Category: Bible Timeline

Mentioned in some texts as the Sixteen States, the 16 Kingdoms of China began in 304 AD and lasted in 439 AD where it is listed on the Bible Timeline with World History. This was a period in history that involved the establishment of several sovereign states in northern China; although they were short-lived. The people who set up these states were ethnic minorities and they took part in the overthrowing of the Jin Dynasty in the West in about 400 AD.

Historical Background

In 265, northern China was inhabited by non-Han Chinese. This started during the late Han to the earlier parts of the Jin dynasty. Xianbei and Xiongnu were only a few of the migrants who settled in the northern areas of China. They were originally pastoralist nomads that had once been situated in the northern steppes. Other migrants who remained in northern China included the Qiang and Di. They were herders and farmers who once lived in the western regions. Since they were migrants, they suffered from discrimination among the locals. Yet, some of them assumed official positions in China’s military and the court system. A huge number of these migrants, however, became farm laborers and lived with Han Chinese.

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During Emperor Hui’s reign, the imperial authority of China underwent problems. It was the period of the War of the Eight Princes, and this resulted to the division of northern China. Several people died while others were forced to flee their homes. There were also numerous rebellions that occurred due to heavy taxation. As for Sichuan, a new kingdom was formed under the leadership of Li Xiong. This Di chieftain established the Cheng Han Kingdom after a victorious rebellion in 304. It was also the start of the formation of several other independent kingdoms or states in the northern part of China. This signaled the decline in the power and supremacy of the Jin authority.

Insights on the 16 Kingdoms

Cui Hong, a Chinese historian during the 6th century, first used the term 16 kingdoms in his texts. The kingdoms included the 5 Liangs, 4 Yans, 3 Qins, 2 Zhaos, Xia and Cheng Han. However, he no longer counted other kingdoms in this list, although there were several others that were formed such as the Western Yan, Zhai Wei, and Ran Wei. Northern Wei and Dai were not included, as well, and one reason for such was the fact that the Northern Wei soon became northern China’s ruling dynasty.

Other historians considered this period in China’s history as the 16 Kingdoms of the 5 Barbarians as ethnic minorities formed these kingdoms including the Dingling, Di, Qiang, Jie, Xianbei, and Xiongnu. These groups only took dynastic names as they founded the kingdoms. Some states that were established by Han Chinese had relations with these ethnic minorities.

These kingdoms did not last long because of political instability and intense competition among the different states. Historians regarded the 16 Kingdoms as one of China’s most difficult periods, and the fall of Western Jin Dynasty also had some resemblance with the decline in Western Rome‘s power because both of these were caused by barbaric tribe invasions.

The Teotihuacan in Mexico is renowned for its MesoAmerican pyramids, which were constructed during the pre-Columbian period. This can be found on the Bible Timeline with World History around 650 AD. It is located in the Valley of Mexico, specifically in the sub-valley. In the present era, it is found in the northeastern portion of Mexico City. There are also other structures found in this historical city including residential compounds that were once inhabited by families with some murals and the “Avenue of the Dead.” Teotihuacan is also regarded for its pottery style referred to as the “Thin Orange” as well as the people’s obsidian tools that earned them popularity in MesoAmerica.

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Facts about the City

Based on historians, it was in about 100 BC when Teotihuacan was formed. However, it took several years before the city was completed since it was only by 250 AD that significant monuments were constructed entirely. Although there were threats in the city during the 550 AD, the site was said to have lasted until 7 or 8 AD. Prior to those years, monuments in the city were sacked while others were burned to the ground.

During the second quarter of the first millennium AD, the city flourished tremendously. In fact, it was considered as the premier city during that era in the pre-Columbian Americas. By this time, there were about 125,000 people living in Teotihuacan. Hence, it became one of the largest cities in the world during this period.

The city started as a center of religion during the first century AD in the Mexican Highland. For years, it became known as the most populated and the largest city in that era. To provide more homes for the people, multi-level residential compounds were constructed, which are similar to modern-day apartments.

Background and Origin

There are still debates in terms of the earliest history and origin of the city’s founders. However, some archeologists consider the Toltec as the ones who built the city because of the Florentine Codex that included texts during the colonial period. The civilization of the Toltec only began flourishing several years after the Teotihuacan’s zenith. Which means that it can be disproved that the Toltec established Teotihuacan.

Several urban centers were established in the central parts of Mexico during the Late Formative period. The Cuicuilco was among these prominent areas that were located on Lake Texcoco’s southern shore. However, when the Xitle volcano erupted the people living in the central valley had to flee and settle in the Teotihuacan. These new inhabitants of the city were believed to have established Teotihuacan and allowed it to flourish.

Teotihuacan collapsed when invaders sacked the city and destroyed a huge part of it. This period in the history of Teotihuacan was during the 7th or the 8th century. Scientists claim that the entire city was completely burned, and its important structures were destroyed by observation of the multiple fragments and pieces scattered throughout the city. However, the decline in the city’s population started as early as the 6th century due to severe droughts caused by climate changes, which were around 535 to 536 AD.

Jerusalem is a land situated on a plateau between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Based on Islam, Christianity and Judaism, this nation was considered as holy. It is also claimed as both Palestine’s and Israel‘s capital. However, neither of these two countries’ claims were regarded internationally.

History of Jerusalem

There were two occasions when Jerusalem was destroyed, and it was seized at least 44 times throughout its history. As early as 4 BC, there were already residents in the city’s oldest sections. By 1538, the walls around Jerusalem were completed, which was during the time of Suleiman the Magnificent. Presently, these walls became its defining icon, when Jerusalem was separated into four different quarters. These quarters that were built in the 19th century were intended for the Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Armenian.

Based on the Holy Scriptures, King David conquered Jerusalem after defeating the Jebusites. It became a significant part of Israel where King Solomon ordered the construction of the city’s” First Temple“. However, there were no archeological proofs that the temple existed other than the accounts from the Bible.

The holy city’s sobriquet was believed to have been a part of Jerusalem during the post-exilic era. The Septuagint conserved Jerusalem’s holiness, based on the Christian religion. In fact, the Christians claimed this as true, and the belief that Jerusalem was indeed a holy city was strengthened by the accounts that Jesus was crucified there. As for the Islam religion, Jerusalem was also considered as a holy city, along with Medina and Mecca. For instance, Jerusalem became the site of the first Qibla, which was the center of the Muslim prayer. Muhammad also went to Jerusalem during the Night Journey, where he ascended to heaven while he talked to God.

Ever since Jerusalem was noted as Israel’s capital during the reign of King David several thousands of years ago, it served a significant role among the Jews. For instance, the Western or Wailing Wall are the last remains of the holiest site of Judaism. The ancient temple was the center of Jewish prayer and the focus of Jewish veneration. It was there that the Jews have prayed for salvation.

On the other hand, the Arabs never considered Jerusalem as their central city. It was not even a provincial capital during the rule of the Muslims. However, there is one site in Jerusalem that is revered by the Muslims, which is the Al-Aqsa. This mosque was regarded as holy in Islam.

These are all reasons why the city of Jerusalem was considered as holy by several religions, even if it was only a small area that measured 0.9 kilometers. Among the different important sites in Jerusalem are the Western Wall, al-Aqsa Mosque, and Holy Sepulchre’s Church.

At present, Jerusalem serves as the center of the conflict that exists between the Palestinians and Israelis. In fact, the War of 1948 that involved the Arabs and Israelis caused the conquer of West Jerusalem. East Jerusalem and the Old City were both captured by Jordan, and was eventually annexed. However, the international community was against the annexation, and it refuses to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s or Palestine’s capital.

In China, the Manchu people are an ethnic minority who came from the land of Manchuria. Their ancestors are the Sushen, which can be found on the Bible Timeline around 300 AD. The largest population of Manchu is in Liaoning, while other areas such as Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Heilongjiang, Hebei and Jilin have more than 100,000 people that are all Manchu. However, there are several autonomous counties in the country made up of Manchu people. Which are located in Yitong, Weichang, Kuandian, Beizhen, Fengcheng, Fengning and Qinglong, to name a few of the 300 townships and towns of the Manchu.

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According to historians, the Manchus were descendants of the group of people called Jurchen. These people formed China’s Jin Dynasty, although in the chronicles of ancient China’s Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; the Sushen were mentioned. They were believed to have come from the North Eastern Asia’s Manchurian region in the north. The Sushen paid their tribute to the Shun with bows and arrows. This minority group was famous for their hunting and farming skills, as well as in using wooden arrows with flint heads. They settled in areas such as in the trees or caves.

In the Book of Wei, which was written in the dynastic era in China, the Sushen was mentioned once again. Also referred to as Jichen, they were considered as the tribes of Tungusic Mohe who came from the Northeast regions. Based on scholars, the Mohe were sedentary people who had expertise in farming pigs. They had pork as a staple in their meals, and their coats were made from dog and pig skins. They were excellent farmers who grew rice, millet, wheat and soybeans.

Additional Facts about the Sushen

The northeastern portion of China was occupied by an ethnic group called the Sushen. The site where they lived was specifically in the Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. In the Zhou dynasty, the Sunshen people were very much active. In fact, there were archeological relics found in the area that were believed to have been from the Xituanshan Culture by the Tungusic.

The Sushen lived most of their lives in the Liaxi and Shandong borders. This was based on the Shanhaijing and Guoyu that were released during the Zhanguo in 476 to 221 BC. However, the Sushen was first documented in 6 BC, as featured in early documents in China. For a time, nothing much was known about this group except for their common dwelling that was in the forest and caves. Their way of living was documented, and their arrival in China was said to be an auspicious symbol of the virtue of the ruler in the country.

There were historians who believe that the Sushen and Mishihase were similar, according to ancient records in China. However, there were those who assumed that the Japanese gave the name to a group of indigenous people found in the northeastern part of the country. The Sushen were said to have been the Mohe’s ancestors, as well as the Manchu, Jurchen, and Nanai, among some Tungusic group of people.

According to historians, Christianity started in the Eastern Mediterranean, and this stretched towards the Roman Empire and up to India and is recorded to spread on the Bible Timeline starting around 500 AD. The rapid growth of the Church to these areas was related to the growing belief in Christianity that was evident in the Jewish diaspora, the Holy Land and in several Jewish centers. The Jewish Christians were considered as the very first believers and followers of early Christianity.

Spread of the Church through the Apostles of Christ

The Apostles of Jesus traveled from Jerusalem to other parts of the world after the crucifixion of Christ. Their main purpose was to spread the teachings of Jesus when he was still alive. Some of them also founded the Apostolic Sees, and they led early Christians in their religious gatherings in private homes referred to as house churches. The entire community of Christians was called a “church”, originating from a Greek word that means congregation, gathering or assembly.

A large population of Early Christians were travelers or merchants, and they went to various places including Asia Minor,

Africa, Greece, and Arabia. By the year 100 AD, there were more than 40 communities of Early Christians established, and most of these were in Anatolia. This place was also regarded as Asia Minor, and it was where the Seven Churches of Asia was found. Afterward, Christianity spread in other places including Syria, Greece, Armenia, India and Rome. These places served as the foundations for the spread of Christianity.

In Caesarea, Peter, one of Jesus’ apostles, baptized Cornelius who was a centurion and a gentile. He soon converted to Christianity, with the help of Peter. Paul, another apostle of Jesus, also stayed in Caesarea for a while. It was also in that place where he was imprisoned.

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Antioch, one of the Roman Empire’s most significant cities, became another place in the world where several people converted into Christianity. It was also the site where an early church was formed, and Peter was its founder and first bishop. The Apostolic Constitutions and the Gospel of Matthew were believed to have been written in Antioch.

Based on the Book of Acts, Jerusalem became known as the site of the very first church of the Christians. Here, the apostles of Jesus taught and remained after the Pentecost. James became the leader in this first church, and several other kinsmen also had leadership positions after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and until the rebuilding.

In 50 AD, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to meet with John, Peter and James, who were considered as the pillars of the church. Eventually, this meeting was referred to as the Council of Jerusalem. During this meeting, various subjects were discussed including the mission of Paul and Barnabas to the gentiles, as well as the freedom of converts from Mosaic law.

Peter decided to leave Jerusalem as Herod Agrippa I made attempts to kill him. At this point, James became the new principal authority of the early Church in Jerusalem.

During the years 284 to 305 AD where he can be found listed on the Bible Timeline with World History, Diocletian served as the emperor of Rome. While his family was not of great nobility, he was able to rise and gain success when he pursued a career in the military. Under the reign of Emperor Carus, Diocletian served as a cavalry commander. When Carus died, Diocletian started his rule as the new emperor. Although Carinus, the son of Carus, tried to claim this position, he died from his defeat during the Battle of the Margus. Hence, Diocletian decided to strengthen his empire, and this ended the “Crisis of the Third Century“.

In 293 AD, Diocletian decided to appoint some people to be his co-emperors including Constantius and Galerius. He wanted each of his co-emperors to rule over the empire’s four divisions. Emperor Diocletian decided to secure the borders of the Roman Empire further and prevent rebels from penetrating it. He was successful in defeating the Carpi and Sarmatians, which occurred in his campaigns during 285 or 299 AD. Other victorious fights were against Egypt and Alamanni.

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With the help of Galerius, Diocletian was able to succeed in fighting against Sassanid, Persia. Ctesiphon, its capital, was also conquered by the empire through the initiatives of Diocletian. In fact, he was able to make certain negotiations with his opponents, and this allowed him to gain long-term peace in his empire. Eventually, Diocletian decided to separate the military and civil services of the empire, and this helped strengthen while improving the different aspects of the Roman Empire’s bureaucratic government. Various places also had their own administrative centers including Trier, Antioch, Mediolanum and Nicomedia, these centers were now much closer to the frontiers of the empire. Thus, the emperor became more focused on becoming an autocrat. He did everything he could to promote the success of the empire through more construction projects, engaging in more campaigns, and promoting military and bureaucratic growth. Imperial taxation during his reign also became standardized beginning about 297 AD.

Challenges

There were some challenges that made it difficult for Diocletian to undertake all of his plans. For instance, his Edict on Maximum Prices ended up being counterproductive which failed to achieve positive results that he expected. Furthermore, the tetrarchic system that Diocletian established soon collapsed. Lastly, the Diocletianic Persecution that took place in 303 to 311 AD was not able to gain any success in destroying the Christian community of the empire. This was the largest and most gruesome persecution directed to Christians. In fact, the empire took Christianity as its preferred religion under the rule of Constantine.

Although there were failures along the way, Diocletian had several reforms that delivered massive changes on the imperial government of Rome. These changes also made the empire’s economy and military become more stable and stronger.

In 305, Diocletian decided to leave the imperial office due to a severe illness. He was the very first Roman emperor in history who left the position voluntarily.

Born as Marcus Antonius, Mark Antony was a politician and Roman general who performed the significant task in reforming the Republic of Rome. He is located on the Bible Timeline with History starting around 83 BC. From being an oligarchy, the Roman Empire became autocratic, with the help of Mark Antony. Antony was one of Julius Caesar‘s main supporters, he even served as a military commander for Caesar. Eventually, Antony was appointed by Caesar to become Italy’s administrator. He successfully eliminated some his opponents in politics in various locations including Spain, North Africa and Greece. In 44 BC, Antony decided to join Marcus Lepidus after Caesar was assassinated. Octavian, Marcus Lepidus and Mark Antony formed the Second Triumvirate. This group performed numerous tasks, specifically the fight against the Liberatores, a group of people who murdered Caesar. It was in 42 BC when the Liberatores were defeated, in the Battle of Philippi. Afterwards, the Roman Republic was divided among the three members of the Second Triumvirate. Antony ruled the eastern provinces of Rome, as well as Ptolemaic Egypt that was under the reign of Queen Cleopatra. Eventually, there were problems that existed among the members of the Triumvirate due to the hunger for political power. Octavian and Antony were in a civil war, although this is as averted when Antony decided to marry Octavia, who was Octavian’s sister. However, Antony remained in a relationship with Cleopatra, even though he was already married to Octavia.

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In 33 BC, the Triumvirate broke up; this was caused largely by a civil war that existed between Antony and Octavian. The Roman Senate declared Queen Cleopatra and Antony traitors to the Republic. In the Battle of Actium Octavian successfully defeated Antony. After the war, Antony went back to Egypt with Cleopatra, and he decided to commit suicide. This left Octavian as the ruler of Rome; he later obtained the title “Augustus”.

Further Details about Antony

Antony was skilled in the military, and this was evident when he joined Aulus Gabinius’ military staff, in 57 BC. He was appointed as the chief of the cavalry. This marked the start of his career in the military. Antony gained his very first distinctions in the military when he secured his victory at Machaerus and Alexandrium.

While Octavian ruled the western portion of Rome, Lepidus was the head of Africa. As for Mark Antony, he was assigned in the southern part of Turkey. At this time, he expressed his love for Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. This resulted in a romance between the two, and it led to an alliance that worked to his advantage in defending the eastern provinces.

Fulvia and Lucius decided to rebel against Octavian, in 40 BC. Antony had no choice but to go back to Italy. While on his way to Italy, Antony learned that Fulvia died. Soon after, there was a reconciliation between Octavian and Antony, and the latter decided to marry Octavia.

Antony’s marriage did not stop him from keeping his romance and alliance with the queen of Egypt. He also tried to gain sufficient funds that would support his planned campaigns in Judea. However, Cleopatra took this as a way for her to become even more powerful. The two remained in their love affair until Antony killed himself after losing the battle with Octavian.

As early as 1500 BC, the Chinese had started using written numbers in conducting their daily businesses. Although these events really came into focus around 454BC where it is recorded on the Bible timeline with History; it was during the Shang Dynasty , which was at least 2000 years earlier than when people from West Asia began writing numbers. Moreover, the Chinese mathematics system was considered as efficient, and the people counted numbers in base ten. It was before the year 190 AD in China when people started using the abacus in making simple calculations. The Nine Chapters, an early mathematical textbook, was used in Ancient China. Based on research, several parts of it have been written somewhere in 200 BC, or the start of the Han Dynasty in the country.

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According to historical records, the emergence of math in China began by 11 BC. There was a binary system, place value decimal system, trigonometry and geometry developed by the Chinese. Prior to 254 BC, the Chinese mathematics was still fragmentary. In earlier societies, the main focus in terms of science was astronomy. The main goal was not to create formal systems but to perform practical tasks and create the agricultural calendar. Furthermore, mathematics in ancient China did not utilize the axiomatic approach. Instead, there were advances made in some areas of math such as algebra and algorithm. It is also worth noting that the greatest advancement in the field of algebra in China was during the 13th century. It was at this period that the method of “four unknowns” was developed by Zhu Shijie.

There were great advances made in mathematics, science and technology, and astronomy with the help of ancient Chinese doctors, mathematicians and scientists. Herbal medicine, acupuncture and traditional form of Chinese medicine were also invented and improved during this period. The developments made on these fields were through scientific experiments and conducting empirical observations. Several inventions were made in ancient China including the shadow clock and the Kongming lanterns. In addition, there were quite a number of other inventions such as papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass. These were considered as technological advances in the country. It was in 618 AD, which was the Tang Dynasty, when numerous items were invented, and these helped improved the lives of the people in ancient China.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, missions initiated by Jesuits in China helped bring about Western science, as well as astronomy. In addition, various technologies in China were introduced to Europe. By the 19th and 20th century, Western technology had a huge impact in China’s progress and advancement of technologies. As for the records that explored the history of science in ancient China, this study was conducted by Joseph Needham.

Indeed, China has contributed much when it comes to the fields of math and science. It has introduced certain tools and systems that are still being used today. This has expanded to various continents throughout the world. With these innovations made by the people in ancient China it has helped make the lives of many individuals worldwide much easier and more efficient.