Timeline of Middle East Faiths and Empires
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DATE
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FAITHS AND EMPIRES
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BCE 3761/AM1
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Adam. Start of the Jewish Anno Moshe (AM) calendar
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BCE 3228
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Krishna
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BCE 3100–1070
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Egyptian Empire
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BCE~1900
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Abraham
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BCE~1400
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Moses
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BCE~1300
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Israelite Exodus from Egypt
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BCE1900–722
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Assyrian Empire
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BCE~1000
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Zoroaster (originally Zarathustra)
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BCE710
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Assyria conquers Judah & disperses the Jews
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BCE 968–928
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Solomon builds the First Jerusalem Temple
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BCE 1800–1550
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Early Median/Babylonian Empire
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BCE 722–540
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Late Median/Babylonian Empire (Media)
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BCE 557–331
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Persian Empire
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BCE 597
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Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem
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BCE 586
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Nebuchadnezzar destroys Temple, captures the Jews
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BCE 586–457
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Media & Persia hold the Jews in captivity
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BCE 500–148
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Greek Empire
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BCE ~563–483
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Buddha
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BCE 457
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Artaxerxes decrees the rebuilding of the Temple
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BCE 168
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Greece desecrates the Temple
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BCE 264–CE 476
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Roman Empire
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CE1 (traditional)
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Jesus born. Start of the Anno Domini (AD) calendar
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CE ~30
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Jesus proclaims
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CE ~33
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Jesus crucified
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CE 64–96
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Rome persecutes Jews & Christians
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CE 95
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John sees Revelation vision on the Island of Patmos
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CE 70
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Rome destroys the Temple & disperses the Jews
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CE 100
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John dies at Ephesus
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CE 110–238
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Rome persecutes Jews & Christians again
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CE 249–311
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Rome persecutes Jews and Christians again
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CE 313
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Constantine makes Christianity his state religion
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CE 325
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Constantine summons the Council of Nicea
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CE 330–1461
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Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire
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CE 401
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Barbarians invade Western Roman Empire
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CE 410
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Barbarians capture Rome
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CE 570
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Muhammad born
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CE 613/BH10
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Muhammad sees vision on Mt. Hira
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CE 613/BH10
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Muhammad proclaims
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CE 622/AH1
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Muhammad flees. Start of Anno Hijrae (AH) calendar
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CE 628
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Muhammad signs Hudaybiyyah peace treaty
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CE 632
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Muhammad dies
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CE 632–61
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Rashidun Caliphate (Abu-Bakr, ‘Umar, Uthman, Ali)
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CE 633–778
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150-year sway of Umayyad Locust & Scorpion forces
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CE 638
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Rashidun Caliph ‘Umar captures Jerusalem
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CE 656
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Ali becomes fourth Rashidun Caliph and Shi’i First Imam
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CE 656–873
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Shi’i Imamate (twelve serial Imams)
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CE 661
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Ali assassinated
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CE 666
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Muawiya proclaims as first Umayyad Caliph
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CE 666–749
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Umayyad Caliphate (Damascus)
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CE 749
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Abbasid coup
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CE 750–1258
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Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad)
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CE 756
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Spanish Umayyad Caliphate founded (Cordoba)
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CE 873
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Twelfth Imam vanishes
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CE 1299–1918
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Ottoman Empire founded (Istanbul)
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CE 1453
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Ottoman Empire captures Constantinople
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CE 1492
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Christians expel Jews & Muslims from Spain
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CE 1796–1924
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Persian Qajar Dynasty begins
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CE 1817
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Baha’u’llah born
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CE 1819
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The Bab born
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1844/BE1/AH 1260
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The Bab proclaims. Start of the Baha’i Era (BE) calendar
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1844/BE1/AH 1260
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Ottoman Edicts of Toleration take effect in Palestine
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CE 1850
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The Bab executed by firing squad
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CE 1852
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Baha’u’llah sees his vision in the Black Pit
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BE 1863 /
BE 19 / AH 1280
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Baha’u’llah proclaims
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CE 1892
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Baha’u’llah dies
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CE 1914–18
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World War I
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CE 1921
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‘Abdu’l-Baha dies
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CE 1935–45
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Nazi Germany persecutes Jews for 10 years
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CE 1939–45
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World War II
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CE 1948
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State of Israel founded
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CE 1957
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Shoghi Effendi dies
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1963 / BE 119
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Baha’i Universal House of Justice founded
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CE 1995
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Nineteenth Centennial of Book of Revelation
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CE 2000–3000
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Christian AD Third Millennium
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CE 2240–3240
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Jewish Seventh Millennium (AM 6000–7000)
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.
From the dawn of history, this tango danced by Faiths and Empires has seen long term material and spiritual progress. But en route, alas, up and down phases have jerked humanity though the graph’s painful bipolar boom-to-bust red big-dipper route far more often than it has meandered along the learn-as-you-go yellow brick road. This book explains how and why.
For millennia, these Middle East Faiths and Empires have danced the tango of human progress along the following timeline:
