Spies and the forty-year judgment
Numbers 13–14. Twelve men search the land; Israel refuses to enter, and the generation numbered from twenty years old and upward is sentenced to die in the wilderness.
Original Timeline · special year-by-year timeline
From the Exodus to Deuteronomy
Forty Years in the Wilderness
| Creation yearTishriSept./Oct. | BCDec./Jan. | Nisan yearNisanMarch/April | Moses’ age | Aaron’s age | Joshua’s age | Route and stations | KJV Scripture | Jasher · parallel historical source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2446The Exodus and Passover; Israel crosses the Red Sea; The covenant at Sinai | 1477/1476 BC | 0 | 80 | 82 | 42 | Rameses → Succoth → Etham → Pi-hahiroth → Marah → Elim → wilderness of Sin → Rephidim → Sinai | Prophetic Ex. 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Numbers 33:3 Exodus 12:2, 41–42 · KJV This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. Exodus 14:21–22 · KJV And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground. Exodus 19:1, 5–6 · KJV In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me. | Jasher 81:1–2 The children of Israel went forth from Egypt with a high hand, and the Egyptians were burying their firstborn. Jasher 81:38–40 The waters were divided and the children of Israel passed through the sea upon dry ground. Jasher 82:1 The later chapters of Jasher conclude near the conquest; the covenant details are preserved in Exodus. |
| 2447 | 1476/1475 BC | 1 | 81 | 83 | 43 | |||
| 2448The tabernacle is raised | 1475/1474 BC | 2 | 82 | 84 | 44 | Sinai → Kibroth-hattaavah → Hazeroth; the continuing station sequence is preserved in Numbers 33 | Exodus 40:1–2, 17; Numbers 1:1; 10:11–12 · KJV The tabernacle is raised on the first day of the first month in the second year. The census follows, and Israel departs Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month. | |
| 2449 | 1474/1473 BC | 3 | 83 | 85 | 45 | |||
| 2450 | 1473/1472 BC | 4 | 84 | 86 | 46 | |||
| 2451 | 1472/1471 BC | 5 | 85 | 87 | 47 | |||
| 2452 | 1471/1470 BC | 6 | 86 | 88 | 48 | |||
| 2453 | 1470/1469 BC | 7 | 87 | 89 | 49 | |||
| 2454 | 1469/1468 BC | 8 | 88 | 90 | 50 | |||
| 2455 | 1468/1467 BC | 9 | 89 | 91 | 51 |
Creation years turn at Tishri, while Nisan calendar years turn six months later. Age columns record completed age on the Creation-year line. With Moses’ corrected birth placement in Creation year 2366, he is eighty on the Exodus row in Creation year 2446.
KJV Scripture governs this timeline. An event is assigned to a particular Creation-year row only when the established chronology and a stated biblical count support that placement. Events whose exact wilderness year is not stated are listed below the table instead of being given a guessed date.
Within the wilderness period · exact Creation year not stated
Events preserved without assigning a guessed year
Korah’s rebellion
Numbers 16–17. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebel. The earth opens, fire consumes the offering men, and Aaron’s rod buds as a witness.
Water from the rock
Numbers 20:2–13. Moses strikes the rock at Meribah. The chapter belongs to the later wilderness narrative, but Scripture does not attach a separate Creation year to the incident.
The fiery serpents
Numbers 21:4–9. The people speak against God and Moses; the brazen serpent is lifted up so that those who look upon it live.
Balaam and Balak
Numbers 22–24. On the approach to Canaan, Balak calls Balaam to curse Israel, but God turns the intended curse into blessing.
The complete station record
Numbers 33. Moses records Israel’s journeys from Rameses to the plains of Moab. The order is given, but most station changes are not assigned individual years.