The Study 2024-2025 Key
1. Time Between The Old and New Testaments
2. New Testament Jewish Groups
3. Old and New Testament Timeline
4. Helpful Definitions
1. Time Between The Old and New Testaments
- Most writers of the NT matured in “Second Temple Jerusalem”... which is the time between the 2nd Temple’s reconstruction and the Destruction of the 2nd Temple (516 BC to 70 AD). (ESV Study Bible, pg.1783)
- Major periods during the time of Second Temple Judaism include: The Persian Period (539-331BC), the Hellenistic[Greek] Period (331-164 BC), the Hasmonean [Maccabean] Period (164-63BC), and finally the Roman Period (63BC-70AD).
- The Jews revolted against the Romans in 66AD before the overthrow of Jerusalem and 2nd Temple in 70AD. (Fact: Old Testament prophecy says the Jewish Messiah will come before the Destruction of the 2nd Temple in Daniel 9:25-27… with the 2nd Temple already being destroyed since 70AD, Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, who are the Jews waiting for? (to be answered) )
- “The First Jewish Revolt” from 66-73AD caused by Roman oppression of the Jews and was also religious with monotheism of the Jews vs polytheism and paganism of the Romans. In 70AD, the Romans captured Jerusalem and destroyed the 2nd Temple. (ESV SB, pg.1794)
- “Hero worship in antiquity could lead to the elevation of great conquers as gods. Thus some revered Alexander the Great (leader of the Hellenistic Period from roughly 334-323BC) as a god in his lifetime. Perhaps it was this tendency that allowed the emperor, as patron of the whole empire, to be received as a god, especially in Asia Minor where extravagant temples to the emperors were built even before the NT period. Some emperors (esp. Gaius, Caligula, Nero and Domitian) were known to encourage their own worship.” (ESV, SB, pg. 1796-1797)
- Magic during this time period also played a big role… with polytheism being so relevant at the time, specific gods (aka demons) were worshiped for specific reasons, some such as fertility, good crop years, protection, and healing, for example. With the worship of a god (demon) believed to offer healing, magic was mixed into this worship and healing remedies were experimented with. “Magic provided healing remedies, as well as material and physical blessings or curses. The Romans were also concerned with knowing the future through dreams, prophetic oracles, and various forms of divination.” (ESV, SB, pg. 1797)
2. Jewish Groups in the New Testament
- Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes (all found ESV, SB, pg.1799)
- The Sadducees: Included the High Priest Caiaphus (18-36AD, so during Jesus’ time). Roman-Jewish Historian Jospephus has much to say about these groups, along with more to say about Jesus. In terms of relevance to the NT, the Sadducees were heavy-based on the Pentateuch( first 5 books of the Bible) did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Mark 12:18, Acts 4:1-2, 23:6-8), did not believe the afterlife, and did not believe in angels and demons. When Jesus argued about the resurrection of the dead with them, in Mark 12:18-27, Jesus directs the Sadducees to Exodus 3:6 (part of Pentatuch) whereas Jesus could have shown them Daniel 12:2.
- The Pharisees: had three schools: Shammai, Hillel, and Gamaliel (Paul learned under Gamaliel as shown in Acts 22:3). The Pharisees were concerned with administration of the Temple, and were therefore super strict in terms of the law. The Pharisees believe in the resurrection of the dead, the afterlife, angles and demons.
- The Essenes: shared food and clothing, and had a tithing system that was adopted by the Jerusalem church although giving was voluntary (Acts 5:4). Essenes did not marry, believing God is the causation of all things and thus saw the government as divinely ordained. Dead Sea Scrolls assume belief in two spirits… one divine and the other satanic. Essenes were big on maintaining purity and therefore dressed only in white linen, did not participate in temple sacrifice because they viewed it as defiling the temple, they strictly observed the Sabbath
See NT Timeline below
3. Old and New Testament Timelines
Book Year + Where + Author
Genesis | Around 1440 BC?, Mount Sinai?, Moses (ESV) |
Exodus | Around 1440 BC?, Egypt/Desert+Wilderness, Moses (ESV) |
Leviticus | Around 1440 BC?, Mount Sinai, Moses (ESV) |
Numbers | Around 1440 BC?, Mount Sinai/Canaan, Moses (ESV) |
Deuteronomy | Around 1440 BC?, Canaan/Mount Sinai, Moses (ESV) |
Joshua | Portions before + after 587 BC, Canaan, Joshua? (ESV) |
Judges | 1010-970 BC, Israel, Unknown (ESV) |
Ruth | After 1010 BC, post conquest of Canaan, Unknown (ESV) |
1 Samuel | After 971 BC, Israel, Unknown (ESV) |
2 Samuel | After 971 BC, Israel, Unknown (ESV) |
1 Kings | 970-586 BC, Israel, Unknown (ESV) |
2 Kings | 970-586 BC, Israel, Unknown (ESV) |
1 Chronicles | 539-332 BC, Jerusalem, priest/Levite at the time (ESV) |
2 Chronicles | 539-332 BC, Jerusalem, priest/Levite at the time |
Ezra | 538-433 BC, Persia/Israel? Ezra? (ESV) |
Nehemiah | 433-423 BC, Persia/Babylon Nehemiah/Mordecai (ESV) |
Esther | 486-464 BC, Persia/Babylon, anonymous (possibly Mordecai) (ESV) |
Job | Around 1440 BC?, possibly Moses, events seem to be in the times of the patriarchs (ESV) |
Psalms | 1010-971 BC(reign of David) - 971-931 BC(reign of Solomon) (ESV) |
Proverbs | 715-686 BC, Israel, Solomon (ESV) |
Ecclesiastes | Israel, Solomon? (ESV) |
Song of Songs | 960-931 BC, Israel, Solomon? (ESV) |
Isaiah | 740-681 BC, Judah, Isaiah (ESV) |
Jeremiah | 627-587 BC, Jerusalem, Jeremiah (ESV) |
Lamentations | 586-516BC, Jerusalem, Jeremiah? (ESV) |
Ezekiel | 593-571 BC, Babylon, Ezekiel (ESV) |
Daniel | 605-536 BC, (likely Babylon), Daniel (ESV) |
Hosea | 753-722 BC, Israel, Hosea (ESV) |
Joel | After 586 BC, Judah/Jerusalem, Joel (ESV) |
Amos | 793-739 BC, Israel, Amos (ESV) |
Obadiah | 586-553 BC, (likely Jerusalem), Obadiah (ESV) |
Jonah | 782-753 BC, Israel, Jonah (ESV) |
Micah | 735-715 BC, (likely Jerusalem), Micah (ESV) |
Nahum | 664-612 BC, (likely Jeruslaem), Nahum (ESV) |
Habakkuk | 640-609 BC Judah, Habakkuk (ESV) |
Zephaniah | 640-609 BC Judah, Zephaniah (ESV) |
Haggai | 520 BC, Jerusalem , Haggai (ESV) |
Zechariah | 520-516 BC, Jerusalem , Zechariah (ESV) |
Malachi | 460 BC, Judea, Malachi (ESV) |
Matthew | 53-55 AD, Israel?, Matthew (ESV) |
Mark | 53-55 AD, Rome?, Mark (ESV) |
Luke | 62 AD, Rome, Luke (ESV) |
John | 89-95 AD, probably Ephesus, John (ESV) |
Acts | 62 AD, Rome, Luke (ESV) |
Romans | 57 AD, Corinth, Paul (ESV) |
1 Corinthians | 53-55 AD, Ephesus, Paul (ESV) |
2 Corinthians | 55-56 AD, Macedonia, Paul (ESV) |
Galatians | 48 AD, Antioch, Paul (ESV) |
Ephesians | 62 AD, Rome, Paul (ESV) |
Phillipians | 62 AD, Rome, Paul (ESV) |
Colossians | 62 AD, Rome, Paul (ESV) |
1 Thessalonians | 49-51 AD, Corinth, Paul (ESV) |
2 Thessalonians | 49-51 AD, Corinth, Paul (ESV) |
1 Timothy | 62-64 AD, Macedonia, Paul (ESV) |
2 Timothy | 64-67 AD, Rome?, Paul (ESV) |
Titus | 62-64 AD, Nicopolis, Paul (ESV) |
Philemon | 62 AD, Rome, Paul (ESV) |
Hebrews | 60-70 AD, Israel? (probably Paul) (ESV) |
James | 40-45 AD, outside of Palestine, James (ESV) |
1 Peter | 62-63 AD, Rome, Peter (ESV) |
2 Peter | 64-67 AD, Rome?, Peter (ESV) |
1 John | 85-95 AD, probably Ephesus, John (ESV) |
2 John | 85-95 AD, probably Ephesus, John (ESV) |
3 John | 85-95 AD, probably Ephesus, John (ESV) |
Jude | 64-67 AD, Israel?, Jude (ESV) |
Revelation | 95-96 AD, outside Patmos, John (ESV) |
4. Definitions
- Monotheism = the worship of one god
- Polytheism = the worship of many gods
- Paganism = religions or belief systems that are not of non-Christian or pre-Christian
- Angels = servants of God that are not humans
- Demons= fallen angels, also not humans
- Pentateuch/Torah = first 5 books of the Old Testament
- Holy Trinity = the Tri-unity, tri as in three, unity as in one, true God composed of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit, all of which have different roles in being God but are yet not the same. The Father is God, Jesus the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not the Father, etc.