In this topic, Bible chronology is traced from the exodus out of Egypt until the judgeship of Samuel. Earlier chronology is addressed in “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus” and “Chronology: Septuagint versus Masoretic Text”. My basic position is the so-called maximalist view, that Bible history is correct unless archaeology clearly proves it wrong.
However, exact dating cannot be done for Israel’s exodus, or for the years of the many judges which followed in the Land. Also there’s no consensus among Bible historians regarding the dates when Saul, David, and Solomon were kings. Their years cannot be pinpointed by dates from ancient histories. (There’s no ‘BC’ or ‘BCE’ dates written in scripture.) The dates in this topic are approximate.
A date of 1612 BC for the exodus of Israelites & the mixed multitude from Egypt was taken from Dr. Martin Anstey’s The Romance of Bible Chronology, v.2. I use that date, 1612 BC.
Moses was born around (circa or c) 1692 BC. Moses is the son of Amrám and the grandson of Koháth (who’d gone to Egypt with Jacob c 1827 BC, Ge.46:8, 11). Moses’ father Amram was born in Egypt, while Joseph was still alive. see “Levites and the Exodus Multitude (1)”.
Moses fled to Midian at age 40 (Ex.2:15, Ac.7:22-29), c 1652 BC.
Caleb was born in Egypt c 1651 BC. (cf. Nu.13:25-30, the 2nd year of the exodus…with Jsh.14:6-10.)
Moses is 80 when he returns to Egypt from Midian (Ac.7:30-34), c 1612 BC. Ex.7:7 “Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron 83, at the time they spoke to Pharaoh.” The exodus occurred then (Ex.12:39-41).
When they exited Egypt c 1612 BC, Joshua is a young man, compared to Moses (Ex.33:11, Nu.11:28). Joshua is 44 or so. Caleb is 39 (born c 1651 BC).
The Israelites left Egypt, and then had to spend 40 years in the wilderness (Nu.32:13), until c 1572 BC.
{Sidelight: Ge.41:51 Joseph fathered Manasséh. Ge.50:23 Manasseh fathered Machír. Machir’s son Gileád was the same generation as Moses/Aaron. Joshua’s father Nun was the same generation as Gilead & Moses/Aaron. Zelophehád, Hépher’s son, was Gilead’s grandson (1Ch.7:14-27, Nu.26:28-37, 27:1, Jsh.17:3). Zelophehad’s daughters are seen in the 40th year of the exodus (Nu.27:1-ff, 36:1-ff).}
Nu.21:23-26 & De.3:12 in the 40th year Israel took Heshbón and Aroér, and began to dwell in that area east of the Jordan River. (Nu.25:7 Phineás’ bold action occurred in the 40th year in the wilderness.)
The Israelites entered the Promised Land c 1572 BC. De.34:7-9 Moses died that year at age 120.
Jsh.11:15-19 Joshua then waged war with the kings in the Land for 5 years at least, and defeated them.
Jsh.13:1 Joshua is old, near 90. Cambridge Bible Note Jsh.13:1 “The Hebrew leader was now about 90 years of age.” Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 5:1:19 “The 5th year was now past, and not one of the Canaanites remained.” Josephus implied there were 5 years of conquest. The supposed Book of Jasher 89:54, “For 5 years did Joshua carry on the war with these kings…the land became tranquil”. The land of Canáan became relatively tranquil for a while.
Jsh.14:6-11 indicates there were 5 years of conquest. Caleb says he’s 85. 45 years have passed since he was age 40 in the 2nd year of the exodus (c 1611 BC), when he and Joshua spied out the Land. Ellicott Commentary Jsh.14:7 “Caleb would be 40+38=78 years old when they crossed the Jordan. He was 85 when they began to divide the country.” Joshua allotted the Land among the tribes of Israel c 1566 BC.
Jsh.23:1, 14 “a long time” (19-20 years) after the Land division, Joshua knows it’s his time to die. Jsh.24:29 Joshua dies at age 110, c 1546 BC. (Joseph previously also had died at age 110, Ge.50:26.)
Joshua was in the Land for around 25-28 years: 6-7 years of conquest/settlement, 19-20 years of ‘rule’.
Josephus op. cit. 5:1:29 “Joshua…became their commander after his [Moses’] death for 25 years.” Jasher 90:32 indicates that Joshua died 28 years after crossing the Jordan, 68 years after leaving Egypt. Eusebius Chronicles, p.111 “The Hebrews say that he [Joshua] was leader for 27 years, as so he was 43 years old when Moses went out of Egypt.” Elihu Schatz “The traditional interpretation assumes that Joshua ruled for 28 years (Seder Olam Rabbah, ch. 12), which means that he was 83 when he began to rule, since he lived to be 110 years old (Jsh.24:29).” Again, Joshua was 4 or 5 years older than Caleb.
Jsh.24:31 & Jg.2:7-10 the elders who outlived Joshua continued to serve the Lord…for several years.
Josephus op.cit. 6:5:4 “After the death of Joshua, for 18 years in all the multitude had no settled form of government, but were an anarchy; after which they then permitting themselves to be judged by…the best warrior…the Judges.” The magistrate was usually a champion who delivered them from enemies.
bible.ca/archeology/chronology-of-judges “The 8 year oppression of Arám-naharáim (Jg.3:8) began…15 years after Joshua died.” Jasher 91:12 “The elders judged Israel after the death of Joshua for 17 years.”
So Joshua and the elders who outlived him led the Israelites for 40 years or so in the Land, prior to the series of judges. (6+19+15=40) From c 1572 BC until c 1532 BC.
Jg.2:16 “Then the Lord raised up judges [shaphát Strongs h8199, Hebrew] who delivered them from those who plundered them.” These judges were warriors, military leaders, or ad hoc rulers in the early loose confederation of Israel. Succeeding Joshua, there are no ruling judges before this verse. Barnes Notes Jg.2:16 “This is the first introduction of the term judge, which gives its name to the book.”
How long did the judges lead Israel (prior to the people asking Samuel for a king to rule them, 1Sm.8:4-5)? Before we identify those judges, a pertinent passage was spoken by the apostle Paul in retrospect:
Ac.13:16-21 “The God of Israel chose our fathers…with a mighty arm He led them out from it [Egypt]; for 40 years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the Land of Canaan, He divided by lot to them their Land, about 450 years. After this He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul…for 40 years.” Our translations of the passage differ. Barnes Notes “This is a most difficult passage, and has exercised all the ingenuity of chronologists.” To what centuries was Paul referring?
Most commentaries interpret the 450-year period as…from when God chose the “fathers” until Joshua divided the Land. The Land was divided in c 1566 BC. Isaac the son of promise was born c 2017 BC. That’s 451 years earlier. Abram was called at age 75, c 2042 BC. That’s 476 years earlier, perhaps still close enough to the “about 450 years” Paul indicated. (see “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus”.)
Ellicott Commentary Ac.13:20 “The 450 years in this case referred to the interval between the choice of ‘our fathers’, which may be reckoned from the birth of Isaac.” Benson Commentary Ac.13:19 “The apostle is not to be understood as signifying how long God gave them judges, but when he gave them….computed from the birth of Isaac….it will be 448 years.”
But some commentaries interpret the 450-year period as…from when the judges began until the days of Samuel. Joshua and the elders had died by c 1532 BC. Samuel was living 450 years later, c 1082 BC.
Meyer’s NT Commentary Ac.13:20 “Until the end of the series of judges.” Eclectic Notes Ac.13:20 “Judges characterized the period of 450 years.”
I’ll leave it to the reader to decide which of the above two interpretations better fits the history.
Let’s now look at the period of the several judges/deliverers, until Samuel the prophet-judge.
After the deaths of Joshua and the elders who outlived him, c 1532 BC, the Israelites began to do evil. Jg.2:10 “There arose another generation after them [Joshua and the elders] who did not know the Lord.” Jg.3:7 they served heathen gods and angered the Lord. So He allowed an oppressor to subjugate them.
Jg.3:8 the first oppressor was Cushán-rishatháim of Aram-naharaim for 8 years, until c 1524 BC.
Jg.3:9-11 the people cried out to the Lord. He was merciful and raised up Othniél (Caleb’s nephew, the son of his younger brother Kenáz, Jsh.15:17) as warrior-judge. Othniel prevailed, and the Land had rest 40 years, from c 1524 BC to c 1484 BC.
A pattern will repeat throughout the time of the judges: Israel would disobey the Lord, come under foreign domination, the people will cry out to God, God mercifully raises up a judge to defeat the oppressor, the Land has peace. Then the people disobey again, God allows them to be subjugated, they cry out to God, He sends a deliverer, the Land has rest again, etc. The same cycle, over and over again.
Jg.3:12-14 Israel does evil. So they must serve Eglón king of Moab for 18 years, c 1484 BC – c 1466 BC. Jg.3:15-30 Ehúd of Benjamin subdues Moab, and the Land has rest 80 years, until c 1386 BC.
Jg.3:31 Shamgár saved Israel from Philistines. Josephus op.cit. 5:4:3 said Shamgar died in his 1st year.
Jg.4:1-3 Jabín of Canaan oppresses Israel for 20 years, c 1386 BC – c 1366 BC. Barák, Deboráh and Jaél defeat Jabin and his general Siserá (Jg.4:4–5:31), and the Land has peace 40 years, until c 1326 BC.
Jg.6:1-ff Israel does evil again, so the Lord gives them over to the Midianites for 7 years, until c 1319 BC. Gideon is called; he defeats Midian. Jg.8:28 the Land has peace 40 years, until c 1279 BC.
Jg.9:1-22 Abimélech, Gideon’s son, rules over Israel 3 years, until c 1276 BC. After Abimelech dies, Tolá of Issachár judges Israel 23 years (Jg.10:1-2), until c 1253 BC. After Tola, Jaír the Gileadite judges Israel 22 years (Jg.10:3-5), until c 1231 BC.
Jg.10:6-8 Israel does evil, so God gave them over to the Philistines and Ammonites for 18 years, from c 1231 BC – c 1213 BC. Jg.11:8-11 Jephtháh the Gileadite warrior became Israel’s deliverer. Jg.11:12-28 the king of Ammón wanted back old Amorite land east of the Jordan River, which Israel had taken possession of over 300 years previously. It seems that land had belonged to the Ammonites before it became the Amorites’. The Israelites had taken possession of that land from Sihón king of the Amorites at the end of the 40 years in the wilderness (again Nu.21:23-26 & De.3:12, also Jsh.12:1-2), c 1572 BC.
Jephthah’s messengers said to the king of Ammon in Jg.11:26-27, “While Israel lived in Heshbon and in Aroer and in the towns that are on the banks of the Arnón [LXX Jordan], 300 years, why didn’t you recover them within that time? I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by warring against me.” However, 340 years had elapsed from c 1572 BC to the oppression of c 1231 BC.
Matthew Poole Commentary Jg.11:26 “300 years; not precisely, but about that time.” ESV Study Bible “300 years’ may be a round number giving an approximate date.”
Also, some judgeships possibly had overlapped since Joshua divided the Promised Land of Canaan, or were concurrent in different tribal areas of the Land.
Jg.12:7 having ended the Ammonite war in c 1213 BC, Jephthah judged Israel 6 years, until c 1207 BC.
Jg.12:8-10 Ibzán of Bethlehem succeeds Jephthah as judge, for 7 years, until c 1200 BC. After Ibzan, Elón the Zebulunite judges Israel 10 years (Jg.12:11-12), until c 1190 BC. Then Abdón judges Israel 8 years (Jg.12:13-15), until c 1182 BC.
Jg.13:1 “Israel again did evil, so the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines 40 years.” Actually, the Philistines warred against Israel on & off for hundreds of years (2Ki.18:1 even 8 years in King Hezekiah’s day). This 40-year period of Philistine oppression was from c 1182 BC – c 1142 BC.
Jg.13–16 is the account of Samson fighting against the Philistines during this time. Jg.16:30-31 Samson sacrifices his life, having judged Israel for 20 years. This ended Philistine oppression temporarily.
Jg.15:20 “He [Samson] judged Israel 20 years in the days of the Philistines.” It is thought by some that Samson’s heroic judgeship was during the latter 20 years, c 1162 BC – c 1142 BC, of that 40-year Philistine oppression. Anstey op. cit., p.18 “The judgeship of Samson, 20 years, is included in the 40 years of the 6th servitude under the Philistines.”
James Jordan Puzzling Out the Era of the Judges “The Philistine oppression lasted 40 years (Jg.13:1). Samson was born about this time. Samson judged for 20 years, and in his death killed all five Philistine kings as well as a large number of the Philistine nobility and priesthood (Jg.15:20; 16:27). It is unlikely, if not impossible, in the light of Nu.1:3, that Samson began judging before he was 20. Thus, his 40 years seem to be the same as those of the Philistine oppression.” Samson died at age 40, c 1142 BC.
{{Sidelight: Jg.17–21 these ending chapters of Judges are a flashback to events which occurred earlier in the book, but weren’t inserted then (to not interrupt the timeline). Henry Commentary Jg.17:1 “What is related in…the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua.” Pulpit Commentary “Two detached histories [Jg.17–21], which fill up the rest of the book…are long prior to Samson.” Josephus op. cit. 5:2-3 places them before Othniel’s early judgeship of Jg.3.}}
Again, it is possible that some judgeships were contemporaneous, or they began within the years listed as foreign servitude (such as Samson’s judgeship).
Generally the book of Judges was a period of less restraining authority. The final verse in the book is Jg.21:25. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The syndrome was ‘I did it my way’, not God’s way. Israelites didn’t want to be governed by the Lord or His laws. It was a time when self-will ruled, for the most part. But Pr.28:26 says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool”. Benson Commentary Jg.21:25 “There was no supreme governor, such as Moses and Joshua were…none that had power sufficient to punish public wrongs…and thereby check the progress of vice and profaneness, and keep the people in order. ” Most didn’t have the Holy Spirit. Wrong covetousness was the norm. This is a lesson we can glean from the book of Judges.
1Sm.4:15-18 Eli judges Israel for 40 years til age 98, c 1142 BC – c 1102 BC. Samuel is judge after Eli.
Recap: The exodus from Egypt was c 1612 BC. After 40 years of wilderness wandering under Moses, the Israelites entered the Promised Land under Joshua c 1572 BC. After Joshua’s wars of conquest, the Land was divided to the tribes of Israel by lot c 1566 BC. That was approximately 450 years after the birth of Isaac in c 2017 BC, and 464 years before the time Samuel succeeds Eli as judge c 1102 BC.
My other topics in the timeline are “Chronology: Samuel to Rehoboam”, “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus”, “Chronology: Septuagint versus Masoretic Text”.
Bible Topic Exposition 