Notes on James
Ussher, The Annals of the World
(1658):
Ussher’s fifth
age of the world begins when Solomon starts construction of the Temple of
Yahweh in Jerusalem in 1012 BC. It ends with the Temple’s destruction in 588
BC.
1015 BC: David dies and Solomon
reigns alone as king of Israel after reigning during the last 6 months of
his father’s life (1 Kgs. 2:1-10) (P459).
1012 BC: Solomon starts construction of the Temple in the 480th
year after the Exodus (1 Kgs. 6:1, 37; 2 Chr. 3:2) (P465).
1005 BC: Construction of the Temple concludes 7 years 6 months after it
began (1 Kgs. 6:38). Its dedication takes place the following year which is a
Year of Jubilee (P467).
1004 BC: the world begins its 4th millennium during the 9th Jubilee
celebrated by Israel in the Promised Land. The Ark is moved from Zion into the
Temple’s Holy of Holies. The Tent of Meeting and the artifacts used in it are
moved from Gibeon into Temple storerooms (1 Kgs. 8:1-2, 65-66; 2 Chr. 5:3-5,
6:1, 8:1-11) (P468).
992 BC: In the 13th year of
the Temple, Solomon completes construction of his house (1 Kgs. 7:1, 9:10; 2
Chr. 8:1) (P471).
975 BC: Solomon writes the Book of Ecclesiastes.
He dies after ruling Israel for 40
years (1 Kgs. 11:42, 2 Chr. 9:30) (P475).
Solomon’s son Rehoboam becomes king of all Israel but
immediately loses control of the 10 northern tribes. Only Benjamin and Judah
remain loyal to him.
The 10 tribes,
which remained known as the kingdom of Israel, chose Jeroboam, himself chosen by Yahweh, as their king (1 Kgs. 12)
(P476). Rehoboam ruled the kingdom of Judah for 17 years while Jeroboam ruled
22 years (1 Kgs. 14:20-21, 2 Chr. 12:1-2 (P477).
8th
month, 15th day (Monday, December 16): Jeroboam commands Israel to
celebrate the new holiday of his creation (1 Kgs. 12:32-33). Yahweh sends an
unnamed prophet to rebuke him (1 Kgs. 13:1-34, 2 Kgs. 23:15-20). From that day,
Israel persisted in evil for 390 years (Ezk. 4:5) (P480).
971 BC: Shishak, king of Egypt, invades
Judah and only leaves Jerusalem alone after Rehoboam gives him all the fabulous
treasure in his house and the Temple accumulated by Solomon (1 Kgs. 14:26-27, 2
Chr. 12:2-12) (P485).
958 BC: Rehoboam dies and his son
Abijah becomes king and rules for 3 years (1 Kgs. 15:1-2; 2 Chr. 13:1-2)
(P486).
957 BC: Abijah’s army kills 500,000 men
of the Israelite army led by Jeroboam—the highest number killed in all battles
mentioned in the Bible (2 Chr. 13:1-22) (P487).
955 BC: Abijah dies and his son Asa
succeeds him at the close of Jeroboam’s 20th year of rule. Asa rules
for 41 years (1 Kgs. 15:8-10) (P488).
954 BC: Jeroboam dies and is succeeded by his son Nadab who rules Israel for 2 years (1 Kgs. 15:25) (P490).
953 BC: Nadab is murdered by Baasha
who rules in his place as king of
Israel for 24 years (1 Kgs. 15:27-29, 33) (P491).
930 BC: Baasha dies and is succeeded by his son Elah (P499).
929 BC: Elah and his family are
murdered by Zimri who rules for 7 days. Omri, commander of the army, leads
it against Zimri who commits suicide (1 Kgs. 16:15-18). In a subsequent
struggle for power against, Omri
prevails and becomes king of Israel
(1 Kgs. 16:8, 20-21) (P501).
924 BC: Omri builds Samaria as the new capital of the kingdom of Israel (1 Kgs. 16:23-24) (P505).
918 BC: Omri dies and is succeeded by his son Ahab who rules for 22 years (1 Kgs. 16:28-29) (P506).
914 BC: Asa dies and his son Jehoshaphat
becomes king and rules for 25 years (1 Kgs. 22:41-42; 2 Chr. 20:31) (P508).
907 BC: Athaliah, daughter of Ahab,
marries Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 18:1). She gives birth to Ahaziah
who succeeds his father as king when he is 22 (2 Kgs. 8:18-27, 2 Chr. 21:26,
22:2) (P510).
899 BC: Jezebel, queen of Israel, has
Naboth murdered so she can give his vineyard to her husband Ahab (1 Kgs.
21) (P514).
898 BC: Jehoshaphat makes Jehoram, his
son, viceroy (P515). Ahab likewise makes his son Ahaziah viceroy (1 Kgs. 22:51)
(P516).
897 BC: Ahab dies in battle against Ramoth-gilead and his son Ahaziah becomes king. Jehoshaphat,
who was with him, barely escapes (1 Kgs. 22, 2 Chr. 18) (P518).
Copyright © 2017
by Steven Farsaci. All rights reserved.
