & Pharisees

32

John Baptist executed, ostensibly for criticizing royal marriage

Mt 14.4

Illegitimate marriage of Herodias and Herod Antipas. Antipas attacked for this by Nabatean king’s army, 36 AD, father of Antipas’ ex-wife (Jos. Ant. 18.5.109-15)

33

Last Supper & Crucifixion

Mt 27.62; Mk 15.42; Lk 23.54; Jn 19.31

14 Nisan fell on Fri ca. 7 April of 30 and ca 3 April in year 33 (preferred date cf political climate under Tiberias)

36

Stephen’s martyrdom; high priest sought no Roman procurator approval

Acts 7.59

See next note

36

Paul (Saul) conversion to Christ after serving Sanhedrin briefly as anti-Christian agent

Acts 7.58; 9.4

Unusually powerful and independent high priest ruled Sanhedrin briefly until 37, after Syrian gov. Vitellius deposed Pilatus. (Jos. Atn. 18.4-5.88-125)

37-44

Agrippa I (b. 10 BC) persecuted Christians, most liked by Jews

Acts 2

Acts 12.22-23

Jos. Ant 19.8.343-52

38

Paul stays with Peter 2 wks in Jerusalem, meets James bar Jo.

Gal 1.18; 2.1 "after 3 years"

Initial year included in counting, by convention

42

James Zebedee martyrdom

Acts 12.2

King Agrippa I reign ended in 44

47-48

Barnabas leads Paul on 1st mission journey

Acts 13.1-14.28

 

49

Apostolic Council / Paul’s 2nd visit to Jerusalem

Acts 15.1-29; Gal 2.1-10

 

50-100

King Agrippa II

 

 

50-54
52

 

52-53

Paul’s 2nd journey
Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth following Claudian expulsion of Jews

Paul lives 18 mos. in Corinth, meets proconsul Gallio

Acts 15.36-18.22

Acts 18.2

 

Acts 18.12

Acts 18.11

Expulsion described in Suetonius, Claudius 25..24

 

Gallio mentioned in Delphi inscription as holding office

55-58

Paul’s 3rd journey. 2 years in Asia Minor; lengthy stays in Troas and Macedonia; 3 mos. in Greece

Acts 18.23-21.16

Acts 19.10; 2Co 2.12-13;
Acts 20.3

 

58-60

Paul’s captivity in Caesarea under Felix

Acts 20.3

Felix deposed in 60 when Nero overthrew Felix’s brother Pallas in Rome

60

Continuation of Paul’s trial, followed by trip to Rome

Acts 28.14

 

61-62

Paul in custody at Rome

 

 

62

James bar Jo. stoned in Jerusalem under high priest

 

Jos. Ant. 20.9.197-203

64

65

Destruction of Rome by fire under Nero; Christian persecution; martyrdom of Peter and Paul

 

Rome events reported by Tacitus Annals 15.44.4

66-70

Jewish war; Jerusalem sacked

 

Jos. Wars

94-95

Domitian persecution of Christians

Rev 1.9

I Clement 1.1; 7.1; Pliny, Epistles 10.96.6




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