Accordance Timeline Expanded Edition

Using the Accordance Timeline

David Lang

Some friends from my church told me about a Sunday School teacher who really knows the historical background of the Bible. They love how he connects the biblical narratives with Ancient Near Eastern history to show how it all fits together. Their only complaint is that it’s all too much to take in. One friend wished the teacher would place all those historical events on a timeline to help students keep everything straight.

Having helped develop the Accordance Timeline over many years, I understand how helpful a timeline can be. Having a grasp of Egyptian history greatly enriches our understanding of the Israelite Exodus. The New Testament becomes much clearer once we learn which Herod or Caesar is in view.

My favorite feature of the Timeline is the option to open a Timeline Data report from any timeline item. For example, if I click on Elizabeth I of England, I see her dates and a brief description. If I click the little report icon, a Timeline Data window opens listing every other timeline item contemporary with her reign. There are the items we expect, such as poets like Shakespeare and Donne, but there are also items we may not realize happened during that time period, such as the establishment of St. Augustine in Florida, the major Protestant confessions and the Council of Trent, or the reigns of Suleiman the Magnificent in Turkey, Ivan the Terrible in Russia, and the Ming dynasty in China.