The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - patriarchs of the Jewish people and bearers of a belief in one God - settle in the Land of Israel.
Famine forces Israelites to migrate to Egypt.

c. 13th century

Exodus from Egypt: Moses leads Israelites from Egypt, followed by 40 years of wandering in the desert.
Torah, including the Ten Commandments, received at Mount Sinai.

12th – 13th centuries

Israelites settle in the Land of Israel

c. 1020

Jewish Monarchy established; Saul, first king.

c.1000

Jerusalem made capital of David's kingdom.

c. 960

First Temple, the national and spiritual center of the Jewish people, built in Jerusalem by King Solomon

c. 930

Divided kingdom: Judah and Israel

722-720

Israel crushed by Assyrians; 10 tribes exiled (Ten Lost Tribes).

586

Judah conquered by Babylonia; Jerusalem and First Temple destroyed; most Jews exiled to Babylonia.

536-142

Persian and Hellenistic periods

538-515

Many Jews return from BabyloniaTemple rebuilt.

332

Land conquered by Alexander the Great; Hellenistic rule

166-160

Maccabean (Hasmonean) revolt against restrictions on practice of Judaism and desecration of the Temple

142-129

Jewish autonomy under Hasmoneans.

129-63

Jewish independence under Hasmonean monarchy

63

Jerusalem captured by Roman general, Pompey.

63BCE-313CE

Roman Rule

63BCE-4CE

Herod, Roman vassal king, rules the Land of Israel;
Temple in Jerusalem refurbished

c.20-33

Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth

66

Jewish revolt against the Romans

70

Destruction of Jerusalem and second Temple

73

Last stand of Jews

132-135

Bar Kochva uprising against Rome

c. 210

The completion of the Jewish Oral laws: Mishnah

313-636

Byzantine Rule

c. 390

Commentary on the Mishnah (Jerusalem Talmud) completed.

614

Persian invasion

636-1099

Arab rule

691

On site of First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock built by Caliph Abd el-Malik

1099-1291

Crusader Domination

1291-1516

Mamluk Rule

1517-1917

Ottoman Rule

1564

Code of Jewish law (Shulhan Arukh) published

1860

First neighborhood, Mishkenot Sha'ananim, built outside Jerusalem's walls.

1882-1903

First Aliyah (large-scale immigration), mainly from Russia.

1897

First Zionist Congress convened by Theodor Herzl in Basel, Switzerland; Zionist Organization founded.

1904-1914

Second Aliyahmainly from Russia and Poland

1909

First kibbutz degania and first modern all-Jewish city, Tel Aviv, founded.

1917

400 years of Ottoman rule ended by British conquest;
British Foreign Minister Balfourpledges support for establishment of a "Jewish national home in Palestine".

1918-1948

British rule

1919-1923

Third Aliyah mainly from Russia

1920

Histadrut (Jewish labor federation) and Haganah (Jewish defense organization) founded.
Vaad Leumi (National Council) set up by Jewish community (yishuv)to conduct its affairs.

1921

First moshav (cooperative village), Nahalal, founded.

1922

Britain granted Mandate for Palestine (land of Israel)

1924

Technion, first institute of technology, founded in Haifa.

1924-1932

Fourth Aliyah, mainly from Poland.

1925

Hebrew University of Jerusalem opened on Mt. Scopus.

1929

Hebron Jews massacred by Arab militants.

1931

Etzel, Jewish underground organization, founded.

1933-1939

Fifth Aliyah, mainly from Germany.

1939

Jewish immigration severely limited by British White Paper.

1939-1945

World War II; Holocaust in Europe

1941

Lehi underground movement formed; Palmach, strike force of Haganah, set up

1944

Jewish Brigade formed as part of British forces.

1947

UN proposes the establishment of Arab and Jewish states.

1948

End of British Mandate, state of Israel proclaimed(14 May)
Israel invaded by five Arab states (15 May), War of Independence (May 1948-July 1949)
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) established.

1949

Armistice agreements signed with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Jerusalem divided under Israeli and Jordanian rule.
First Israel's parliament (Knesset) electedIsrael admitted to United Nations as 59th member.

1948-1952

Mass immigration from Europe and Arab countries

1962

Adolf Eichmann tried and executed in Israel for his part in the Holocaust.

1964

National Water Carrier completed, bringing water from Lake Kinneret in the north to the semi-arid south.

1967

Six Day War, Jerusalem reunited

1968-1970

Egypt's War of Attrition against Israel

1973

Yom Kippur War

1975

Israel becomes an associate member of the European Common Market.

1977

End of 30 years labor rule as Likud form government

Anwar Sadat, Egyptian President, visits Israel.

1978

Camp David Accords: comprehensive peace talks of the Middle East

And proposal for Palestinian self-government.

1979

Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty signed. Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sadat awarded Noble Peace Prize.

1981

Israel Air Force destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor just before it is to become operative.

1982

Israel's three-stage withdrawal from Sinai completed.
Operation Peace for Galilee removes PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) terrorists from Lebanon.

1984

National unity government, Likud and Labor,  formed after elections.
Operation Moses, immigration of Jews from Ethiopia.

1985

Free Trade Agreement signed between Israel and United States.

1987

Widespread violence by Palestinians (intifada) starts in Israeli-administered areas.

1988

Likud government in power following elections.

1989

A mass of immigration of Jews from former Soviet Union.

Four point peace initiative proposed by Israel.

1991

Israel attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles during Gulf war.

Middle East peace conference convened in Madrid.

Operation Solomon- airlift of Jews from Ethiopia.

1992

Diplomatic relations established with China and India.
New government headed by Yitzhak Rabin of Labor party.

1993

Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements for

The Palestinians signed by Israel and the PLO as representative of

The Palestinian people.

1994

Implementation of Palestinian self-government in Gaza Strip and Jerichio.

Israel and Jordan signed Peace Treaty.

Rabin, Peres and Arafat awarded Noble Peace Prize.

1995

Palestinian Council elected.

Prime Minister Rabin assassinated at Peace Rally.

Shimon Peres becomes Prime Minister

1996

Fundamentalist Arab terrorism against Israel escalates

Operation Grapes of Wrath:
retaliation for Hizbullah terrorists' attacks on northern Israel.
Trade representation offices set up in Oman and Qatar.

Likud forms government after elections.

Benjamin Netanyahu becomes prime minister.
Omani trade representation office opened in Tel Aviv

1997

Hebron Protocol signed by Israel and the PA.

1998

Israel Celebrates 50th anniversary.

1999

Ehud Barak elected Prime Minister and forms coalition government.

2000

Visit of Pop Paul ll

Israel withdraws from the Security Zone in Southern Lebanon.

Israel admitted to UN Western European and Others Group.

Prime Minister Barak resigns.

2001

Ariel Sharon elected Prime Minister and forms broad based unity

Government.

Rechavam Zeevy, Minister of Tourism, assassinated by Palestinians terrorists.

2002

Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield in response to massive terrorist

Attacks.

2006

Prime Minister Sharon suffers a stroke and Ehud Olmert forms new government.

Israel carries out military operations against Palestinians terrorism from the Gaza Strip and Hizbollah terrorism from Southern Lebanon.