1. From the time of the Patriarchs to the Exodus
2. From the Exodus to the Conquest of Cannan
See also, this great resource for the Exodus Timeline: The Identity of the Exodus Dynasty.
1527 BC
Thutmoses I becomes emperor of Egypt beginning the 18th Dynasty. His royal name becomes Amenhotep I. He will become infamous for ordering all of the Hebrew male children to be thrown into the Nile. (Wyatt)
1526 BC
Moses is born. After being saved from death by the bravery of his mother and sister, Moses is adopted by the emperor's daughter, Nefure, who would become Hatshepsut upon becoming the “royal queen.” Moses is given the Egyptian name Senmut. (Wyatt)
1514 BC
Moses comes to live at the palace at about age 12. At about the same time his "grandfather" became main emperor over all Egypt. At this time, they moved from the palace at Memphis where the co-regent ruled, to Thebes where the main palace was. (Wyatt)
1508 BC
At about age 18, Moses was designated the future "heir apparent", with his adopted mother, Nefure as his regent. She was now given the additional royal name of "Hatshepsut" and referred to as queen instead of princess. (Wyatt)
1502 BC
At about age 24, Moses was elevated to the position of "heir apparent" and is named Hatshepsut Xnem Amen, which means “Hatshepsut united with Amen” signifying his political alliance with his adopted mother. (Wyatt)
c. 1500 BC
The legendary hero Kadmos with an unknown number of Phoenicians came and founded Thebes. On a high ground, the so-called later Kadmeia, he builds a palace and probably introduced the Phoenician alphabetical writing. (Greek Myth)
1493 BC
At about age 33, Moses, now known as Hatshepsut Xnem Amen, was designated as the crown prince and became "Thutmoses II". This means that when Amenhotep 1 died Moses would become the emperor and become Amenhotep II. (Wyatt)
1487 BC
Joshua the son of Nun is born.
1486 BC
Moses flees from Egypt at the age of 40 years.
After wondering in the desert for weeks Moses arrives in Midian/Arabia. There he rescues the daughters of Jethro Hobab, called Reuel the priest of Midian from the hands of bad shepherds. He also drew water enough for all of them, and watered their flock. Thinking that he was an Egyptian the daughters introduce Moses to their father. Moses was content to dwell with the man and Jethro gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. He has two sons by Zipporah. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land"; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."
When Moses fled Egypt, the emperor, Amenhotep 1 was very elderly. He had been preparing Moses for the throne for the past 22 years. Now, there was a big problem. Who would now be the future king? In Memphis, a young man was being groomed to be appointed co-regent for Moses when he became emperor. This young man was immediately elevated to the rank of co-regent and given the same name of Thutmoses. He would be known as Thutmoses III and would assume the 22 years and exploits of Moses. (Wyatt)
1480 BC
Amenhotep I dies of old age. His co-regent, Thutmoses III begins the 26 years of his reign as emperor of Egypt. His royal name becomes Amenhotep II. Amenhotep II was perhaps the greatest ruler Egypt ever had. He made Egypt a superpower by putting all the surrounding countries under Egyptian dominion. All nations feared as well as respected Egypt. (Wyatt)
1483 BC
When it became clear that Amenhhotep II would not have a natural heir to the throne he appointed a young man who would become Thutmoses IV to be his co-regent. Even though this man was not Amenhhotep II’s son he is considered his son symbolically, “as referring to Osiris and Horus.”
One day Thutmoses IV fell asleep in the shadow of the sphinx at Giza. He dreamed that the sun god came to him and told him that if he would clear away the sand from around the sphinx, he would make him emperor. Thutmoses IV accomplished this task and the story of the dream was inscribed upon a stele between the paws of the sphinx.
When he had been co-regent in Memphis, he had been married to a royal daughter, as was tradition. It was this royal lady who had given birth to his firstborn, Tutankhamen. (Wyatt)
1454 BC
Amenhotep II (aka Thutmoses III) emperor of Egypt dies. He was attributed with 54 years of rule, 22 of which were actually Moses’s. He was emperor for only 26 years. By the time of his death, Egypt was truly the world power and the wealthiest nation. (Wyatt)
Note: Amenhotep II is attributed with 54, 32 and 26 years of rule. 22 of his 54 years of rule originally belonged to Moses (aka Thutmoses II). 54 – 22 = 32 years of rule and gives the date of Amenhotep II’s death and establishes when he became co-regent. The 26 years is attributed to his rule as emperor, and working backward from his death, we can ascertain the date of his coronation.
Upon Amenhotep II's death, his co-regent for 29 years, the 4th Thutmoses, became Amenhotep III. Upon his becoming emperor, he appointed his young son, Tutankhamen, as "crown-prince" and for the next 8 years, this emperor ruled Egypt.
At this time he took as his "great wife and queen" a lady of foreign blood by the name of Tiy. Even though he was previously married to the royal daughter, it was the "common" foreign wife whom he elevated to "great king's wife and queen" as soon as he was emperor.
He inherited the throne at a time when Egypt was well established as the world ruler. All he basically had to do was sit back and collect the foreign tribute as it arrived. Egypt had military troops stationed in all the vassal territories and maintained their empire peaceably. In his inscriptions, this emperor makes claims to be a triumphant warrior, but these references are to the time of his co-regency, when he accompanied Amenhotep II in his triumphant exploits. (Wyatt)
1446 BC
The Exodus
Note: The date of the Exodus is based on I Kings 6:1 that says, “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel…” The years of the reign of King Solomon are well established. The fourth year of Solomon’s reign corresponds to 966 BC. 966 + 480 = 1446 BC. Note also that a "day" to the Israelites was not as we think of a day, from midnight to midnight. Instead, it was from evening to evening. But what about the 430 day years. Lets just assume Spring to Spring years with the first month calculated from the first new moon.
Yahweh meats with Moses, while he is shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro near the holy mountain, and talks to him through a burning bush. He instructs Moses to go to the Emperor in his name and demand that his people be freed from their slavery. He returns to Jethro and tells him about what Yahweh had told him and immediately leaves for Egypt with his wife and sons.
At a lodging place along the way Yahweh met Moses and was about to kill him until Zipporah cut off the foreskin of her sons. In outrage she says, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," and Moses sends her back to Jethro in anger. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons.
Yahweh said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Moses told his brother everything that Yahweh had told him and the proceed to Egypt. Moses returns to the court of the emperor Amenhotep III as commanded by Yahweh. And soon, the plagues began to fall upon Egypt.
Nisan, 14
The Israelites prepare unleavened bread for their journey out of Egypt. Each family kills a lamb and smears the blood on the lintel and post of their doors. The plague of the death of the first born fell by the hand of the Angel of Death that night and passed over the homes of the Israelites who had prepared their homes. The emperor, not a first born son himself was not stricken but his son, Tutankhamen was. The next morning the Egyptians beg the Israelites to leave and the great multitude of slaves are lavished with objects of gold, silver and precious stones as supposed "payment" for all the work they had done as slaves. Moses leads his people out of Egypt. They have all left Egypt together before sundown the day after the angel of death visited Egypt.
Nisan, 15
The Israelites set out from Rameses, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly and armed for battle in full view of all the Egyptians who were burying all their firstborn, whom Yahweh had struck down among them; for Yahweh had brought judgment on their gods. And Moses took Joseph’s sarcophagus with them because Joseph had made his brothers swear to carry his bones out of Egypt when God delivered them.
The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth. In the next six days they would leave Succoth and camp at Etham, on the edge of the desert. Then they would leave Etham and turn back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camp near Migdol. Finally, on the 20th they leave Pi Hahiroth and they changed their direction of travel from a northerly direction, (which would have soon taken them around the northern tip of the sea,) and went south, through a wadi system that must have appeared like an endless maze to them. Hemmed in to the left and right, they could only travel in one direction-- and the only path through that wadi leads to the tremendous sized beach. (Wyatt)
Nisan, 19
The Egyptian emperor, his army and all the members of all the priesthoods have left in great haste. They are enraged that their entire slave population has fled, even though less than a week earlier the emperor and his ministers had virtually begged them to leave. Back home in Egypt, the entire country is trying to recover from the catastrophic destruction the country has suffered as a results of the plagues brought by the God of the slaves Yahweh. Every family is in mourning for the loss of their first born. Nothing of this magnitude has ever been experienced by these people. The crown-prince, the young boy, Tutankhamen, is being mourned by the entire nation and preparations are being made for his burial. But mostly, all is at a standstill until the emperor, the ministers of state, the army and the priesthoods all return with the slaves. Throughout the land, the continuous sound of mourning can be heard from sun up to sun down, and even throughout the night.
Nisan, 21
Exiting the 18 mile long wadi at dusk, the Israelites found themselves at a beach of tremendous size on the Gulf of Aqaba at Nuweiba, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon, bordered by mountains to the south and by an Egyptian fortress to the north.
Amenhotep III believing that the Israelites were entangled in the land, the wilderness having shut them in, pursues them through the wadi intending to trap them on the beach. The Yahweh instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea. When he does the wind begins to blow parting the Red Sea and the Israelites pass through it all night while the army of the emperor and all the priests are held at by the Angel of the Lord. Near day break the Israelites have all crossed the sea and the Angel of the Lord withdraws from the army. See the route by which the Israelites had escaped they peruse them into the sea. Then Moses stretches his hand over the sea once all the Israelites had crossed over and the winds ceased and the sea crashed down on the Egyptians killing every one of them. Amenhotep III dies at the Red Sea. The Israelites celebrate. Moses proceeds to lead them into the Desert of Shur.
Nisan, 24
For three days they traveled in the desert of Etham without finding water and finally camped at Marah. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" So Moses cried out to the Lord and he instructed him to throw a piece of wood into the water and it became sweet.
They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea again. They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. They left Alush and camped at Rephidim. There at Rephidim there was no water and the Israelites complained again. Yahweh instructed Moses to strike the rock at Horeb with the staff with which he struck the Nile and parted the Red Sea. Water came from the rock and the people drank.
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, one on the other-so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an altar and called it “Yahweh is my Banner.” He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of Yahweh. Yahweh will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. So he came to him in the desert, together with Moses' sons and wife, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how Yahweh had saved them.
Meanwhile in Egypt, word arrives at the palace in Memphis that is too fantastic to be believed. The entire Egyptian army, all of the priesthood and the emperor himself have all perished! All drowned in the Red Sea while in pursuit of the slaves! The confusion, grief, fear and agony of the entire country is impossible to imagine. But very quickly, it becomes utmost in the minds of those remaining that knowledge of what has happened must be kept secret. (Wyatt) Nonetheless rumors spread throughout the world of how the slave god Yahweh had defeated Egypt the superpower.
There was but one person in Egypt who had the royal right to seat a new emperor, the original royal wife of Amenhotep III before Tiy, of the royal bloodline, and the mother of Tutankhamen. Since her husband and all the royal ministers, priests and army had drowned in the Red Sea the queen had no noblemen with whom she could marry. The only men available to be her husband were her servants. She took the only step she knew to take to secure strong leadership for the country and provide protection and security for Egypt. She wrote a letter to Suppiluliumas, the king of the rapidly emerging Hittite Empire, the greatest contender for world power, after Egypt. She wrote, “My husband is dead and I have no son. People say that you have many sons. If you send the one of your sons he will become my husband for it is repugnant to me to take one of my servants to husband.” When the king learned of this, he called together the council of the great because such a thing has never happened before since ancient times. After investigating the matter for himself Suppiluliumas finally believed her and sent a son. However, that son never made it to Egypt. No one knows what happened to him exactly.
Sivan, 1
The Israelites arrive at Mt. Sinai/Horeb. They will be there for a total of 80 days. Moses seeks out the Lord and Yahweh instructs him to have the people consecrate themselves in preparation for his coming in three days.
Sivan, 4
On the morning of the third day Yahweh descended on Mt. Sinai as a consuming fire. There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Moses goes up the mountain and meets with Yahweh. He instructs him to tell the people to stay back and gives Moses the Law.
Sivan, 5
Shavuot: 50 days after Passover
Moses descends the mountain and gives the Law to the Israelites.
Sivan, 6
The next morning Moses wakes early and builds an altar before the mountain. He instructs young men to make sacrifices of bulls upon the altar and he collects the blood in bowls. He then sprinkles the blood on the people and says, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you.” After that Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up to the presence of Yahweh and saw him. Then Yahweh called Moses and told him to come up the mountain. The others descend the mountain. When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai.
Sivan, 13
For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. While on the mountain with Yahweh he gives him the full Law including instructions for building the Tabernacle. God also engraves on two tablets the Ten Commandments with his own hand. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Meanwhile, time passes in the devastated Egypt. Petty quarrels arise between the true royal wife and the favored foreign wife of the dead emperor. It becomes a power struggle- but one that must remain confidential in order that the outside world not realize the vulnerability of Egypt. The winner in the power struggle was the favored, foreign wife, Tiy. She took a man as her husband who was named Ay, a man who left behind evidence that he assumed the role of emperor for about 3 to 4 years, but a man who is not later recognized as a true king of Egypt in inscriptions of later kings. It was this man who officiated at the burial of the crown-prince, Tutankhamen. The evidence clearly shows that Tutankhamen was buried very hastily and that most of the items of his burial were not originally his, but that of his father. The names had been changed from that of his father to his because his father had drowned in the Red Sea and had no burial. (Wyatt)
Tammuz, 23
The people having grown impatient for Moses’ return plead with Aaron to make them an idol out of gold. Aaron makes an idol in the form of a golden calf and the people begin to worship it proceeding to engage in orgiastic behavior. Moses descends the mountain and when Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for Yahweh, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to Yahweh today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."
Tammuz, 24
The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to Yahweh; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."
So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin-but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."
Yahweh replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." And Yahweh struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
Then Moses went to the tent of meeting where he once more conversed with Yahweh and begs him to keep his Presence with them as they travel to the Promised Land. Yahweh agrees and then Moses begs to see his glory. Yahweh responds by inviting Moses back to the mountain to see his glory and to give the Law once again. But this time Moses must bring his own tablets.
Tammuz, 25
The next morning Moses ascended the mountain of God. Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, Yahweh. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Av, 6
Moses descends the mountain of God with the new tablets.
1445 BC
Nisan, 1
The Tabernacle is built. The cloud covered the tent and from evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle. So the cloud of Yahweh was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out.
Nisan, 14
Yahweh instructs Moses to have the Israelites celebrate Passover. They celebrate it at the beginning of the day at dusk.
Iyar, 1
Yahweh instructs Moses to take a census.
Iyar, 20
The cloud above the Tabernacle lifted from above the tent and began to move away. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. The ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for three days. Then it rested and the Israelites made camp.
Sivan, 29
Spies sent in to the land from Kadesh-barnea. They return 40 days latter.
Av, 8
The spies return from Canaan. Ten spies give a bad report and two spies, Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, give a good report.
Av, 9
That night the ten bad spies go throughout the camp and spread the bad report. All night the Israelites cried out and refused to enter the land. Because of this Yahweh decides to give them something to cry about and refuses to allow any of the Israelites that are living to ever enter the Promise Land.
1442 BC
Tiy was still the power behind the throne in Egypt, even though Eye was "officially" the emperor. And within 3 or 4 years, she had elevated her son to the throne, as soon as he was old enough. He was known initially as "Amenhotep IV", but is best known today as "Akhenaten". He was a true son of the dead emperor, but as his mother was of foreign descent, he was not a legitimate contender for the throne. Only in a situation such as Egypt was in at that time could he have ever taken the throne. (Wyatt)
1426 BC
Akhenaten, Emperor of Egypt dies. He ruled Egypt for 16 years. With his death the 18th Dynasty comes to an end. The 19th Dynasty begins. (Wyatt)
Horemheb, becomes the last emperor of the 18th Dynasty.
1406 BC
Nisan
The Israelites are at Kadesh-barnea for a second time, 40 years latter.
Av, 1
They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. At Yahweh’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
Shevat, 1
Moses gives his last testament, and proclaims to the Israelites all that Yahweh had commanded him concerning them. This is recorded in the book of Deuteronomy. Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There Yahweh showed him the Promised Land. And Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in Moab, as Yahweh had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
Joshua succeeds Moses at age 81 (Joshua 14:10).
Adar, 1
The Israelites stop mourning for Moses and dedicate their lives again to Yahweh.
Joshua sends new spies into the land to spy out Jericho. They went to Jericho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.
1405 BC
Nisan, 2
Spies agree to return. They hide in the hills for three days until it is safe to cross the Jordan.
Nisan, 5
The spies ford the river and report to Joshua.
Nisan, 6
Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
Nisan, 9
Three days latter they are all camped at the river. Joshua asks the people to consecrate themselves for what Yahweh will do the next day.
Nisan, 10
That morning the Israelites enter into Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River. They make camp at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
Nisan, 14
Passover is observed at Gilgal.
Nisan, 15
The Manna ceases to appear the day after Passover once they had eaten of the food of the land.
Nisan, 21
Israelites begin their march around the walls of Jericho.
Nisan, 28
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. Upon completing the last circle, a great earthquake destroys the walls of Jericho. Joshua’s armies run into the city kill everyone. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho.
1400 BC
Horemheb, ceases to be the emperor of Egypt after 26 years of ruling Egypt, officially ending the 18th Dynasty. (Wyatt)