5785 – Timeline of Jewish History | A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

5785 – Timeline of Jewish History

This Hebrew year starts October 3 2024. On this day, October 3 2024, using God’s solar-lunar calendar, the Biblical year 5785 begins.

On the race toward the beginning of the seventh millennium, the Western calendar is already off by 25 years whereas the Jewish Calendar has still 215 years to run. Thus giving rise to a difference of 240 year! The Question is, where are the discrepancies?

An attempt is made towards the end of this post.

And this year, according to the Chabad Calendar, is 5785.

Chabad: Timeline of Jewish History

Creation of Heaven and Earth, and Adam and Eve

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-3760	1	Creation of Adam and Eve
-3631	130	Seth (son of Adam) was born
-3526	235	Enosh (son of Seth) was born
-3436	325	Keynan (son of Enosh) was born
-3366	395	Mehalalel (son of Keynan) was born
-3301	460	Yered (son of Mehalalel) was born
-3139	622	Chanoch (son of Yered) was born
-3074	687	Metushelach (son of Chanoch) was born
-2887	874	Lemech II (son of Metushelach) was born
-2831	930	Adam died
-2705	1056	Noah (son of Lemech II) was born
-2225	1536	Noah began the construction of the ark
-2205	1556	Yaphet (son of Noah) was born
-2204	1557	Cham (son of Noah) was born
-2203	1558	Shem (son of Noah) was born
-2105	1656	Metushelach died
-2105	1656	The Great Flood covered the earth
-2103	1658	Arpachshad (son of Shem) was born
-2068	1693	Shelach (son of Arpachshad) born
-2038	1723	Eber (son of Shelach) was born
-2004	1757	Peleg (son of Eber) was born
-1974	1787	Re’u (son of Peleg) was born
-1942	1819	Serug (son of Re’u) was born
-1912	1849	Nachor I (son of Serug) was born
-1883	1878	Terah (son of Nachor I) was born

The Forefathers

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-1813	1948	Abraham (son of Terah) was born
-1803	1958	Sarah (daughter of Haran) was born
-1788	1973	Abraham married Sarah
-1765	1996	Dispersion from Babel after building the tower
-1761	2000	Terah left Ur Kasdim with his family
-1755	2006	Noah died
-1743	2018	The covenant (Brit Bein Habetarim) with Abraham
-1738	2023	Abraham settled in Canaan
-1727	2034	Ishmael (son of Abraham) was born
-1713	2048	Abraham circumcised himself and Ishmael
-1713	2048	Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed
-1713	2048	Isaac (son of Abraham) was born
-1677	2084	The Akeda: Isaac brought on the altar by Abraham
-1677	2084	Sarah died
-1653	2108	Jacob and Esau were born
-1638	2123	Abraham died
-1603	2158	Shem (son of Noah) died
-1590	2171	Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau
-1576	2185	Jacob went to Haran
-1574	2187	Eber (great-grandson of Shem) died
-1569	2192	Jacob married Leah and Rachel
-1566	2195	Levi (son of Jacob and Leah) was born
-1562	2199	Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, was born
-1556	2205	Jacob left Haran
-1553	2208	Benjamin was born
-1545	2216	Joseph was sold
-1533	2228	Isaac died
-1532	2229	Joseph became viceroy of Egypt
-1526	2235	Kehot (son of Levi) was born
-1523	2238	Jacob (and his family) went to Egypt

Living in Egypt

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-1506	2255	Jacob died
-1429	2332	After Levi died, the enslavement in Egypt began
-1393	2368	Moses was born
-1355	2406	Joshua was born
-1314	2447	Moses encountered the burning bush
-1313	2448	The Jewish nation left Egypt

Traveling Through the Desert

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-1313	2448	The Jewish nation crossed the Red Sea
-1313	2448	At Mount Sinai and the giving of the Torah
-1313	2448	Moses broke the Tablets
-1312	2449	Moshe came down Mount Sinai with the second Tablets
-1312	2449	The Tabernacle was erected
-1312	2449	The spies returned from Canaan with bad news
-1274	2487	Aharon and Miriam died
-1273	2488	Moses died

Judges and Early Prophets

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-1273	2488	The Jews crossed the Jordan into Canaan
-1258	2503	The partition of the Land of Israel completed
-1245	2516	Joshua died
-1228	2533	Rule of Judges began with Othniel ben Kenaz
-1188	2573	Ehud ben Gerah became leader
-1107	2654	Shamgar ben Anath died
-1107	2654	Deborah became leader
-1067	2694	Gideon became leader
-1027	2734	Abimelech, son of Gideon, became leader
-1024	2737	Tola, son of Pua, became leader
-1003	2758	Jair, the Gileadite, became leader
-982	2779	Jephtah (HaGil’adi) became leader
-969	2792	Elon (HaZevuloni) became leader
-959	2802	Abdon ben Hillel became leader
-951	2810	Samson became leader
-931	2830	Eli the Kohen became leader
-907	2854	David was born
-890	2871	Samuel became leader

Kings and the First Holy Temple

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-879	2882	Saul was appointed king
-877	2884	David became king of Judah in Hebron
-869	2892	David became king of Israel in Jerusalem
-837	2924	Solomon became king
-833	2928	The building of the first First Temple commenced
-827	2935	The First Temple was completed
-797	2964	Solomon died and his kingdom was divided
-797	2964	Rehabeam (son of Solomon) became king of Judah
-797	2964	Jeroboam ben Nevat became king over Israel
-718	3043	Elijah went up in a chariot of fire
-677	3084	Joash renovated the First Temple
-619	3142	Isaiah began his prophecies
-574	3187	The first two of the Ten Tribes were exiled
-566	3195	Another two of the Ten Tribes were exiled
-562	3199	Hezekiah became king of Judah
-556	3205	The last of the Ten Tribes were exiled
-548	3213	Sennacherib invaded the Land of Judah and retreated
-533	3228	Manasseh (son of Hezekiah) became king of Judah
-463	3298	Jeremiah began his prophecies
-458	3303	Josiah renovated the First Temple
-442	3319	Jerusalem conquered and Joiakim (Yehoyakim) exiled
-440	3321	Joiakim burned the Book of Lamentations by Jeremiah
-434	3327	Jerusalem conquered again and Jehoiachin exiled
-430	3331	Jeremiah persisted in prophesying calamity
-429	3332	Ezekiel prophesied in exile
-425	3336	The final Babylonian siege of Jerusalem
-423	3338	The walls of Jerusalem were penetrated
-423	3338	The sacrifices ceased in the First Temple
-423	3338	The first First Temple was destroyed

Exile in Babylon

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-423	3339	Gedalyah ben Achikam was killed
-421	3340	Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar dream
-410	3352	Ezekiel prophesied the future Temple
-372	3389	Daniel read the writing on the wall
-372	3389	Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den
-371	3390	Zerubabel led the return to the Land of Israel
-370	3391	Building of Second Temple commenced
-366	3395	Achashverosh II made his great banquet
-362	3399	Esther was taken to the palace
-357	3404	Esther took action against Haman’s decree
-355	3406	Mordechai proclaimed the celebration of Purim
-353	3408	Building of the Second Temple resumed
-349	3412	The Second Temple was completed

Building of the Second Holy Temple

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-348	3413	Ezra led the second return to the Land of Israel
-335	3426	Nehemiah returned to rebuild walls of Jerusalem
-313	3448	Ezra died
-313	3448	Simon the Tzaddik met Alexander the Great
-313	3449	The Minyan Shtarot began

Greek Cultural Domination

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-273	3488	Simon the Tzaddik died
-246	3515	72 Elders translated the Torah into Greek (Septuagint)
-140	3621	The revolt of Mattityahu the Chashmona’i

Kingdom of Judea: Dynasty of the Chashmona’im

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-139	3622	Judah the Maccabee ruled
-139	3622	The Second Temple was re-dedicated
-138	3623	Hannukah was declared a festival
-133	3628	Judah the Maccabee was killed in battle
-133	3628	Yonatan (son of Mattityahu) ruled
-127	3634	Shimon (son of Mattityahu) ruled
-119	3642	Yohanan Hyrkanos (son of Shimon) ruled
-93	3668	Judah Aristoblus (son of Yochanan Hyrkanos) ruled
-91	3670	Alexander Yannai (son of Yochanan Hyrkanos) ruled
-73	3688	Salome Alexandra, wife of Alexander Yannai, ruled
-65	3696	Aristoblus II (son of Alexander Yannai) ruled
-61	3700	The Romans gained control of Judea
-61	3700	Hyrkanos II (son of Alexander Yannai) ruled
-40	3721	Antigonus (son of Aristoblus II) ruled

Roman Client Kings and Rulers: The Herodian Dynasty

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
-36	3725	Herod I ruled, killing all the Chashmona’im
-33	3728	Hillel became the leader of the Torah scholars
-19	3742	Herod I rebuilding the Second Temple
-11	3750	Renovation of Second Temple completed
1	3761	Archelaus (son of Herod I) ruled
8	3768	Hillel died
10	3770	Archelaus was deposed by the Roman Emperor
21	3781	Agrippa I (grandson of Herod I) ruled
28	3788	Sanhedrin moved from the Second Temple
44	3804	Agrippa II (son of Agrippa I) ruled
50	3810	Rabban Gamliel I, grandson of Hillel, died
66	3826	Vespasian arrived in Judea to reassert Roman rule
69	3829	The Second Temple was destroyed

The Talmudic Era: The Mishnah

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
74	3834	R Yohanan ben Zakkai died
86	3846	Sanhedrin moved from place to place, R Gamliel II
133	3893	Betar fell and Bar Kochba revolt ended in tragedy
134	3894	Judaism was banned, and R Akiva was imprisoned
189	3949	R Judah Hanassi completed the Mishnah

The Talmudic Era: The Gemara

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
219	3979	Rav left the Land of Israel and settled in Bablyonia
247	4007	Shmuel was the Talmudic authority in Bablyonia
254	4014	R Yohanan was the leading Talmudic authority
290	4050	R Huna was the leading Talmudic authority
298	4058	R Yehudah was the leading Talmudic authority
300	4060	R Chisda was the leading Talmudic authority
309	4069	Rabbah was the leading Talmudic authority
321	4081	R Yosef was the leading Talmudic authority
325	4085	Abayey was the leading Talmudic authority
338	4098	Rava was the leading Talmudic authority
359	4119	Hillel II (the calendar) became Nassi
392	4152	R Ashi was the leading Talmudic authority
427	4187	R Ashi died after the compilation of the Gemara
475	4235	The Talmud was complete when Ravina II died

The Rabbanan

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
551	4311	Mar Zutra proclaimed Jewish self-rule in Babylonia

The Geonim

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
589	4349	The talmudic academy of Pumpedita was reconstituted
609	4369	The talmudic academy of Sura was reconstituted
614	4374	The Persians conquered the Land of Israel
614	4374	The Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem
629	4389	The Byzantine Empire reconquered the Land of Israel
636	4396	R Yitzchak was the last gaon of Neharde’a
637	4397	The Arabs conquered the Land of Israel
645	4405	One of the “Takkkanot Hage’onim” enacted at this time
755	4515	R Achai Gaon left Iraq for the Land of Israel
759	4519	R Yehuda became gaon of Sura
759	4519	The Halachot Gedolot (BaHag) was written at this time
788	4548	Another of “Takkanot Hage’onim” enacted at this time
858	4618	R Amram (who wrote the Siddur) became gaon of Sura
928	4688	Rabbeinu Saadya was appointed gaon of Sura
955	4715	“Four Captives” were ransomed at around this time
968	4728	R Sherira became gaon of Pumpedita
997	4757	R Hai became (the last) gaon of Pumpedita
1038	4798	R Hai died, and the academies of Babylon declined

The Early Rishonim: The Crusade Massacres

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1040	4800	Rabbeinu Gersom Me’or Hagola died
1088	4848	The Rif arrived in Spain from Morocco
1096	4856	The Crusaders destroyed Jewish communities
1099	4859	Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders
1103	4863	The Rif died
1105	4865	Rashi died, and the era of the Tosaphot began
1135	4895	The Rambam (Maimonides) was born
1144	4904	The first (recorded) blood libel took place
1147	4907	The Crusaders attacked Jewish communities
1147	4907	Rabbeinu Tam was captured by the Crusaders
1148	4908	The Rambam’s and the Radak’s families left Cordova
1165	4925	The Rambam visited the Land of Israel
1171	4931	Rabbeinu Tam died
1175	4935	The Rashbam died
1184	4944	The young son of the Ri was killed
1187	4948	Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem
1189	4949	R Yaakov D’Orleans was killed in London
1190	4950	Jews were massacred in England in the third Crusade
1191	4951	Rabbi David Kimchi, or “Radak” wrote his commentary
1194	4954	The Ramban (Nachmanides) was born
1198	4959	The Ra’avad died
1204	4965	The Rambam died
1236	4996	Rampaging mobs massacred Jews in France
1242	5002	A massive burning of the Talmud took place in Paris
1244	5004	Jerusalem was sacked by Egyptians and Turks
1252	5012	The Inquisition began to use torture
1267	5027	The Ramban left Spain and settled in the Land of Israel
1270	5030	The Ramban died
1286	5046	The Maharam MeRothenburg was imprisoned
1290	5050	New works advanced the study of Kabbalah
1290	5050	The era of the Tosaphot concluded at around this time

Later Rishonim: Persecutions and Expulsions

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1290	5050	All Jews were expelled from England
1293	5053	The Maharam MeRothenburg died in prison
1298	5058	The Rindfleisch massacres began
1298	5058	Author of ‘Mordechai’ and Maimoniyot killed
1305	5065	The Rashba placed a limited ban on philosophy
1305	5065	The Rosh and his son, the Tur, arrived in Spain
1306	5066	All Jews were expelled from France
1310	5070	The Rashba died
1320	5080	Jews were massacred by the Pastoureaux Crusaders
1327	5088	The Rosh died
1336	5096	German Jews were massacred by the Armleder bands
1338	5098	The Ralbag wrote his commentary on the Bible
1349	5109	The Black Death massacres swept across Europe
1367	5127	Ran, Rivash, and other scholars in Spain imprisoned
1391	5151	Spanish Jews massacred — many forced to convert
1391	5151	The Rivash and Rashbatz left Spain
1394	5155	The Final expulsion of Jews from France
1413	5173	R Yosef Albo was in a forced debate with Christians
1421	5181	Jews in Austria were massacred in the Wiener Gezera
1475	5235	The invention of printing was used for Jewish books
1481	5241	The Inquisition was established in Spain
1488	5248	R Ovadiah De Bertinoro settled in Jerusalem
1491	5251	Columbus consulted R. Avraham Zacuto for his travels
1492	5252	All Jews were expelled from Spain and Sicily

The Great Scholars of the Shulchan Aruch and Torah Consolidation

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1493	5253	R Yitzchak Abarbanel arrived in Naples, from Spain
1496	5257	All Jews were expelled from Portugal
1516	5276	The Ein Yaakov was printed
1516	5276	The Turks (Ottoman Empire) conquered Eretz Yisrael
1525	5285	R Yosef Yoselman saved many Jews during Peasants’ War
1553	5314	A mass burning of Jewish books took place in Rome
1563	5323	The Shulchan Aruch was completed by R Yosef Karo
1570	5330	Shulchan Aruch with supplements was published
1572	5332	The Arizal died in Tzfat
1573	5333	The Maharal came to Prague
1573	5334	The Maharshal died
1575	5335	R Yosef Karo died in Tzefat
1599	5359	The Maharal returned to Prague again
1614	5374	The Maharsha became rabbi in Lublin
1616	5377	The Tosaphot Yom Tov commentary was concluded
1621	5382	The Shaloh arrived in the Land of Israel
1629	5389	R Yom Tov Lipman Heller was imprisoned in Prague
1640	5400	R Yoel Sirkes, the Bach, died
1646	5406	The Shach and Taz (on Shulchan Aruch) were printed
1648	5408	Jews were massacred by Chmielnicki’s forces

Early Acharonim and East European Massacres

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1654	5414	The first Jews settled in New Amsterdam (New York)
1655	5415	Jews killed in Russian and Swedish invasions of Poland
1656	5416	Jews were permitted to live in England
1656	5416	Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated
1673	5433	The Magen Avraham (on Shulchan Aruch) was completed
1676	5437	Shabtai Tzvi died as a Muslim
1689	5449	The Beit Shmuel (on the Shulchan Aruch) was printed
1698	5458	The Baal Shem Tov was born
1702	5463	The Pnei Yehoshua’s family was killed in an explosion
1712	5472	The Siftei Chachamim was arrested
1724	5484	R Yaakov Culi (Me’am Lo’ez) arrived in Constantinople
1727	5487	The Mishneh LeMelech died
1734	5494	Jews were massacred by the Haidamack bands

Acharonim and Early Chassidim

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1741	5501	The Or HaChayim arrived in the Land of Israel
1747	5507	R Moshe Chaim Luzzatto died in Acco (Acre)
1750	5510	R Jonathan Eybeschutz became Rabbi in Hamburg
1754	5515	R Yechezkel Landau became Rabbi in Prague
1757	5518	The Frankists instigated mass burnings of the Talmud
1759	5519	Frankists supported blood libel charges in a ‘debate’
1760	5520	The Baal Shem Tov died
1764	5524	The Council of Four Lands was discontinued
1768	5528	Despite resistance, Haidamacks massacre thousands
1772	5532	The Maggid of Mezeritsch died
1782	5542	R Adler and Chatam Sofer visited the Noda BiYehuda
1786	5546	R Elimelech of Lizensk died
1791	5551	The Pale of Settlement was established in Russia
1793	5553	Jews suffered in reign of terror of French Revolution
1797	5558	The Vilna Gaon died
1798	5559	Ba’al HaTanya was released from first imprisonment
1799	5559	Napoleon led an army through the Land of Israel
1806	5566	The Chida (R Chaim Yosef David Azulai) died
1806	5566	The Chatam Sofer became rabbi in Pressburg
1809	5570	R Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev died
1810	5571	R Nachman of Breslov died
1814	5574	R Akiva Eger became rabbi in Posen
1814	5575	Kozhnitzer Maggid and Yehudi of Peshischa, died
1815	5575	Chozeh of Lublin and R. Mendel of Rymanov, died
1819	5579	Anti Jewish riots spread throughout Germany
1827	5587	Russia began conscripting Jewish children to the army
1840	5600	R Yisrael of Ruzhin was released from imprisonment

Later Acharonim and the Changing Society

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1843	5603	Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch was arrested in Russia
1846	5606	Sir Moshe Montefiore visited Russia to help local Jews
1848	5609	R Yisrael Salanter left Vilna
1851	5611	R Shimshon Hirsch became rabbi in Frankfort am Main
1859	5619	R Menachem Mendel of Kotzk died
1864	5624	Malbim imprisoned, and then expelled from Rumania
1866	5626	Chidushei HaRim, Tzemach Tzedek, died
1873	5633	The Chafetz Chaim was published
1874	5634	The Minchat Chinuch died
1878	5638	Petah Tikvah agricultural settlement was established
1881	5641	Jews began leaving Russia after a wave of pogroms
1886	5646	R Shlomo Ganzfried died
1892	5652	R Chaim (Brisker) became Rabbi in Brisk
1905	5665	The Sfat Emet died
1905	5665	Many Jews were killed in (official) Russian pogroms
1911	5671	Chazon Ish was published
1914	5674	Over 500,000 Jewish soldiers fought in World War I
1918	5678	Over 60,000 Jews killed during the Russian Revolution
1923	5684	The Daf HaYomi study cycle commenced
1927	5687	Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe released from Soviet prison
1938	5699	Jews were attacked in the Kristallnacht (Germany)

The Holocaust

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1939	5699	Germany started World War II, and mass killing of Jews
1941	5701	Nazi Germany unexpectedly invaded Russia
1941	5701	200,000 Jews were killed at Babi Yar and Ponary
1942	5702	400,000 Jews of Warsaw were sent to death camps
1943	5703	Nazis’ massive losses in the battle of Stalingrad
1943	5703	Remaining Jews in Warsaw staged a massive uprising
1943	5703	Jewish uprisings at Treblinka, Sobibor, and Bialystock
1943	5703	The Danish quietly rescued 93% of their Jews to safety
1944	5704	300,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in 3 months
1944	5705	Uprising in Auschwitz death camp just before freedom
1945	5705	Nazi Germany was conquered, and World War II ended
1945	5705	6,000,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis during the war

The Modern State of Israel

SECULAR YEAR	JEWISH YEAR	EVENT IN HISTORY
1947	5707	Publication of the Talmud Encyclopedia was commenced
1947	5708	The United Nations divided Israel
1947	5708	Arabs attacked Israel to gain territory
1948	5708	The State of Israel was established
1948	5708	Israel was invaded by many Arab countries
1949	5709	The “War of Independence” in Israel ended
1950	5710	All Jews left the ancient Jewish community of Iraq
1950	5710	Almost all Jews of Yemen emigrated to Israel
1951	5711	The Lubavitcher Rebbe accepts the mantle of leadership
1956	5717	Jewish forces invaded Egypt and conquered the Sinai Desert
1967	5727	The Lubavitcher Rebbe established the Tefillin Campaign
1967	5727	Jerusalem re-united under Jewish rule in the Six Day War
1973	5734	2,500 Jewish soldiers were killed in the Yom Kippur War
1974	5734	Lubavitcher Rebbe established the Shabbat Candle Campaign
1982	5742	Massive enemy arsenals were discovered in Lebanon
1987	5746	First international conference of Chabad Lubavitch emissaries
1993	5753	A secret agreement signed in Oslo
1994	5754	The Lubavitcher Rebbe passed away
2008	5767	Deadly attack at Chabad House in Mumbai, India, kills six
2020	5780	Israel signed “Abraham Accords,” normalizing relations with UAE and Bahrain, soon followed by Sudan and Morocco.

Caveat

All Orthodox groups accept the traditional Jewish calendar as established by rabbinic calculations (from Seder Olam Rabbah, 160 CE; contrast this to Archbishop Ussher (1581-1656) who spent years calculating the calendar only from the early 1600s, a difference of something like 1500 years.

And these are the key Similarities Across Jewish Orthodox Sects: this year 5785 AM is understood as the number of years since the creation of Adam and Eve, not necessarily the entire universe.

They follow the Masoretic Text of the Torah, which provides the genealogical basis for calculating 5785 years from creation of Adam and Eve to the present.

Reconciling 5785 AM (Hebrew) with 2025 CE (Gregorian)

This counts years from what is considered the creation of Adam and Eve, dated to 3760 BCE (Year 1 AM). The current Hebrew year 5785 AM corresponds to 2024–2025 CE in the Gregorian calendar, giving a gap of 240 years.

Where Does the “240-Year Difference” Idea Come From? Key Issue: the Persian Period

The idea of a 240-year discrepancy comes from a debate over missing years in the Jewish calendar. Some scholars argue that rabbinic calculations in Seder Olam Rabbah omitted about 165–240 years, especially regarding the Persian period (538–323 BCE).

Secular historical records (Greek, Persian, and archaeological sources) state that the Persian period (from Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE to Alexander the Great’s conquest in c. 330 BCE) lasted about 208–209 years — thus omitting 156 years from Jewish chronology.

Seder Olam Rabbah, however, records only about 52 years for the Persian period, drastically shortening it, critics claim.

If we add at least those missing 156 years to the current Jewish year (5785 AM), we get: 5785 + 156 = 5941. This means this year should be at least 5941 AM, if this is the only mistake.

But it is known that the Masoretic Text has an error in Exodus 12:40-41, the MT says Israel was in Egypt for 430 years, while the LXX/SP clarify that this includes time in Canaan and Egypt.

If this timeline is corrected, then the true Jewish year would be 5941 – 210 = 5731 AM

This would mean we still have 269 years to go before we arrive at the year 6000 AM.

But then again, Jewish figures maybe right

The Persian empire may reign from Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE to Alexander the Great’s conquest in c. 330 BCE, which lasted about 208–209 years — but Cyrus decreed an order to allow the Jews to return to Judea during his reign, and not at the end of the Persian empire.

The first 52 years of the Persian period overlap with this timeframe (Cyrus’s decree, return of the exiles, and Temple reconstruction). While the Persian Empire continued to exist for another 156 years (until 331 BCE), Jewish scribes might not have recorded this period in detail because it was not as relevant to their religious history. So incorporating just 52 years for the Persian period should be legitimate.

Second, the error in Exodus 12:40-41 might be just the omission of Canaan in the verse, while the figures for the rest of genealogy continue uninterrupted.

The Targum says the Israelites in Egypt were only 210 years; and in Exodus 12 it explains why this differs from the Masoretic version of 430 years:

And the days of the dwelling of the sons of Israel in Mizraim were thirty weeks of years, (thirty times seven years,) which is the sum of two hundred and ten years. But the number of four hundred and thirty years (had passed away since) the Lord spake to Abraham, in the hour that He spake with him on the fifteenth of Nisan, between the divided parts, until the day that they went out of Mizraim. Exodus 12:40 Jonathan

Should the above two apparent misconceptions be viewed in their right perspectives, then the Jewish year of 5785 since the creation of Adam and Eve for this year should be closer to the truth than not.

~ by Joel on March 22, 2025.

Posted in Ezekiel Timeline, Judiasm

A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob