Timeline of Jesus
When did Jesus live and what happened?
Jesus lived around the beginning of our era. We celebrate his birth during Christmas and we remember his death and resurrection on Good Friday and Easter. We know a little bit about his birth and young years. Around that he was 30 years old he started a public career. He was a preacher, he did miracles, and many people followed him. This is a chronological summary of his public life.
Timeline of Jesus birth and youth
It’s kind of a funny fact that Jesus was born in the year 4 BC. Before Christ. How can that be? Well, in the earliest calculation there was a mistake made.
It’s obvious that Jesus was born on December 25, A.D. 1 , right? Wrong. What we do know is that Herod the Great (who killed all the babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 years of age) died in the Spring of 4 B.C. according to the Jewish historian Josephus, and the king was quite alive during the visit of the Wise Men (Magi) in the Nativity story told in the Gospel of Matthew. So Jesus would have to have been born before this time, anywhere from 7 B.C to 4 B.C. (Before Christ, or before himself!)
Why is there a gap of this much time in our modern calendar? We owe this to a Roman monk-mathematician-astronomer named Dionysis Exiguus, known to his friends as Dennis the Little. During the 6th century A.D. he unwittingly committed what has become history’s greatest numerical error as it relates to the calendar. As he endeavored to reform the Western calendar to center around Jesus’ birth, he erroneously placed the date of the Nativity in the year 753 “from the founding of Rome” (753 a.u.c. or Ab Urbe Condita), even though Herod died only 749 years after the founding of the city of Rome. The cumulative effect of Dionysis’ calendar error, which is the same calendar we use today, was to give the correct traditional date for the founding of Rome, but one that is at least 4 to 7 years off for the birth of Christ. (source)
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4 BC
The angel Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth
An angel from God visits Mary, announcing she will be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Why did God become human? Explore more »
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4 BC
Census of Quirinius
The census or enrollment, which, according to Luke 2:1, was the occasion of the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, is connected with a decree of Augustus embracing the Greek-Roman world.
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4 BC
Birth of Jesus
Historians generally assume Jesus was born between 6 BC - 4 BC
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4 BC
Shepherds and Three Wise Men
The infant Jesus is visited in Bethlehem by the Three Wise Men and the Shepherds
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4 BC
Massacre of the Innocents
Herod orders the "Massacre of the Innocents": the killing of all male children in Bethlehem aged two years and under.
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4 BC
Fleeing to Egypt
Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus flee to Egypt
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4 BC
Death of Herod the Great
The death of Herod the Great. His three sons divide up rule of Palestine under Roman Authority:
- Archelaus ruled Judea and Samaria
- Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea
- Herod Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis
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4 BC
Birth of John the Baptist
John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:36)
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0 AD
Traditional Date of the Birth of Jesus
Due to the conflict regarding dates, we have continued the timeline of Jesus according to his age
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Age 12
Jesus visits the Temple in Jerusalem
Explore more about Jerusalem in this map of the ancient city in Jesus' lifetime. To the interactive map »
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Age 12 - 30
Jesus works as a carpenter in Nazareth
Timeline of the public life of Jesus
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Age 30
Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist
River Jordan, Judea.
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Age 30
Jesus in the Wilderness
Judea
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Age 30
Jesus hails Andrew, Simon, Philip, And Nathaniel
Bethabara
Who were the 12 closest friends of Jesus during his life on earth?
Explore more » -
Age 30
Miracle of turning the water into wine and drives the moneymakers from the temple
Cana. Jerusalem.
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Age 30
Nighttime visit Of Nicodemus
Jerusalem
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Age 30
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
Samaria: Sychar.
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Age 30
Miracle at Cana in Galilee
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Age 30
Pool of Bethesda
Jerusalem
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Age 30
Jesus Reads in the Nazareth Synagogue
Nazareth. Capernaum.
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Age 31
Jesus at the Sea of Galilee, Christ chooses the four
Galilee: Capernaum.
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Age 31
Sermon on the Mount
Near Capernaum
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Age 31
Miracle of the Leper
By Lake Gennesaret. Capernaum.
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Age 31
Matthew is Called by Jesus
Capernaum
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Age 31
Jesus in the Cornfield on the Sabbath
Capernaum
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Age 31
Jesus & the Twelve Disciples
Near Capernaum
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Age 31
Jesus and the imprisonment of John the Baptist
Galilee, near Cana
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Age 31
Jesus and the Multitudes at the Shore
Capernaum: Sea of Galilee
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Age 31
Jairus’ Daughter Healed
Capernaum
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Age 32
Jesus Teaches in the Synagogue
Nazareth. Capernaum
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Age 32
Mission of the Twelve Disciples
Nazareth. Capernaum
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Age 32
Herod Seeks Out Jesus
Decapolis: Bethsaida
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Age 32
Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes
Bethsaida
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Age 32
Jesus Walks on the Water
Sea of Galilee. Gennesaret
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Age 32
Jesus and the Pharisees
Capernaum
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Age 32
Jesus and the Woman of Canaan
Phenicia. Decapolis
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Age 32
Feeding the Multitude
Decapolis. Dalmanutha. Bethsaida
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Age 32
Jesus Foretells his Own Fate
Cesarea Philippi.
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Age 32
The Transfiguration
On, and near, Mt. Hermon
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Age 32
Jesus Foretells his Death and Resurrection
Galilee. Capernaum
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Age 32
Feast of the Tabernacle
Jerusalem. Galilee.
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Age 32
Jesus Questioned by the Jews
Jerusalem.
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Age 32
The Lords Prayer
Perea.
The Lord’s Prayer is a venerated Christian prayer that, according to the New Testament, Jesus taught as the way to pray. Watch the prayer here »
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Age 32
Sermon to the Innumerable Multitude
Perea.
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Age 32
Journey To Jerusalem
Perea. Bethany.
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Age 33
Jesus and Lazarus
Perea. Bethany. Perea.
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Age 33
Jesus Journeys Through Samaria and Galilee
Galilee. Samaria. Perea.
Once Jesus was waiting at a well during a hot summer day. He encountered a woman there. Then he started talking to her… Watch the story here »
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Age 33
He tells of Imminent Betrayal
Perea.
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Age 33
Miracle of the Two Blind Beggars
Jericho.
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Age 33
The Mount of Olives
Bethphage. Jerusalem.
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Age 33
In the Temple
Jerusalem, in the Temple.
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Age 33
Mary and Martha
Bethany.
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Age 33
The Passover Supper
Bethany. Jerusalem: Upper Room.
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Age 33
The Last Supper
Jerusalem: Upper Room.
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Age 33
Garden at Gethsemane
Mount of Olives. Gethsemane.
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Age 33
Judas Iscariot Betrays Jesus
Gethsemane. Jerusalem.
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Age 33
The Trial of Jesus
Jerusalem.
Explore more about the Stations of the Cross. It's helping believers to come closer to the suffering and sacrifice endured by Jesus Christ. Click here »
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Age 33
Pontius Pilate
Jerusalem.
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Age 33
The Crucifixion
Jerusalem. Golgotha: Calvary.
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Age 33
The Sepulchre
Jerusalem: The Sepulchre.
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Age 33
The Resurrection
Jerusalem: The Sepulchre.
Can you imagine what you will feel when a good friend is gone? One of Jesus’ friends wanted to mourn at his grave. On the early Easter morning, Mary Magdalene was going to the tomb where they buried him. Watch the story here »
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Age 33
Doubting Thomas
Emmaus. Jerusalem.
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Age 33
Jesus After the Resurrection
Sea of Galilee.
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Age 33
The Ascension
Galilee. Mt. Olivet. Bethany.
