| A MAP OF TIME |
|---|
| 800–400 B.C.E. | Upanishads composed |
| 9th–6th centuries B.C.E. | Hebrew prophets (Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah) |
| ca. 7th–6th centuries B.C.E. | Life of Zarathustra |
| 600–300 B.C.E. | Emergence of Greek rationalism |
| 6th–5th centuries B.C.E. | Life of Buddha, Confucius, Laozi |
| 586–539 B.C.E. | Jewish exile in Babylon |
| 558–330 B.C.E. | Achaemenid dynasty in Persia; state support for Zoroastrianism |
| 500–221 B.C.E. | Age of warring states in China |
| 469–399 B.C.E. | Life of Socrates |
| 221–206 B.C.E. | Qin dynasty in China |
| Early 1st century C.E. | Life of Jesus |
| 10–65 C.E. | Life of Paul |
| 4th century C.E. | Christianity becomes state religion of Roman Empire, Armenia, Axum |