Ancient Jordan

Q: Why is Jordan called Jordan?

According to some sources, Jordan takes its name from the Arabic word Al Urdun, meaning a fortified site but also "prominence" while other sources claim it comes from the Hebrew word Yarad ("descending") referencing the River Jordan's downward flow.

Q: When was Jordan first inhabited by people?

Jordan was first inhabited in the Paleolithic Age, around 2 million years ago.

Q: How many times is Jordan mentioned in the Bible?

Jordan is mentioned 180 times in the biblical Old Testament and 15 times in the New Testament.

Q: When was the modern state of Jordan established?

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was established in 1946.

Joshua J. Mark

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Definition

Jordan is a country in the Near East bordered by Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The country's name comes from the Arabic Al Urdun, referencing a fortified site but also meaning "prominence", though various sources also claim the name comes from the Hebrew word Yarad ("descender"), referencing the downward flow of the River Jordan.

More about: Ancient Jordan

Timeline

c. 9000 BCE
City of Jericho founded in region of Jordan.
c. 7000 BCE - c. 5000 BCE
Community of Ain Ghazal flourishes in Jordan.
c. 2334 BCE - c. 2100 BCE
Region of Jordan part of the Akkadian Empire.
c. 2000 BCE
Arrival of the Hyksos in Jordan.
c. 1570 BCE
Hyksos driven from Jordan by the Egyptians.
1458 BCE - 1425 BCE
Region of Jordan flourishes under reign of Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III.
c. 1200 BCE
Invasion of Jordan region by the Sea Peoples.
c. 1115 BCE - 612 BCE
Jordan is part of the Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian Empire.
549 BCE - 330 BCE
Jordan is part of the Achaemenid Empire of the Persians.
331 BCE - 323 BCE
Jordan taken by Alexander the Great in his conquest of Persia.
c. 175 BCE - 164 BCE
Foundation of Hellenistic Jerash in Jordan.
129 BCE - 102 BCE
Jerash in Jordan, is ruled by successive warlord-kings.
c. 99 BCE - 63 BCE
Jerash in Jordan is ruled by the Hasmonean Kingdom.
63 BCE
Jerash in Jordan becomes part of the Roman province of Syria.
106 CE
Jerash in Jordan becomes part of the Roman province of Arabia.
106 CE - c. 634 CE
Jordan is part of the Roman Empire.
129 CE - 130 CE
Roman emperor Hadrian visits Jerash in Jordan, a visit commemorated by a triumphal arch.
c. 634 CE - c. 638 CE
Muslim Conquest of Levant; Arabs take Jordan from Rome.
661 CE - 750 CE
Jordan is part of the Umayyad Empire.
734 CE
Palace of Khirbat Al Mafjar is built by Walid Ibn Yazid near Jericho in the Jordan Valley.