Bible Timeline Series · T15

The Judges

Cycles of Sin and Deliverance — the years the Bible records, laid end to end
event (date given or worked out) lasted (reign, journey, ministry) date uncertain — some time in this range dashed = reconstructed date (scholars differ)
“Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.” 📖 Judg 2:16 (KJV)
Chushanrishathaim 812
Rest 40
Eglon of Moab 18
Rest 80
Jabin of Canaan 20
Rest 40
Midian 7
Rest 40
Abimelech 3
Tola 23
Jair 22
Philistines and Ammon 18
Jephthah 6
Ibzan 7
Elon 10
Abdon 8
The Philistines 40
Eli 40
Year 1
Year 50
Year 100
Year 150
Year 200
Year 250
Year 300
Year 350
Year 400
Year 450
1 Kgs 6:1: 356 years at most8
Acts 13:20 (KJV): about 4509
Othniel
Chushanrishathaim, 8 years
years 1–8 Judg 3:7–8
Rest, 40 years
years 9–48 Judg 3:9–11
Ehud
Eglon of Moab, 18 years
years 49–66 Judg 3:12–14
Rest, 80 years
years 67–146 Judg 3:15 …
Shamgar
Shamgar3
no years given Judg 3:31
Deborah
Jabin of Canaan, 20 years
years 147–166 Judg 4:1–3
Rest, 40 years
years 167–206 Judg 4:4 …
Gideon
Midian, 7 years
years 207–213 Judg 6:1
Rest, 40 years
years 214–253 Judg 8:28
Abimelech
Reigned, 3 years4
years 254–256 Judg 9:22
Tola
Judged, 23 years
years 257–279 Judg 10:1–2
Jair
Judged, 22 years
years 280–301 Judg 10:3
Jephthah
Philistines and Ammon, 18 years
years 302–319 Judg 10:6–8
Judged, 6 years5
years 320–325 Judg 12:7
Ibzan
Judged, 7 years
years 326–332 Judg 12:8–9
Elon
Judged, 10 years
years 333–342 Judg 12:11
Abdon
Judged, 8 years
years 343–350 Judg 12:13–14
Samson
The Philistines, 40 years6
years 351–390 Judg 13:1 …
Eli
Judged, 40 years7
years 391–430 1 Sam 4:18
Samuel
Samuel3
no years given 1 Sam 7:15

Notes — every event with its references, the notes and the sources are on the pages after the chart in the PDF.

1The Bible gives most of these lengths, and often the order, but not how the periods fit together. Here each is laid after the one before; the years carry no BC dates.

2The pattern (Judg 3:7–11): Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, is sold into an enemy’s hand, cried unto the Lord, and the LORD raised up a deliverer.

3The text gives no number of years for Shamgar (Judg 3:31) or for Samuel (1 Sam 7:15); each is a dot where the book places him, with no length.

4Abimelech is not said to have judged: he reigned three years over Israel (Judg 9:22); his years stand here because Tola came after Abimelech (Judg 10:1).

5Jephthah told the king of Ammon that Israel had dwelt in Heshbon three hundred years (Judg 11:26); this chart does not place that count on its axis.

6Samson judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years (Judg 15:20; compare 16:31); those years are counted inside the Philistines’ forty, not drawn again.

7Eli’s 40 years (1 Sam 4:18) are laid after Samson’s because 1 Samuel follows Judges; the text does not say whether Eli’s years and Samson’s overlap.

8The four hundred and eightieth year (1 Kgs 6:1) is 479 years after the Exodus; less 40 + 40 + 40 + 3, 356 are left for Joshua, the elders and the judges.

9Paul: God gave judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet (Acts 13:20). Every length added, with Eli’s 40, makes 450.

Free to copy · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · The Judges Timeline v1.0 (2026-10) · Scripture: KJV Years counted from the first oppression with a stated length (Judg 3:8), each period laid after the one before · no BC dates · each bar's length read from its verse · Year 1 is the first year of the first oppression. Red bars are years of oppression, green bars years of rest, blue bars the years a judge judged and the three years Abimelech reigned. The lengths are the Bible's own; the order and the laying end to end are this chart's reading.

The Judges — Study notes

Every event on the chart, with its Bible references, certainty and notes. One chronology for the whole series: the Bible's own numbers with the main ancient records. "c." = about; a range (e.g. 6–4 BC) = some time in that range.

DateEvent Bible references LaneCert.
Chushanrishathaim 8 · years 1–812
years 1–8 Chushanrishathaim, 8 years
The LORD sold Israel into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and they served him eight years (Judg 3:8)		 Judg 3:7–8 Othniel B
Rest 40 · years 9–48
years 9–48 Rest, 40 years
When Israel cried unto the Lord, he raised up a deliverer, Othniel the son of Kenaz, and the land had rest forty years		 Judg 3:9–11 Othniel B
Eglon of Moab 18 · years 49–66
years 49–66 Eglon of Moab, 18 years
the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years		 Judg 3:12–14 Ehud B
Rest 80 · years 67–146
years 67–146 Rest, 80 years
The LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded; afterwards the land had rest fourscore years		 Judg 3:15, 30 Ehud B
no years given Shamgar3
after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad and delivered Israel		 Judg 3:31 Shamgar B
Jabin of Canaan 20 · years 147–166
years 147–166 Jabin of Canaan, 20 years
The LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, and for twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel		 Judg 4:1–3 Deborah B
Rest 40 · years 167–206
years 167–206 Rest, 40 years
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time; afterwards the land had rest forty years		 Judg 4:4; 5:31 Deborah B
Midian 7 · years 207–213
years 207–213 Midian, 7 years
the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years		 Judg 6:1 Gideon B
Rest 40 · years 214–253
years 214–253 Rest, 40 years
the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon		 Judg 8:28 Gideon B
Abimelech 3 · years 254–256
years 254–256 Reigned, 3 years4
Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel		 Judg 9:22 Abimelech B
Tola 23 · years 257–279
years 257–279 Judged, 23 years
after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola, who judged Israel twenty and three years		 Judg 10:1–2 Tola B
Jair 22 · years 280–301
years 280–301 Judged, 22 years
after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years		 Judg 10:3 Jair B
Philistines and Ammon 18 · years 302–319
years 302–319 Philistines and Ammon, 18 years
The LORD sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon, who vexed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead		 Judg 10:6–8 Jephthah B
Jephthah 6 · years 320–325
years 320–325 Judged, 6 years5
Jephthah judged Israel six years		 Judg 12:7 Jephthah B
Ibzan 7 · years 326–332
years 326–332 Judged, 7 years
Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel, and he judged Israel seven years		 Judg 12:8–9 Ibzan B
Elon 10 · years 333–342
years 333–342 Judged, 10 years
Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years		 Judg 12:11 Elon B
Abdon 8 · years 343–350
years 343–350 Judged, 8 years
Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel, and he judged Israel eight years		 Judg 12:13–14 Abdon B
The Philistines 40 · years 351–390
years 351–390 The Philistines, 40 years6
The LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years; Samson judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years		 Judg 13:1; 15:20 Samson B
Eli 40 · years 391–430
years 391–430 Judged, 40 years7
he had judged Israel forty years		 1 Sam 4:18 Eli B
no years given Samuel3
Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life		 1 Sam 7:15 Samuel B

Certainty: A Stated in Scripture · B Worked out from Scripture · C Ancient record or astronomy · D Scholarly reconstruction · E Tradition / uncertain — scholars differ.

The Judges — notes and sources

How the dates were worked out

Every bar on this chart is a length of time the Bible itself gives (Judg 3–16; 1 Sam 4:18), read from its verse by a program. The chart gives no BC dates: the Bible does not say when the first oppression began, how long Joshua and the elders lived after the land was divided (Judg 2:7–10), or whether any of these periods overlapped. The years are counted from the first year of the first oppression the book gives a length for (Judg 3:8), and each period is laid after the one before it, in the order of the book (Eli, from 1 Samuel, after Samson); that arrangement is this chart's reading of the book, not a statement of the text. The last five chapters of Judges (17–21) give no number of years and are not drawn. Laid end to end, the periods reach year 430, counting Samson's 20 years (Judg 15:20; 16:31, one period) inside the Philistines' 40 (Judg 13:1) and including Eli's 40; adding Samson's 20 once more as a separate period, the lengths add up to 450. The four hundred and eightieth year of 1 Kgs 6:1 is 479 years after the Exodus; less the wilderness (40, Josh 5:6), Saul (40, a figure only Paul gives, Acts 13:21), David (40, 1 Kgs 2:11) and Solomon's first three years, 356 years are left for Joshua, the elders and the judges together. Year 1 is the first year of the first oppression. Red bars are years of oppression, green bars years of rest, blue bars the years a judge judged and the three years Abimelech reigned. The lengths are the Bible's own; the order and the laying end to end are this chart's reading.

Dated lines on the chart

1 Kgs 6:1: 356 years at most8 — month 12, year 356 (1 Kgs 6:1; Cert. B)

Acts 13:20 (KJV): about 4509 — month 12, year 450 (Acts 13:20; Cert. B)

⚖ Notes

1 The Bible gives most of these lengths, and often the order, but not how the periods fit together. Here each is laid after the one before; the years carry no BC dates. Year 1 is the first year of the first oppression the book gives a length for (Judg 3:7–8). The Bible does not say when that was, how many years Joshua and the elders lived on after the land was divided (Judg 2:7–10), or whether any of the periods overlapped; the book places one judge after another (after him, Judg 3:31; 10:3; 12:8, 11, 13). The five chapters at the end of Judges (17–21) give no number of years; they say that there was no king in Israel (Judg 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) and are not drawn. This chart's only choices are the order, the laying end to end, and counting Samson's 20 years inside the Philistines' 40 (see the note on Samson); every length is the Bible's own. (Judg 2:7–10; 3:7–8, 31; 10:3; 12:8, 11, 13; 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25)

2 The pattern (Judg 3:7–11): Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, is sold into an enemy’s hand, cried unto the Lord, and the LORD raised up a deliverer. Judg 3:7–11 shows the whole pattern in Othniel's time: Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, the LORD sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, Israel cried unto the Lord, the LORD raised up a deliverer, and the land had rest forty years. Seven verses of Judges say that Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1), and again is in four of them (3:12; 4:1; 10:6; 13:1) — found by searching the KJV. (Judg 3:7–11; 2:11; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1)

3 The text gives no number of years for Shamgar (Judg 3:31) or for Samuel (1 Sam 7:15); each is a dot where the book places him, with no length. Shamgar slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad and delivered Israel (Judg 3:31), after Ehud; Judg 4:1 says that Israel did evil again when Ehud was dead. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam 7:15); his dot is laid at the end of Eli's years, the earliest it can stand, for the ark's seven months among the Philistines and its twenty years at Kirjath-jearim come between (1 Sam 6:1; 7:2). (Judg 3:31; 4:1; 1 Sam 6:1; 7:2, 15)

4 Abimelech is not said to have judged: he reigned three years over Israel (Judg 9:22); his years stand here because Tola came after Abimelech (Judg 10:1). (Judg 9:22; 10:1)

5 Jephthah told the king of Ammon that Israel had dwelt in Heshbon three hundred years (Judg 11:26); this chart does not place that count on its axis. Judg 11:26 is another length the Bible gives. It counts the time Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, which began when Israel took Heshbon (Num 21:25); this chart does not place that start, so it does not use the number. (Judg 11:26; Num 21:25)

6 Samson judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years (Judg 15:20; compare 16:31); those years are counted inside the Philistines’ forty, not drawn again. The verses give two numbers: the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years (Judg 13:1), and Samson judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years (Judg 15:20; compare 16:31). This chart counts the 20 inside the 40. Counted again, the periods would end in year 450 instead of 430. The text does not say in which of the 40 years Samson judged. (Judg 13:1; 15:20; 16:31)

7 Eli’s 40 years (1 Sam 4:18) are laid after Samson’s because 1 Samuel follows Judges; the text does not say whether Eli’s years and Samson’s overlap. Eli had judged Israel forty years when he died on hearing that the ark of God was taken (1 Sam 4:17–18). The Philistines are the enemy in 1 Sam 4 as in Judg 13–16, and the text does not say how Eli's 40 years relate to the Philistines' 40 or to Samson's 20. (1 Sam 4:1–2, 17–18)

8 The four hundred and eightieth year (1 Kgs 6:1) is 479 years after the Exodus; less 40 + 40 + 40 + 3, 356 are left for Joshua, the elders and the judges. 1 Kgs 6:1 dates the start of the building of the Temple in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in Solomon's fourth year — 479 full years after the Exodus. The text itself gives these parts: the wilderness, forty years (Josh 5:6: walked forty years in the wilderness); Saul, by the space of forty years (Acts 13:21, Paul speaking; 1 Sam 13:1 in the KJV gives no usable number, so this figure rests on Paul alone); David, the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years (1 Kgs 2:11); and Solomon's three years of reign before his fourth. 479 − 40 − 40 − 40 − 3 = 356, to cover the conquest, the rest of Joshua's life, the elders that outlived Joshua (Judg 2:7) and the judges up to Saul. The line on the chart stands at the end of year 356 counted from year 1, as if Joshua and the elders had no years; every year they had moves the true end of the 356 that many years earlier, so the line marks the latest year at which the judges' periods could end, if the 480 years are a plain sum. A year or two may be lost or gained at each join, because part-years may be counted as whole years. The numbers of the judges laid end to end (430) come to more than 356, and the text does not say how they fit together. One view of the date of the Exodus, set out in the ESV Study Bible's article on it, reads the 480 years as a representative number for twelve generations rather than a plain sum; this chart makes no choice. (1 Kgs 6:1; 2:11; Josh 5:6; Acts 13:21; Judg 2:7–10)

9 Paul: God gave judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet (Acts 13:20). Every length added, with Eli’s 40, makes 450. Acts 13:19–20 says that God divided their land to them by lot and after that gave judges for this long. Every length the book of Judges gives for an oppression, a rest or a judge, added (8 + 40 + 18 + 80 + 20 + 40 + 7 + 40 + 3 + 23 + 22 + 18 + 6 + 7 + 10 + 8 + 40 + 20), is 410, and Eli's 40 years (1 Sam 4:18) make 450 (Samson's 20 years, Judg 15:20; 16:31, are one period, counted once here). This chart draws Samson's 20 years inside the Philistines' 40, so its periods end in year 430; the marker stands where year 450 would end, counted from year 1 as if Joshua and the elders had no years. The text does not say that Paul was adding these numbers. This follows the KJV, which puts the 450 years on the judges; the ESV and NIV read "All this took about 450 years" as the time before the judges (Acts 13:19–20 in parallel translations). (Acts 13:19–20; 1 Sam 4:18; Judg 15:20; 16:31)

Sources

The King James translators, The Holy Bible, King James Version — Pure Cambridge Edition text (bibleprotector.com), checked against eBible.org's 1769 text, 1611 (Cambridge text).

ESV Study Bible (Crossway), article by the study-Bible team, The Date of the Exodus (ESV Study Bible, as published at Bible Study Tools), 2008 (online).

Bible Hub (parallel Bible translations), Acts 13:20 in parallel translations (biblehub.com/acts/13-20.htm), 2026 (read).

Only sources actually checked are listed. Copyrighted charts were used for cross-checking only.

Free to copy, print and share for non-commercial use. Licence: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0). Scripture quotations: King James Version (KJV) (Cambridge text). The Judges Timeline v1.0, 2026-10-10.