610-641 Heracles ruled the Byzantine Empire.
(ATC, p.69)

611 In Cambodia at Angkor Borei the earliest known Khmer inscription dates to this time.
(AM, Mar/Apr 97 p.D)

614 Croats settled in the area between the Adriatic Sea and the rivers Sava and Drava.
(WSJ, 7/14/99, p.A23)

614 Christian Palestine was invaded by the Persians. The 5th century monastery of St. Theodosius east of Beit Sahour near Bethlehem was destroyed by the Persians. The Jews of Jerusalem allied with the Persians during the invasion and entered into the cave beneath the tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
(SFEC, 12/22/96, p.T3)(WSJ, 4/5/02, p.W12)(SFC, 10/23/06, p.A15)

615 May 8, St. Boniface IV ended his reign as Catholic Pope.
(MC, 5/8/02)

615 May 25, Boniface IV, Pope (608-15), died.
(SC, 5/25/02)

615 Nov 23, Columbanus, Irish explorer, monastery founder, poet and saint (Poenitentiale), died (aka St. Columba).
(MC, 11/23/01)

615 Yang Di (Yangdi), a Chinese Sui emperor, announced a 4th attempt to conquer Korea. In response to peasant rebellions in the north, Yangdi moved to the eastern city of Yangzhou.
(ON, 5/06, p.1)

615 Pakal (12) became the Mayan ruler of Palenque. His reign ended with his death in 683.
(SSFC, 12/7/03, p.C10)(WSJ, 9/16/04, p.D12)

617 Jun, Chinese general Li Yuan (the Duke of Tang) declared his rebellion and ordered the Tang army to prepare a march against Chang’an (later Xian), capital of China and the world’s largest city.
(ON, 5/06, p.2)(Econ, 3/15/08, p.101)

617 Dec 12, The Chinese city of Chang’an fell to the Tang army.
(ON, 5/06, p.2)

617-1279 The Tang Dynasty unified China.
(ATC, p.69)

618 Apr, General Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, claimed the throne of China after receiving word that Emperor Yangdi had been assassinated in the city of Yangzhou. Yuan proclaimed himself Emperor Gaozu, the 1st monarch of the new Tang dynasty.
(ON, 5/06, p.3)

618-907 The Tang Dynasty was in China. The marble head of Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara dates to the Tang period. Porcelain was invented during the T’ang dynasty.
(Jap. Enc., BLDM, p. 214)(NH, 7/96, p.32)(WSJ, 2/19/98, p.A20)(WSJ, 8/28/98, p.W10)

618-907 The area of Tiananmen Square was first cleared.
(SFC, 6/25/98, p.A8)

619 Li Shimin led his armies against 2 warlords in northern China.
(ON, 5/06, p.3)

620 Aug 22, This day corresponds to the 27th day of Rajab, 1427, in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates to the night flight of Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq to the farthest mosque, usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back.
(WSJ, 8/8/06, p.A10)(www.atheists.org/Islam/mohammedanism.html)

620 In northern China Gen’l. Li Shimin (~20) attacked Luoyang, which was held by the warlord Wang Shichong.
(ON, 5/06, p.3)

620 The town of Cholula was founded in central Mexico. It was later said to be the oldest continuously occupied town in all of North America.
(SSFC, 2/26/06, p.F10)

620 Mohammad gained about a hundred converts including some wealthy Meccan families. This made other Meccans hostile. Mohammad in this year dreamed of being transported from Mecca to the Rock of Mariah in Jerusalem, from which he ascended into heaven and received instructions from God for himself and his followers.
(ATC, p.59)(ON, 7/03, p.6)

621 Mar, In China a force of 120,000 men from Xia province advanced to rescue the city of Luoyang.
(ON, 5/06, p.3)

621 May 28, In China Dou Jiande, general of the Xia army, was wounded and captured by the Tang army under Gen’l. Li Shimin at Hulao Pass. 3,000 Xia were killed and 50,000 were taken prisoners. The city of Luoyang soon surrendered. Xia province surrendered in turn.
(ON, 5/06, p.4)

622 Jul 16, Islamic Era began. Mahomet began his flight from Mecca to Medina (Hegira).
(MC, 7/16/02)

622 Sep 20, Prophet Mohammed Abu Bakr arrived in Jathrib (Medina).
(MC, 9/20/01)

622 Sep 24, In the Hegira Muhammed left Mecca for Medina (aka Yathrib) with 75 followers. This event marked the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar. The new faith was called "Islam," which means submission to Allah. Believers in Islam are called Muslims-- "Those who submit to Allah’s will." In Medina Mohammad tried to unite the Jews and Arabs and initially faced Jerusalem to pray. The Jewish leaders did not accept Mohammad as a prophet and so Mohammad expelled from the city the Jews who opposed him. From then on he commanded the Muslims to face the Kaaba in Mecca when praying.
(V.D.-H.K.p.19)(ATC, p.60)

623-658 The first state of the Slavs living on the Middle Danube was Samo's Realm, a tribal confederation existing between 623 and 658. It encompassed the territories of Moravia, Slovakia, Lower Austria, Carantania, Sorbia at the Elbe, and probably also Bohemia, which lies between Sorbia and other parts of the realm.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Moravia)

622 The Constitution of Medina was drafted by the Islamic prophet Muhammad about this time. It constituted a formal agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes and families of Yathrib (later known as Medina), including Muslims, Jews, and pagans.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Medina)

624 Muslims engaged non-believers for the 1st time at the Battle of Badr
(www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=128)

624-628 Several Jewish clans in the Arabian peninsula joined forces with an Arab tribe, the Quraysh, to make war on a renegade Qurayshi named Mohammad, who claimed he was a prophet of God.
(Econ, 8/14/10, p.68)

c625 Raedwald, king of the East Angles and high king of the English peoples, was buried about this time.
(Arch, 7/02, p.61)

626 Aug 7, Battle at Constantinople: Slavs, Persians and Avars were defeated. Emp. Heraclius repelled the attacks. The attacks began in 625.
(PCh, 1992, p.60)(MC, 8/7/02)

626 In China Gen’l. Li Shimin foiled an assassination attempt by 2 brothers. He ambushed his older brother, Jianchen, killing him him with a bow and arrow, and became the oldest son and crown prince. Li Yuan abdicated 2 months later and Shimin became the new ruler under the name Emperor Taizong.
(ON, 5/06, p.4)

627 Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persian army and regained Asia Minor, Syria, Jerusalem and Egypt.
(ATC, p.45)

628 Apr 3, In Persia Kavadh sued for peace with the Byzantines. He handed back Armenia, Byzantine Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.
(HN, 4/3/99)(AP, 4/3/99)
628 Apr 3, Chosroes II, emperor of Persia (579-628), was murdered by his son.
(MC, 4/3/02)