Timeline Between Exodus and Jericho Conquest

The timeline between the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their conquest of Jericho is a period of approximately 40 years, marked by significant events in biblical history. The Exodus, meaning "departure" or "outgoing" ^[5], is a pivotal event in the Old Testament, described in the book of Exodus as the great deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt ^[1].

The traditional date for the Exodus is around 1490 BC ^[1] or 1491 BC ^[2]. This dating is primarily derived from 1 Kings 6:1, which states that the building of Solomon's Temple, in the fourth year of his reign, occurred 480 years after the Exodus ^{[1, 2]}. Solomon's fourth year is generally placed around 1012 BC. Adding 480 years to this date, and accounting for the fact that neither the fourth year nor the 480th year was a full year, yields approximately 1491 BC for the Exodus ^[2]. However, some Egyptologists propose a later date, around 1300 BC ^[2], and some scholars suggest the Exodus occurred around 1270 BC ^[13].

The period of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt is stated as 430 years in Exodus 12:40 ^[1]. The Septuagint (LXX) and the Samaritan Pentateuch clarify that this 430-year period encompasses the time the Israelites sojourned in both Egypt and the land of Canaan, covering the full period from the promise to Abraham until the Exodus ^{[1, 11]}. Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, notes an interval of 220 years from the death of Isaac to the Exodus ^{[3, 4]}.

Following the Exodus, the Israelites embarked on a journey through the wilderness. The book of Exodus details their journey from Egypt to Sinai ^[5]. The duration of their wilderness wanderings is consistently presented as 40 years. This period is often associated with the generation that was "rejected" due to their disobedience ^{[6, 7]}. Deuteronomy 1:2 mentions that it is an eleven-day journey from Horeb (Mount Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea ^[9], indicating that the 40-year period was not due to the direct travel time but rather a divine judgment and period of testing.

The conquest of Jericho marks the end of this 40-year wilderness period and the beginning of the Israelites' settlement in Canaan. Jericho, described as a fenced city and the strongest fortress in Canaan, was strategically important as the key to Western Palestine ^[8]. Its capture is presented as a miraculous event, with God delivering the city into the hands of the Israelites ^{[8, 10]}.

The crossing of the Jordan River, immediately preceding the siege of Jericho, occurred on the tenth day of the first month (Nisan or Abib) ^{[12, 14]}. This date is significant because it was the same day, 40 years prior, that Israel began preparations for the Passover before leaving Egypt ^[12]. John Gill notes that the Israelites came out of Egypt on the fifteenth of this month, meaning their journey from Egypt to their entrance into Canaan was exactly 40 years, minus five days ^[14]. After crossing the Jordan, the people encamped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho's territory ^[12].

The conquest of Jericho itself is described in Joshua 6 ^[8]. Hebrews 11:30 highlights the conquest of Jericho as an example of great faith, as the people obeyed God's unusual instructions ^[10]. The city was taken in a remarkable manner, demonstrating divine intervention ^[8].

Rabbinic tradition, as seen in Rashi's commentary on Daniel 12:11, also aligns with the 40-year period. Rashi calculates 210 years for the Egyptian exile, followed by 480 years from the Exodus until the First Temple ^[15]. This implicitly places the wilderness wandering and conquest within the 480-year span.

The timeline, therefore, is generally understood as 430 years in Egypt (or 400 years as a round number ^[13]), followed by 40 years of wilderness wandering, culminating in the conquest of Jericho. This sequence of events is foundational to the narrative of Israel's formation as a nation.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Exodus — The great deliverance wrought for the children of Isreal when they were brought out of the land of Egypt with "a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm" (Ex 12:51; Deut. 26:8; Ps 114; 136), about B.C. 1490, and four hundred and eighty years (1 Kings 6:1) before the building of Solomon's temple. The time of their sojourning in Egypt was, according to Ex. 12:40, the space of four hundred and thirty years. In the LXX., the words are, "The sojourning of the children of Israel which they sojourned in Egypt and in the land of Canaan was four hundred and thirty y”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Exodus, The — of the Israelites from Egypt. the common chronology places the date of this event at B.C. 1491, deriving it in this way:--In (1 Kings 6:1) it is stated that the building of the temple, in the forth year of Solomon, was in the 480th year after the exodus. The fourth year of Solomon was bout B.C. 1012. Add the 480 years (leaving off one years because neither the fourth nor the 480th was a full year), and we have B.C. 1491 as the date of the exodus. This is probably very nearly correct; but many Egyptologists place it at 215 years later,--about B.C. 1300. W”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, BOOK II, section 1: . Containing The Interval Of Two Hundred And Twenty Years.—From The Death Of Isaac To The Exodus Out Of Egypt.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, BOOK II, section 1: . Containing The Interval Of Two Hundred And Twenty Years.—From The Death Of Isaac To The Exodus Out Of Egypt.”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Exodus, Book of — Exodus is the name given in the LXX. to the second book of the Pentateuch (q.v.). It means "departure" or "outgoing." This name was adopted in the Latin translation, and thence passed into other languages. The Hebrews called it by the first words, according to their custom, Ve-eleh shemoth (i.e., "and these are the names"). It contains, (1.) An account of the increase and growth of the Israelites in Egypt (ch. 1) (2.) Preparations for their departure out of Egypt (2-12:36). (3.) Their journeyings from Egypt to Sinai (12:37-19:2). (4.) The giving of ”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, BOOK III, section 1: . Containing The Interval Of Two Years.—From The Exodus Out Of Egypt, To The Rejection Of That Generation.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, BOOK III, section 1: . Containing The Interval Of Two Years.—From The Exodus Out Of Egypt, To The Rejection Of That Generation.”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jericho — Place of fragrance, a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan, over against the place where that river was crossed by the Israelites (Josh. 3:16). Its site was near the Ain es-Sultan, Elisha's Fountain (2 Kings 2:19-22), about 5 miles west of Jordan. It was the most important city in the Jordan valley (Num. 22:1; 34:15), and the strongest fortress in all the land of Canaan. It was the key to Western Palestine. This city was taken in a very remarkable manner by the Israelites (Josh. 6). God gave it into their hands. The”
Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 1:2 (LEB) — It is a journey of ⌞eleven days⌟ from Herob ⌞by the way of Mount Seir⌟ up to Kadesh Barnea.”
Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 11:30: 11:30 The conquest of Jericho (Josh 5:13–6:27) offers another example of great faith, as the people acted in obedience to God’s unusual instructions.”
Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 12:40: 12:40 According to the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, 430 years would cover the full period from the promise to Abraham (Gen 12; 15) until the Exodus. Cp. Gal 3:17; see further Exodus Book Introduction, The Date of the Exodus.”
Joshua (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Joshua 4:19: The crossing took place on the tenth day of the first month, that is to say, on the same day on which, forty years before, Israel had begun to prepare for going out of Egypt by setting apart the paschal lamb (Exo 12:3). After crossing the river, the people encamped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of the territory of Jericho. The place of encampment is called Gilgal proleptically in Jos 4:19 and Jos 4:20 (see at Jos 5:9).”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 15:13: 15:13-16 Not even 400 years of bondage could interfere with God’s plan to fulfill the covenant. 15:13 oppressed: The same word is used in Exod 1:11-12. Egypt, like predatory birds (Gen 15:11), would try to destroy Israel and hinder the covenant’s fulfillment. • Apparently 400 years is a round number (also Acts 7:6; cp. Exod 12:40; Gal 3:17). Using the chronology in the Hebrew text, the family moved to Egypt around 1876 BC, and the Exodus occurred around 1446 BC (though many scholars date the Exodus later, around 1270 BC; see Exodus Book Introduction, “The Date o”
Joshua (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Joshua 4:19: And the people came up out of Jordan,.... The channel of it, to the shore: on the tenth day of the first month; the month Nisan or Abib, which from the time of Israel's coming out of Egypt was appointed the first month of the year, Exo 12:2; on the fifteenth of which month they came out of Egypt, having kept the passover on the fourteenth at even; so that their coming out of Egypt, to their entrance into Canaan, was just forty years, wanting five days. This tenth day was the day in which the passover was taken from the flock, and kept till the fourteenth, on which d”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Daniel 12:11: And from the time the daily sacrifice was removed in order to place a silent abomination in its stead, are days of one thousand two hundred and ninety years since the daily sacrifice was removed until it will be restored in the days of our King Messiah, and this calculation coincides with the calculation of (8:14): “evening and morning, two thousand and three hundred” from the day of their exile to Egypt until the final redemption: Egyptian exile 210; From their Exodus until the First Temple 480; First Temple 410; Babylonian exile 70; Second Temp”

Ask Your Own Question