The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

2008-01-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

When reading the Old Testament, it is necessary to know clearly the context of the succession of events for a good understanding of what we read. This time we will learn about two kingdoms:

1. The Kingdom of Israel.
2. The Kingdom of Judah.

First of all, we have to start this story with David, who reigned from 1000 BC to 961 BC. After David, we find Solomon, his son, who was the second King of Israel ( 961-922 BC). But something against the unity of the Israel happened: Jeroboam, who was one of Solomon's officials, reveled against the king (1 Kings 11:26). Then Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt and stayed stayed there until Solomon's death (1 Kings 11:40). Rehoboam was son of Solomon, so he was supposed to continue the kingdom of his fathers, David and Solomon. Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." (1 Kings 12:3-4). Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." (1 Kings 12:5). The King Rehoboam consulted both the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime and the young men who had grown up with him. This is the advice Rehoboam received:

1. From the elders: "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." (1 Kings 12:7).
2. From the young men: "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' " (1 Kings 12:10-11).

Rehoboam prefered to follow the advice given from the young men. That was a bad decision. This was the consequence: the Kingdom was divided. Jeroboam became king over all Israel, and only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David. Since that time, we find the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. All the kings of Israel were bad and no one obeyed God. Judah has many bad kings, but some of them were good and obeyed God. These are the kings that each tribe had:

Kings of Judah:

Rehoboam (922-915 BC)
Abijah (915-913 BC)
Asa (913-873 BC)
Jehoshaphat (873-849 BC)
Jehoram (849-842 BC)
Athaliah (842-837 BC)
Ahaziah (842 BC)
Jehoash (837-800 BC)
Amaziah (800-783 BC)
Uzziah (783-742 BC)
Jotham (742-735 BC)
Ahaz (735-715 BC)
Hezekiah (715-687 BC)
Manasseh (687-642 BC)
Amon (642-640 BC)
Josiah (640-609 BC)
Jehoahaz (609 BC)
Jehoiakim (609-589 BC)
Jehoiachin (598-597 BC)
Zedekiah (597-586 BC)

Kings of Israel

Jeroboam I (922-901 BC)
Nadab (901-900 BC)
Baasha (900-811 BC)
Elah (877-876 BC)
Zimri (876 BC)
Omri (885-874 BC)
Ahab (874-850 BC)
Ahaziah (850-849 BC)
Jehoram (849-842 BC)
Jehu (842-815 BC)
Jehoahaz (815-801 BC)
Jehoash (801-786 BC)
Jeroboam II (786-746 BC)
Zechariah (746-745 BC)
Shallum (745 BC)
Menahem (745-738 BC)
Pekahiah (738-735 BC)
Pekah (737-732 BC)
Hoshea (732-712 BC)

Israel is known as the Northern Kingdom and Judah is called the Southern Kingom. Samaria was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel and Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Both kingdoms fell into captivity. Assyrians conquered Israel in 722 BC. The king of Assyria invaded the entire land and marched against Samaria. More than 27,000 persons from Samaria were deported and some of them were incorporated into the Assyrian army. The Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. No one knows what happened with the Kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes. They were dispersed. As for the Kingdom of Judah, they had a long period of captivity, and when Jesus Christ was born, they were still captives in Roman Empire.

Jaime Montoya
webmaster@jaimemontoya.com
www.jaimemontoya.com