The Roots of Abrahamic Faith

Belief Origin is an interactive journey through the origins and evolution of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — the three great Abrahamic faiths that have shaped human civilization for millennia. Trace the lineages, schisms, and pivotal connections across 4,000 years of religious history through our dynamic timeline.

Explore the Interactive Lineage Timeline

Use the interactive timeline below to navigate the key moments, figures, and movements in Abrahamic religious history. Discover how Judaism gave birth to Christianity, how Islam emerged, and how these faiths branched into the diverse traditions we know today. Each node on the timeline represents a pivotal moment in the lineage of belief — from the covenant of Abraham to the major modern denominations.

Abrahamic Lineage

Tap node for details · Pinch/scroll to zoom · Drag to pan

~2000 BC

~1900 BC

~1800 BC

~1650 BC

~1500 BC

~1380 BC

~1050 BC

~957 BC

~922 BC

~722 BC

~587 BC

~516 BC

~450 BC

~150 BC

1 AD

30 AD

70 AD

100 AD

135 AD

200 AD

301 AD

325 AD

400 AD

451 AD

500 AD

529 AD

622 AD

770 AD

1000 AD

1054 AD

1100 AD

1280 AD

1389 AD

1500 AD

1517 AD

1609 AD

1750 AD

1830 AD

1906 AD

1968 AD

2000 AD

— 70 AD · TEMPLE DESTROYED · GREAT TURNING POINT —

ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

~2000 BC

ISAAC / COVENANT LINE

~1900 BC

ISHMAELITE STREAM

~1900 BC

JACOB / ISRAEL

~1800 BC

JOSEPH — SOLD TO EGYPT

~1700 BC

ISRAEL SETTLES IN EGYPT

~1650 BC

EGYPTIAN BONDAGE

~1500 BC

MOSES / THE EXODUS

~1446/1280 BC

WILDERNESS / SINAI

~1406 BC

MOSAIC / SINAI COVENANT

~1400 BC

RECHABITES

~900–600 BC

CONQUEST OF CANAAN

~1406 BC

PERIOD OF THE JUDGES

~1380–1050 BC

UNITED MONARCHY

~1050–922 BC

FIRST TEMPLE YAHWISM

~957–587 BC

NORTHERN KINGDOM

922–722 BC

SOUTHERN KINGDOM

922–587 BC

SAMARITANISM

722 BC+

EXILIC YAHWISM

587–538 BC

ANSHEI KNESSET

~450 BC

SCRIBES / SOFERIM

~400 BC

SECOND TEMPLE SECTARIANISM

516 BC–70 AD

AM HA-ARETZ

~200 BC+

HELLENIZERS

~175 BC

HASIDIM

~167 BC

TZEDUKIM

~150 BC

PERUSHIM

~150 BC

YAHAD / BNEI OR

~150 BC

LUNAR CALENDAR

~250 BC

NO RESURRECTION / NO AFTERLIFE

~200 BC

WRITTEN TORAH ONLY

~200 BC

FREE WILL (TZEDUKIM)

~200 BC

TEMPLE-ONLY ATONEMENT

~200 BC

APOCALYPTIC ESCHATOLOGY

~165 BC

RESURRECTION-AS-RESTORATION

~165 BC

SOLAR CALENDAR (364-DAY)

~250 BC

PREDESTINATION / DIVINE DETERMINISM

~150 BC

TWO SPIRITS DOCTRINE

~150 BC

SONS OF LIGHT VS DARKNESS

~150 BC

COSMIC DUALISM

~150 BC

TWO MESSIAHS (AARONIC + DAVIDIC)

~150 BC

TEACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

~150 BC

WICKED PRIEST DOCTRINE

~150 BC

PRE-EXISTENT MESSIAH

~100 BC

MELCHIZEDEK DOCUMENT

~100 BC

COMMUNITY AS SPIRITUAL TEMPLE

~150 BC

ATONEMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY

~100 BC

ESCHATOLOGICAL WAR

~100 BC

DEMONOLOGY / BELIAL

~150 BC

HEAVENLY TABLETS / PREDEST. HISTORY

~150 BC

HEAVENLY REDEEMER FIGURE

~165 BC

ANGELOLOGY / HIERARCHY OF ANGELS

~200 BC

RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

~200 BC

ORAL TORAH TRADITION

~200 BC

COMPATIBILISM (FREE WILL + PROVIDENCE)

~150 BC

DAVIDIC MESSIAH (SINGLE)

~150 BC

SYNAGOGUE / PRAYER AS WORSHIP

~150 BC

HEAVENLY HEIKHALOT / THRONE MYSTICISM

~50 BC

HELLENISTIC LOGOS THEOLOGY

~30 BC

ALLEGORICAL TORAH INTERPRETATION

~20 AD

ANOINTED ONE OF THE END OF DAYS

~50 BC

REALIZED ESCHATOLOGY

~30 AD

FOURTH PHILOSOPHY

~6 AD

BOETHUSIANS

~100 BC

THERAPEUTAE

~100 BC

HERODIANS

~37 BC

NAZOREANS

~1st c AD

ZEALOTS / SICARII

~50–70 AD

NOTZRIM

~30 AD

JERUSALEM CHURCH

~30 AD

HELLENISTIC JEWISH CHR.

~35 AD

PAUL’S CONVERSION

~37 AD

ANTIOCH CHURCH

~44 AD

JERUSALEM COUNCIL

~49 AD

PAULINE MISSION

~50 AD

JOHANNINE COMMUNITY

~50 AD

JAMES MARTYRED

~62 AD

NERO PERSECUTION

~64 AD

JEWISH-ROMAN WAR

66–70 AD

RABBINIC JUDAISM

~70 AD

JUDEAN CHRISTIANITY

~70–135 AD

YAVNEH ACADEMY

~70 AD

GOSPEL OF MARK

~70–75 AD

EBIONITES

~80 AD

COUNCIL OF JAMNIA

~90 AD

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

~80 AD

MINIM

~100 AD

GOSPEL OF LUKE

~85 AD

JEWISH GNOSTICS

~100 AD

MARCIONITE ROOTS

~85 AD

GOSPEL OF JOHN

~90 AD

DOCETISTS

~90 AD

REVELATION

~95 AD

DIDACHE COMMUNITY

~100 AD

GNOSTIC MOVEMENTS

~100 AD+

PROTO-CATHOLIC

~100 AD

BAR KOKHBA MOVEMENT

132–135 AD

MARCIONISM

~144 AD

REDACTION OF MISHNAH

~200 AD

ARMENIAN CHURCH

~301 AD

AMORAIM BEGIN

~200 AD

COUNCIL OF NICAEA

325 AD

BABYLONIAN ACADEMY

~220 AD

PATRIARCHATE / NASI

~350 AD

PALESTINIAN AMORAIM

~300 AD

WESTERN CHURCH

~400 AD

NESTORIAN

~431 AD

BABYLONIAN TALMUD

~500 AD

JERUSALEM TALMUD

~400 AD

ISLAM

622 AD

SUNNI

~632 AD

SHIA

~632 AD

SUFI

~770 AD

KARAITE

~770 AD

MASORETES

~500–1000 AD

SEPHARDIC

~1000 AD

ASHKENAZI

~1000 AD

EASTERN ORTHODOXY

1054 AD

ROMAN CATHOLIC

Post-1054 AD

KABBALAH

~1100–1280 AD

PROTESTANT REFORMATION

1517 AD

BAPTIST / METHODIST

1609–1700s

SABBATEAN MOVEMENT

1665–1676 AD

HASIDIC

~1750 AD

MODERN BRANCHES

1810s+

MUSAR MOVEMENT

~1840 AD

★ MORMON (LDS)

1830 AD

ZIONISM

1897 AD

PENTECOSTAL

1906 AD

RECONSTRUCTIONIST

1934 AD

HOUSE OF HILLEL

~70 AD

HOUSE OF SHAMMAI

~70 AD

TEMPLE RESTORATION GROUPS

~70–135 AD

MERKAVAH MYSTICS

~70–200 AD

GALILEAN RABBINIC JUDAISM

~135 AD

BABYLONIAN JUDAISM

~135 AD

MIZRAHI JEWS

~1000 AD

SAFED KABBALISTS

~1570 AD

MITNAGDIM

~1750 AD

ORTHODOX JUDAISM

~1810 AD

REFORM JUDAISM

~1810 AD

CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM

~1845 AD

HUNGARIAN NEOLOG

1868-1869 AD

SADDUCEE COLLAPSE

70 AD

ESSENE COLLAPSE

68–70 AD

ZEALOT REMNANTS

~70–135 AD

DIASPORA EXPANSION

~70 AD

PERSIAN ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~722 BC

SYRIAN ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~586 BC

ELEPHANTINE ISRAELITE GARRISON

~525 BC

BETA ISRAEL

~400 BC

HELLENISTIC ISRAELITE DIASPORA

~300 BC · Alexandria

MAGHREBI ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~300 BC

TOBIAD DYNASTY

~250 BC

BENE ISRAEL

~175 BC

ITALIAN ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~160 BC · Italkim

ONIAD TEMPLE AT LEONTOPOLIS

~160 BC

IDUMEANS (YAHWEH CONVERTS)

~125 BC

ITUREANS (YAHWEH CONVERTS)

~104 BC

YEMENITE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~110 BC

GOD-FEARERS / SEBOMENOI

~50 AD

ROMANIOTE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

~50 AD

EASTERN DIASPORA COMMUNITIES

~70 AD · India

COCHIN COMMUNITY

~70 AD

BUKHARAN COMMUNITY

~350 AD

GEORGIAN COMMUNITY

~550 AD

KAIFENG COMMUNITY (CHINA)

~960 AD

BAGHDADI COMMUNITY OF INDIA

~1790 AD

EARLY TANNAIM

~70–130 AD

BAR KOKHBA SUPPORTERS

~132 AD

NON-REVOLUTIONARY RABBIS

~132 AD

NATIONALISTS DESTROYED

135 AD

REVOLUTIONARY COLLAPSE

135 AD

GEONIM / GAONIC PERIOD

~589–1038 AD

MIDRASH LITERATURE

~400–900 AD

PIYYUT / LITURGICAL POETRY

~500–1000 AD

HASKALAH

~1770 AD

NEO-ORTHODOXY

~1850 AD

RENEWAL / HAVURAH

~1968 AD

HUMANISTIC JUDAISM

~1963 AD

CELTIC CHRISTIANITY

~400 AD

CERINTHIANS

~100 AD

THOMASINE CHRISTIANITY

~100 AD · Syria

VALENTINIANS

~140 AD · Valentinus

BASILIDEANS

~130 AD · Basilides

SETHIANS

~150 AD

OPHITES / NAASSENES

~150 AD

MONTANISM

~155 AD · Montanus

ENCRATITES

~160 AD · Tatian

APOLLINARIANISM

~360 AD · Apollinaris

PELAGIANISM

~390 AD · Pelagius

SEMI-PELAGIANISM

~420 AD · Cassian

DONATISM

~311 AD · Donatus

PAULICIANS

~650 AD · Armenia

BOGOMILISM

~950 AD · Bulgaria

CATHARISM / ALBIGENSIANS

~1143 AD · Languedoc

WALDENSIANISM

~1173 AD · Peter Waldo

DOSITHEANS

~1st c AD · Dositheus

BIRKAT HAMINIM — CURSE OF HERETICS

~90 AD · Yavneh

FRANKISTS

~1755 AD · Jacob Frank

QADARIYYA

~700 AD · Free Will

JABRIYYA

~700 AD · Hard Determinism

MURJI’A

~700 AD · Deferred Judgment

HALLAJIYYA

~922 AD · Al-Hallaj

HURUFIYYA

~1400 AD · Fazlallah

YAZIDIS

~1100 AD · Northern Iraq

QARMATIANS

~899 AD · Arabia

BATINIYYA

~950 AD · Esoteric Islam

FREE WILL VS PREDESTINATION

~750 AD · Kalam Debate

CREATED VS UNCREATED QURAN

~833 AD · Mihna Crisis

FANA — ANNIHILATION IN GOD

~850 AD · Sufi theology

WAHDAT AL-WUJUD — UNITY OF BEING

~1240 AD · Ibn Arabi

MAQASID AL-SHARIAH

~1058 AD · Al-Ghazali

ISNAD — CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION

~800 AD · Hadith science

MAHDI — THE GUIDED ONE

~800 AD · Eschatology

BARZAKH — INTERMEDIATE STATE

~750 AD · Islamic afterlife

TORAH LISHMAH

~220 AD · R. Meir / Avot

OLAM HA-BA / RESURRECTION

~200 AD · Sanhedrin 90a

SHEKHINAH IN EXILE

~400 AD · Megillah 29a

ORAL TORAH AUTHORITY

~200 AD · Avot 1:1

IMITATIO DEI

~200 AD · Sotah 14a

PIKUACH NEFESH

~500 AD · Yoma 85b

TALMUDIC NOAHIDE COMMANDMENTS

c. 500-600 AD · Sanhedrin 56a

RABBINIC RIGHTEOUS-GENTILE INCLUSION

c. 500-600 AD · Sanhedrin 105a

EMUNAH VS. DA’AT

~933 AD · Saadia Gaon

MAIMONIDES’ 13 PRINCIPLES

~1168 AD · Mishnah Commentary

NOAHIDE WORLD-TO-COME DOCTRINE

c. 1170-1180 AD · Kings 8:11

EIN OD MILVADO

~1200 AD · Kabbalistic theology

EIN SOF AND THE SEFIROT

~1280 AD · Zohar

GILGUL / TRANSMIGRATION

~1150 AD · Bahir / Luria

TZIMTZUM — DIVINE CONTRACTION

~1570 AD · R. Isaac Luria

CHOSENNESS (AM SEGULAH)

~1800 AD · Spinoza to Kaplan

HOLOCAUST THEOLOGY

~1960 AD · Berkovits / Fackenheim

HEBREW BIBLE CANON CLOSED

~90 AD · Council of Jamnia

NEW TESTAMENT CANON

~397 AD · Council of Carthage

UTHMANIC CODEX — QURAN FIXED

~650 AD · Caliph Uthman

DESERT FATHERS & MOTHERS

~270 AD · Anthony the Great

PACHOMIAN COMMUNITIES

~323 AD · Pachomius

BENEDICTINE RULE

~529 AD

COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON

451 AD

COPTIC CHURCH

451 AD

ETHIOPIAN CHURCH

451 AD

SYRIAC CHURCH

451 AD

CAROLINGIAN CHURCH

~800 AD

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX

~1589 AD

LUTHERAN

1517 AD

REFORMED / CALVINIST

~1536 AD

ANGLICAN / EPISCOPAL

~1534 AD

ANABAPTIST

~1525 AD

PRESBYTERIAN

~1560 AD

CONGREGATIONALISM

~1581 AD

HUNGARIAN REFORMED

~1560s AD

QUAKERS (FRIENDS)

~1647 AD

SALVATION ARMY

~1865 AD

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

~1863 AD

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

~1872 AD

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

~1879 AD

LIBERATION THEOLOGY

~1968 AD

CHARISMATIC RENEWAL

~1967 AD

EMERGENT CHURCH

~2000 AD

RANSOM THEORY

~100 AD · Origen

RECAPITULATION

~180 AD · Irenaeus

CHRISTUS VICTOR

~500 AD · Aulen/Irenaeus

MORAL INFLUENCE

~1079 AD · Abelard

SATISFACTION THEORY

~1098 AD · Anselm

GOVERNMENTAL THEORY

~1617 AD · Grotius

PENAL SUBSTITUTION

~1536 AD · Calvin

SOLIDARITY / KENOTIC

~1900 AD · von Balthasar

SCAPEGOAT / MIMETIC

~1972 AD · Girard

ARIANISM

325 AD

HOMOOUSIOS

325 AD

MODALISM / SABELLIANISM

200 AD

SUBORDINATIONISM

150 AD

TRINITARIANISM

325 AD

SEMI-ARIANISM

340 AD

LOGOS CHRISTOLOGY

90 AD

TWO NATURES (CHALCEDON)

451 AD

MIAPHYSITISM

451 AD

NESTORIANISM

431 AD

ADOPTIONISM

200 AD

KENOSIS

1870 AD

FILIOQUE

800 AD

ORIGINAL SIN

400 AD

THEOSIS

1054 AD

PREDESTINATION

1536 AD

ARMINIANISM

1610 AD

TULIP / TOTAL DEPRAVITY

1536 AD

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

100 AD

PAPAL INFALLIBILITY

1870 AD

SOLA SCRIPTURA

1517 AD

PRIESTHOOD OF ALL

1517 AD

PREMILLENNIALISM

100 AD

AMILLENNIALISM

400 AD

DISPENSATIONALISM

1830 AD

KHARIJITES

657 AD

IBADI

684 AD

HANAFI

699 AD

MALIKI

711 AD

SHAFI’I

820 AD

HANBALI

855 AD

MUTAZILITE

750 AD

ASHARI THEOLOGY

935 AD

MATURIDI THEOLOGY

944 AD

HADITH SCIENCE

800 AD

QADIRIYYA ORDER

1165 AD

NAQSHBANDI ORDER

1389 AD

OTTOMAN HANAFI HUNGARY

1541-1699 AD

WAHHABISM / SALAFISM

1744 AD

DEOBANDI

1867 AD

BARELVI

1880 AD

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

1928 AD

NATION OF ISLAM

1930 AD

SALAFI-JIHADI

1980 AD

ZAYDI

740 AD

ISMAILI

765 AD

TWELVER (ITHNA ASHARI)

874 AD

FATIMID CALIPHATE

909 AD

NIZARI (AGA KHAN)

1094 AD

MUSTALI / BOHRA

1130 AD

SAFAVID DYNASTY

1501 AD

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IRAN

1979 AD

ALAWITE

900 AD

DRUZE

1017 AD

ALEVI

1400 AD

AHMADIYYA

1889 AD

TAWHID

622 AD

SHARIA

750 AD

KALAM

780 AD

IJTIHAD

800 AD

JIHAD

622 AD

IJMA

800 AD

ISHMAELITE TRIBES

~1800 BC

KA’BA / ZAMZAM

~1800 BC

ARABIAN POLYTHEISM

~1000 BC

NABATAEAN KINGDOM

~400 BC

QURAYSH / MECCA

~400 AD

JAHILIYYAH

~500 AD

HANIFISM

~560 AD

BIRTH OF MUHAMMAD

570 AD

FIRST REVELATION

~610 AD

HIJRA TO MEDINA

622 AD

KEDAR / NORTH ARABIAN TRIBES

~1000 BC

ADNANITE ARABS

~500 BC

QAHTANITE / YEMENI ARABS

~800 BC

ARABIAN TRADE ROUTES

~300 BC

PRE-ISLAMIC POETRY (MU’ALLAQAT)

~500 AD

ABRAHA / YEAR OF ELEPHANT

~570 AD

MECCAN OLIGARCHY

~600 AD

BOYCOTT OF BANU HASHIM

~616 AD

NIGHT JOURNEY / ISRA & MI’RAJ

~619 AD

KHAZAR KHAGANATE

~740 AD

GEMILUT HASADIM REPLACES SACRIFICE

~70 AD · Yochanan b. Zakkai

VIDUI — VERBAL CONFESSION

~90 AD · Mishnah Yoma

DEATH AS ATONEMENT

~200 AD · Mishnah Sanhedrin

ZEKHUT AVOT — ANCESTRAL MERIT

~200 AD · Talmud Bavli

HEAVENLY TEMPLE

~500 AD · Talmud

HILCHOT TESHUVAH — MAIMONIDES

~1170 AD · Mishneh Torah

LURIANIC TIKKUN — COSMIC REPAIR

~1570 AD · R. Isaac Luria

HASIDIC ATONEMENT — JOY OVER GUILT

~1750 AD · Baal Shem Tov

TIKKUN OLAM — SOCIAL REPAIR

~1970 AD · Heschel / Progressive

TESHUVAH (REPENTANCE)

~70 AD

TZEDAKAH AS ATONEMENT

~200 AD

VICARIOUS ATONEMENT DEBATE

~1800 AD

TAWBAH (REPENTANCE)

~622 AD

KAFFARAH (EXPIATION)

~700 AD

SHAFA’AH (INTERCESSION)

~700 AD

HUSAYN’S MARTYRDOM / KARBALA

~680 AD

NO ORIGINAL SIN (ISLAMIC)

~622 AD

KHAZAR JEWISH COMMUNITIES

~800–965 AD

KHAZAR COLLAPSE

~965 AD

KHAZAR JEWISH DIASPORA

~970–1100 AD

CRIMEAN / CAUCASUS JEWS

~1100 AD

KARAITE-KHAZAR CONNECTION

~1200 AD

MOUNTAIN JEWS (JUHURO)

~1200 AD — present

KARAIM (TURKIC KARAITES)

~1300 AD — present

KHAZAR LEGACY — MODERN JEWRY

~1500 AD — present

KHAZAR JEWS IN ISRAEL

~1948 AD — present

OPERATION MAGIC CARPET

1949-50 · Yemen

NORTH AFRICAN ALIYAH

1948-67

EGYPTIAN EXPULSION

1956-57

OPERATION YACHIN

1961-64 · Morocco

OPERATION ALI BABA

1950 · Iraq

YEMENITE ALIYAH COMPLETION

1962

IRANIAN JEWISH EXODUS

1979-present

MOUNTAIN JEWS ALIYAH

1970s-90s

OPERATION MOSES

1984 · Ethiopia

OPERATION JOSHUA

1985 · Ethiopia

BUKHARAN ALIYAH

1989-2000

SOVIET ALIYAH

1989-95

SYRIAN JEWISH EXODUS

1948-92

OPERATION SOLOMON

1991 · Ethiopia

GEORGIAN ALIYAH

1970s & 1990s

BNEI MENASHE

2003-present

INDIAN JEWISH ALIYAH

1950s-70s

OPERATION EAGLE’S WINGS

1954 · Cochin

AKEDAH (BINDING OF ISAAC)

~1800 BC

BLOOD COVENANT (BERIT)

~2000 BC

SCAPEGOAT (LEVITICUS 16)

~1400 BC

PIACULAR SACRIFICE

~1400 BC

DAY OF THE LORD

~800 BC

PROPHETIC INTERCESSION

~700 BC

Abrahamic Trunk

2nd Temple Sects

2nd Temple Theory

Jewish / Israel

Christian

Islamic

Abrahamic Theory

Jewish Theory

Islamic Theory

Christian Theory

70 AD Rupture