The written record of Israel begins with an Egyptian stela of about 1208 BCE; Judaism’s rabbinic texts took final form between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE
Source. “Stela of Merneptah”; “Jerusalem: history”; “Babylonian Exile”; “Siege of Jerusalem”; “Mishna”; “Judaism: Babylonia 200–650”; “Judaism: marginalization and expulsion”; “Ba‘al Shem Tov”; “Judaism: religious reform movements”; “Zionist Congress”; “Israel: establishment of Israel”; “Merneptah”
Method and data
Method. Dates as given by the cited source.
| Date as stated | Event | Source URL |
|---|---|---|
| about 1208 BCE | Merneptah stela | https://www.posenlibrary.com/node/691 |
| 587/586 BCE | Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple | https://www.britannica.com/place/Jerusalem/History |
| 538 BCE | End of the Babylonian exile | https://www.britannica.com/event/Babylonian-Exile |
| August 70 CE | Romans destroy the Second Temple | https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70 |
| early 3rd century CE | Mishnah given final form | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mishna |
| c. 500–650 | Babylonian Talmud redacted | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism/Babylonia-200-650 |
| 1492 | Jews expelled from Spain | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism/Marginalization-and-expulsion |
| c. 1750 | Baal Shem Tov founds Hasidism | https://www.britannica.com/biography/Baal-Shem-Tov |
| 1818 | Reform temple in Hamburg | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism/Religious-reform-movements |
| August 1897 | First Zionist Congress | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zionist-Congress |
| May 14, 1948 | Israel’s declaration of independence | https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel/Establishment-of-Israel |
