6000 Years of Creation

"The world will last for six thousand years: two thousand years of desolation, two thousand years of Torah, and two thousand years of the days of Mashiach" (Sanhedrin 97a)
TIMEFRAME
KEY EVENTS
KABBALISTIC
REVELATIONS

2000
YEARS
OF
DESOLATION

Years 0 to 2000
-3760 to -1760 B.C.E.

Ten generations from Adam to Noah culminate in the Flood, followed by God's covenant with Noah.

Ten generations from Noah to Abraham culminate in the fall of the Tower of Babel and the dispersal of the nations.

1948
-1812 B.C.E.

 Birth of Abraham The prophets Shem and Eiver maintained the monotheistic tradition despite prevalent idolatry

2000
YEARS
OF
TORAH

2000 to 4000
-1760 B.C.E. TO 240 C.E.

The Patriarchs.

Exodus from Egypt & Giving of the Torah.

Entry to the Land of Israel, building of the Temples, redaction of the Oral Law

  
2000
-1760 B.C.E.
 Abraham aged 52 recognizes the One God. Essence of Abraham's teachings collected in Sefer Yetzirah. Beginnings of prophecy. Methods of Sefer Yetzirah transmitted orally
2448
-1312 B.C.E.
 Exodus from Egypt. Giving of the Torah at Sinai. Two million Israelites experience collective prophecy at Sinai Flowering of the Age of Prophecy with the revelation of the Torah
2928
-832 B.C.E.
 Building of First Temple by King Solomon, inaugurating a glorious period of Israeli sovereignty and the flowering of spirituality. Over a million practice the ways of prophecy in Israel
3338
-422 B.C.E.
 Destruction of First Temple. Five years prior to the Destruction of the Temple, Ezekiel saw the vision of the Chariot
3408 /
-352 B.C.E.

Building of Second Temple

Leadership of the people passed to the Men of the Great Assemly and the Sages

End of the period of prophecy

Transmission and development of the Oral Torah

3828 /
68 C.E.

Destruction of Second Temple. Roman persecution of the Jews. Kabbalistic teachings were kept secret and only discussed allusively in midrashic allegory

2000
 YEARS
OF THE DAYS
OF MESSIAH

4000 to 6000
240 to 2240 C.E.

Dispersal of Jews throughout the world.

Trials of the long exile. Persecution.

Revelation of the Kabbalah.

Repentance and ingathering of the exiles to the Land of Israel.

  
4000
C. 240 C.E.
 Kabbalistic teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai collected and written down in the Zohar, kept secret for 1000 years.  
5030
1270 C.E.

Manuscripts of the Zohar begin to be circulated by Rabbi Moshe de Leon (1238-1305).

Prophetic Kabbalah practiced and taught by Rabbi Abraham Abulafia (1240-1291)

 Kabbalistic teachings begin to become known among wider circles of scholars
5320
C. 1560 C.E.
 Outstanding Kabbalistic sages gather in Safed under leadership of Rabbi Moshe Kordovero 1522-1570 Systematization of Kabbalistic teachings
5330-2
1570-72 C.E.
 Rabbi Isaac Luria, the ARI (1534-72) in Safed. He teaches his system to Rabbi Hayyim Vital (1542-1620), who records it in Etz Hayyim and Eight Gates The Kabbalah of the ARI is a new level in the revelation of Kabbalistic wisdom
5332-5510
1572-1750 C.E.

Knowledge of the Kabbalah is spread by outstanding scholars, such as Rabbi Judah the Maharal of Prague (1512-1609), Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, SheLaH (1565-1630), Rabbi Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto, Ramchal, (1707-46) and Rabbi Elijah the Gaon of Vilna (1720-97).

Knowledge of the Kabbalah spreads from Israel to scholars throughout the Diaspora.
5494
1734 C.E.
 Revelation of Rabbi Israel the Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760) as leader of the network of hidden Kabbalistic tzaddikim.  
5507
1746 C.E.
 Baal Shem ascends to the palace of Mashiach, who informs him that he will come "when your waters flow to the whole world" Kabbalistic ideas and practices become available to all through the teachings of Chassidus
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