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Selected Time Line of the History of Religious Influence and Ideas

3000-2000 BCE

Egyptian Pyramids built (2613-2494 BCE)

Indus Valley Civilization (2500-2000 BCE))

An ancient civilization thriving along the Indus River and the Ghaggar-Hakra river in what is now Pakistan and western India.

Learn more at the Indus Valley Civilization entry on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

2000-500 BCE

Aryan Period in Indus Valley area (2000-600 BCE)

Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar lived in Ur, Haran, Canaan, Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Egypt (ca 2000-1821 BCE)

Abraham and Hagar's son, Ishmael, fathered 12 sons and became the father of the Arab nations.

Abraham and Sarah's son, Isaac, married Rebekah and they had twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Esau founded the nation of Edom. Jacob, whose name was changed to "Israel" after he wrestled with an angle of God, had 12 sons, who became the heads of the 12 tribes of the Israelites.

(Jews, Muslims, and Christians all trace their religious heritage to Abraham.)

Composition and writing of Hindu sacred scripture (1500-500 BCE)

Hindu tradition is contained in the Vedas, a body of ancient hymns and chants recited orally in verse.

(The Hindu tradition later influenced the American Transcendentalists.)

Moses leads the Hebrew people out of Egypt (1260 BCE)

Classic Greek culture (1200-323 BCE)

Alexander the Great dies in 323 BCE

Vedic Age in Indus Valley area (1000-600 BCE)

Roman empire grows and flourishes (753 BCE - 476 CE)

Yoga practice initiated

(Yoga practice and mediation has influenced many cultures and traditions since its inception.)

Founding of Buddhism

The historical Buddha, Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is said to have been born in India in 635 BCE.

(Buddhism later influenced King Asoka of India.)

Founding of Jainism (540-468 BCE)

(Jainism later influenced Mahatma Gandhi.)

Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (586-587 BCE)

500 BCE - 0

King Asoka, ruler of the Mauryan empire from 273 to 232 BCE, converted to Buddhism and elevated Buddhism to the official state religion.

The Mauryan Empire was India's first great unified empire and included parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Buddhist missionaries to Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

These missionaries later influenced the spread of Buddhism to China.)

1-1800 CE

Founding of Christianity (1st century)

Jesus the Christ lived and taught from approx. 4 BCE to 30 CE.

Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples, arrived in India in 52 CE.

Paul, an early convert to Christianity, traveled from Palestine to Rome in approx. 58-61 CE.

The Chaldean Christians escaped persecution and arrived in India in 345 CE.)

Buddhism enters China (1st-2nd centuries))

Buddhism enters Myanmar (Burma))

Buddhism enters Korea (4th-7th centuries)

The spread of Buddhism to Korea later influenced Zen Buddhist schools of thought in the United States.

Muhammad marches from Mecca to Medina; beginning of Muslim era (622 CE))

Buddhism enters Japan (7th century))

Islam to India (7th century)

Height of the Renaissance (1500))

Protestant Reformation begins (1521)

Western Protestant mission to India (began late 1700s, continued into 1800s)