Notes on James
Ussher, The Annals of the World
(1658):
1443 BC: Joshua dies aged 110 just as
Joseph did (Gen. 50:26; Josh 23:1, 24:29-30) (P340).
1413 BC marks the beginning of the
calamitous period of the Judges (Jud. 17:1-21:25). First, Cushan, king of
Mesopotamia, seizes control of Israel for 8 years (Jud. 2:7, 3:6-8) (P341).
1405 BC: Yahweh raises up Othniel, son-in-law of Joshua (Josh.
15:17, Jud. 1:31), as Israel’s first judge. He liberates Israel from Cushan’s
control and the land then rests for 40 years ((Jud. 3:9-11) (P342).
1343 [1364?] BC: After Othniel and his generation
die, Israel again abandons Yahweh. Yahweh delivers Israel into the hands of its
enemies a second time. This time Eglon, king of Moab, dominates it for 18 years
(Jud. 3:12-14) (P345).
1325 [1346?] BC: Yahweh raises up Ehud (second
judge), of the tribe of Benjamite, who rescues Israel. There is again peace for
40 years (Jud. 3:15, 30) (P346).
1305 BC: After Ehud dies, Jabin of
Hazar dominates Israel for 20 years (3rd oppression) (Jud. 4:1-3)
(P349).
1285 BC: While Deborah is judge of Israel, Barak leads Israel to victory against
the army of Jabin commanded by Sisera.
The land rests for 40 years (Jud. 4-5) (P351).
1252 [1245]
BC: Israel sins and is dominated by the Midianites for 7 years (4th
oppression) (Jud. 6:1) (P354).
1245 BC: Gideon rescues Israel and the land has peace for 40 years (Jud.
6-8) (P356).
1236
BC: Abimelech, son of Gideon, covets kingship and murders the other 70 sons
of his father (Jud. 9:15, 18, 24, 56) (P357).
1235 BC: Abimelech’s rule is condemned by Jotham, youngest son of Gideon,
who somehow escaped the slaughter (Jud. 9) (P358).
1233 BC: Abimelech is killed (Jud.
9:50-54, 2 Sam. 11:21). Tola of Issachar then judges Israel for 23 years (Jud.
10:1-2) (P360).
1214 BC: Eli, priest at Shiloh, is born. He dies at the age of 98 in 1116 (1
Sam. 4:15).
1210 BC: Tola dies and Jair of Gilead
judges Israel east of the Jordan River for 22 years (Jud. 10:1-3).
1206 BC: The Philistines and Ammonites
oppress Israel for 18 years (5th oppression).
[1198] BC: The
Ammonites defeat the tribes of Israel beyond the Jordan. They then cross the
Jordan and attack Ephraim, Benjamin, and Judah after they have already been
weakened by the Philistines (Jud. 10:8) (P367).
1188 BC: Jephthah leads Israel against
the Ammonites and defeats them. To honor a rash vow he made to Yahweh, Jephthah
offers his daughter to Yahweh as a burnt offering. Ephraim later picks a fight
with Jephthah and ends up losing 42,000 of its own men. Jephthah judges Israel
for six years (Jud. 11:1-12:7) (P371).
1184 BC: The fall of Troy (P372).
1181 BC: Ibzan of Bethlehem judges
Israel for seven years (Jud. 12:7-9) (P373).
1175 BC: Elon of Zebulun judges Israel
for ten years (Jud. 12:10-11) (P374).
1165 BC: Abdon of Ephraim judges Israel
for eight years (Jud. 12:12-14) (P377).
1157 BC, the third month (Sivan): After
the death of Abdon (Jud. 12:15), Eli, the high priest, became a judge in Israel
for 40 years (1 Sam. 4:18). When Israel again abandoned Yahweh, he abandoned
Israel to the Philistines (Jud. 13:1) (6th oppression). It ended
seven months after the death of Eli, with the return of the Ark of the Covenant
to Israel (P378).
1156 BC: An angel appears to the wife
of Manoah and tells her that, though she has been barren, she will bear a son
who will begin to deliver Israel from Philistine control (Jud. 13:5) (P378).
1155 BC: Samson is born (Jud.
13:24-25). He torments the Philistines for 20 years (Jud. 15:20) (P380).
1137 BC: Samson also becomes a judge of
Israel aged 22 (Jud. 14:4). His Philistine bride betrays him and he kills 30
men of Ashkelon in response (P382).
1136 BC: Samson avenges himself when
his wife is given to another man in marriage (Jud. 15:1-20).
1117 BC: Samson dies after being a
judge in Israel for 20 years (Jud. 16:30-31) (P384).
1116 BC: Philistines capture the Ark of
the Covenant and kill Eli’s two sons. He dies when he receives the news (1 Sam
4:1-22) (P386).
1096 BC: 20 years after the Philistines
return the Ark to Israel, Yahweh saves Israel from Philistine oppression under
the leadership of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:10-14) (P390).
1095 BC: Saul becomes the first king of
Israel and rules for 40 years (P391).
Copyright © 2017
by Steven Farsaci. All rights reserved.
