An Old Testament Skeleton

The Old Testament is a huge book and as a teacher I am constantly looking for tips and tricks to help the layperson sort all these pieces together.  It covers 2000+ years of recorded history, and is written by at least 40 different people.  Sometimes you need mental pegs to hold all the material.  Without a knowledge of the OT, it really makes the New Testament more confusing.  


One resource I have used again and again is 10 keys dates to help put everything into context.  You can fit everything into this historical framework.  



  • 2000  Abraham
  • 1500  Exodus
  • 1000  David/Solomon/Division
  • 720    Israel Falls to Assyria
  • 600    Judah Falls to Babylon
  • 530    Exiles Return
  • 300    Greek Rule
  • 160    Maccabees
  • 60      Roman Rule
  • 4BC    Birth of Christ
Granted, most of these dates are rounded off, but it sure makes it easier to remember.

Comments

Devin Rose said…
Great guide! I usually forget about half these and wonder--when was that again?
11:12 AM
Theron Mathis said…
Thanks. I use it a lot whenever I do an intro to an OT book. It was
originally developed out of adult catechism class. The priest and I
tried to see how much info we could condense into 12 weeks. This came out of trying to do a full OT survey in one week.

I have a similar chart on the 7 Ecumenical councils I need to post
11:33 AM
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