Return to Timeline of Jewish History: Table of Contents

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ca. 570-632	Muhammad ("the Prophet" of Islam).
ca. 610	Prophetic call and start of Quranic revelations.
614	Persian invasion, Jews allowed to controll Jerusalem.
617	Persians change policy toward Jews, forbid them from living within three miles of Jerusalem.
622	The hijra (emigration) from Mecca to Medina.
624-627	Muhammad attacks Jewish Arabian tribes for refusing to convert to Islam. Eventually the Southern Arabian tribes are destroyed.
626	While proselytizing Arabia, Muhammad captures the Banu Qurayza tribe and forces the group of about 600 to chose between conversion and death. After spending all night praying, all but three or four Banu Qurayzas are beheaded.
627-629	Emperor Heraclius breaks his promise of protection to Jews, massacring any he found and forbidding them from entering Jerusalem. Hundreds of Jews were killed and thousands exhiled to Egypt, ending the Jewish towns in the Galilee and Judea. Heraclius' decree remained in effect until the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.
630	Capitulation of Mecca, rededication of Kaba.
632	The Jewish community of Khaibar defends itself against Muslim forces, negotiating a settlement in which half of their crops would go to Mohammed in exchange for peace. Other Jewish tribes, including Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa reached similar deals.
590-604	Pope Gregory the Great.
ca. 600-1300	Period of the Jewish Rabbinic Geonim.
632-661	Muhammad dies, creating the four "rightly guided caliphs" of Islam.
637	Muslim forces capture Caesarea, forcing the city's estimated 100,000 Jews to follow the Pact of Omar, which meant they had to pray quietly, not build new synagogues and not prevent Jews from converting to Islam. The Jews were also forbidden from riding horses and holding judicial or civil posts, and were forced to wear a yellow patch for identification.
638	Caliph Umar conquers Jerusalem and Jews are permitted to return to the city under Islam.
661	Assassination of Ali (last of the four).
661-750	Umayyad Dynasty of Islam in Damascus (Syria).
669, 674	Muslim Attacks on Christian Constantinople.
680	Massacre of Ali's son Husayn and Shiites (Iraq).
685	Muslims extend Jerusalem and rebuild walls and roads.
692	Dome of the Rock built on site of First and Second Temples by Caliph Abd el-Malik.
711	Muslim Forces Attack Spain Successfully.
715	Al-Aqsa Mosque built, Jerusalem.
732	Islam repulsed at Tours (France), gateway to Europe.
750	Abbasid caliphate founded.
ca. 760	Karaism founded (Jewish reaction to Rabbinic Judaism).
762	Baghdad founded by Abbasids.
767	Anan Ben David, organizer of the Karaite sect that only believed in the literal Biblical writings and not the Oral law.
742-814	Charlemagne, French Holy Roman Emperor, protected and helped develop Jewish culture in his kingdom, seeing Jews as an asset.
740-1259	Jewish Kingdom of Khazar lasts over 500 years, defending itself from the Muslims, Byzantines and Russians, finally subdued by Mongols under Genghis Khan.
750-1258	Abbasid Dynasty of Islam in Baghdad (Iraq)—the "golden age" of Islamic culture.
?-767	Abu Hanifa (Muslim theologian and jurist in Iraq).
710-795	Malik ibn Anas (jurist, collector of hadiths, Medina).
800	Caliph Harun al-Rashid rules in "1001 Nights" style.
ca. 800-950	Mutazilite rationalism developed and debated.
807	Harun Al Rashid, Caliph of the Abbasids forces Baghdad Jews to wear a yellow badge and Christians to wear a blue badge.
825	Caliph Mamun sponsors translations of Greek learning into Arabic (Arabic science flourishes).
814-840	Charlemagne's son, Louis the Pius, who succeeded his father as king, expanded his father's positive policies towards the Jews, like changing "market day" from Saturday (Shabbat) to Sunday.
855	Ibn Hanbal (jurist, collector of hadiths, Baghdad).
868	Palestine annexed to Egypt.
870, 875	Bukhari and Muslim (collectors of hadiths).
874	Shiite "twelvers" arise.
?-935	Al-Ashari (ex-Mutazilite Muslim scholar).
882-942	Saadia Gaon (Rabbinic Jewish sage).
942	Office of the Exilarch was abolished after seven centuries, primarily because of dissention with the Muslims. David ben-Zaccai held the postion.
922	Execution of Hallaj, radical Persian Muslim mystic/sufi.
ca. 950-1150	“Golden Age” in Spain (Islamic Umayyad dynasty).
969	Founding of Cairo (and soon thereafter Azhar University) by the Islamic Shiite Fatimid dynasty in Egypt.
969	Caliph al-Aziz defeated the Turkish princes at Ramleh, marking the beginning of Fatamid rule over Eretz-Israel.
972	Al-Azhar University Founded, Cairo.
ca. 1000	Rabbi Gershon of Mainz, Germany, publishes a ban on bigamy. This marks the beginning of Ashkenazi (Franco-German) halachic creativity.
1001	Ibn al-Bawwab produces earliest exist Qur'an copy on paper, Baghdad.
990-1055	Diplomat and poet, as well as vizier to King Habus of Granada and author of a Biblical Hebrew dictionary, Samuel Ibn Nagrela.
1008	Egyptian Caliph Hakkim, who claimed to be divine, pressured all non-Muslims to convert and forced all Jews to wear a "golden calf" around their necks.
1009	Oldest existing text of full Hebrew Bible is written.
1016	Earthquake causes structrual damage on Temple Mount.
1021-1069	Messianic poet and philosopher, Solomon Ibn Gabirol.
1027	Samuel Hanagid becomes vizier of Granada. He is the first of the poets of the Golden Age of Spain, and symbolic of both the political power and literary creativity of Jews in Spain at the time.
1032	Rebel Abul Kamal Tumin conquered Fez and decimated the Jewish community, killing 6,000 Jews.
1066	Final split ("schism") between Latin (Roman) and Greek (Byzantine) Classical Christian Churches: 1053/54 William the Conqueror (Norman) takes England.
1056	Abraham Ibn Daud: On Saumuel Ha-Nagid, Vizier of Granada.
1040-1105	Rashi (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac; Jewish sage): .
1058-1111	Ghazali (Persian Muslim scholar and mystic): .
1065-1173	Benjamin of Tudela, Jewish traveller and historian, who wrote a famous journal called Sefer Hamassa'ot (Book of Travels).
1070	Rashi, a French-Jewish thinker, completes his commentaries on most parts of the Bible.
1070-1139	Poet and philiospher Moses Ibn Ezra.
1071	Seljuk occupation of Jerusalem.
1099	First Crusade Begins rule in Jerusalem.
1181	Philip expels Jews from France.
1187	Salah al-Din returns Jerusalem to Muslim rule.
1192	Philip expands his kingdom and allows Jews to return, for a fee and under strict conditions.

Timeline of Jewish History

3800 B.CE - 2001 BCE - The Dawn of “History”
2000 B.C.E. - 587 BCE - Context of Ancient Israelite Religion
538 BCE - 70 CE - Judaism After the Babylonian Exile
230 BCE-400 CE - Rule of Rome
70 - 500 - Rabbinic Jewish Period of Talmud Development
325 - 590 - Consolidation & Dominance of Classical Christianity
600 - 1500 - “Medieval” Period in the West
570 - 1258 - Reception & Classical Development of Muhammad's Islamic Message
1095-1258 - Crusades
1258-1500 - Further Transitions and Rebuilding of Political Islam
1291-1516 - Mamluk Rule
1517-1569 - Reformation and Post-Reformation Christian Period
1500-1920 - Dominance of Ottoman Muslim Empire in Turkey
1700-1917 - Jewish Modern and Contemporary Periods
1914-1918 - Islamic Unrest and Realignment in the Middle East
1918-1947 - British Rule in Palestine
1947-Present - Modern Israel & the Diaspora

Timeline for the History of Jerusalem - 4500 B.C.E.-Present

Timeline for Development of Muhammad's Islamic Message (570-1258)