538 BCE Cyrus allows Jews to return to the Land of Israel and build the Second Temple

515 BCE Rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem complete

332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Palestine

301 BCE Ptolemy takes control of Palestine

201 BCE Seleucid king Antiochus III conquers Palestine

175 BCE Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascends to the throne

168-164 BCE Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids. The Dead Sea Sect was founded sometime after the revolt.

160-143 BCE Reign of Jonathan the Maccabee (may have been the Wicked Priest mentioned in the scrolls)

152 BCE Jonathan takes over as high priest

152 -145 BCE Reign of the Seleucid Alexander Balas

150 BCE The Sadducees are recognized as a sect

143 BCE Jonathan is captured and murdered by the Seleucid pretender Trypho

142-134 BCE Reign of Simon the Hasmonean (may have been the Wicked Priest mentioned in the scrolls)

134 BCE Simon is murdered and his son John Hyrcanus reigns

120 BCE The Temple Scroll is composed sometime after this date

104-103 BCE Reign of Aristobulus I

103 -76 BCE Reign of Alexander Janneus (Yannai)

100-75 BCE Zadokite Fragments is composed

88 BCE Alexander Janneus is defeated by the Seleucid king Demetrius III Eukerus (95–88 BCE)

76-67 BCE Reign of Salome Alexandra

67-63 BCE War between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II

63 CE Roman conquest of Palestine by Pompey

37 BCE-40 CE Reign of Herod the Great

6-66 CE Judea is ruled by Roman procurators

c.60 CE Christianity begins to accept Gentiles

66-73 CE Great Revolt (First Jewish Revolt) against the Romans

68 CE Destruction of Qumran

70 CE Destruction of the Temple

73 CE Capture of Masada, the end of the Great Revolt

132-135 CE Bar Kokhba Revolt (Second Jewish Revolt) against the Romans. By this time, Christianity was considered a new religion, separate from Judaism.

c.200 CE Redaction of the Mishnah