A Basic Introduction to the Biblical History of Israel

Every book in the Old Testament of the Bible can be placed within this broad outline of the Biblical history of Israel.

• Around 1700 B.C, God chose Abraham and then one of his sons Issac and then one of Issac's sons Jacob to be the covenant people of God; they were to bring blessing to the world.
• Jacob's twelve children (Israel) became great in number (lakhs) in Egypt.
• Around 1446 B.C, Israel left Egypt to settle in Canaan; they were governed by twelve judges in  Canaan
• Around 1050 B.C, Israel had their first king Saul, followed by king David and then king Solomon who built a temple for God in Jerusalem.
• During the reign of Solomon's son Rehoboam, the nation of Israel was split into the Northern kingdom (Israel, ten of the twelve Israelite tribes) and the Southern kingdom (Judah, two tribes)
• In 727 B.C, Assyria, invaded and brutally destroyed Israel (Northern kingdom).
• In 587 B.C, Babylon invaded and destroyed Judah (Southern kingdom); they also destroyed the temple in Jerusalem.
• Around 540 B.C, Persia captured Babylon and by extension Judah.
• During Babylonian and Persian rule of Judah (the Judahite exile), four groups of Israelites return to Judah to rebuild Jerusalem:
• The first group, under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, who bring back temple utensils to Jerusalem.
• The second group, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, build a temple in Jerusalem (the second temple, present during the time of the Lord Jesus)
• The third group, under the leadership of Ezra, revive the people and re-ignite covenant love to God.
• The fourth group, under the leadership of Nehemiah, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
• Note: There's some discussion that Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel could be the same person

Pointers toward additional study:

1) What is the relationship between historical Israel and the present Church (Romans 11)