134BCE - a faction of Pharisees leaves Jerusalem for Qumron of Dead Sea Scroll legacy.
The Jewish sage, Nittai of Arbel, writes - distance yourself from a bad neighbor, consort not with an evil man..
112BCE - Jewish Hasmoneans destroy Samaritan temple at Mt. Gerizim and Shechem.
108 BCE - Jewish Hasmoneans destroy Beit Shean.
104bce - Hyrcanus's son, Aristobulus I, succeeds Hyrcanus as king of Judea. Reigns 2 years. A despot. Forces his position to become both king and high priest. Imprisoned his mother where she starved to death. Imprisoned his 3 brothers. Disastrous leadership decisions made. Alexander Jannaeus is selected next king and reigns 27 years. His cruelty knows no bounds. Persecuted the rabbis and eliminates the Sanhedrin.
75 BCE - Salome Alexander appointed defacto Queen of Judea. She reestablished the Sanhedrin. .
The Pharisees now become the ruling class and will forever be intent on maintaining this status. Salome removes the Sadducees from Jerusalem. Talmud relates that as a reward for her piety rain fell only on Shabbat night and the fertility of the soil prospered greatly. She was sister to Shimon ben Shetach, Mishnaic sage, Nasi of the Sanhedrin.
63BCE - But a Nabataean intervenes - Antipater, father of Herod the Great turns the tables.
Antipater convinces king of the Nabataeans, Aretas, to side with Hyrcanus and fight for the Jewish crown. Civil war is only ended by one asking Roman general Pompey to intervene. Quarrelling Jewish brothers open the door to total Roman Rule. Pompey decides to settle the war by keeping Israel for himself and Rome. The Roman Period begins.
44BCE - Julius Caesar killed.
Temporally relaxed Roman rule on Israel.
40BCE - Herod visits Rome - Appointed King by Roman Senate.
Herod returns to Israel, with Mark Antony, conquers Antigonus II and beheads Antigonus II. Hasmonean rule ends. Herod divorces his first wife, marries Mariamne, Hasmonean princess and plans to drown the last male Hasmonean heir at his Jericho palace.
36BCE - Jewish Zealots in Galilee rebel against Herod. Herod kills this group at Mt. Arbel cliff.
31BCE - Powerful earthquake in Judea. Herod becomes the greatest master builder Israel has seen.
27BCE - close friend of Herod's, Augustus, appointed Roman Emperor. Reign for 41 years till 17CE.
Augustus is the first Roman emperor. Augustus and Mark Antony were key in Herod's appointment as ruler of Judea. AT this point Herod receives the territory of Jericho, Gadara, Hippos, Samaria, Gaza, Anthedon, Jaffa and Strato's Tower (later Caesarea Maritima). Herod rebuilds Samaria and renames it Sebastia.
23BCE - Herod builds the Herodium 7.5 miles south of Jerusalem.
22BCE - Herod begins construction of Caesarea Maritima on old settlement known as Strato's Tower.
20BCE - Herod's son, Antipas is born. He is raised with a close friend, Menachem.
19BCE - Herod begins rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of his reign.
10BCE - Caesarea Maritima is completed after 12 years of work.
7BCE - Because of mistrust, Herod has another two of his sons executed, Alexander and Aristobulus.
6BCE - Likely year of birth of Jesus of Nazareth in Bethlehem.
Because of death threat against the child, Yeshua is taken to Egypt, most likely Alexandria) where there is a large Jewish community existing. This community is led by the noble Jewish philosopher Philo and his family who have direct connection with Herod and the priesthood of Jerusalem. Philo's brother is the wealthiest man in Egypt.
5BCE - Herod's son, Antipater, sees his father in very poor health and attempts to poison him. He
4BCE - Herod dies a very painful death.
4BCE - 6CE - Herod's son Archelaus, reigns over Judea. Hippos, Gadara and Gaza were detached from the reign of Herod's sons. Archelaus was declared unfit to reign in 6CE.
4BCE - 6BCE - Herod's son Antipas is +-17 years old when his father dies. He is appointed tetrarch of Galilee and begins to rebujild Sephoris only 4 miles from Nazareth. The rebuilding of Sephoris likely provides much needed employment to Jesus' family up until 18CE.
9CE - Pharisee leader, Hillel the Elder dies. The house of Rabbi Shammai rises.
14CE - Emperor Augustus dies at age 75. Succeeded by his adopted son Tiberius. Tiberias will reign for 23 years till 37CE.
18CE - Caiaphas offers the highest amount of money to Roman Prefect Valerius Gratus and becomes high priest. Antipas begins work on his new capital of Galilee in Tiberias. Perhaps Yeshua follows the work and works as a stone mason in Tiberias for a while.
23CE - Valerius Gratus is appointed prefect of Judea.
26CE - The antisemite, Sejanus, wants to exterminate the Jewish race. He appoints Pontius Pilate to replace Gratus to rule Judea. Pilate retains Joseph ben Caiaphas for his entire tenure. Caiaphas and the Sadducee priests were regarded as completely reliable allies to Pilate and Rome. HIs first act is to install the embossed figures of the emperor at the Temple site.
29CE - Antipas leaves for Rome and divorces his wife, Phasaelis, daughter of Nabbatean king, Aretas. Yohanan the immerser begins his ministry time in the Jordan Valley. Luke 3:1-2.
It is at this time that the short 3 year ministry of Yeshua of Nazareth begins.