Bible Timeline · Period 7 of 10

Exile and Return

The fall of Jerusalem, the exile in Babylon and the return to rebuild the temple and the city.

Babylon takes Judah's leaders into exile and destroys Jerusalem and the temple. In Babylon, Ezekiel and Daniel speak and serve; after Persia conquers Babylon, Cyrus allows the exiles to return.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi follow the restored community. Several key dates here are confirmed by Babylonian and Persian records.

Scripture 2 Kings 24–25 Ezra 1–10 Nehemiah 1–13 Esther 1–10

Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition

Biblical narrative order Historical setting

Events follow the order Scripture presents. Switch to “Historical setting” to see approximate dates and how they are known.

Daniel taken to BabylonDaniel 1:1–21About 605 BCE
Daniel and his friends are taken to Babylon, refuse the king's food and are given wisdom by God.
- Main passage Daniel 1:1–21
People Daniel
Places named Babylon Daniel 1:1
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 605 BCE Approximate historical setting
Daniel 1:1 dates this to Jehoiakim's third year; Babylonian records place Nebuchadnezzar's campaign after the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE.
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Jehoiachin taken to Babylon2 Kings 24:8–17597 BCE1 parallel account
Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem and takes King Jehoiachin, the leaders and craftsmen to Babylon; Ezekiel is among the exiles.
- Main passage 2 Kings 24:8–17
- Also told in 2 Chronicles 36:9–10
Places named Jerusalem 2 Kings 24:10 · Babylon 2 Kings 24:15
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
597 BCE Approximate historical setting
The Babylonian Chronicle records Jerusalem's capture on 2 Adar (March) 597 BCE.
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Jeremiah's letter to the exilesJeremiah 29:1–14About 597-594 BCE
Jeremiah writes to the exiles to build houses, seek the welfare of Babylon and expect God to bring them back after seventy years.
- Main passage Jeremiah 29:1–14
People Jeremiah
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 597-594 BCE Approximate historical setting
After the deportation of Jehoiachin (Jeremiah 29:2).
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The fiery furnaceDaniel 3:1–30Reign of Nebuchadnezzar
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to worship the golden image and are thrown into the furnace, but they are not burned.
- Main passage Daniel 3:1–30
- Related Hebrews 11:33–34
People Daniel
Places named The plain of Dura Daniel 3:1
Place in the order
Strongly supported relative order The order is well supported by the text, though not stated outright.
Historical setting
Reign of Nebuchadnezzar Unknown date
Daniel 3 gives no year within Nebuchadnezzar's reign (605-562 BCE).
Stories and studies The Fiery Furnace
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Ezekiel's callEzekiel 1:1–3:27593 BCE
By the river Chebar Ezekiel sees the glory of the LORD and is sent as a watchman to the house of Israel.
- Main passage Ezekiel 1:1–3:27
People Ezekiel
Places named The river Chebar Ezekiel 1:1
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
593 BCE Approximate historical setting
Ezekiel 1:2: the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile.
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The new covenant promisedJeremiah 31:31–34Around the fall of Jerusalem
The LORD promises a new covenant: his law written on the heart and sins forgiven.
- Main passage Jeremiah 31:31–34
- Related Hebrews 8:8–12 Luke 22:20
People Jeremiah
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
Around the fall of Jerusalem Approximate historical setting
Jeremiah 30-33 are usually linked with the last years before the fall (compare Jeremiah 32:1-2).
Stories and studies Covenant
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The fall of Jerusalem2 Kings 25:1–21587 or 586 BCE3 parallel accounts
Babylon breaches Jerusalem's walls, burns the temple and the city, and takes the people into exile; Zedekiah is blinded and taken to Babylon.
- Main passage 2 Kings 25:1–21
- Also told in Jeremiah 39:1–10 Jeremiah 52:1–30 2 Chronicles 36:11–21
- Related Lamentations 1:1–22 Psalm 137:1–9
People Jeremiah
Places named Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:9 · Riblah 2 Kings 25:6
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
587 or 586 BCE Disputed date
The eleventh year of Zedekiah. Scholars differ on whether this was 587 or 586 BCE, depending on how reigns and years are counted.
Proposals: 587 BCE; 586 BCE
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Jerusalem mournedLamentations 3:19–33After 587/586 BCE
Lamentations grieves the destroyed city, yet at its centre declares that the LORD's mercies are new every morning.
- Main passage Lamentations 3:19–33
- Related Lamentations 1:1–22 Lamentations 5:1–22
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
After 587/586 BCE Approximate historical setting
Lamentations describes Jerusalem after its fall; the book itself gives no year.
Stories and studies Hope Suffering
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Gedaliah murdered; the flight to EgyptJeremiah 40:1–43:7After 587/586 BCE1 parallel account
Babylon appoints Gedaliah governor; after he is murdered, the survivors flee to Egypt against Jeremiah's warning and take him with them.
- Main passage Jeremiah 40:1–43:7
- Also told in 2 Kings 25:22–26
People Jeremiah
Places named Mizpah Jeremiah 40:6 · Tahpanhes Jeremiah 43:7
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
After 587/586 BCE Approximate historical setting
Following the fall of Jerusalem.
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The valley of dry bonesEzekiel 37:1–14During the exile
Ezekiel sees a valley of dry bones come to life, a picture of God bringing Israel back from exile.
- Main passage Ezekiel 37:1–14
- Related Ezekiel 36:24–28
People Ezekiel
Place in the order
Strongly supported relative order The order is well supported by the text, though not stated outright.
Historical setting
During the exile Approximate historical setting
Ezekiel 37 is not dated; it belongs to Ezekiel's messages after the fall (from Ezekiel 33:21).
Stories and studies Hope
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The writing on the wallDaniel 5:1–31539 BCE
At Belshazzar's feast a hand writes on the wall; Daniel reads it, and that night Babylon falls.
- Main passage Daniel 5:1–31
People Daniel
Places named Babylon Daniel 5:1
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
539 BCE Approximate historical setting
Babylon fell to the Persians under Cyrus in 539 BCE, as Babylonian and Persian records also tell.
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Daniel in the lions' denDaniel 6:1–28Reign of Darius the Mede, after 539 BCE
Daniel keeps praying despite a royal decree and is thrown to the lions; God shuts their mouths.
- Main passage Daniel 6:1–28
- Related Hebrews 11:33
People Daniel
Place in the order
Strongly supported relative order The order is well supported by the text, though not stated outright.
Historical setting
Reign of Darius the Mede, after 539 BCE Approximate historical setting
Daniel 6 is set under "Darius the Mede". Who this ruler was is debated.
Stories and studies Daniel in the Lions’ Den Prayer Daniel in the Lions' Den
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Cyrus allows the returnEzra 1:1–11538 BCE1 parallel account
Cyrus king of Persia decrees that the Jews may return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the LORD.
- Main passage Ezra 1:1–11
- Also told in 2 Chronicles 36:22–23
- Related Isaiah 44:28 Jeremiah 29:10
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
538 BCE Approximate historical setting
Cyrus's first year as ruler of Babylon (Ezra 1:1), about 538 BCE. The Cyrus Cylinder records his policy of returning peoples to their homelands.
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The temple foundation laidEzra 3:1–13About 536 BCE
The returned exiles rebuild the altar and lay the temple's foundation; some shout for joy and some weep.
- Main passage Ezra 3:1–13
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 536 BCE Approximate historical setting
The second year after the return (Ezra 3:8).
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Haggai and Zechariah urge rebuildingEzra 5:1–2520 BCE
After years of delay Haggai and Zechariah call the people to finish the temple, and the work begins again.
- Main passage Ezra 5:1–2
- Related Haggai 1:1–15 Zechariah 1:1–6
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
520 BCE Approximate historical setting
Haggai 1:1 dates his first message to the second year of Darius I, 520 BCE.
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The second temple completedEzra 6:13–22516/515 BCE
The temple is finished and dedicated, and the returned exiles celebrate the Passover.
- Main passage Ezra 6:13–22
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
516/515 BCE Approximate historical setting
Ezra 6:15: the sixth year of Darius I.
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Esther becomes queenEsther 2:1–23About 479 BCE
Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by Mordecai, is chosen as queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus.
- Main passage Esther 2:1–23
People Esther Mordecai
Places named Susa Esther 2:5
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 479 BCE Approximate historical setting
Esther 2:16: the seventh year of Ahasuerus, usually identified with Xerxes I (486-465 BCE).
Stories and studies Esther Queen Esther
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Esther saves her peopleEsther 4:1–17About 474-473 BCE
When Haman plots to destroy the Jews, Esther risks her life to plead with the king; the plot is turned back and Purim is established.
- Main passage Esther 4:1–17 Esther 7:1–10
- Related Esther 9:20–32
People Esther Mordecai
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 474-473 BCE Approximate historical setting
Haman's plot is dated to the twelfth year of Ahasuerus (Esther 3:7).
Stories and studies Esther Courage Providence Queen Esther
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Ezra comes to JerusalemEzra 7:1–28458 BCE (or 398 BCE)
Ezra, a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, leads a group of exiles to Jerusalem to teach the law.
- Main passage Ezra 7:1–28
People Ezra
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
458 BCE (or 398 BCE) Disputed date
Ezra 7:7: the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Most take this as Artaxerxes I (458 BCE); some argue for Artaxerxes II (398 BCE).
Proposals: 458 BCE (Artaxerxes I); 398 BCE (Artaxerxes II)
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Nehemiah rebuilds the wallNehemiah 2:1–20445/444 BCE
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king, returns to Jerusalem and leads the rebuilding of its walls in fifty-two days despite opposition.
- Main passage Nehemiah 2:1–20 Nehemiah 6:15–16
- Related Nehemiah 4:1–23
People Nehemiah
Places named Susa Nehemiah 1:1 · Jerusalem Nehemiah 2:11
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
445/444 BCE Approximate historical setting
Nehemiah 2:1: the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I.
Stories and studies Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem
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Ezra reads the lawNehemiah 8:1–18About 445 BCE
The people gather and Ezra reads the law from morning to midday; the Levites explain it, and the people weep and then celebrate.
- Main passage Nehemiah 8:1–18
- Related Psalm 119:105
People Ezra Nehemiah
Place in the order
Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Historical setting
About 445 BCE Approximate historical setting
Nehemiah 8 follows the completion of the wall (Nehemiah 6:15).
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Malachi: a messenger to prepare the wayMalachi 3:1–4Mid-5th century BCE (proposed)
Through Malachi the LORD challenges careless worship and promises to send a messenger before the great day of the LORD.
- Main passage Malachi 3:1–4 Malachi 4:5–6
- Related Matthew 11:10–14 Luke 1:16–17
Place in the order
Strongly supported relative order The order is well supported by the text, though not stated outright.
Historical setting
Mid-5th century BCE (proposed) Proposed chronology
Malachi gives no date. Its concerns match the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, so it is usually dated around then.
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How the timeline is built

Explicit biblical sequence: Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
Strongly supported relative order: The order is well supported by the text, though not stated outright.
Disputed placement: Where this belongs in the sequence is debated; the placement here is an editorial choice.
Approximate historical setting: An approximate date with its basis.
Proposed chronology: A date proposed by scholars; Scripture gives none.
Disputed date: Significant alternatives are shown.
Unknown date: No calendar date can responsibly be given.

The order of events is BibleKenya's own reading of Scripture. Dates for the kings follow a widely used reconstruction (based on E. R. Thiele); anchors confirmed by Assyrian, Babylonian or Persian records say so. Visions are shown as visions, not as dated events. The date an event happened is not the same as the date a book was written.

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