The Chronology of Chanuka - A Timeline (2nd temple overview and then Chanuka)

2nd TEMPLE TIMELINE

3338/423 B.C.E. Destruction of First Temple and beginning of Babylonian Exile
3389/372 B.C.E. Babylon falls to Medes and Persians under Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Great of Persia
3391/370 B.C.E. Cyrus reigns, permits Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael
3408/353 B.C.E. Darius the Persian permits Jews to rebuild Temple
3442/319 B.C.E. Beginning of Greek era
3448/313 B.C.E. Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty rules Eretz Yisrael
3562/199 B.C.E. Antiochus III the Great, scion of the Seleucid dynasty and ruler of Syria, wrests Eretz Yisrael from Egypt
3571/190 B.C.E. Rome defeats Antiochus III at Magnesia
3586/175 B.C.E. Antiochus IV reigns
3594/168 B.C.E. Desecration of Temple by Antiochus
3597/165 B.C.E. Conquest of Temple by Hasmoneans; the miracle of Chanukah
3598/163 B.C.E. Antiochus IV dies
3599/162 B.C.E. His son, Antiochus V, besieges Jerusalem
3600/161 B.C.E. Demetrius I (son of Seleucus IV) rules; Alcimus appointed Kohen Gadol; defeat and death of Syrian general Nikanor (13 Adar)
3601 /160 B.C.E. Yehudah killed in battle; Yonasan elected leader of the Jewish rebellion
3602/159 B.C.E. Alcimus dies
3609/152 B.C.E. Alexander (Balas) I, alleged son of Antiochus IV, contests rule of Demetrius I; both recognize Yonasan as Kohen Gadol
3610/151 B.C.E. Alexander I rules
3614/147 B.C.E Alexander I deposed (by Ptolemy IV king of Egypt); Demetrius II (son of Demetrius I) rules
3617/144 B.C.E. Tryphon deposes Demetrius II (who escapes), and rules on (approx.) behalf of the infant Antiochus VI (son of Alexander I)
3619/142 B.C.E. Tryphon tricks Yonasan and kills him; Shimon takes over Kehunah Gedolah, proclaims himself ‘Prince of the Jews’
3619/142 B.C.E. Tryphon kills Antiochus VI and proclaims himself king
3621/140 B.C.E. Sanhedrin and the People proclaim Shimon ‘Prince of the Jews’ 18 Elul).
3621-3725/140-36 B.C.E. Rule of the Hasmonean dynasty (Shimon, Yochanan Hyrkanos, Yehudah Aristobulus, Alexander Yannai, Queen Alexandra Hyrkanos and Aristobulus)
3630/131 B.C.E. Yochanan Hyrkanos forms an alliance with Antiochus VII
3632/129 B.C.E. Antiochus VII dies
3698/63 B.C.E. Roman consul Pompei conquers Jerusalem
3725-3828/36 B.C.E.-68 C.E. Rule of Herodian dynasty and Roman governors (Herod, Archelaus, Roman governors, Agrippa I, Roman governors)
3828/68 C.E. Destruction of Second Temple by Romans (according to some, the year was 3829)
OVERVIEW OF CHANUKAH PERIOD DATE
Athens defeats Persia at Marathon 490 BCE
Plato; Greek philosophy 400 BCE
Sparta defeats Athens 352 BCE
Philip of Macedon rules Greece 338 BCE
Alexander the Great rules Greece 336 BCE
Alexander dies;
Ptolemies control Egypt and Israel 323 BCE
Selucid Syrian/Greeks conquer Israel 199 BCE
Greek decrees against Judaism;
Desecration of Temple 168 BCE
Matitiyahu begins revolt in Modi’in 167 BCE
Matitiyahu dies; Judah Maccabee leads
War against Greeks 166 BCE
Temple recaptured;
Miracle of oil occurs 165 BCE
Jewish war against the Greek continues 165-140 BCE
Hasmonean dynasty 140-36 BCE
Rome conquers Jerusalem 63 BCE