Time Elapsed Between Old and New Testaments

Question
How many centuries elapsed between the last events of the Old Testament and the first events of the New Testament?
Answer
The last events recorded in the Old Testament surround the restoration of Israel to the Promised Land after the Babylonian exile. The history of the restoration recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah ends in what was probably 433 B.C., marking the lastest recorded history in the Old Testament.

The first historical events of the New Testament deal with the pregnancy of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. The prophecy of her pregnancy received by Zecharias in Luke 1:5ff. must been given a little more than a year before the birth of Jesus. The exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown, but it is likely that Jesus was born between 4 and 1 B.C.

Answer by Ra McLaughlin

Ra McLaughlin is Vice President of Finance and Administration at Third Millennium Ministries.