Babylonian and Persian Eras

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Descriptive Overview

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King Year Born Year Start Reign

Year Died/Exile

 Length of Reign in Years Age at Death/Exile Comments
AM BC AM BC AM BC
Josiah 3577 647 3585 639 3616 608 31 39 2 Kings 22:1. 2 Chron 34:1
Jehoahaz 3593 631 3616 608 3616 608

3 months

 23 2 Kings 23:31. 2 Chron 36:2. Taken into exile in Egypt
Jehoiakim (son of Josiah) 3591 633 3616 608 3627 597 11 36 2 Kings 23:34,36. 2 Chron 36:5. Taken into exile in Babylon
Jehoiachin 3609 615 3627 597 3627 597

3 months

 18 2 Kings 24:8. 2 Chron 36:9. Taken into exile in Babylon
Zedekiah (son of Josiah) 3606 618 3627 597 3638 586 11 32 2 Kings 24:17,18
Nabopolassar     c.3594 c.630 3619 605 25    
Nebuchadrezzar II
(Nebuchadnezzar)		 3594 630 3619 605 3663 561 44 69  
Awil-Marduk (Evil-Merodach)     3663 561 3664 560 1    
Nergal-shar-usur (Neriglissar)     3665 559 3669 555 4    
Nabonidus     3669 555 3685 539 16   Exile
Belshazzar     3674 550 3685 539 11  

(Co-Regent with father Nabonidus)
Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great) 3639 585 3665 559 3695 529 30 56  
Cambyses II     3695 529 3702 522 7    
Darius I 3674 550 3702 522 3738 486 36 64  
Xerxes I 3705 519 3738 486 3759 465 21 54  
Artaxerxes I Longimanus     3759 465 3799 425 40    
Xerxes II (Secydianus)     3799 425 3800 424 1    
Darius II Ochus     3801 423 3820 404 19    
Artaxerxes II Mnemon     3820 404 3865 359 45    
Artaxerxes III Ochus     3865 359 3886 338 21    
Arses     3886 338 3888 336 2    
Darius III Codommanus     3888 336 3894 330 6    
Alexander III (Alexander the Great) 3868 356 3888 336 3901 323 13 33  

 

Prophet

Year Start

Year End

 Length of Era in Years Comments
AM BC AM BC
Jeremiah 3598 626 3638 586 40 Jeremiah 1:2,3
Daniel 3619 605 3687 537 68 Daniel 1:1, 10:1
Ezekiel 3632 592 3652 572 20 Ezekiel 1:1,2
Haggai 3703 521 3708 516 5 Haggai 1:1, 2:1,10,20;  Ezra 6:14,15
Zechariah 3703 521 3708 516 5 Zechariah 1:1,7, 7:1;  Ezra 6:14,15
Ezra 3766 458 3796 428 30 Ezra 7:7-9. Length of 30yrs is an arbitrary estimate.
Nehemiah 3779 445 3809 415 30 Nehemiah 2:1. Length of 30yrs is an arbitrary estimate.
Malachi           Thought to have been written after the rebuilding of the Temple in 516 BC, but before Ezra/Nehemiah in 458 - 445 BC

 

Event

Year of Event

Birth of Person or Event used as Starting Reference

 Comments
AM BC Name

Years
Men from Jerusalem's Royalty/Nobility taken to Babylon 3619 605 Jehoiakim 3 2 Kings 24:1-4. Daniel 1:1-4
Jehoiachin taken captive, along with most people and wealth 3627 597 Jehoiachin 1 2 Kings 24:8-17
Jerusalem raized (incl. Temple), more people taken into exile 3638 586 Zedekiah 11 2 Kings 25:8
Babylon falls to Persia - Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great) 3685 539 Cyrus the Great 1  
Decree to re-build temple and allow exiles to return 3686 538 Cyrus the Great 1 2 Chron 36:21,22. Ezra 1:1
Completion of Temple as a result of decree by Darius 3708 516 Darius I 6 Ezra 6:15
Ezra travels to Jerusalem, with decree from Artaxerxes I 3766 458 Artaxerxes I 7 Ezra 7:7-9
Nehemiah leaves for Jerusalem with letters from Artaxerxes I 3779 445 Artaxerxes I 20  

 

Daniel's Dreams and Visions

Year of Event

Birth of Person or Event used as Starting Reference

 Comments
AM BC Name

Years
Statue of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron and Clay (Chapter 2) 3620 604 Nebuchadnezzar 2 Daniel 2:1
The Four Beasts (Chapter 7) 3674 550 Belshazzar 1 Daniel 7:1
The Ram and the Goat (Chapter 8) 3676 548 Belshazzar 3 Daniel 8:1
The Seventy "Sevens" (Chapter 9) 3685 539 Darius (a Mede) 1 Daniel 9:1
Vision of a Man, and Kings of North & South (Chapters 10-12) 3687 537 Cyrus the Great 3 Daniel 10:1

 

Charts

Babylonian and Persian Empires Chart dating after Creation Chart dating before Christ

 

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David Petrie, www.bibleworldhistory.com

BC (Before Christ) dates for the kings of Babylon, Persia and Greece have been taken from Britannica CD, Version 99 © 1994-1999. Encyclopędia Britannica, Inc.