The Top 10 Best Years for the Jewish People

1. 1312 BCE: The Jews are freed from slavery in Egypt. The 10 Commandments and the Torah are given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. 
2. 1743 BCE: G-d makes a covenant with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. 
3. 1272 BCE: The Jews conquer the promised land after wandering in the desert for 40 years. 
4. 1948 CE: The modern state of Israel is established. 
5. 3760 BCE: Adam and Eve are created in this year. 
6. 825 BCE (Traditional Jewish Date)/968 BCE (Modern Scholarship Date): King Solomon completes construction of the First Temple. 
7. 350 BCE (Traditional Jewish Date)/516 BCE (Modern Scholarship Date): The Second Temple is completed under Darius I of Persia. 
8. 500 CE: The Talmud (oral Torah), was finalized, forming how Judaism is practiced today. 
9. 167 BCE: The Macabees revolt and win against a much larger Seleucid army and rededicate the Temple. This then leads to the miracle of Hanukkah. 
10. 356 BCE (Traditional Jewish Date)/425 BCE (Modern Scholarship Date): The Jews are saved by Queen Esther in Persia. 

* Dating events in Jewish history is sometimes tricky. Both the traditional Jewish dates and the modern scholarship dates are included for events where there is disagreement.  Want to know more about Jewish history? Click the book cover below!