A SYNOPSIS OF WORLD HISTORY
BEING AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
AND INFLUENTIAL EVENTS OF THE PAST SIX THOUSAND YEARS
by Darren Andrews
A.D. 2003
Acknowledgements to Margaret and Paul
for their advice and encouragement
Dedicated to all those who seek truth first, and please man last
"If men could learn from history, what lessons it
might teach us! But passion and party blind our
eyes, and the light which experience gives is a
lantern on the stern, which shines only on the
waves behind us!"
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834).
Author's Note
The author of this work wishes to make it known that the dates, events, and explanations contained
herein are subject to the fallibility of the sources (and the author) but that to the best of his ability he
has produced what evidence and context would suggest to be true and has, especially in the more
recent history of the past two centuries, tried to take an objective and reasoned approach rather than
following the views of popularity or 'political correctness' of any kind. As to this work, however, it must
be stated that it is the view of the author and not necessarily the view of any other person or
organization. Copyright, Darren Andrews, 2003.
FOREWORD
A chronology and commentary on world history, even a selective 'overview' of
significant key events, is a considerable enterprise in itself, and yet to discover such
aspirations and intellectually brave assertions set forth within the modest proportions
of a 120 page dissertation-sized booklet (albeit a 'thesis' that promises to be as useful
as it is unforgettable) begs some kind of explanation. To this end it should be said that
the following observations have been made as a result of a familiarity with source
materials as much as with the work itself, and from a close personal acquaintance
with the concerns, convictions, and extraordinary insights which both informed and
motivated Darren to put pen to paper as it were.
To offer an immediate explanation for such a curious, comprehensive piece of
historical research, I venture to suggest that it is the somewhat natural and, perhaps,
inevitable product of a reasonable and unprejudiced mind determined to preserve that
very quality of reason which is ever ready to discriminate in favour of being true to
the truth. In this particular sense it is a conscious celebration of the Hamiltonian
aphorism, that: "In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths, or first
principles, upon which all subsequent reasonings must depend. These contain an
internal evidence which, antecedent to all reflection or combination, commands the
assent of the mind. Where it produces not this effect, it must proceed either from
some disorder in the organs of perception, or from the influence of some strong
interest, or passion, or prejudice." (Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers, No.
31).
Tempted to call upon such renowned Founding Fathers to venture further in this
vein, one might make reference to a characteristically Jeffersonian fundamentalism so emphatic is our author in his unfailing resolve to engage in this genuine process of
enlightenment; seeking always to create for us a more reliable document, as an index
to historical truth, whose testimonial betokens an urgent need for a pre-millenial
reassessment of the credibility of the historical record - even as it challenges and
imposes a more inclusive agenda for future historians to seriously contemplate.
Should this powerful disclosure of so many unexpected truths prove too sobering to
'celebrate' it is, nevertheless, greatly expected that such a document be revered for its
power to elevate both the study and status of historical research to that conspicuously
higher level of moral sensibility where all truths may be circumscribed into one great
whole.
Paul G. Allen, November 1998.
CONTENTS
i
TITLE PAGE
ii
FOREWORD
1
CONTENTS
2-3
INTRODUCTION
4-37
THE FALL OF ADAM TO THE TIME OF CHRIST
38-83
THE MERIDIAN OF TIME, THE UNIVERSAL APOSTASY, AND THE
ENLIGHTENMENT
84-110
THE RESTORATION OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THE LATTER DAYS
111
MAPS
119
BIBLIOGRAPHY
120
CONCISE THEME INDEX
INTRODUCTION
History is a subject which has grown in my estimation since my youth when I was
interested only in the excitement and mysteries of ancient times. I am now certain that
history must rank as one of the most important studies in life. I might mention in
support of this claim the fact that God decreed that His people should keep records
historical and that as early as the time of Adam a Book of Remembrance was kept.1
One New World prophet informs us that the scriptures (which we might define to be
an inspired and authorized history or record of God's dealings with His people) had
"enlarged the memory of [his] people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their
ways.”2
The potential of history, especially when seen in the context of the Plan of Salvation,
to give so much that is beneficial to the present (and thus to futurity) is great indeed.
No doubt there are many reasons for this; among them the fact that we may learn from
mistakes that have already been made, learn from exemplary lives that have already
been lived, come to discern the hand of Providence working in the lives of our
ancestors and, likewise, detect the Adversary and his devices. Add to these, however,
the 'sense of roots', heritage, and culture that history brings to the individual and to
nations; surely such a knowledge serves to increase our identity and understanding of
who we really are and perhaps is very much more associated with our divine origin
and premortality than we suppose, after all it is but an extension of it.
The value of history, as with religion and morality, does not escape the notice of the
devil who has, throughout time and by means of human agents, clouded history with
mists of darkness so dense that those 'false traditions' of which the scriptures speak
have become both accepted and popular. It is my opinion that in the hereafter of our
lives we shall discover many of the people and events of history to be quite different
to how we imagined them to be. We live in a time known among the prophets as a
period when there would be great lyings and deceivings 3 upon the face of the whole
earth, when good would be called evil and evil good; surely this applies to history and
its characters as much as it does to the present, for it is in the present that history is
not only made but also interpreted and taught. We must be cautious in what we accept
to be true. It has been my experience that in today's world if something is commonly
accepted or promoted as true and/or important then that alone is good enough reason
to scrutinize it all the more before arriving at any conclusions.* With this in mind I
feel rather as Pericles** when he said: "It is hard to speak [or, in this case, write]
properly upon a subject where it is even difficult to convince your hearers that you are
speaking the truth. On the one hand, the friend who is familiar with every fact of the
story may think that some point has not been set forth with that fullness which he
*
J. Reuben Clark, jr., a former U.S. Under-Secretary of State, Ambassador to Mexico, top
constitutional expert, and member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, said concerning our times: "We are in the midst of the greatest exhibition of propaganda that the
world has ever seen." (Enemy, p. 286). Will Durant put it even more succinctly perhaps when he wrote:
"Most history is guessing, and the rest is prejudice." (Our Oriental Heritage, The Story of Civilization,
(1954) New York: Simon and Schuster, p.12).
**
Or perhaps I might say as the prophet-king Benjamin, who mourned that some of the people of his
time "[knew] nothing concerning [the scriptural record and truths contained therein], or even do not
believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not
correct." (Mosiah 1:5).
wishes and knows it to deserve; on the other, he who is a stranger to the matter may
be led by envy to suspect exaggeration if he hears anything above his own nature."4
Alas, even when history is quite clear to us it is often the nature of man to ignore its
lessons. As we look around today we see the same things happening and being
planned, the same age-old philosophies being promoted, that have destroyed
civilizations from earliest times. One thing we do learn from history is that mankind
in general does not learn from history. It was Friedrich Von Schiller who said "Die
Weltgeschichte ist das Weltgericht"5 ('The world's history is the world's judgement').
With so much history behind us how will God judge us if we do not learn from it?
Explanation
The chronologies below cover the earth's history from the Fall of Adam to the
present day. The dates of the Second Millenia BC and earlier are not reliable and only
give a rough sketch of the sequence of events. Dates based on the Old Testament are
as accurate as I have been able to get them and have been adjusted in accordance with
modern revelation where such account of years differs from those of the Bible. All
dates are based on Calmet's Chronology which sets the year of the Fall of Adam at
4000 BC and the birth of Christ at 1 BC. Dates around New Testament times have an
accepted margin of error of 1 to 7 years, thereafter dates are believed to steadily
become more reliable. Legendary and unconfirmed events are listed in square
brackets, although this is for the reader's benefit and does not necessarily mean that
those events are any less valid than those without brackets. For excellent information
on calendars and biblical chronology visit the web site of John Pratt at
www.johnpratt.com.
Much of course has not been included in this work due to restriction of space.
Inventions, music, art, architecture, science, etc., are just some of the things in
addition to the more 'strictly historical' matters I have excluded; though I have
mentioned some 'lighter' matters in the chronologies for the purpose of giving the
reader a sense of where certain things 'fit in' as a point of reference. The theme of this
work, however, is centred around (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) the continuation of the
War in Heaven (i.e. the contention between the two opposing political philosophies of
freedom and slavery), (3) the blood of Israel throughout the centuries and nations, and
(4) major wars and events influencing Israel, Europe, Britain, America and other parts
of the world inasmuch as they touch upon these and the first three points. I have
attempted a little more by way of detail as far as the last 200 years are concerned, they
having such a bearing upon the present state of things.
Works particularly drawn upon in the text have been abbreviated in brackets for
easier citation in the endnotes (see bibliography for key). LDS works have also been
clearly marked as such in the bibliography.
Perspective and Intent
There are two contending schools of thought or perspectives regarding the historical
record. One teaches that what has happened in the past is the consequence of
unplanned and unrelated events. This belief is called the Accidental View of history.
It is this view which prevails in the teaching of history today. The second view claims
that the past is, in the main at least, a consequence of planned and often related
events. This is called the Conspiratorial View of history. This philosophy ascribes
events to unseen superintending powers that work upon mankind. It could also be
called the Providential or Prophetical View. It is the contention of this author that the
latter view is supported by the evidence of the historical record.
Before this earth was populated there was a conflict that existed between Jehovah
and Lucifer and their forces. It was called the War in Heaven and it was fought over
the issue of freedom. That war, now transferred to this earth, continues mainly
through earthly governments and powers.6 In this connection I have included an
appendix on government, focusing on those principles inspired of heaven both
anciently and in more recent times and of which every person in the world should be
familiar.*
Although this work has been written from a Latter-day Saint perspective (and includes
many LDS historical and doctrinal points) I have tried to so present it that non-LDS
readers will also benefit. It is the hope of the author that the reader, be they LDS or
not, will gain a sense of the 'big picture' of history, of the contending forces thereof,
remove themselves from the deceptions now so inveterate in the world, and come to
teach their children "things as they really are."7
PART ONE
THE FALL OF ADAM TO THE TIME OF CHRIST
4000 BC
Fall of Adam: FIRST DISPENSATION BEGINS (Adamic
Dispensation)
A Dispensation is a period of dispensing (distributing) the gospel. Each dispensation
is presided over by a prophet, Adam (also called The Ancient of Days) being
president of all the heads (prophets) of all dispensations. It would seem that each of
these heads of the dispensations were and are associated with the seven Archangels.
We know, for instance, that Adam and Noah are the Archangels Michael and Gabriel
respectively.
The Jaredites and the Nephites had their own dispensations (as may have others of
whom we know not) but these are not included among the traditional lineal
dispensations headed by Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter/the Apostles,
and the Prophet Joseph Smith who was called in AD 1820.
Although the First Dispensation is considered to have begun at this time it should be
noted that the scriptures indicate that divine revelation and the dispensing of the
fullness of the gospel did not occur until some years after the Fall.8
39?? BC
Cain slays Abel; he becomes Master Mahan** and secret
combinations begin
3600 BC
Around this time the righteous posterity of Adam leave the land
of Shulon and settle a 'promised land' they call Cainan9
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, born
3378 BC
*
"The fundamentals and processes of free government should be known to every school boy - and his
parents...No free people can ever survive if they are ignorant of and fail to understand the principles of
free government." (Ezra Taft Benson, The Red Carpet, p. 202).
**
The word Mahan may be connected with 'mind', 'destroyer' or 'great one' (see Moses 5:31).
The Book of Enoch is no longer to be found in the canon of the scriptures, being one
of the many 'Lost Books'. Although there are traditional translations in existence
today (the Ethiopic being the most common), prophecy speaks of a time when the
writings of Enoch shall come forth;10 a portion of these writings can be found in The
Pearl of Great Price.11
3353 BC
Enoch ordained to the Priesthood by Adam
Summary of Adamic Dispensation: Very little is known concerning the antediluvian
(Latin, ante, 'before', and diluvium, 'deluge') period. After Adam and his wife left
Eden they travelled just a few miles east to the plains of Olaha Shinehah 12 where they
settled. Evidently this whole area later became known as Shulon and included or was
very near to the mountains and valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman (see 3073 BC). In the
fourth generation from Adam the residue of the righteous, apparently under the
leadership of Enos (Seth's son), migrated eastward to a new 'promised land' they
named Cainan (after Enos's son); Adam and Seth apparently remained in Shulon
perhaps to preach repentance to those who had not departed with Enos.
This period also saw the Adversary, through Cain, first establish secret combinations
upon the earth within the society of Cain's descendants. Their first dwelling place was
said to be called Nod (meaning 'wandering') and later they built a city called Enoch
(not to be confused with the City of Zion).
3313 BC
SECOND
DISPENSATION
BEGINS
(Enochian
Dispensation)> Zion established; in which days the City of
Enoch (or City of Zion) is built
Birth of Methuselah son of Enoch
3213 BC
Methuselah ordained to the Priesthood by Adam
3073 BC
Adam-ondi-Ahman: Meeting of High Priests under Adam;
Adam blesses his righteous posterity and predicts all that will
happen to them down to the last generation13
Adam-ondi-Ahman is one of the very few Adamic words known to us; Orson Pratt, a
modern-day Apostle, said that it translates as "Valley of God, where Adam dwelt"
although it has also been said to mean "The Valley where God talked with Adam". 14 It
was evidently a large area and included part or all of what today is known as Daviess
County, Missouri.15
3070 BC
Adam dies
Evidence16 shows that Joseph Smith taught that Adam lived just a few months short of
1000 years; Hebrew tradition also refers to the same time span though adding that
Adam gave 70 years of his life to another. It seems likely that Adam lived about 6970 years in the Garden of Eden and 930 years in mortality, making him just under
1000 when he died thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that Adam would die in the
day (1000 years by the Lord’s time) he ate of the forbidden fruit.
3000 BC
Around this period Enoch warreda with wicked men and giantsb
(a) John the Beloved, in speaking of the opening of the First Seal17 which represented
the events of the first thousand years of history, described a man on a white horse
with a bow and crown who went forth conquering. A modern Apostle, Bruce R.
McConkie, made this comment on the matter: "Truly, never was there a ministry
such as Enoch's, and never a conqueror and general [see Moses 7:13-17] who was
his equal! How appropriate that he should ride the white horse of victory in John's
apocalyptic vision!"18 Interestingly the Book of Jasher (an apocryphal work
considered to be quite reliable) also associates Enoch with a white horse at the
time of being taken up (translated).
(b) Giants are mentioned in Genesis 6:419 (translated Nephilim in some versions).
Later Noah fought this same race and later still, in the time of Israel, we find
reference to post-flood giants, the most well-known being Goliath who, if the
interpretation of measurement is correct, stood 9 foot and 9 inches tall. Many
myths and legends around the world speak of giants, especially typical is the
tradition that giants were the first or oldest inhabitants of many lands, Britain
included; of course these traditions may also be ascribed to the probability that
people of the first two thousand years or so of history were generally larger than
modern-day man.
2948 BC
Zion (Citya of Enoch) and Enoch translatedb; righteous
members of the Church continue to be translated from this time
to the time of the Flood
(a) The word 'City' may actually have included an entire geographical area. It is
believed by some that Joseph Smith said that the region we now call the Gulf of
Mexico was where the City of Zion once stood. The population of this city/land
may have numbered in the millions.
(b) Translation is a temporary condition wherein a person continues to minister in a
terrestrial (mortal) sphere (not necessarily on this earth it would seem).20 It is not
resurrection. Translated beings are not subject to death, disease, suffering (save it
be for the sorrows of the world), etc. Those who were translated before Christ's
resurrection will have been resurrected at that time;21 those translated after
Christ's resurrection will be resurrected at the Second Coming. The resurrection
of translated beings, as with all other people, requires death (separation of spirit
and body) to precede it; in their case death is instantaneous and resurrection
immediately follows. Many of the righteous servants of the Lord seem to have
been translated during the Patriarchal era, even after the translation of Zion.22
Methuselah was not translated with the City of Enoch, the reason being "that the
covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled":23 Noah was Methuselah's grandson.
Translation continued after the Flood with the people of Salem and such men as
Moses and Elijah who both had an important work to do just prior to the
Atonement and Resurrection of Christ. Many of the righteous suffered death after
the Meridian of time as there was a need for them to enter into the work recently
opened up in the next life - the preaching of the gospel to the dead and matters
related thereto.
2944 BC
Noah born
2494 BC
Japheth born
2452 BC
Shem born
2444 BC
Ham born
2400 BC
Daughters of Priesthood holders marry outside the Covenant
The Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith said concerning this: "This offense was one cause
that brought to pass the universal flood...the daughters of the [priesthood] were
transgressing the commandment of the Lord and were marrying out of the Church..."24
2344 BC
Death or translation of Methuselaha; the Floodb
(a) One interpretation25 of Methuselah's name is from methu ('he dieth') and shalach
('he sendeth out'); this would indicate that his name was prophetic, that is that
when Methuselah died (or was translated) the Flood should be sent out.
(b) The story of a universal Flood or Deluge can be found in the myths of just about
every culture on the face of the earth, most mentioning some form of boat that
allowed a few individuals to survive. John Taylor, a modern-day prophet of God,
affirmed that the Flood was universal and complete when he said "...the earth was
immersed. It was a period of baptism."26
Summary of Enochian Dispensation: Like the First Dispensation relatively little is
known about this time. Prominent, however, is the living of the Law of Zion by the
people of Enoch and the eventual translation of Enoch and his city. This was also a
time of great war between the people of Zion and the wicked. It has been estimated
that the population of the earth at the time of the Flood may have exceeded present
world levels of population.27 It is believed by some that this was the time when
dinosaurs flourished.
2343 BC
THIRD
DISPENSATION
BEGINS
(Noachian
a
Dispensation)> God's Covenant with Noah; Noachians settle
Middle East/Asiab
(a) The Lord promised to Noah that the world would never be subject to a universal
Flood again, that Zion (the City of Enoch) would return, and that the Lord would
come to dwell upon the earth. The outward token was to be the rainbow.
(b) The Ark came to rest in a place the Assyrians called Urartu. The Hebrew name of
this district is Ararat. It was "upon the mountains of Ararat"28 that the Ark settled
(although the Inspired Version reads "mountain of Ararat");29 it is not known for
sure where the vessel eventually grounded itself, although the explorations and
discoveries of the late David Fasold in the 1980s/90s seem to support strong
evidence for the decayed remains of a large boat (with the same dimensions as the
Ark) being located in that region near the Turkish-Armenian border. According to
historians, and supported to some extent by scriptural evidence, the first organized
political cultures emerged at the latter end of the Third Millennium BC in the
Indus Valley (NW India), Mesopotamia, Canaan and Egypt; that is to say, at
places near to the landing place of the Ark. Some evidence, however, seems to
point at civilizations around 3000 BC. These may have been pre-Flood settlements
(it is not known how far the Antediluvians travelled from their original lands), or
the date of the Flood may be inaccurate, or the evidence may simply be
misinterpreted.
2300 BC
Prophetic blessing given to Noah's sons; Japheth's descendants
are to be the Seed of Adoption,a Shem's the Chosen Seed,b and
Ham's the Cursed Seedc
(a) Japheth's descendants seemed to have settled Asia Minor, Macedonia, Armenia,
France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Central Europe, Southern Asia, Media, and Persia.
They are referred to as Gentiles or Indo-Europeans. The gospel did not go forth to
the descendants of Japheth until about AD 40.
(b) Shem's descendants seem to have settled Chaldea, Syria, part of Armenia, Salem
(Jerusalem), Damascus, and Eastern Mesopotamia. The Semitic lineage was
chosen of the Lord to give rise to the House of Israel, which was to receive the
birthright and be a means of eventually blessing all the children of God of all
lineages.
(c) Ham's descendants seem to have settled Egypt, Canaan (Palestine), Continental
Africa, India, Australia, and Assyria (North Mesopotamia). Ham, though a holder
of the Priesthood himself, was told that his children (the Hamitic peoples) could
not bear the Priesthood because the blood of Cain was in their veins (Ham's wife
Egyptus was a descendant of Cain). This was not to last, however, and the
restriction was lifted by the Lord in AD 1978.30
Great Pyramid and Stonehenge may have began to be
constructed about this time
Aram, son of Shem, born around this time
Aram did not give rise to the birthright line, being (according to Genesis 10:22) the
brother of Arphaxad (the grandfather of Eber). Aram was therefore Semitic but not a
Hebrew (see the text under 2277 BC). However, according to Genesis 22:21 Aram
was a Hebrew and the grandson of Abraham's brother. Aram was said to have given
rise to the Aramaeans (sometimes referred to as Syrians in the KJV), who inhabited
Mesopotamia (originally called Aram-Naharaim, meaning 'Aram of the Two Rivers').
The Assyrians and Babylonians were populated and influenced by those of Aramaean
stock, and the original Assyrian language gave way to the language of the Aramaeans
(better known as Aramaic or Syriack). Later these people inhabited Syria. The
Aramaean people finally lost their independence as a political entity with the fall of
Damascus in 733 BC; their language however continued with the Assyrians and
Persians, becoming a language later dominant in Palestine after the return of the
exiled Jews who had been exposed to it during their Babylonian captivity.
2277 BC
Eber born (a Shemite), the ancestor of all Hebrews
Shemites (later called Semites or Semitic peoples) are the descendants of Shem.
Hebrews are thought to be named after their progenitor Eber, a name that may come
from the word 'Eber which means 'to cross', designating 'one who had come from
beyond (the Euphrates)'; in any case all Hebrews are Semitic (Eber was a descendant
of Shem); the Hamitic peoples were descendants of Ham; the Israelites were
descendants of Israel (Jacob) and are therefore Semites and Hebrews. Today we think
of Jews when we hear the word 'Semitic' or 'Hebrew' but in reality these terms have
reference to a much larger group of people. One should also remember not to confuse
the Hebrew language with the Hebrew people, and likewise the Jewish religion with
the Jewish race (non-Jewish people have taken up Judaism, and many Jews in the
time of the early Apostles, for example, became Christians).
22?? BC
Egypt named and inhabited by Egyptus (daughter of Ham). Her
eldest son, Pharaoh, rules and a patriarchal government is set
up in imitation of the government of the early Patriarchs.31
It should be pointed out that the scriptures do state Pharaoh to have been "a righteous
man" who "judged his people wisely and justly all his days"; 32 it seems then that this
imitation government was originally based on a sincere desire to live after the manner
of God's people despite the wickedness and idolatry of the Egyptians by Abraham's
time.
Sumerians (Hamitic) inhabit Mesopotamia
The lands of Sumer ('the land of Shinar' in the Bible) comprised what was later to
become known as Babylonia. The Sumerians occupied the eastern or lower part of
Mesopotamia. The name Mesopotamia itself is Greek and means 'in the middle of or
between the rivers' (referring to the rivers Euphrates and Tigris). According to
Genesis 11:2 the people of Sumer had come from the east, suggesting that the area
nearer to Media / the Indus Valley may have been a centre of settlement for the people
of Noah soon after the Flood (the Inspired Version indicates that this migration east
consisted of "many"33). It was the Sumerians who are credited with the creation of
what is known as cuneiform ('wedge-shaped') writing which is the earliest known
form of writing as far as records go. The famous Epic of Gilgamesh (which makes
reference to the Deluge) was written in cuneiform around this time in Akkad.
Nimrod (Hamitic) becomes Master Mahan and establishes
Babel*
Great Ebla Empire (Syria) flourishes around this time
Ebla extended its rule to Mesopotamia at its height. Its existence was not known until
AD 1974 from which time thousands of clay tablet began to be found; many
containing references to a creation, a garden, a unique extra-biblical reference to the
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (with whom Ebla had traded), and Hebrew names such
as David and Esau. The Empire was subsequently destroyed and taken over by the
Akkadians.
*
Debates as to the time of Babel are many. I have kept here to the traditional scriptural chronology
although this should not be considered definitive. Such should be borne in mind for all the dates of this
period as well as, to a lesser extent, the sequence of events.
2240 BC
Continents divide in the days of Peleg
The pangea (or one landmass) that split in the days of Peleg (born 2243 BC) most
probably comprised of the Far East being connected to the west coast of the
Americas, thus there was no Pacific Ocean. A number of scriptural evidences back
this up such as Enoch describing a "sea east" (the Atlantic) and the Garden of Eden
being "eastward" and in North America (it would have been "westward" if the east
coast of America was joined with Europe). This event probably occurred or began to
occur around Peleg's birth otherwise he would not have received his name which
means 'division'.
Jaredites leave Babel and sail to the Americas
The Confusion of Tongues
22?? BC
Nineveh built around this period
According to tradition the city of Nineveh was founded by Nimrod although the Bible
indicates it was Asshur; yet other sources indicate Ninus, grandson of Nimrod. It was
located on the eastern bank of the Tigris and its ruins have yielded important
evidences of that culture.
Founding of Akkadian Empire by Sargon I in Mesopotamia;
Sumerian era ends
Sargon (or Sharrukin) was from the city of Akkad. Sargon invaded and incorporated
the land of Sumer into his Empire and brought an end to the Sumerian era. He also
possessed the land of northern Mesopotamia which would later be called Assyria and
brought the land of Elam (just east of Mesopotamia, with Susa as its capital, and one
of the first urban settlements in Persia) under his dominion. The Akkadian Empire is
considered to be one of the first real Empires* of history.
Dravidians (Hamitic?) settle Indus River and begin Harappan
Civilisation
2100 BC
Ministry of Melchizedek
Melchizedek (meaning 'king of righteousness') ruled a place called Salem (identified
with Jerusalem). He is very much associated with Shem and may have been one and
the same person;34 this belief seems to have emanated from Jewish tradition although
some modern-day leaders and scholars of the Church have also hinted at the
possibility. There has been no clear revelation on the matter however. Melchizedek
presided in seniority over Abraham and it was from him that Abraham received the
Priesthood and to whom he paid his tithes.35
*
An empire has been defined as the political and military domination of a single distinct cultural group
over one or more other cultural groups.
20?? BC
Hsia (or Xia) Dynasty (or Anyang culture) flourishes in the
Orient in Yellow River (or Hwang Ho) area (Gentiles)
2050 BC
Beginning of Middle Kingdom (or Feudal Age) in Egypt
The reasons for its predecessor's decline, the Old Kingdom (or Dynastic Age), are not
known. Prehistorians date the beginnings of the Old Kingdom prior to the date
traditionally inferred by the scriptures for the beginning of Egypt. The first King of
the Old Kingdom of Egypt was said to be Menes (or Narmer) who united Upper
Egypt in the south (with its capital at Thebes) with Lower Egypt in the north (with its
capital at Memphis), hence the double crown of Egypt.
2022 BC
Abram (Abraham) born
The scriptures do not give a precise date for Abraham's birth, only that it was
somewhere between Terah's 70th and 130th year (i.e. between 2052 and 1992 BC).
Most scholars agree that it is probably the middle or latter half of this range (based
partly on the fact that Abraham had a significantly older brother); I have thus assumed
Abraham's birth to be in 2022 BC when his father was 100 years old. This is a
commonly accepted date among scholars. Some writings and traditions say that
Abraham's birth was somewhat along the lines of both Moses' and the Saviour's in
that a death decree had gone forth. This decree was said to have come from Nimrod.
The imprecise dates for the lives of both Abraham and Nimrod make it difficult to
know if they even lived at the same time. The Book of Abraham informs us however
that Abraham was the intended victim of human sacrifice later in his life but was
delivered by the angel of God.
2012 BC
Sarai (Sarah) born
2000 BC
Minoan Empire of Crete comes to power about this time
"Minos (King of Knossus), according to tradition, was the first to build a fleet and set
up an empire in the Aegean Sea" (Thucydides). The rise and decline of the Cretans is
still somewhat of a mystery. They evidently bore rule over most of the Mediterranean
(including Greece) during their time and were on equal terms with their
contemporaries - Egypt, Assyria, and the Hittite empires. Places as far west as Spain
and as far east as Palestine seem to have been influenced by the Minoan Empire.
Elamites destroy lands of Sumer
Hittites (Hamitic) of Asia Minor make discovery and use of
chariots and iron
Phoenicians become a strong sea power
The Phoenicians were a Semitic people with a similar language to Hebrew, although
some may have been Hamitic (descendants of Sidon, son of Canaan) as there were
evidently two branches - the 'fair' and the 'dark skinned'. They were great traders in
the ancient world by land and especially by sea. It was their ships that seem to have
been responsible for bringing Cornish tin to Israel for use in the building of the
Temple of Solomon (Phoenicians also helped build Solomon's 'Temple Square' and
construct his fleet). There are evidences that the Phoenicians also ranged as far as the
Western Hemisphere (as early as 1447 BC). It was from the Phoenicians that the
syllabic writing system is said to have originated; later the Greeks developed this and
gave us the Latin letters which gave birth to our modern languages. The system was
essentially phonetic rather than pictorial in its characters.
The word alphabet actually comes from aleph and beta which were originally two
Phoenician words meaning 'ox' and 'house' (alpha and beta have no meaning in
Greek). Later the Phoenicians influenced Israel in the ways of nature worship, the
most well-known character perhaps being Jezebel who married King Ahab. The word
Phoenician is said to come from the Greek phoenix, meaning 'purple'; the Phoenicians
held the secret anciently to the rare and costly purple dye.
Aryans (Gentiles) enter Western Asia about this time
Aryans raid Indus Valley and enslave Dravidians
The Aryans (meaning 'noble') were a fair-skinned and blue-eyed race. They seem to
have been nomads and raiders. Those that enslaved the Dravidians also settled
eastward at the River Ganges. The Vedas were said to have come from the Aryans, as
well as cow-worship, and thus the core of what was to become Hinduism. Many
Dravidians fled south and settled southern India where their descendants still live to
this day. The Tamil's language comes from Dravidian and they among others may be
descendants of the original pre-Aryan inhabitants of India.
Ugarit flourishes
Located on the north Syrian coast about 50 miles southwest of Antioch. It was also
called the Ras Shamrah community. The Ras Shamrah Tablets indicate the immoral
and idolatrous nature of these people.
1994 BC
Noah dies
Summary of Noachian Dispensation: During this time the posterity of Noah settled
and were told that their descendants would become three distinct groups upon the face
of the earth. A few generations later the wicked Nimrod (a great grandson of Noah
through Ham) established the abomination of Babylon (a corrupt religious, political
and economic entity). During this time the continents divided and the pure tongue of
Adam, called Adamic, was lost to all but one group of people, the Jaredites. The other
descendants of Noah expanded into the Mediterranean in the west and the basin of the
Yellow River in the east. It was also during this time that Melchizedek ministered,
being so righteous that his people turned from wickedness to righteousness and were
eventually to be translated (see 1920 BC); the Priesthood of the Son of God was later
referred to as the Melchizedek Priesthood, reflecting how great a high priest this
servant of God was.
1960 BC
FOURTH
DISPENSATION
BEGINS
(Abrahamic
Dispensation)> Abraham receives Abrahamic Covenant
The Abrahamic Covenant36 was the Covenant of Exaltation to Abraham and his
faithful seed and to those who were adopted into it. In the Covenant Abraham was
promised that his seed would: (1) include all those who accepted the fullness of the
gospel regardless of whether they were blood descendants and that Christ would come
through his literal seed, (2) be as numerous as the stars, (3) inherit certain lands as an
everlasting possession, (4) be the means of spreading the gospel by virtue of
possessing the Priesthood.
Around this time Abraham receives instruction on astronomy
and is commanded to declare37 it to the Egyptians which he
does
As we obtained much of our astronomical/mathematical knowledge from the Greeks
and they got theirs from the Egyptians we might well ask: Could modern science be
founded upon the ancient revelations given to Abraham? Interestingly, scrolls
containing numerical data (perhaps a record of what Abraham was told in Abraham
3:10) were found with the Egyptian mummies that the Prophet Joseph Smith
purchased along with the papyri from which The Book of Abraham was translated.
1950 BC
Reign of Hammurabi; the Code of Hammurabi; beginnings of
Babylonian Empire; Elamites attacked by Hammurabi for their
attack on Sumer
Hammurabi was from the city-state of Babylon in Mesopotamia. He ruled Akkad,
Sumer, and formed the Babylonian Empire; it was from this time that Babylon
became the centre of political power in that region of the earth. Babylonians were also
called Chaldeans (pronounced with a hard 'ch'), although technically Chaldea was the
southeast portion of Babylonia (although the name was applied to the whole
Mesopotamian region sometimes). That they were influenced by the Sumerians, and
possibly as a product of their own Semitic traditions, is shown in the fact that
inscriptions have been found proving that they had accounts of a Creation and of a
Deluge very similar to the Genesis story.
1936 BC
Ishmael born to Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian
Being Egyptian Hagar would have been Hamitic. The Ishmaelites (some at least)
seem to have later married into the Edomites: this people dwelt between the Dead Sea
and the Gulf of Aqaba in a place called the Arabah Valley. This is how they came to
be called 'Arabs'. Like Israel (Jacob), Ishmael also begat 12 tribes or princes.38
1923 BC
Covenant of Circumcision instituted by the Lord
At about this time Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed
1922 BC
Lot's daughters give birth to Moab (father of the Moabites) and
Ben-ammi (father of the Ammonites) by their father
Isaac born to Abraham by Sarah
1920 BC
Melchizedek and his people translated39
1885 BC
Death of Sarah
1862 BC
Jacob (Israel) and Esau born (Esau has the birthright)
1850 BC
Hyksos (Semitic) rule in Egypt begins
1847 BC
Abraham dies
Abraham had married Keturah after Sarah's death. By her he gave rise to yet other
tribes and peoples, among whom were said to be the Assyrians, Midianites (a
nomadic tribe of north Arabia) and even the Spartans of Greece (who were Dorian
Greeks). Interestingly, Josephus mentions that King Areus of Lakedaemon (another
name for Sparta) wrote to Onias III, High Priest of Jerusalem, in about 183 BC, and
claimed Abraham as an ancestor; this claim was acknowledged a few years later by
the High Priest Jonathan who had evidently consulted unspecified Jewish records and
found the claim to be in conformity with them.40
It will be seen, if the lineages of Abraham's wives are correct, that Abraham married a
Semite of his own lineage (Sarai/Sarah), a Hamitic woman (Hagar), and a woman
descended from Japheth (Keturah); if this is true then we can see how the Lord's
blessing that Abraham would have many children, and that all nations would be
blessed through his posterity, was already beginning to be realized.
1842 BC
Shem dies
18?? BC
Esau sells birthright to Jacob
1822 BC
Esau marries Hittite and Ishmaelite wives; his descendants are
the Edomites (later called Idumaeans)
It will be remembered that the Ishmaelites were the principal ancestors of the Arabs.
When Esau married into them some of his descendants, the Edomites, established
what could be called the first Arab nation. They ruled as the 'Dukes of Edom'. 41 To
this day Arabs look to Ishmael as a father, and also, because of their Edomite blood,
to Esau. Edom is associated in meaning with the colour red.
The Idumaeans spoke a form of Hebrew and were certainly recognized by Israel as
being of shared lineage. They were given inheritance in the lands south of Jerusalem
around Mount Seir (they were also called the Sons or Children of Seir) which lands
were called Edom, or Idumaea to the Greeks and Romans. Here they later made their
capital at the rock fortress of Petra. There was much enmity between the Israelites and
Edomites, the Idumaeans believing, according to their tradition, that their progenitor,
Esau, had been cheated out of the birthright by Jacob.
According to Josephus the Jews under Hyrcanus I conquered the Edomites and
converted them to Judaism. The Idumaeans served under Rome as rulers of Judaea
around the time of Christ, the most infamous being Herod the Great. Idumea (its more
modern spelling) is also used by the Lord to mean the world or the wicked.42
1800 BC
[Around this time Hu Gadarn Hysicion (Hu the Mighty) leads
the Cymri (see text (d) under 700-612 BC) from the Bosphorus
area to Britain]
The name Hysicion is said to be a form of Isaacson ('son of Isaac'); Hu may have been
the originator of The Welsh Triads and is by tradition the father of Druidism. The
Latin word in use for Druid in the time of Christ seems to have been Magi and some
believe it may have been these who followed the star and visited Christ a couple of
years after he was born.43 Later practices of Druidism may have been no less than a
corruption of the Mosaic Law and the duties of the Aaronic Priesthood. Although
Cymru is still used to apply to Wales to this day this migratory date is too early, Hu
Gadarn may have been an Ephraimite if he was born ca. 1700 BC or after but the
Cymri were not thought to exist for another 900 years or more.
1799 BC
Ishmael dies
1771 BC
Joseph, 11th son of Israel, born
1754 BC
Joseph sold into Egypt
1742 BC
Isaac dies
1741 BC
Joseph made Prime Minister of Egypt
The "Egyptians" that ruled Egypt at this time were not the descendants of Pharaoh but
the Hyksos (Shepherd Kings), an Arabic people; being of common blood with Israel
may have accounted for their kind disposition toward Jacob's people. However, they
were overthrown by the original Egyptians quite soon after and those Pharaohs "who
knew not Joseph" soon came to place the Israelites in bondage; this probably accounts
for the change in attitude toward the Israelites and might account for the fact that the
relatively few Israelites suddenly became relatively many compared to the Egyptians
(i.e. the Egyptians may have lost many men in the battle with the Hyksos).44
Historians, however, date the coming of the Hyksos to Egypt about a century after the
traditional biblical date and their expulsion by the original inhabitants at about 1550
BC when the Egyptian New Kingdom was said to have begun, although dates do vary
quite a bit between different historians (some reckoning the expulsion to be nearer to
the time of Joseph's death).
Asenath, Joseph’s wife, may have been none other than the daughter of Dinah
(Joseph’s sister), thus preserving the pure Israelite blood in the sons of Joseph.
173? BC
Manasseh born to Joseph around this time
1734 BC
Ephraim born to Joseph around this time
1732 BC
Jacob and family (Israelites) enter Egypt (70 souls in all)
1715 BC
Blessing and inheritance given to Ephraim and Manasseh by
Jacob
Ephraim means 'fruitful' and is yet another indication of the blessing given him who
was the birthright great great grandson of Abraham. It was Ephraim's descendants that
were to become numerous and bear the work of the ministry in the latter-days. AngloSaxon countries, especially Britain and thus also America, have proved to be strong in
this bloodline. Erastus Snow summed up Ephraim's contribution to the history of the
earth well when he said: "And when the books shall be opened and the lineage of all
men is known, it will be found that they [the seed of Ephraim] have been first and
foremost in everything noble among men in the various nations in breaking off the
shackles of kingcraft and priestcraft and oppression of every kind, and the foremost
among men in upholding and maintaining the principles of liberty and freedom..."45
Jacob dies
1700 BC
Harappan Civilisation of India disappears
About this time the Shang Dynasty comes to power in the
Orient and the Hsia Dynasty ends
The dates for the decline and fall of the Hsia and the rise of the Shang dynasties,
being somewhat semi-legendary, are still uncertain. Some scholars place these two
events 200 years later around 1500 BC.
1661 BC
Joseph dies
The prophecies of Joseph were great indeed, prophesying both of the coming of
Moses as well as Joseph Smith46 (see AD 1820). The fulfilment of the blessings made
to Joseph and his seed are not to be found in the Bible but rather in the Book of
Mormon (Ezekiel's 'Stick of Joseph (or Ephraim)'47) and in modern revelation.
1600 BC
[Westward migrations of Israelites begin into Europe and
Britain; descendants of Zarah leave Egypt for Spain]
Zarah was one of the twin sons of Judah by Tamar (not to be confused with the Tamar
or Tea Tephi who lived about 1100 years later in the time of Jeremiah). His twin
brother was Pharez who gave rise to the kings and rulers of the Jews (beginning with
King David). Part of the Zarah branch of the royal line, however, migrated from the
Middle East and evidently took upon them the symbol of their progenitor's birth - a
red hand or scarlet cord48 and later a red lion. The Hebrew/Zarah part of Spain where
they dwelt they named Iberia. The Zarah line later, it is said, came to Ulster in Ireland
(where the red hand/scarlet cord emblem is very strong). Irish invasion myths also
support the belief that some of the colonizers (called Milesians, Sons of Míl or
Goidels) of Ireland came from Spain around this time. The Tuatha de Danann, whom
the Milesians supplanted in Ireland, were thought to be of the Israelite tribe of Dan;
their memory today is preserved as the 'Little People' of Irish folklore though in their
day they were considered as a fair, godlike people. Another branch of the Zarah line
was said to have given rise to Troy through Zarah's son Darda (or Dardanu). Another
of Judah's sons born of a Canaanite woman was called Shelah whose son, Er, was said
to have colonized the southern part of Ireland. The Scandinavian, Trojan and Cretan
kings were also thought to be descendants of Zarah.
Rise of Hittite Empire
The Hittites were Canaanites, the descendants of Heth.49 They inhabited Asia Minor
and Syria and at the peak of their power challenged Assyria and Egypt.
1597 BC
Moses born*
1550 BC
Hyksos driven out of Egypt by Egyptians; Rise of Egyptian
Empire (New Kingdom or Eighteenth Dynasty)
Mycenaeans dominate Greece
Summary of Abrahamic Dispensation: This dispensation saw the Lord establish his
covenant with Abraham and his seed, with the birthright in the House of Israel. Even
before this period had ended parts of Israel were evidently already migrating to
different parts of the world.
1517 BC
FIFTH DISPENSATION BEGINS (Mosaic Dispensation)>
The Exodus (The First Gathering of Israel)
Dates for the Exodus are difficult to determine. A period of 430 years is mentioned in
various scriptures and sources; this seems to indicate the time between the Abrahamic
Covenant (or the fathers of Israel dwelling in Haran) and the receiving of the Law of
the Covenant (when Moses was 80). I have stuck here with the traditional view
although it must be stressed that there is increasing evidence to suggest that the
Exodus occurred about 200 years later. The reader should keep this in mind for all the
subsequent biblical dates until at least the time of the division of the Kingdom in 922
BC and not be surprised at finding dates that seem to contradict those contained
herein for this period.
Despite the Exodus being the first 'gathering' of Israel it is believed that many
Israelites left the main body of Israel during the forty years in the wilderness (and
some possibly before while in Egypt) and migrated to other parts of the world.
Civilizations did spring up around this time in the surrounding areas and the
comparison of the census record50 of Exodus 37:38 with Numbers 26:51 suggests a
migration among most of the tribes.
Moses receives the Law of the Covenant (i.e. Ten
Commandments, Statutes (governmental laws),
and
Judgments); Law of Carnal Commandments (performances and
ordinances) added as a schoolmaster law because of Israel's
wickedness
It was the Law of Carnal Commandments that was done away in Christ not the Law
of the Covenant. The former included laws of purification, dietary laws, an elaborate
system of sacrifices and offerings; these were to act as a 'schoolmaster' in bringing the
Israelites to Christ and the higher law. The Law of the Covenant was and is a
*
As with Abraham there is no date given for the birth of Moses; this is calculated primarily from the
information given in the text under 1517 BC.
permanent part of the Gospel covenant, the philosophy of which was summarized in
the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments); it incorporates laws of reparation and
policies on Justice, Equality, Liberty, etc. (i.e. the Statutes regarding
political/governmental/societal principles), it also includes 'simple sacrifice';
regarding this latter point it should be remembered that animal sacrifice was practised
from the time of Adam and thus did not originate with Moses, although the Law of
Carnal Commandments prescribed a temporary strict and complicated manner in
which it was to be done; Joseph Smith taught: "It is generally supposed that sacrifice
was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice [i.e.,] the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
was offered up, and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in the
future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties,
privileges and authority of the Priesthood, or with the Prophets. The offering of
sacrifice has ever been connected and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It
began with the Priesthood, and will be continued...else how can the restitution of all
things spoken of by the Holy Prophets be brought to pass...those things which existed
prior to Moses' day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued."51 And the Prophet Joseph
Fielding Smith wrote: "...It will be necessary, therefore, for the sons of Levi, who
offered up the blood sacrifices anciently in Israel, to offer such a sacrifice
again...Sacrifice by the shedding of blood was instituted in the days of Adam and of
necessity will have to be restored."52
1500 BC
Mycenaean Greeks seize control of Crete
The word Greek comes from the Latin Graeci, which is the name by which the
Romans knew them. However, they called themselves Hellenes after Hellen, a
mythical male ancestor. The earliest name by which the Greeks are referred to is
Achaians. They were Gentiles, said to be descendants of Javan, the son of Japheth,
although the Spartan (Dorians that had invaded from north of Greece) kings later
claimed Abraham as their ancestral father. Somewhat ironically it is believed that the
Mycenaean Greeks originated from the Cretans who had colonized Greece centuries
before.
1477 BC
Moses translated / Israelites enter Canaan
1470 BC
The Israelites conquer Canaan at about this time under the great
warrior-prophet Joshua; the Fall of Jericho
1434 BC
Reign of the Judges in Israel begins
1400 BC
Knossus destroyed by fire; Cretan Empire comes to an end
The exact reasons why Cretan power came to an end is not known. Some believe it
may have been a natural disaster (Thera - now Santorini - was known to have been
half destroyed by a volcanic explosion at about this time; smoke and ash dispersing
for hundreds of miles) or that it was yet another invasion force of Mycenaean Greeks
that brought Cretan dominance to an end. Quite what happened to the Minoans after
this is not known; some seem to have mingled with the Greeks and it has been
suggested that the Philistines, supposedly of Mycenaean stock (although the Bible
suggests they were descendants of Mizraim53), and/or a folk known in history as 'the
Sea Peoples' were actually displaced Cretans.
Mycenaean Greeks rise to power
1250 BC
Trojan War: Troy v. Greeks
Troy was in northwest Turkey and named after Tros, said to be a descendant of Zarah
the son of Judah. Ilium was another name of Troy, named after Ilus the first son of
Tros; Homer's Iliad is an account of the Trojan War. Some of the people who were
later known as Hungarian, Norse, and French, including Charlemagne himself (see
AD 800) may have been descendants* of the scattered Trojan people. Troy guarded
the entrance to the Black Sea and had formerly been under Hittite protection.
Hittite Empire in decline
1185 BC
Fall of Trojan Empire
1150-1000 BC
Rise of Dorian Greeks
The Dorians evidently came south through what is now Serbia and divided into two
groups going down the east and west coast of Greece. They engulfed most of Greece
and its islands (including Crete). Arcadia, immune to invasion, did not fall to the
Dorians, and Attica (the land of Athens) was not subdued as she met and received the
Dorians on equal terms.54
1100 BC
[Brutus founds London]
According to legend some of the enslaved inhabitants of Troy escaped, led by Brutus,
and came to dwell and rule in Britain, calling their capital Troia Nova or 'New Troy'
(now London). Brutus was a descendant, it is said, of Tros, and is listed as the first of
the British kings on the genealogical rolls of Great Britain.
Assyrian Empire stretches from Euphrates to Mediterranean but
decline sets in and it loses many lands over the next century
1079 BC
Samuel called as Prophet
1037 BC
Rule of Kings in Israel begins with King Saul (a Benjamite)
1027 BC
End of Shang Dynasty; Zhou (or Chou) Dynasty comes to
power in Orient
1002 BC
Reign of King David over Judah
*
It is important to note that throughout this work one will find genealogical references which may or
may not be true - and which sometimes may contradict each other. Nevertheless, they do serve to
remind us that modern Europe was strongly influenced and in many cases descended from those of the
Twelve Tribes of Israel. Britain seems a special case; as Derek A. Cuthbert said concerning the British
Isles: "The Blood of Israel is richly concentrated in these islands and the promised blessings will all be
fulfilled." (Cuthbert, D. A. (1987) The Second Century: Latter-day Saints in Great Britain, 1937-87
Cambridge: The University Press, p. 194 (Whence?, p. 112)).
1000 BC
The Ionian Emigration: west Turkey settled by Greeks
Peloponnesian refugees from the Dorian invasion went east and swelled Attica so
much so that there was a need to resettle many of the people elsewhere; so there was a
move eastward to the coast of Asia Minor. This place became known as Ionia because
many of the refugees were from the Ionia Islands (west of Greece). The Ionians and
Spartans (Dorians) remained unfriendly toward each other for a long time.55
09?? BC
Around this time Aryan tribes settle Persia (they will become
the Medes and Persians)
0995 BC
David becomes King of all Israel; he makes his capital at
Jerusalem
Jerusalem was called Jebus when the Israelites first entered Canaan but an older name
was Uru-Salem which is identified with the Salem (meaning 'peace') of Melchizedek's
day.
0967 BC
Temple of Solomon begun
0962 BC
David dies; Solomon his son succeeds as King
0950 BC
Temple of Solomon dedicated
Rise of Sparta
The Spartan state grew from the convergence of the two original groups of Dorians
who met up in the Peloponnese. Greece now consisted of Dorians, Cretans, and the
original inhabitants. It is this mix that was to become the classical Greece of history.
0922 BC
Solomon dies and Israel divides into the Kingdom of Judah in
the south (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and a few remnants
of others, especially Levi and Simeon) and the Kingdom of
Israel in the north (the Ten Tribes)
0885 BC
Omri becomes King of Israel; Dynasty of Omri begins;
Samaria built around this time or soon after
Omri founded a strong dynasty and established a dominant governmental system
under his Statutes of Omri. I make mention of him in this work among all the other
kings of Judah and Israel because of the not improbable influence he may have had on
the Dispersion of Israel and the people known as Cimmerians (see text (d) under 7000612 BC). The city of Samaria was named after its first owner, Shemer.56 Later
Samaria became the name for the whole of the region of central Palestine west of the
Jordan river.
0884 BC
Assurnazirpal becomes King of Assyria and re-establishes
power throughout Mesopotamia
0878 BC
Assyrians capture Phoenicia; Phoenicians relocate to coast of
North Africa, eastern Spain, and southern isles of
Mediterranean
0855 BC
Elijah ministers around this time
0854 BC
Shalmaneser II, King of Assyria, defeats a Syrian confederation
led by Damascus
0850 BC
Phoenicians found Kar-Hadasht
'Carthage') on coast of North Africa
0842 BC
Israel begins to pay tribute to Assyria
0800 BC
Rise of Assyrian Empire
(Later
Romanized
to
Named after Ashur, also the name of their chief god. The Assyrians were a mix of
Semitic and the original Sumerian (Hamitic) peoples that inhabited Mesopotamia.
Macedonia inhabited about this time
0753 BC
[City of Rome founded by Romulus and Remus; Kingdom of
Rome commences with reign of Romulus]
0750 BC
Ministry of Isaiah
0745 BC
Tiglath Pileser III becomes King of Assyria
0740 BC
Assyria takes part of the tribes of Israel (mostly Gadites,
Reubenites and the half tribe of Manasseh) into captivity in
Assyria
The dispersion or scattering of this part of the tribes of the Northern Kingdom was but
the beginning of a much greater scattering of all the tribes of Israel prophesied long
ago by the prophet Moses.57
0738 BC
Assyria takes tribute from Damascus and Samaria
0734 BC
Damascus and Samaria revolt
0733 BC
Damascus falls to Assyria and is destroyed
0727 BC
Shalmaneser V becomes King of Assyria
0722 BC
Sargon II becomes King of Assyria
0721 BC
Assyria takes Northern Kingdom into captivity in Assyria; the
Ten Tribes become the 'Ten Lost Tribes'
This captivity actually took place during three main phases: 721, 715 and 677
BC. After this Samaria was peopled mainly with an intermarried mix of Assyrians and
Israelites (some had been left behind whilst others had fled south to Judah); their
religion seems to have been somewhat of a mix as well, although they did believe in
Jehovah. The Dehavites were one people that the Assyrians planted in Samaria but it
is not known where they came from.
The history of captive Israel (the 'ten lost tribes') is somewhat unclear. Some mixed
with the heathen populations, some later returned (some went with the Jews at the
Decree of Cyrus), some no doubt remained in Mesopotamia. Additional information
can be found in The Book of II Esdras, a part of the Apocrypha58, which is a
continuation of the biblical book of Ezra. This source indicates that at least some of
the tribes did escape Assyria later on and went north (it is believed some groups
separated from the main body of this migration and went their own separate ways).
They came to the "Euphrates by the narrow passages of the river" and travelled for
one and a half years through an area called Arsareth; this area has been connected
with the Dariel Pass, otherwise known as the Caucasian Pass, through the Caucasus
Mountains. There is a lot of linguistic and archaeological evidence to suggest that this
area was influenced by an Israelitish culture.59 (see text (c) under 700-612 BC).
0715 BC
Cush invades and rules Egypt
Cushites were the Hamitic inhabitants of the land to the south of Egypt, and were also
called Ethiopians and Nubians. They declined as a power around AD 100-300 and
were conquered by the Axumites around AD 320-352, a people who originated from
the Arabic traders of the Sabaen tribes who had earlier settled on the African coast
near the Red Sea. Around AD 400 these Axumites, unlike any of the other subSaharan lands, converted to Christianity. They disappeared from the pages of history
with the coming of the Moslem forces around AD 900.
0705 BC
Sennacherib becomes King of Assyria
0701 BC
Assyria takes 200,150 Jews into captivity from Judah
0700-0612 BC
During this time the ten lost tribes probably scattera and mingle
among other peoples; one body goes into the 'north countries';b
others (perhaps an offshoot of the first group) occupy the area
above the Black Seac and either by way of descent or influence
give rise to the Cimmeriansd (Celtse), Scythiansf (Europeans,
including Saxons) and Ynglings
(a) Much of this work focuses on the scattering or dispersion of Israel among the
nations of the earth. Abraham was promised that through his seed "shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed."60 Perhaps all that is written in this work on this
subject can be summed up by a modern-day Apostle, James E. Talmage, when he
stated: "...Israelites have been so completely dispersed among the nations as to
give to this scattered people a place of importance as a factor in the rise and
development of almost every large division of the human family."61 We know that
this dispersion was quite advanced during the first quarter of the Sixth Century
BC as a prophet who lived at that time stated: 'the more part of all the tribes have
been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea...' 62
(b) Modern scriptures say regarding the lost tribes that "they who are in the north
countries...their prophets shall hear his [the Lord's] voice" and shall come to Zion
by miraculous means "bringing forth their rich treasures" (including their
scriptures) to Ephraim by whom they shall receive their blessing. 63 Orson Pratt
said, regarding this last point, "God is determined to raise up prophets among [the
ten lost tribes], but he will not bestow upon them the fullness of the blessings of
the priesthood.";64 hence the need for that people to come to receive the full
blessing (i.e. Temple ordinances) under the hand of Ephraim who holds the
birthright. "This great gathering," said Bruce R. McConkie "will take place under
the direction of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
for he holds the keys."65 Concerning those who try to water-down the prophecies
regarding the lost tribes James E. Talmage said: "There is a tendency among men
to explain away what they don't wish to understand in literal simplicity, and we, as
Latter-day Saints are not entirely free from the taint of that tendency...Some
people say that prediction is to be explained in this way: A gathering is in
progress, and has been in progress from the early days of this Church; and thus the
'Lost Tribes' are now being gathered; but that we are not to look for the return of
any body of people now unknown as to their whereabouts. True, the gathering is
in progress, this is a gathering dispensation; but the prophecy stands that the tribes
shall be brought forth from their hiding place...[and their] scriptures shall become
one with the scriptures of the Jews, the holy Bible, and with the scriptures of the
Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and with the scriptures of the Latter-day Saints as
embodied in the volumes of modern revelation."66 (See also text on 'other sheep'
under AD 33).
(c) There is a significant amount of evidence now to support the belief that at least a
part of the ten tribes did dwell in this region. The burial mounds found here stretch
all the way across the migration path of the Ynglings and Saxons even into
England and Ireland. Pottery and jewellery found in these mounds match the style
"exactly" of the ancient Hebrews. There are also many geographical features in
the area named after Israelite ones, such as the Valley of Jehosaphat. Perhaps most
compelling of all though is a cache of epitaphs that were unearthed by the
Russians (under the Tsars) in the Crimea area; here are just two of the epitaphs
found: (1) "I am Jehudi, the son of Moses, the son of Jehudah the mighty, a man
of the tribe of Naphtali, of the family of Shimii, who was carried captive in the
captivity of Hosea, king of Israel, with the tribe of Simeon, together with other
tribes of Israel." (2) "To one of the faithful in Israel, Abraham-ben-MarSinchah of
Kertch, in the year of our exile 1682, which the envoys of the prince of Rosh
Mesech came from Kiou to our master Chazar, Prince David, from Halah, Habor
and Gozan, to which places Tiglath Pilesar had exiled the sons of Reuben and Gad
and the half Tribe of Manasseh, and permitted them to settle there, and from
which they have been scattered throughout the entire East, even as far as China."67
There is also heraldic evidence; for the reader's information I quote from page 145
and page 6 of W.H. Bennett's Symbols of our Celto-Saxon Heritage: "Most of
these emblems [the tribal, brigade and kingdom emblems of ancient Israel] are in
the countries bordering the North Sea, where they constitute the major element in
the populations of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the Netherlands, and
probably in Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and the Ukraine. In smaller
proportions they are found in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Switzerland, the
Provinces of Normandy and Brittany in France, and in some parts of Greece,
Romania, Italy, Spain and Germany...[In] the case of Britain and the United
States, we have no others! For, with the single exception of the Welsh dragon
(which was not the symbol of the ancient Britons), every national emblem of
Britain and the United States is an Israel emblem."68 Linguistic evidence supports
the view that Hebrew (c. 700 BC) and later Aramaic (after AD 70) came westward
to influence the Germanic languages at the times corresponding to the dispersion
and scattering of Israel.69
(d) "Herodotus identified the first of the mound builders in the Black Sea area as
Kimmerioi; the Romans referred to them as Cimmerii, from which we have the
name Cimmerians. They called themselves Khumri, which refers to 'the Dynasty
of King Omri.' Omri was king of northern Israel around 900 BC. He founded
Samaria as the capital of Israel. His mode of government made him popular
throughout the Middle East, and northern Israel came to be known by his name,
politically, from that time on."70
(e) The word Celt comes from the word used to describe the Celtic peoples with
whom the Greeks had contact which they called Keltoi. The Romans collectively
referred to the many-tribed Celts as Gauls.
(f) Or Sacites. The word comes from Assyrian captives, Esak-sa and Saka,
comparable to the Hebrew 'Isaac'.71 Interestingly the Scythians appeared in this
area about the same time the northern tribes of Israel became lost to history.
0700 BC
Classical Greek period begins at about this time
Medes rise to power and establish capital at Ecbatana
06?? BC
Etruscans invade and rule Kingdom of Rome
0681 BC
Esarhaddon becomes King of Assyria
0675 BC
Assyria captures Egypt from Cushites; however, original
Egyptians soon regain power in Egypt
0671 BC
Rise of New Babylonian Empire
0658 BC
City of Byzantium founded by Greeks
0650 BC
Rise of the so-called 'tyrants' of Greece
Around this time Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria, founds the
Library of Nineveh
0627 BC
Decline of Assyrian Empire begins with civil war
0621 BC
Draco rules in Athens about this time
0612 BC
Assyrian Empire falls to Babylon and Media
0609 BC
Josiah defeated and killed by Egyptians; Egypt rules Judah
0606 BC
Fall of Nineveh to Babylon and Medes; Nineveh razed to the
ground
Battle of Carchemish: Babylon defeats Egypt; Babylon rules
Judah
0605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carries Daniel and others away
captive
0604 BC
Nebuchadnezzar becomes King of Babylon
0602 BC
Daniel interprets the Dream of Nebuchadnezzar
This vision72 (together with Daniel's vision of the ram and goat et. al.73) showed the
great empires and kingdoms that would subsequently arise in the history of the earth
right down to the latter day when the Kingdom of God would be established. Those
earthly powers were: the Babylonian itself, Persian, Greek (or Macedonian), Roman,
and the European nations which came from the break-up of the Roman Empire after it
had split in two.
0600 BC
Solon rules in Athens at about this time
Founding of Zoroastrianism at about this time
Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) was a Persian man who was considered a prophet by his
followers. The scripture of the creed that was named after him was called the ZendAvesta. Today his philosophy survives under the name of Parseeism. Darius,
grandson of Cyrus, is thought to have converted to Zoroastrianism and it became the
state religion of the Persian Empire.
The name Zoroaster is said to mean 'Seed of Fire' and has reference to Moloch (or
Molkh Gheber), the Great King (a pagan god of human sacrifice). The word is
thought to be a twisting of Zoro-asha, 'Seed of the Woman', meaning the Messiah.
The ancient Chaldean sign for this (a circle with a dot at the centre) was adopted by
Adam Weishaupt when he founded the Order of the Illuminati (see AD 1776).
Around this time the centre of Celtic civilisation moves to Gaul
(France)
Corinth, a Greek city-state, at the height of her power
0597 BC
First Babylonian Captivity: Babylon takes many Jews captive
into Babylon
Zedekiah becomes King of Judah
Lehites (tribe of Joseph) leave Jerusalem
According to 1 Nephi 1:4 it was in about the first year of Zedekiah that Lehi and his
family left Jerusalem but other references such as 1 Nephi 10:4 and 19:8 indicate a
period of 600 years from Lehi leaving Jerusalem to the birth of Christ; either these are
approximate years or there is an error in the dating of Zedekiah's reign. I have placed
Lehi's departure at 597 BC so as to fit in with the contemporary history but the
accepted date is nonetheless 600 BC.
0587 BC
Jerusalem destroyed by Babylon; First Temple destroyed
Mulek (son of King Zedekiah) and other Jews flee to America
[Some traditions say that Jeremiah came to Spain and Ireland
via Egypt at this time with two of Zedekiah's daughters and the
Stone of Destiny (see text under AD 1296)]
Namely Scota and Tamar (also called Tea Tephi). The former Jeremiah was said to
have taken to Spain, the latter he took to Ireland and married her to a Milesian king of
Ulster named Heremon (or Eremon). Anthony W. Ivins, an Apostle at the turn of the
Twentieth Century, wrote: "These two beautiful girls [Zedekiah's daughters] were
protected against the Babylonians by being placed in the cave of Jeremiah, the
prophet. He became their guardian, the custodian of their welfare...Jeremiah took
them down into Egypt, it is said, to the same place where Joseph and Mary went with
Christ, our Lord, at the time of the execution of the decree of Herod by which the
children of Bethlehem were put to death. They abode there, at a place called
Taphanes, the ruins of which are now well known. The natives refer to it to this day as
the palace of the Jew's daughter, or the house of the old Prophet. 74 After the conquest
of Palestine, the Babylonian armies invaded Egypt and it became evident that they
would be victorious over the Egyptians. Just at this time we lose sight of Jeremiah and
these two girls, so far as the Bible is concerned. Just at that time a ship landed upon
the coast of Spain, from which an old man and his secretary [Jeremiah had taken his
scribe, Baruch, with him] and two young women disembarked. They remained for a
short period in that country, where one of the girls married into the reigning house of
Spain, but the old man, who is referred to in Ireland as Ollamh Fodhla (the old
prophet), in their traditions and the songs which they still sing of him, passed across
the channel and landed on the coast of Ireland, taking with him the elder of the two
girls, whose name was Tamar Tephi, which translated from Hebrew to English means
the Beautiful Palm, or the Beautiful Wanderer."75
Tea (or Tamar) is said to have given her name to Teamhair more commonly spelt
today as Tara. Eremon was himself a descendant of Judah through Zarah so these two
branches of the royal house of Judah were combined (i.e. the lines of both Zarah and
Pharez) in the marriage. This line later became rulers of Scotland (c. AD 500).
Genealogical records show that both the Tudors and the Stuarts trace their lines back
to Tamar Tephi; thus today's royal house of Britain (Windsor) can trace its genealogy
clear back to Judah. There is a tradition that Jeremiah was stoned to death in Egypt. If
this is true then he may have returned there.
0586 BC
Second Babylonian Captivity: More Jews deported into
Babylon
Gedaliah governs the remnant of Judah (many Jews still in
Judah)
0575 BC
Hanging Gardens of Babylon built
Under Nebuchadnezzar the city of Babylon became one of the most splendid cities
ever built. Herodotus said that the walls themselves were 84 feet wide and 336 feet
high, that small houses lined either side of the top of the wall and that four chariots
could drive abreast between them! Modern discoveries have shown that Herodotus
had underestimated the size, however; the wall now being considered over 130 feet
thick and running an estimated 56 miles.
The famous Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were
a mammoth task. Babylonia was flat land. Nebuchadnezzar raised an artificial mound
to 400 feet on each side, comprised of terraces connected by flights of steps. Each
terrace was intricately built and laid, machinery providing a watering system from the
Euphrates (which ran through the city). Large trees were even planted. From a
distance it looked like woods overhanging mountains. The whole structure rose even
higher than the tall walls of the city.
0556 BC
Peloponnesian League begins to be founded
Essentially the League was Sparta and her friends. Sparta made claim to the line of
the Mycenaean kings. The League was the first attempt at Greek unity. The influence
of Greece even now was as far flung as the Crimea in the east and Britain in the west
(there were Greek trade routes established through Europe around this time or earlier,
the destination being the tin mines of Britain).
0552 BC
Confucius (K'ung-fu-tzu)
(Confucianism)
born;
later
founds
Ju
Chia
0550-0250 BC
Jaredites destroyed by civil war (probably nearer to the later
date); Coriantumr found by Mulekites and dies 9 months later
(probably of battle wounds)
0549 BC
About this time Cyrus, King of Persia, overthrows the Median
king and unites the Medes with Persia; beginnings of Persian
Empire
Cyrus the Great was considered among the most benevolent and upstanding of the
rulers of the ancient empires and was referred to as 'The Shepherd' by his own people.
From scripture, history and the words of modern prophets, seers and revelators, we
learn that Cyrus was a generous and inspired man who was used as an instrument of
the Lord at that time in the world's history. His dynasty and line were referred to as
the Achaemenids, perhaps after their legendary ancestor Achaemenes. The Persians
and Medes were Indo-Europeans unlike the former powers who had all been of
Semitic origin. In other words they were Gentiles, descendants of Japheth. Persia and
Media occupied the lands east of Babylon in present-day Iran. Their capital was
originally Ecbatana in Media but later became Persepolis.
Sparta the most powerful military Greek state at this time,
though possessing no fleet
0546 BC
Medes under Cyrus conquer Croesus (credited with first using
coinage), King of Lydia (Asia Minor) and the Greek cities of
Ionia
0546-0539 BC
Cyrus extends Persian Empire eastward into Afghanistan area
0540 BC
Buddhism (under Gautama) and Jainism arise in India about
this time
0539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia under Cyrus the Great; rise of Persian
Empire
0538 BC
Cyrus destroys the city of Babylon
0537 BC
Decree of Cyrus: Persia allows Jews of the Babylonian
Captivity to return to Jerusalem; First Jews return under
leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel
Not many Jews did return despite the Decree (those that did not formed what is
known as the Jews of the Dispersion). The First Return was led by a Levite priest and
descendant of Zadok (who was the high priest at the dedication of Solomon's Temple)
named Joshua, and a member of the royal Davidic line named Zerubbabel.
0530 BC
Death of Cyrus the Great
Judaea becomes subject province of Persian Empire
Judaea was the post-exilic name given to the southern part of western Palestine. It
incorporated a good part of the old kingdom of Judah and also the southern part of the
old Northern Kingdom (Samaria).
0525 BC
Egypt falls to Persian Empire
0521 BC
Darius the Great (I) becomes King of Persian Empire; later
establishes capital at Persepolis
0520 BC
Temple of Zerubbabel (or Second Temple) begun
0516 BC
Temple of Zerubbabel completed and dedicated
0514 BC
Persians make unsuccessful invasion of southern Russia
0509 BC
Romans overthrow Etruscans and rise to power in Italy; rise of
Roman Republic
The Romans, by 290 BC, had also destroyed the Samnites of eastern Italy, swallowed
up the Greek settlements on its southern coast, and pushed the Gauls northward
toward the Alps. The city of Rome came to head a league of Latium (Latin) cities in
Italy, which confederation formed the beginnings of Roman power.
The concept of king (rex) of the Roman Kingdom was abandoned and the government
passed into the hands of two magistrates or consuls who were elected annually and
who had an advisory body of senators (the heads of noble families). This was the
beginnings of the Republic (from respublica meaning 'a public thing'). The Roman
Constitution held that sovereignty lay in the people, a fundamental principle of
Common Law.
0500 BC
Emergence of La Tène Celts
La Tène is a term used by archaeologists to describe the Celtic culture in Europe as
opposed to the earlier Hallstat culture which may have sprung up as early as 1200 BC
according to some, although this date precludes any possibility that they were
Cimmerians.
0499 BC
Asiatic Greeks (Ionia) revolt and throw off Persian control
0495 BC
Sophocles born
0494 BC
Ionian revolt, aided by Greece, overthrown by Persians
0490 BC
Battle of Marathon (Greeks defeat Persians, losing but 200 to
the Persian 6000)
0486 BC
Death of Darius the Great; decline of Persian Empire
0484 BC
Herodotus ('the Father of History') born
0482-0478 BC
Esther becomes Queen to Xerxes; Esther prevents the death of
many Jews; the feast of Purim is instituted
Purim is the plural of pur, meaning 'lots', in memory of the lots which Haman used to
determine a day to destroy the Jews in Persia. The Jews held that it was a blessing that
the lots drawn gave a distant date for the day of execution as this gave Esther and
Mordecai time, with the Lord's help, to do something about it.76
0480 BC
Battle of Thermopylae
At this mountain pass a small Athenian-Spartan force withstood the Persian army for
three days despite being outnumbered one hundred to one - even then they may have
lasted longer had they not been betrayed.
Persians under Xerxes I invade Athens; Greeks defeat Persian
fleet
The Persians burned the evacuated Athens to the ground. The Athenians continued the
fight however and subsequently defeated Xerxes' fleet. This Greek army consisted of
the member states of the Peloponnesian League under Spartan command. As for
Athens, it was soon to be rebuilt and enter its most glorious years.
Zhou Dynasty of Orient descends into warring factions; Period
of the Warring States begins
0479 BC
Athenians defeat Persian army and recapture Athens; Greek
fleet again defeats Persian fleet; much of Asiatic Greece
liberated; Delian (named after meeting place on isle of Delos)
League founded
Each Greek state had a vote in the assembly but Athens acted as executive and the
League's treasury was transferred to Athens in 454 BC; many ships were built during
this time to build up a strong Greek fleet. The League included most Greek states,
including the Asiatic ones, but Sparta herself was noticeably absent from it.
0471-0469 BC
Socrates born
0467-0428 BC
Pericles elected in a 'democratic' Athens; Periclean Age begins
0466 BC
Greeks push back Persians; decline of Persian Empire
accelerates
0465 BC
Artaxerxes Longimanus becomes King of Persia
Nehemiah (of the Bible) became Cupbearer to this king, a very responsible position as
it included making sure that neither the food nor drink was poisoned which was not a
duty given to one who was not trusted (see also 445 BC).
0462 BC
Powers of Areopagus (the Athenian governing body) given to
democratic council, the assembly, and the popular courts
Policy was decided by a regular assembly of all adult male citizens; these elected and
controlled the most important officers of state. The assembly members were eligible
for service as jurors and for election by lot to the annual council which oversaw the
day-to-day administration. State pay for these duties was later introduced.
0460 BC
Golden Age of Athens begins; Athens and Sparta begin
hostilities
Hippocrates born ('the Father of Medicine')
Hippocrates was a Greek physician with a school of medicine on the island of Cos. To
this day medical undergraduates take the 'Hippocratic Oath'. Hippocrates said: "Let
food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food", a truth that modern science is
only just rediscovering and one which the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith in AD 1833.
0458 BC
Ezra leads second group of Jewish exiles to Judah
0450 BC
Celts (Cimmerians) settle in Britain
The culture of the Celts bore many similarities to that of the Hebrews/Israelites.
"...Israelites have migrated to Britain over more than 2500 years. According to
Elizabeth Hill Elder, the further we trace the British peoples back through the
centuries, the greater becomes their likeness to ancient Israel. Israelite distinctive
characteristics are also present in Britain, such as belief in one supreme living deity;
temples; twelve priests; the Mosaic law; language similarities [Ancient Welsh is
believed by some to have been nearly pure Hebrew] ...tribal banners with emblems
similar to ancient Israel; battle array similarities; division into tens, hundreds and
thousands; similar feast days; similar marriage ceremonies...physical appearance.
They were a beautiful people distinctly taller with longer heads than the
Mediterranean peoples."77
Some say that Britain was so named after Brutus. Noting Britain's Israelite connection
however, George N. Wilson of the Committee of North West British Israel World
Federation in his book Coincidences? Pointers to our Heritage, says: "...is it not a
strange coincidence that in the ancient Hebrew...BRITH means 'covenant' and ISH
means 'man', so BRIT-ISH means 'covenant man.' AIN means 'land,' so BRITH or
BRIT-AIN means 'Land of the Covenant.'"78
Rise of Greek Empire; Athens acknowledged as capital (but
rivalled by Sparta)
0449 BC
Peace treaty between Greeks and Persians
0448-0432 BC
Parthenon built to Athenia Parthenos
0445 BC
Nehemiah leads back third group of Jewish exiles (from Persia)
Athens and Sparta make peace
0435 BC
Statue of Zeus made by Pheidas
Athens, under Pericles, attacks allies of Sparta
0431-0404 BC
Peloponnesian War (Athens v. Sparta); reign of the 'Thirty
Tyrants' in Athens
The Peloponnesian War commenced proper with Sparta laying siege to Athens. By
the end of the war Sparta had captured the city but soon returned to her own lands,
and the Athenians regained the city. The whole of Greece became weak through this
long conflict and it laid open the way for the future Macedonian conquest.
0430-0428 BC
Great Plague strikes Athens
0429 BC
Pericles dies
0427 BC
Decline of Greece brought on by sedition of Corfu
Plato born (later to write Republic)
Dr. W. Cleon Skousen, ex-FBI agent who served under J. Edgar Hoover, Police
Chief, writer, and LDS scholar in political and religious matters said: "Plato wanted a
ruling class with a powerful army to keep it in power and a society completely
subordinate to the monolithic authority of the rulers. He also advocated using
whatever force was necessary for the wiping out of all existing government and social
structure so the new rulers could begin with a "clean canvas" on which to develop the
portrait of their great new society. The upper dimensions of Plato's "ideal" society
included the elimination of marriage and the family so that all the women would
belong to all the men and all the men would belong to all the women. Children
resulting from these promiscuous unions would be taken over by the government as
soon as they were weaned and raised anonymously by the state. Plato wanted women
to be required to be equal with men -- to fight wars with the men and perform labor
like men. There was to be selective breeding of men and women under control of the
government and children considered inferior or crippled were to be destroyed. There
was to be a three-level structure of society into fixed classes: the ruling class, the
military class and the worker class. Plato said the People would be induced to believe
a government-indoctrinated falsehood that people were born with gold, silver or
copper in their souls and the rulers would determine which metal was present in the
soul of each person and assign him to the appropriate class. Plato admitted all this was
a falsehood but said it would facilitate the administration of affairs by the rulers
because it would be taught to the people as a religious principle. Plato reserved the
full blessings of communism for his ruling class. It would be there that he felt private
property could be eliminated, family relations communalized, and intellectual energy
devoted to determining what was good for the masses in the lower classes."79 This
book, Plato's Republic, has provided a main source for many socialists and socialist
societies throughout the ages. One need only look around today to see just how many
of these ideas and practices have or are being implemented, though under subtly
different terminology.
0424 BC
Thucydides begins his History of the Peloponnesian War
around this time
0421 BC
Athens and Sparta make a temporary peace
0420 BC
High Priests begin ruling Judaea
0405 BC
Dionysius the Elder becomes Tyrant of Syracuse (Sicily)
It is said that it was the engineers of King Dionysius that invented the first ballista
machines or catapults for attacking fortified places. Syracuse warred against Carthage
successfully but was eventually heavily defeated toward the end of Dionysius's reign
in the middle of the Fourth Century BC.
Spartan General Lysander defeats Greeks at Aegospotamos
0404 BC
Lysander captures Athens; end of Peloponnesian War
0400 BC
Egyptians briefly reclaim Egypt from Persians
Mahabharata begins to be compiled around this time
The great Sanskrit Indian epic. It is thought to have been concluded around AD 200.
It includes the Bhagavad-Gita (Sanskrit for 'Song of the Blessed One'; philosophical
in nature and the basis of Hinduism) and an abridgment of Ramayana (the story of
Rama (Vishnu)), the rest of it being a mix of myth, folklore and philosophy.
0399 BC
Socrates condemned to death
0390 BC
Celts of Alpine area destroy both Etruscan and Roman cities;
they raid Rome
0382 BC
Demosthenes born
0360 BC
King Philip II ascends the throne in Macedonia
0356 BC
Temple of Diana rebuilt
Birth of Alexander (III) also called The Great, son of King
Philip II of Macedonia
0343 BC
Aristotle called to Pella (Macedonian capital) to teach
Alexander
0340 BC
Epicurus born
0338 BC
Battle of Chaeronaea: Philip II takes southern Greece
0337 BC
Philip II of Macedonia captures Athens
0336 BC
Philip II assassinated
0334 BC
Alexander becomes King of Macedonia and takes Ionian (West
Turkey) cities (Greek) from Persians
0333 BC
Alexander defeats Persian army under Darius III (Darius
Codomannus) at Issus in Syria; he successfully lays siege to
Tyre and Gaza
0332 BC
Alexander liberates Egypt from Persian rule; Alexandria
founded (Greek capital of Egypt) by Alexander the Great; Rise
of Greek (or Macedonian) Empire
Alexandria came to possess the largest library in the world. Many Jews settled here.
And it was in this city that the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old
Testament), under Ptolemy's direction, was made. This included what is now known
as the Apocrypha. Although the precise date for this translation is not known it is
thought to have been started around 250 BC or before and been completed by about
the middle of the Second Century BC, although according to Jewish tradition it was
translated by 72 people in just 70 days (hence its name Septuagint which is Latin for
'seventy'). In addition to a library Ptolemy also founded an institute for scholars called
the Museum (Greek 'temple of the Muses'). Ptolemy also brought the embalmed body
of Alexander to the city and placed it in a mausoleum.
Alexander adds Judaea to his Empire
According to tradition the high priest in full dress, together with an impressive train of
white-clad priests and citizens, came out to meet Alexander. So impressed was the
Emperor that he honoured the high priest, visited Jerusalem and treated the Jews well.
0331 BC
Babylon falls to Alexander; Persian army under Darius
defeated again (at Plain of Gaugamela)
0330 BC
Persia conquered by Alexander; Persepolis captured and
destroyed; Darius murdered by his own officers
0330-0230 BC
Celts and Romans struggle for control of Po Valley
0329 BC
Alexander destroys Samarkand
0326 BC
Alexander reaches the extent of his rule as he enter the Indus
Valley
0323 BC
Alexander the Great dies and the Greek Empire is divided;
Ptolemy becomes Governor of Egypt; Seleucus secures Syria
and Persia
After Alexander's death six of his generals struggled for control of the Macedonian
Empire. They were Antigonus, Antipater, Seleucus (pron. sel-ay-oo-kus), Ptolemy,
Eumenes and Lysimachus. Antipater and Eumenes died quite soon after the struggle
began. Antipater's son, the cruel Cassander, became King of Macedonia thereafter (he
founded the Macedonian port of Thessalonica, named after his wife) and made
alliance with Ptolemy, Seleucus and Lysimachus against Antigonus. Antigonus had
some success but was eventually defeated and killed in 301 BC although his son
Demetrius carried on the war for a while with some success. The four generals
(sometimes referred to as the 'Successors') who were predominant in the struggle for
power are said to be alluded to in the Bible in another of Daniel's prophecies.80
0322 BC
Rise of Maurya Empire in India under Chandragupta
Founded by Chandragupta Maurya, King of Magadha (on River Ganges). He took all
of northern India within the space of ten years. His grandson, Ashoka, converted to
Buddhism and the Empire flourished under him.
0320 BC
Ptolemy conquers Jerusalem
0315 BC
Zeno of Citium founds Stoicism
0314 BC
Palestine taken by Antigonus
Palestine was the name used by the Greeks and Romans to refer to approximately the
land of present-day Palestine. Originally, however, the name referred to just the
coastal area where the Philistines had ruled.
0305 BC
Seleucid Empire established (Middle East part of former
Macedonian Empire) under Seleucus I (renamed Nicator); he
cedes Indus provinces to Chandragupta
Ptolemy makes himself King of the Kingdom of Ptolemy
(Egyptian/south part of former Macedonian Empire)
0302 BC
Ptolemy takes Palestine from Antigonus; many Jews settle in
Egypt and Asia Minor
0301 BC
Battle of Ipsus: Seleucus defeats and kills Antigonus
0300 BC
Antioch founded in Syria by Seleucus
Kingdom of Pontus founded (northeast Turkey)
0290 BC
Around this time the Hsiung-nu great khanate is established in
central Asia
0286 BC
Around this time the Celts settle Scotland from Spain
0281 BC
Seleucus Nicator makes himself King of Syria
0280 BC
Colossus of Rhodes completed by Chares of Lindos
Achaean League formed in Greece
Pyrrhus, King of Epirus (northwest Greece) attacks Romans
Pyrrhus, whom Hannibal ranked second only to Alexander, was invited by the Greek
cities of southern Italy to defeat the Romans. Although he did defeat the Romans
twice he lost so much of his force that he had to retire; hence 'Pyrrhic victory'.
0279 BC
Celts move south into Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor
The Greeks called them Galatae. They were repulsed but then sailed from the Sea of
Marmara (south of Bosphorus) into Asia Minor. Here they attacked the Ionian Greek
cities but they were defeated by the Greek captain of Pergamum. The Celts went east
and founded Galatia, a kingdom that was feared in that area of the world for a short
time before it was swallowed up by the Roman Empire.
Rise of Kingdom of Pergamum (Ionia and western Anatolia)
0264 BC
War in Judaea between Egypt and Syria
First Punic War begins (Latin punicus, 'Phoenician'): Rome v.
Carthage
0260 BC
Athens attempts to gain independence from Macedonia with
Egyptian aid, but both the aid and attempt fail; Athens begins to
become a 'university town'
0248 BC
Rise of Parthian Kingdom; Parthians gain Persia from Seleucid
Empire
Parthia was once part of the Assyrian and Persian Empire. Its territory covered a part
of modern-day Iran. They were of Aryan descent and claimed to be the successors to
the Achaemenian dynasty of the Persian Empire. They were Rome's constant enemy.
They were also called the Parni.
0246 BC
Rise of Chinese Empire; Great Wall of China first built; The
Burning of the Books
Founded by King Chao Cheng of the mountain-kingdom of Ch'in. He renamed
himself Shih Huang-Ti ('First Supreme Emperor') and called his empire China (after
Ch'in). His government was centralised and a strict police-state. It was he who, in
addition to building the Great Wall of China (1600 miles long and running between
from the sea northeast of Peking and the mountains of central Asia), also burned all
historical/philosophical books and executed certain philosophers in an effort to stamp
out the memories of the rule and ideals of former dynasties.
0244 BC
Colossus of Rhodes felled by earthquake
0243 BC
End of Ch'in dynasty; civil war erupts
0241 BC
End of First Punic War; Carthage makes peace and Sicily given
to Rome
0238 BC
Sardinia and Corsica added to Roman Empire
0232 BC
Decline of Mauryan Empire in India
0225 BC
Romans slaughter Celts at Battle of Telemon
0221 BC
Han Dynasty comes to power in China; Period of the Warring
States ends
Founded by Liu Bang who renamed himself Han Gaozu ('Exalted Founder'). The
Chinese came to refer to themselves as 'the People of Han'.
0220 BC
Romans take Celtiberians (Celtic Spain) with their fleet
The Spanish Celts had greatly aided the Phoenicians during the Punic Wars, and the
Romans had long memories for such things.
0218 BC
Palestine conquered by Syria
0218-0201 BC
Second Punic War
0217-0216 BC
Carthaginian commander Hannibal crosses Alps with army
(including elephants) and defeats large Roman armies in Italy
The army consisted mainly of well-trained Spanish foot-soldiers, with Phoenician
leaders from Carthage; Numidians (African tribe of northwest Africa) acted as
Hannibal's cavalry, and they were considered among the best in the world at that time.
His army totalled 26,000 and due to his skill and that of his men he defeated and
slaughtered a force of Roman soldiers numbering 80,000 at Cannae.
0211 BC
Hannibal unsuccessfully assaults city of Rome
0207 BC
Battle of Metaurus: Carthaginian commander Hasdrubal
(brother of Hannibal) bringing relief supplies and army to Italy
is defeated and killed by Roman consul Claudius Nero
0204 BC
Romans (under Scipio) enter Africa; Hannibal recalled to
Carthage
0202 BC
Battle of Zama: Phoenician power declines after Scipio defeats
Hannibal
0201 BC
Phoenicians surrender to Rome and are made weak through
indemnity
0200 BC
Scythians in Europe (Saxon tribe in Northern Germany)
Nephites and Mulekites become one people in Zarahemla
0197 BC
Rome adds Spain to its empire
0190 BC
Rome, in alliance with Pergamum, defeats Seleucids and
pushes them out of Asia Minor
0185 BC
Hannibal takes poison
Hannibal went into politics after his defeat at Zama and Carthage started to improve
its economy a little. Rome, against Scipio's advice, demanded Hannibal to surrender
himself. Hannibal fled to the Seleucid king. When Rome pushed the Seleucid king out
of Asia Minor Hannibal fled north to the King of Bithynia where his house was
surrounded by Roman troops and where he is said to have committed suicide.
0183 BC
Maurya Empire of India dissolves
0175 BC
Antiochus Epiphanes becomes King of Syria and oppresses his
province of Palestine by trying to stamp out the Jewish religion
and heritage
Qumran Community settles northwest shores of Dead Sea
We learn about this community from archaeology and especially from the ancient
documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls (which include some of the records of this
people as well as the ancient and New Testament scriptures). This community was led
by a high priest whose name we do not know but who is referred to as 'the Teacher of
Righteousness'. The name of this people is disputed but in the scrolls they are referred
to by such names as "saints of the last days", "saints of the Most High God", "people
of Zion", "elect of God", "apron wearers", and "Israel in the wilderness". They saw
their purpose as preparing the people for the coming of Christ. They were presided
over by a presidency of three, with a Council of Twelve and Bishops under them. All
of its members would meet once a year to hear the words of these Authorities. They
practised the Law of Moses as well as Christian principles later taught by Christ. They
preached and gained converts in many cities, Qumran being their headquarters. Here
they had buildings in which they practised "washings" and had water tanks or fonts.
Some people believe that John the Baptist and Christ associated or lived among this
people. It is not improbable, according to the evidence, that these were righteous
followers of Jehovah who had separated themselves from the apostasy of Judaea and
the Syrian oppression. They have been considered by some scholars as being the same
people known as the Essenes.
0168 BC
Antiochus Epiphanes leaves Second Temple desolate and
forbids religious observances
Greek historian Polybius taken to Rome; writes his histories
0167 BC
Maccabaean Revolt
When in 175 BC the Syrian king began to make efforts to stamp out the Jewish
religion there was quite some success because of the Greek influence that had come
into the Jewish way of life. Around 169 BC the persecution intensified into violence.
Judas was one of the seven sons of the patriotic priest of the Hasmonaean family who
had been the leader of the Jewish resistance to Syria. He was otherwise known as
Maccabaeus which means 'the hammerer' (hence 'Maccabees'). He gained several
victories and then a war started in earnest between the two forces. Judas died in 161
BC and his brothers replaced him. The Jews had great prosperity under the
Maccabaean rule. Simon, Judas's brother, had a son named John (or Jehohanan)
Hyrcanus who took over as High Priest. It was he that built the fortress of Castle
Antonia and destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gezirim. Although their rule
started well, after several generations the Hasmonaeans became corrupt and lost the
throne to Idumaean rulers under the overlordship of Rome.
0165 BC
Maccabaeans defeat Syrians; Second Temple restored and
dedicated in Jerusalem by Judas Maccabaeus
Epirus (northwest Greece) taken by Rome
0164 BC
Death of Antiochus Epiphanes
0161 BC
Rise of Roman power
0152 BC
Jonathan (brother of Judas Maccabaeus) made military
governor of Judaea by Demetrius I (one of the claimants of the
Seleucid Empire); Alexander Balas, another rival claimant of
the Seleucid Empire, and also seeking support of the
Hasmonaeans, makes Jonathan High Priest of Judaea
Teacher of Righteousness probably killed around this time
0149-0146 BC
Third Punic War; Carthage destroyed by Rome
Marcus Cato was among the chief voices in Rome advocating the destruction of the
now weak Carthage. His voice and those that supported him prevailed and Rome
deliberately had its ally, the Berbers of Numidia, harry Carthage until they had to
make war to protect themselves. This gave Rome opportunity to send an army over.
Rome then demanded Carthage be moved 10 miles inland - an obvious impossibility
if the Carthaginians were to survive (they were dependent upon the sea as merchants).
Carthage closed her gates on the Roman army, withstood a siege of 3 years despite
lack of arms, and by the end of it only 50,000 inhabitants remained. Carthage ceased
to exist as a power in the world. Scipio, acting under orders, had led the siege, but it is
said that he wept afterward for the fall of Carthage.
0148 BC
Romans annex Macedonia after taking rest of Greece
0146 BC
Roman government becomes more oligarchical and proud
Corinth destroyed by Romans
End of Achaean League
0142 BC
Syria recognizes independence of Judaea under Simon (brother
of Jonathan) who rules as King and High Priest; Rome follows
in recognizing their independence
0140 BC
Height of Parthian Empire (holds all Iran and Mesopotamia)
0135 BC
John Hyrcanus I rules Judaea; territory expands under his reign
0129-0125 BC
Around this time John Hyrcanus, King of Judaea, invades the
hostile Idumaea and forcibly converts its inhabitants to Judaism
0129 BC
Romans take Pergamum and part of Asia Minor
0124 BC
Romans attack Gaul
0116 BC
German tribes press upon Italy's north border
0106 BC
Marcus Tullius Cicero born
0105 BC
Romans suffer huge defeat by Germans at Orange (in Gaul)
0104 BC
Aristobulus I rules Judaea
0102 BC
Alexander Janneus rules Judaea
0092 BC
Reign of the Judges begins among Nephites
Euphrates agreed upon as border between Romans and
Parthians
0090 BC
Italy becomes fully Roman
0088-0084 BC
First war between Rome and Mithradates VI (the Great), King
of Pontus
0087 BC
Mithradates invades Greece and Asiatic Greeks submit to him
0083-0081 BC
Second war between Rome and Pontus
0082 BC
Roman Republic in serious decline; Sulla captures Rome and
begins rule as dictator
0080 BC
Kingdom of Galatia decimated by Pontus but saved with
Roman aid
0076 BC
Queen Alexandra (widow of Alexander Janneus) rules Judaea;
Pharisees rise to become the power behind her throne
0074-0063 BC
Third war between Rome and Pontus: Mithradates eventually
defeated by Pompey; end of Kingdom of Pontus
0074 BC
Bithynia falls to Rome
0073 BC
Slave War: Spartacus takes Mount Vesuvius and defeats two
Roman armies
0072 BC
Spartacus is defeated by Romans under Crassus
0070 BC
Virgil born
Virgil wrote the Aeneid, the legendary story of Aeneas, son of Venus and Anchises,
who was a survivor of Troy. He was said to have come to Italy and laid the foundation
of Roman power, his son Ilius being the builder of Rome itself.
0067 BC
Pompey commissioned to clear the Mediterranean of pirates
Rome takes Crete
0066 BC
Hyrcanus II and his brother Aristobulus II rule Judaea as coregents; they quarrel for power and Rome enters the dispute
Hyrcanus II used the Idumaean governor Antipater, a vassal to Judaea but nonetheless
on good terms with Rome, to try to get support for his cause from Rome. The Romans
supported Aristobulus II though, and thus laid the path open for the conquest of
Judaea by Rome.
Syria captured by Pompey
0065 BC
Around this time the Ynglings leave the area north of the Black
Sea under their leader Odin and populate northern Europe and
Scandinavia; later they intermix with the Saxons to give rise to
the Anglo-Saxons, establishing a system of government
remarkably similar to that revealed to Moses and practised by
Zion societies; this system, being common to all of the tribes
across northern Europe and Scandinavia, becomes known as
'Common Law'
Odin (also called Wotan, Woden and other variations) was the 'All Father', the chief
god of Norse/Teutonic mythology. Some have suggested that this person was the 'lost
tribes' counterpart of the native American Indian/Polynesian 'Great White God',
Quetzalcoatl/Viracocha/Con-tici/Kukulcan/Votan et al.; that is to say, the memory of
the personage of Jesus Christ in his visit to that people shortly after visiting the
Nephites. This year (65 BC), however, predates the Resurrection and so conflicts with
this theory, although the date itself may be inaccurate as it is only an estimate.
0063 BC
Pompey captures Jerusalem for Rome
Cicero holds office of Consul in Rome
0062 BC
Pompey returns to Rome but declines rulership
0060 BC
Generals Caesar, Pompey and Crassus form the First
Triumvirate of Rome
0058-0050 BC
Julius Caesar's campaign to capture all of Gaul
0058 BC
Caesar pushes the Helvetti pressing on the north borders of
Italy back to their homes in Switzerland
0055 BC
Romans raid Britain under Julius Caesar
The Roman legions were defeated by the British. The next year the Romans advanced
but then signed a treaty and withdrew all forces from England.
Groups of Nephite/Lamanite peoples leave America for
Polynesia
0053 BC
Vercingetorix of the Averni leads a huge army of Celtic tribes
against Caesar; Caesar outmanoeuvres the Celts
Crassus defeated and killed by Parthians (provoked by Rome)
in Mesopotamia
0052 BC
Siege of Alesia: Romans defeat Celts
Within the fortified Alesia Vercingetorix had 80,000 men. Caesar had 60,000 total.
The rest of the Celtic army numbered over 200,000 but the Roman siegeworks and
outer defences allowed Caesar to defend against both armies until their morale broke
and the Celts surrendered. By the end of 50 BC all of France and Belgium (then all
known as Gaul) were Roman territory.
0049-0047 BC
Pompey and Caesar vie for power
0047 BC
Caesar defeats Pompey; Pompey flees to Egypt but is murdered
by the Ptolemies in the hope of finding favour with Caesar;
Caesar attacks Egyptians at Alexandria for killing a Roman
General, is outnumbered, but rescued by Antipater's Idumaean
army
0046 BC
Antipater (now a Roman citizen) made Procurator of Judaea by
Rome; Antipater appoints his son Herod as governor of Galilee;
Hyrcanus II made High Priest by Antipater (but appoints
himself as administrator of all Judaea); Idumaean rule begins in
Judaea
0045 BC
Julian Calendar introduced by Julius Caesar
0044 BC
Romans found colony at Carthage
Julius Caesar stabbed to death; Octavian comes to power
Octavian formed the Classical form of Roman government, called the Principate
(from the Latin princeps meaning 'first'). He changed his name to Augustus ('exalted').
He restored the Free State (the Respublica) somewhat by dividing the power between
the Senate and the magistrates; however, he kept all imperial and foreign affairs to
himself as well as the sole command of the military. He was aided by his soldier
friend Marcus Agrippa. Augustus also instituted the first Roman census of material
resources of the Empire. He founded such cities as Marseilles, Nîmes and Lyons
among others.
0043 BC
Antipater poisoned; Antigonus (son of Aristobulus II) calls on
Parthians to secure his rule; Parthians invade and Hyrcanus II is
taken into captivity to Babylon and Herod flees
Cicero murdered
Ovid born
0041 BC
Mark Anthony (formerly Julius Caesar's right-hand man)
possesses Palestine; Herod becomes one of his tetrarchs
0037 BC
Herod becomes King of Judaea
Herod had to lay siege to Jerusalem for six months with a Roman army because the
people did not want him to be their ruler. Herod became a powerful ruler of his time
and a friend of the Roman Emperor Augustus. He used the Temple as a kind of
national bank81 and established many royal banks elsewhere in his kingdom. He had
contacts all over the Greek east and was, first and foremost, a financier. So great was
his influence that he was even in receipt of half the revenue of the copper mines of
Cyprus (Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper). To further get gain and
the favour of Rome Herod sent his fleet82 into the Black Sea to back up the Roman
navy who were advancing on a usurper in the Crimea. Herod had a lot of influence in
gaining advantages for the Jews of the Dispersion. Nevertheless Herod, The New
Testament informs us, was a very cruel and evil man.
0033 BC
Break between Anthony and Octavian; Anthony takes eastern
half of Roman domains
0031 BC
Battle of Actium: Anthony and Cleopatra (the last of Ptolemy's
line) defeated by Octavian
0030 BC
Octavian seizes Alexandria and thus Egypt
Suicide of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra
0027 BC
Roman Empire begins with Augustus (Octavian); formal end of
Roman Republic
0025 BC
Around this time the Han Dynasty drive the Hsiung-nu west
and they settle the Aral Sea area
0020 BC
Temple of Herod begun
Officially a renovation of the Temple of Zerubbabel but in reality more like a
completely new one. Herod's reasons for building it were not considered too pious. In
the end it was finally completed six years before the Romans under Titus destroyed it
in AD 70. According to some sources (see text under 37 BC) Herod used it as a bank
(this brings to mind the money-changers in the Temple in Christ's day); it certainly
must have been a centre for money because not only did the Jews of Jerusalem donate
money to the Temple as an offering but also many of the dispersed of the Jews around
the civilized world.
0002 BC
Birth of John the Baptist
0001 BC
(6 Apr) Birth of Christ (signs in heaven and earth around the
world)
AD 0002
Around this time the wise men visit Christ (possibly from a
people who still have the fullness of the Gospel) and Herod the
Great issues the order for the 'massacre of the infants' of two
years of age and under
AD 0006
Zealot uprising in Judaea
Judaea placed under Roman procurator
AD 0009
Rome loses a great part of its Germanic land to the northern
Tribes
AD 0010
King Llyr rules in Britain
Shakespeare's King Lear. He was the son of King Lud and a descendant of Brutus. He
was said to have married Penardin who was the daughter of Anna (St Anna) who,
according to some sources, was no less than the daughter of Joseph of Arimathaea.
Anna herself was said to have also married into the royal line of Britain and have been
an ancestor of the House of Tudor.
AD 0012-0030
[Jesus visits England with Joseph of Arimathaea]
Traditions verifying the truthfulness of the Saviour's visits to England as a youth and
young man are very persistent and widespread in southwest England. Joseph of
Arimathaea, evidently the great uncle of Jesus and probably his guardian, seems to
have had his English dwelling in Glastonbury (also referred to as Avalon). Joseph is
very much connected with the tin mines in the west of Britain and probably held a
very high position in the world of business. He was, of course, also a member of the
highest Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, and became a disciple of Christ.
AD 0014
Augustus (Octavian) dies; Tiberius becomes Roman Emperor
AD 0023
Pliny the Elder born
AD 0026
Pontius Pilate appointed Procurator in Judaea
Summary of Mosaic Dispensation: This dispensation began with the Lord bringing
the Children of Israel out of bondage and to the promised land of Canaan, near its end
the Saviour was born into the world. This was a time when many empires rose and
fell. Israel, however, failed to live by the Law of Zion under its inspired system of
judges because of the wickedness of the people and its desire to have a monarchy like
other nations. It has been suggested that because Israel eventually failed to live by the
Law of Zion this gave opportunity for the empires and kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar's
dream to flourish.
Moses 6:5.
Alma 37:8.
3
Mormon 8:31.
1
2
Pericles, Fifth Century BC, as quoted by Thucydides in The History of the
Peloponnesian War, Chapter VI, 35. (Enemy, p. 64).
5
From Schiller's first lecture as Professor of History, Jena, 26 May 1789.
6
See Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution – A Glorious Standard, BYU Devotional,
1986.
7
Jacob 4:13.
8
See Moses 5:1-12.
9
Moses 6:17.
10
See Doctrine and Covenants 107:57.
11
See Moses 6-7.
12
Doctrine and Covenants 117:8.
13
Doctrine and Covenants 107:56-57.
14
Journal of Discourses, 18:343; and Meditation and Atonement by John Taylor, p.
69-70.
15
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 116. For other references to Adam-ondi-Ahman
see Doctrine and Covenants 78:15; 107:53; 117:8, 11 and Daniel 7:9-14.
16
See Matthews, Robert J., A Plainer Translation (Provo: BYU Press, 1985), pp. 8485; this was also confirmed in the diaries of two LDS members who recorded
Joseph’s words.
17
See Revelation 6:2.
18
McConkie, Bruce R., (1965-73) Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 Vols.,
Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 3:478.
19
See also Numbers 13:33, Deuteronomy 2:20, Moses 7:15, and Moses 8:18.
20
Smith, Joseph Fielding, (1976) Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Salt Lake
City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, p. 170.
21
Doctrine and Covenants 133:55.
22
See Moses 7:27.
23
See Moses 8:2.
24
Smith, Joseph Fielding, (1960) Answers to Gospel Questions, Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1:136.
25
Clarke, A. The Holy Bible...with Commentary and Critical Notes, New York:
Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, Volume1:68.
26
Journal of Discourses, 26:74-75.
27
The First Two Thousand Years, p. 145. (Skousen).
28
Genesis 8:4.
29
Inspired Version, Genesis 8:49.
30
Official Declaration-2, Doctrine and Covenants.
31
Abraham 1:21-27.
32
Ibid., vs. 26.
33
Inspired Version, Genesis 11:1.
34
Taylor, John (editor), (1844) Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, December 15, (Nauvoo,
Illinois), p.746.
35
For more see JST of Genesis 14:25-40.
36
Abraham 2 and Genesis 17; 22:15-18.
37
Abraham 3:15.
38
Genesis 17:20 and 25:16.
39
Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 14:32-34.
40
I Maccabees, chapter 12.
41
I Chronicles 1:43-54.
4
See Doctrine and Covenants 1:36
Whence?, p. 81-82.
44
Exodus 1:8-9.
45
Whence?, p. 124-125.
46
Joseph Smith Translation of Gensis 50:33.
47
Ezekiel 37:15-19; compare Joseph Smith Translation 50:31.
48
Genesis 38:27-30.
49
Genesis 10:15.
50
See, for instance, Whence?, p. 37-39.
51
Smith, Joseph Fielding, (comp.) (1979) Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Company, p. 172-3.
52
McConkie, Bruce R., (comp.) (1954-56) Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., Salt Lake
City: Bookcraft, 3:94.
53
Genesis 10:13-14.
54
Casson, S. (1922) Ancient Greece: A Study by Stanley Casson (1924) London:
Oxford University Press, p. 14-15.
55
Casson, S. (1922) Ancient Greece: A Study by Stanley Casson (1924) London:
Oxford University Press, p. 15.
56
I Kings 16:24.
57
Deuteronomy 28:64.
58
See Doctrine and Covenants, Section 91.
59
Tracing, passim.
60
Genesis 22:18.
61
Talmage, James E., (1947) The Articles of Faith Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, p. 316.
62
I Nephi 22:4.
63
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 133:26-32.
64
Journal of Discourses, 18:25.
65
Mormon Doctrine, (1979) second edition, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, p. 458.
66
Conference Report, April 1916, p. 130; see also Doctrine and Covenants 110:11.
67
Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Vol. 25, pp. 6-10.
68
Whence?, p. 71.
69
Tracing, passim.
70
Tracing, p. 68.
71
Tracing, p. 68.
72
Daniel, chapter 2.
73
Daniel, chapter 8.
74
Jeremiah 41:10-12, 14-15 and 43:1-7.
75
Ivins, A.W. (1932) Israel in History and Genealogy, Utah Genealogical and
Historical Magazine, Vol. 23, January (Salt Lake City, Utah), p. 6-8.
76
Esther, chapters 1-10.
77
Whence?, p. 36.
78
Whence?, p. 30.
79
The Naked Capitalist, p. 28-29, (Skousen).
80
Daniel 8:22.
81
Grant, Michael The Jews in the Roman World, p. 74-75.
82
Ibid., p. 75.
42
43