- This article is about the northern kingdom of Israel during the period of divided monarchy, For the original kingdom during the period of the united monarchy see Kingdom of Israel
The Kingdom of Israel ) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy . It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC, when the kingdom was conquered by the Assyrian Empire...
. For other uses see Kingdom of Israel (disambiguation)The Kingdom of Israel may refer to one several ancient kingdoms in the Land of Israel.* The Kingdom of Israel established under Saul which united the Israelites under a single king....
.
The
Kingdom of Israel ) was one of the successor states to the older
United MonarchyThe united Kingdom of Israel was a kingdom in the Land of Israel according to the Bible, a period referred to by scholars as the United Monarchy.-Background:...
(also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel'). It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC, when the kingdom was conquered by the
Assyrian EmpireAssyria was a civilization centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times in history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
. The major cities of the kingdom were
ShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and later became an Israelite city in...
, Tirzah, and Shomron (
SamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
).
Historians often refer to ancient Israel as the
Northern Kingdom to differentiate it from the Southern
Kingdom of JudahThe Kingdom of Judah existed at two periods in Jewish history. According to the Hebrew Bible, a kingdom emerged in Judah after the death of Saul, when the tribe of Judah elevated David, who came from the Tribe of Judah, to rule over it. After seven years David became king of a reunited Kingdom of...
.
Name
In the
Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible is a term referring to the books of the Jewish Bible as originally written mostly in Biblical Hebrew with some Biblical Aramaic...
, the Kingdom of Israel has been referred to as "House of Joseph". It has also been referred to as "Israel in Samaria".
Territory
The territory of the Kingdom of Israel comprised the territories of the tribes of
ZebulunAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Zebulun was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel....
,
IssacharAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Issachar was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.At its height, the territory it occupied was immediately north of Manasseh, and south of Zebulun and Naphtali, stretching from the Jordan River in the east, to the coast in the west; this region included...
,
AsherAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Asher was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
,
NaphtaliThe Tribe of Naphtali was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
,
DanAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Dan, also sometimes spelled as "Dann", was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
,
ManassehAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Mannaseh "who makes to forget") was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Mannaseh also formed the House of Joseph....
,
EphraimAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim also formed the House of Joseph....
,
ReubenAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Reuben was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
and
GadAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Gad was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes. The Tribe of Gad was allocated a region to the east of the...
.
Its capital was
SamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
.
United Monarchy
The united
Kingdom of IsraelThe Kingdom of Israel ) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy . It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC, when the kingdom was conquered by the Assyrian Empire...
was a union of the twelve
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
tribes living in the area that presently approximates modern Israel and the
Palestinian territoriesThe Palestinian territories are composed of two discontiguous regions, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, whose final status has yet to be determined. The territories, which were originally contained within the British Mandate of Palestine, were captured and occupied by Jordan and by Egypt in the...
. The united kingdom existed from around 1030 to about 930 BCE.
Division
After the death of
SolomonSolomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible as a King of Israel and later in the Qur'an, where he is described as a Prophet. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David...
in 931 BCE, the ten northern tribes refused to accept
RehoboamAccording to the Hebrew Bible, Rehoboam was a king of ancient Israel and later king of the Kingdom of Judah after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled in 932/931 BC to form the independent Kingdom of Israel....
, the son and successor of Solomon, as their king. Rehoboam was scarcely seated on his throne when the old jealousies between Judah and the other tribes broke out. Rehoboam insolently refused to lighten the burdensome
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
ation and services that his father had imposed on his subjects, and the
rebellionRebellion is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors from civil disobedience and mass nonviolent resistance, to violent and organized attempts to destroy an established authority such as the government. Those who participate in rebellions are...
became complete.
JeroboamJeroboam was a member of the Tribe of Ephraim and the first king of the Northern...
, who was not of the Davidic line, was sent for from
EgyptThe History of ancient Egypt spans the period from the early predynastic settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the Roman conquest in 30 BC...
by the malcontents. The
Tribe of EphraimAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim also formed the House of Joseph....
and all Israel raised the old cry, "Every man to his tents, O Israel". Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem , and in 930 BCE (some date it in 920 BCE), Jeroboam was proclaimed king over all Israel at
ShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and later became an Israelite city in...
, with the
Tribe of JudahAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
and the
Tribe of BenjaminAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
remaining faithful to Rehoboam.
The northern kingdom continued to be called the
Kingdom of IsraelThe Kingdom of Israel ) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy . It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC, when the kingdom was conquered by the Assyrian Empire...
or Israel. The revolt took place at
ShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and later became an Israelite city in...
, and at first only the
tribe of JudahAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
remained loyal to the
house of DavidThe House of David was a religious commune founded in 1903 by Benjamin and Mary Purnell. Based in and around Benton Harbor, Michigan, and High Island , the commune required its members to refrain from sex, haircuts, shaving, and the eating of meat...
. But very soon after the
tribe of BenjaminAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
joined Judah, and
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
(which was in Benjamin's territory: ) became the capital of the new kingdom. The southern kingdom was called the kingdom of Judah, or Judah. also says that members of the tribes of
EphraimAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim also formed the House of Joseph....
,
ManassehAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Mannaseh "who makes to forget") was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Mannaseh also formed the House of Joseph....
and
SimeonAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Simeon was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel.At its height, the territory it occupied was in the southwest of Canaan, bordered on the east and south by the tribe of Judah; the boundaries with the tribe of Judah are vague, and it seems that Simeon may...
"fled" to Judah during the reign of
Asa of JudahAsa was the third king of the Kingdom of Judah and the fifth king of the House of David. He was the son of Abijam, grandson of Rehoboam, and great-grandson of Solomon. The Hebrew Bible gives the period of his reign as 41 years. His reign is dated between 913-910 BCE to 873-869 BCE. He was...
.
Both Eusebius and
JosephusJosephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70...
place the division in 997 BCE and lunar dates of Venus can be mistaken as 64 years earlier. (Crossing of sun over Mars as
Tamuz* For the month of Jewish calendar, see Tammuz .* For the month of Arabic and Babylonian calendar, see Tammuz .* For a supernatural creature from Babylonian mythology, see Tammuz ....
would be 10 July 997 BCE.)
ShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and later became an Israelite city in...
was the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel . Afterwards it was
TirzahTirzah is a Hebrew word meaning "she is my delight." In the Bible it is the name of a town in Israel and of a woman.-Biblical town:Tirzah was a town in the Samarian highlands northeast of Shechem; it has been identified with Tell el-Farah ....
. King
OmriOmri was king of Israel and father of Ahab. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 – 869 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates of 888 BC to 880 BC for his rivalry with Tibni and 880 – 874 BC for his sole reign. He was "commander of the army" for Elah when Zimri slew Elah and...
built his capital in
SamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
(16:24), which continued as such until the destruction of the Kingdom by the
AssyriaAssyria was a civilization centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times in history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns . During the three-year siege of Samaria by the Assyrians,
Shalmaneser VShalmaneser V was king of Assyria from 727 to 722 BC. He first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of his father, Tiglath-Pileser III....
died and was succeeded by Sargon II of Assyria, who himself records the capture of that city thus: "Samaria I looked at, I captured; 27,280 men who dwelt in it I carried away" into Assyria. Thus, around 720 BCE, after two centuries, the kingdom of the ten tribes came to an end.
Today, among archaeologists, Samaria is one of the most universally accepted archaeological sites from the biblical period At around 850 BCE, the
Mesha SteleThe Mesha Stele is a black basalt stone bearing an inscription by the 9th century BC ruler Mesha of Moab....
, written in
Old Hebrew alphabetThe Phoenician alphabet is a continuation of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, by convention taken to originate around 1050 BCE. Unlike its Canaanite predecessor, the Phoenician alphabet was non-pictorial. It was used for the writing of Phoenician, a Northern Semitic language, used by the civilization...
, records a victory of King
MeshaMesha was a 9th Century BCE King of Moab, a strip of hilly land in present-day Jordan, which lay north of Edom, across the Dead Sea from Judah up to the Arnon river valley....
of Moab against king
OmriOmri was king of Israel and father of Ahab. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 – 869 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates of 888 BC to 880 BC for his rivalry with Tibni and 880 – 874 BC for his sole reign. He was "commander of the army" for Elah when Zimri slew Elah and...
of Israel and his son
AhabAhab was king of Israel and the son and successor of Omri . William F. Albright dated his reign to 869 – 850 BC, while E. R...
( cf.).
Relations between the kingdoms
For the first sixty years, the kings of Judah tried to re-establish their authority over the northern kingdom, and there was perpetual war between them. For the following eighty years, there was no open war between them, and, for the most part, they were in friendly alliance, co-operating against their common enemies, especially against
DamascusDamascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and its current population is estimated at about 1,669,000...
.
The conflict between Israel and Judah was resolved when
JehoshaphatJehoshaphat was the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, and successor of his father Asa. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king...
, King of Judah, allied himself with the house of
AhabAhab was king of Israel and the son and successor of Omri . William F. Albright dated his reign to 869 – 850 BC, while E. R...
through marriage. Later, Jehosophat's son and successor,
Jehoram of JudahJehoram of Judah was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and the son of Jehoshaphat .Jehoram took the throne at the age of 32 . William F. Albright has dated his reign to 849 BC – 842 BC...
, married Ahab's daughter
AthaliahAthaliah, Athalie, Athalia, or Atalia was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for six years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842 – 837 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele's dates, as taken from the third edition of his magnum opus, were...
, cementing the alliance. However, the sons of Ahab were slaughtered by
JehuJehu was king of Israel, the son of Jehoshaphat , and grandson of Nimshi. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 842 BC-815 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 841 BC-814 BC...
following his
coup d'étatA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
around 840 BCE.
Destruction of the kingdom
Israel existed as an independent state until around 720 BCE when it was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. The Bible relates that the population of Israel was exiled, becoming known as the The Ten Lost Tribes. However, other writers estimate that only a fifth of the population (about 40,000) were actually resettled out of the area during the two deportation periods under Tiglath-Pileser III and
Sargon IISargon II was an Assyrian king. Sargon II became co-regent with Shalmaneser V in 722 BC, and became the sole ruler of the kingdom of Assyria in 722 BC after the death of Shalmaneser V. It is not clear whether he was the son of Tiglath-Pileser III or a usurper unrelated to the royal family...
. Many also fled south to Jerusalem, which appears to have expanded in size fivefold during this period, requiring a new wall to be built, and a new source of water (
Siloam* For the Arab village and neighborhood, see Silwan* For the ancient city and contemporary Jewish neighborhood, see City of DavidSiloam is an ancient Greek name derived from the more ancient Hebrew Shiloah. the Arabic: Silwan, was derived form the Greek, Siloam. It is an ancient site in...
) to be provided by King
HezekiahHezekiah was the 12th king of the Kingdom of Judah, not counting queen Athaliah's reign....
.
The
AssyrianAssyria was a civilization centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times in history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
king Tiglath-Pileser III attacked the northern kingdom of Israel driving the tribes of
ReubenReuben or Ruben may refer to:- General :* Reuben ** Tribe of Reuben an ancient tribe of Israel, said to be descended from the above* Reuben sandwich* Reuben , a British rock band...
,
GadGad may refer to:In religion:*Gad , the founder of the tribe of Gad and seventh son of Jacob*Tribe of Gad, a tribe of the ancient Kingdom of Israel*Gad , King David's seer or prophet...
and
ManassehManasseh may refer to:*Manasseh, a son of Joseph, according to the Torah*the Tribe of Manasseh, an Israelite tribe*Manasseh of Judah, a king of the kingdom of Judah....
in Gilead out of the desert outposts of Jetur, Naphish and Nodab and conquering their territories. People from these tribes including the Reubenite leader, were taken captive and resettled in the region of the Habor river system. Tiglath-Pilesar also captured the territory of
NaphtaliNaphtali was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Jacob and Bilhah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali; however some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the...
and the city of Janoah in
EphraimEphraim was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim; however some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to...
and an Assyrian governor was placed over the region of Naphtali.
The remainder of the northern kingdom was conquered by
Sargon IISargon II was an Assyrian king. Sargon II became co-regent with Shalmaneser V in 722 BC, and became the sole ruler of the kingdom of Assyria in 722 BC after the death of Shalmaneser V. It is not clear whether he was the son of Tiglath-Pileser III or a usurper unrelated to the royal family...
, who captured the capital city
SamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
in the territory of Ephraim. He took 27,290 people captive from the city of Samaria resettling some with the Israelites in the Habor region and the rest in the land of the
MedesThe Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. This area is known as Media...
thus establishing Jewish communities in
EcbatanaPlease update as needed.Ecbatana is supposed to be the capital of Astyages , which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great...
and Rages.
The
Book of TobitThe Book of Tobit or Tobi is a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the Council of Carthage of 397 and confirmed for Roman Catholics...
additionally records that Sargon had taken other captives from the northern kingdom to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, in particular Tobit from the town of Thisbe in Naphtali.
In medieval Rabbinic fable the concept of the ten tribes who were taken away from the House of David (who continued the rule of the southern kingdom of Judah) becomes confounded with accounts of the Assyrian deportations leading to the myth of the "Ten Lost Tribes". The recorded history differs from this fable: No record exists of the Assyrians having exiled people from Dan, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun or western Manasseh. Descriptions of the deportation of people from Reuben, Gad, Manasseh in Gilead, Ephraim and Naphtali indicate that only a portion of these tribes were deported and the places to which they were deported are known locations given in the accounts. The deported communities are mentioned as still existing at the time of the composition of the books of Kings and Chronicles and did not disappear by assimilation. 2 Chr 30:1-11 explicitly mentions northern Israelites who had been spared by the Assyrians in particular people of Dan, Ephraim, Manasseh, Asher and Zebulun and how members of the latter three returned to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah.
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah continued to exist as an independent state from about 930 BCE until 586 BCE, when it was conquered by the Babylonian Empire.
Religion in the Kingdom of Israel
The religious climate of the Kingdom of Israel appears to have been divided between two major trends. The first, that of
YahwehYahweh is the English rendering of יַהְוֶה , a Hebrew vocalization of the Tetragrammaton that was proposed by the Hebrew scholar Wilhelm Gesenius in the 19th century. Although this vocalized Hebrew spelling יַהְוֶה is found in no extant Hebrew Manuscript, several English Bibles use the spelling...
detailed in the
Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible is a term referring to the books of the Jewish Bible as originally written mostly in Biblical Hebrew with some Biblical Aramaic...
, and the second the cult of
Baal' is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
as detailed in the so-called "
Baal cycleThe Baal cycle is a Ugaritic cycle of stories about the Canaanite god Baal, also known as Hadad the god of storm and fertility. They are written in Ugaritic, a language written in a cuneiform alphabet, on a series of clay tablets found in the 1920s in the Tell of Ras Shamra, situated on the...
" discovered at
UgaritUgarit was an ancient cosmopolitan port city, sited on the Mediterranean coast...
.
It is recorded that Jeroboam built two places of worship, one at Bethel and one at far northern Dan, to be an alternative to the Temple at Jerusalem. He did not want the people of the Northern kingdom to have religious ties to the capital city of the Kingdom of Judah. He had golden calves be erected for the people to represent their "god." These act became known as the way of Jeroboam or the sins of Jeroboam. 1 Kings 12:26-29.
Ahab allowed the cult worship of Baal to become an acceptable religion of the kingdom. His wife Jezebel was a devotee to Baal worship (1 Kings 16:31).
Prophets active in the Kingdom of Israel
- Elijah, opponent of religious reforms under Ahab and Jezebel
- Elisha
Elisha is a prophet of the Hebrew bible. To many Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox he is known as Saint Eliseus; however, the standard English form of the name has been "Elisha," at least since the introduction of the Authorized King James Version...
, chosen successor of Elijah
- Amos
-People:* Amos , one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible** Book of Amos, his writings* Amos, son of Nephi and his son Amos, two minor figures in the Book of Mormon-Surname :* Ben Amos , goalkeeper for Manchester United F.C...
- Hosea
Hosea was the son of Beeri and a prophet in Israel in the 8th century BC. He is one of the Twelve Prophets of the Jewish Hebrew Bible, also known as the Minor Prophets of the Christian Old Testament....
- Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the central character in the Book of Jonah famous for being swallowed by a fish...
- Nahum
Nahum was a minor prophet whose prophecy is recorded in the Hebrew Bible. His book comes in chronological order between Micah and Habakkuk in the Bible. He wrote about the end of the Assyrian Empire, and its capital city, Nineveh, in a vivid poetic style.Little is known about Nahum’s personal...
Royal Houses of Israel
For this period, most historians follow either of the older chronologies established by
William F. AlbrightWilliam Foxwell Albright was an American archaeologist, biblical scholar, linguist and expert on ceramics. From the early twentieth century until his death, he was the dean of biblical archaeologists and the universally acknowledged founder of the Biblical archaeology movement...
or
Edwin R. ThieleEdwin R. Thiele was an American missionary in China, an editor, archaeologist, writer, and Old Testament professor. He is best known for his chronological studies of the Hebrew kingdom period.- Biography :...
, or the newer chronologies of
Gershon GalilGershon Galil is the senior lecturer in Ancient Near Eastern history and chairman of the Department of Jewish History at the University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. He received his doctorate at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His work, The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah,...
and
Kenneth KitchenKenneth Anderson Kitchen is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, England...
, all of which are shown below. All dates are BC/
BCECommon Era, abbreviated as CE, is a designation for the calendar system most commonly used world-wide for numbering the year part of the date...
.
| Albright |
Thiele |
Galil |
Kitchen |
Common/Biblical name |
Regnal Name and style |
Notes |
The House of Saul |
| 1051–1010 |
1050–1010 |
1050–1010 |
1042–1010 |
SaulSaul was the first king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah...
|
'שאול המלך or Sha'ul |
Reigned in Israel & Judah for 40 years: He killed himself during the war with the Philistines in Mount Gilboa. |
| 1010–1008 |
1000–998 |
1010–1008 |
1006–1004 |
Ish-bosheth Ish-bosheth also called Eshbaal , Ashbaal or Ishbaal, appears in the Hebrew Bible. He was born in c. 1047 BCE and was one of the four sons of King Saul with Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz...
|
(also called Eshba'al or Ashba'al or Ishbaal) |
Reigned in Israel for 2 years: |
The House of David |
| 1000–962 |
|
1010–970 |
1010–970 |
David |
דוד בן-ישי מלך ישראל
David ben Yeshay, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Judah in Hebron 7 years and then over both Israel & Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem, 40 years in total. Death: Natural causes |
| 962–922 |
|
970–931 |
971–931 |
SolomonSolomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible as a King of Israel and later in the Qur'an, where he is described as a Prophet. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David...
|
שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל
Shelomoh ben DavidSolomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible as a King of Israel and later in the Qur'an, where he is described as a Prophet. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over United Kingdom of Israel (& Judah) in Jerusalem for 40 years. Death: Natural Causes |
The House of Jeroboam |
| 922–901 |
931–910 |
931–909 |
931–911 |
Jeroboam IJeroboam was a member of the Tribe of Ephraim and the first king of the Northern...
|
ירבעם בן-נבט מלך ישראל
Yerav’am ben NevatJeroboam was a member of the Tribe of Ephraim and the first king of the Northern...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Led the rebellion and divided the kingdoms. Reigned in Israel (Northern Kingdom) for 22 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 901–900 |
910–909 |
909–908 |
911–910 |
Nadab Nadab was the son and successor of Jeroboam, the king of Israel . William F. Albright has dated his reign to 901 BC-900 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 910 BC-909 BC...
|
נדב בן-ירבעם מלך ישראל
Nadav ben Yerav’amNadab may refer to:*Nadab , Biblical figure, eldest son of Aaron the High Priest of Israel*Nadab of Israel , king of the northern Kingdom of Israel...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned in Israel for 2 years. Death: Killed by Baasha, son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, along with his whole family. |
The House of Baasha |
| 900–877 |
909–886 |
908–885 |
910–887 |
Baasha |
בעשא בן-אחיה מלך ישראל
Ba’asha ben Achiyah, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 24 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 877–876 |
886–885 |
885–884 |
887–886 |
Elah Elah may refer to:*Elah, a name of God. For example, in Ezra 5:1 Elah Yisrael means God of Israel.*King Elah of Israel*The Valley of Elah, where the Biblical David fought Goliath**In the Valley of Elah, a 2007 film....
|
אלה בן-בעשא מלך ישראל
’Elah ben Ba’ashaElah may refer to:*Elah, a name of God. For example, in Ezra 5:1 Elah Yisrael means God of Israel.*King Elah of Israel*The Valley of Elah, where the Biblical David fought Goliath**In the Valley of Elah, a 2007 film....
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 2 years. Death: Zimri, one of his officials, got him drunk and killed him at his house in Azra. |
The House of Zimri |
| 876 |
885 |
884 |
886 |
Zimri Zimri may refer to:*Either of two characters in the Bible:**Zimri , the Prince of the Tribe of Simeon during the time of the Israelites were in the desert**Zimri , King of Israel after Elah and before Omri...
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זמרי מלך ישראל
ZimriZimri may refer to:*Either of two characters in the Bible:**Zimri , the Prince of the Tribe of Simeon during the time of the Israelites were in the desert**Zimri , King of Israel after Elah and before Omri...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 7 days. Death: He set his palace on fire when Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. |
The House of Omri |
| 876–869 |
885–874 |
884–873 |
886–875 |
Omri Omri was king of Israel and father of Ahab. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 – 869 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates of 888 BC to 880 BC for his rivalry with Tibni and 880 – 874 BC for his sole reign. He was "commander of the army" for Elah when Zimri slew Elah and...
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עמרי מלך ישראל
’OmriOmri was king of Israel and father of Ahab. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 – 869 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates of 888 BC to 880 BC for his rivalry with Tibni and 880 – 874 BC for his sole reign. He was "commander of the army" for Elah when Zimri slew Elah and...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 12 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 869–850 |
874–853 |
873–852 |
875–853 |
AhabAhab was king of Israel and the son and successor of Omri . William F. Albright dated his reign to 869 – 850 BC, while E. R...
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אחאב בן-עמרי מלך ישראל
Ah’av ben ’OmriAhab was king of Israel and the son and successor of Omri . William F. Albright dated his reign to 869 – 850 BC, while E. R...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. Death: Shot by an archer during the battle at Ramoth Gilead. He died upon his arrival on Samaria. |
| 850–849 |
853–852 |
852–851 |
853–852 |
Ahaziah Ahaziah or Ochozias was king of Israel and the son of Ahab and Jezebel. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 850 BC-849 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 853 BC-852 BC...
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אחזיהו בן-אחאב מלך ישראל
’Ahazyahu ben 'Ah’avAhaziah or Ochozias was king of Israel and the son of Ahab and Jezebel. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 850 BC-849 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 853 BC-852 BC...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 2 years. Death: He fell through the lattice of his upper room and injured himself. Elijah the prophet told him he would never leave his bed and would die on it. |
| 849–842 |
852–841 |
851–842 |
852–841 |
Joram Jehoram was the king of Israel , and he was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 849 BC-842 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 852 BC-841 BC....
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יורם בן-אחאב מלך ישראל
Yehoram ben ’Ah’avJehoram was the king of Israel , and he was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 849 BC-842 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 852 BC-841 BC....
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 11 years. Death: Killed by Jehu, the next king of Israel, |
The House of Jehu |
| 842–815 |
841–814 |
842–815 |
841–814 |
JehuJehu was king of Israel, the son of Jehoshaphat , and grandson of Nimshi. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 842 BC-815 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 841 BC-814 BC...
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יהוא בן-נמשי מלך ישראל
Yehu ben NimshiJehu was king of Israel, the son of Jehoshaphat , and grandson of Nimshi. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 842 BC-815 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 841 BC-814 BC...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 28 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 815–801 |
814–798 |
819–804 |
814–806 |
Jehoahaz Jehoahaz of Israel was king of Israel and the son of Jehu . William F. Albright has dated his reign to 815 BC – 801 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 814 BC – 798 BC...
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יהואחז בן-יהוא מלך ישראל
Yeho’ahaz ben YehuJehoahaz of Israel was king of Israel and the son of Jehu . William F. Albright has dated his reign to 815 BC – 801 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 814 BC – 798 BC...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 17 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 801–786 |
798–782 |
805–790 |
806–791 |
Jehoash Jehoash or Joas , was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz, . When he ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Israel was suffering from the predations of the Arameans; Hazael "was cutting Israel short."William F. Albright has dated his reign to 801 BC – 786 BC, while...
(JoashJehoash or Joas , was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz, . When he ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Israel was suffering from the predations of the Arameans; Hazael "was cutting Israel short."William F. Albright has dated his reign to 801 BC – 786 BC, while...
) |
יואש בן-יואחז מלך ישראל
Yeho’ash ben Yeho’ahazJehoash or Joas , was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz, . When he ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Israel was suffering from the predations of the Arameans; Hazael "was cutting Israel short."William F. Albright has dated his reign to 801 BC – 786 BC, while...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 16 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 786–746 |
782–753 |
790–750 |
791–750 |
Jeroboam II Jeroboam II was the son and successor of Jehoash, , and the fourteenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years according to the 2 Kings . His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah and Uzziah , kings of Judah...
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ירבעם בן-יואש מלך ישראל
Yerav’am ben Yeho’ashJeroboam II was the son and successor of Jehoash, , and the fourteenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years according to the 2 Kings . His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah and Uzziah , kings of Judah...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 41 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 746 |
753 |
750–749 |
750 |
Zachariah |
זכריה בן-ירבעם מלך ישראל
Zekharyah ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 6 months. Death: Shallum son of Jabesh killed him in front of the people and succeeded as king. |
The House of Shallum |
| 745 |
752 |
749 |
749 |
Shallum Shallum of Israel was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, and the son of Jabesh. He "conspired against Zachariah, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead" . He reigned only "a month of days in Samaria" before Menahem rose up, put him to death , and became...
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שלם בן-יבש מלך ישראל
Shallum ben YaveshShallum of Israel was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, and the son of Jabesh. He "conspired against Zachariah, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead" . He reigned only "a month of days in Samaria" before Menahem rose up, put him to death , and became...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 1 month. Death: Menahem son of Gadi attacked Shallum and assassinated him. |
The House of Menahem |
| 745–738 |
752–742 |
749–738 |
749–739 |
Menahem Menahem, was a king of the Kingdom of Israel. He was the son of Gadi, and the founder of the dynasty known as the House of Gadi or House of Menahem....
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מנחם בן-גדי מלך ישראל
Menahem ben GadiMenahem, was a king of the Kingdom of Israel. He was the son of Gadi, and the founder of the dynasty known as the House of Gadi or House of Menahem....
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 10 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 738–737 |
742–740 |
738–736 |
739–737 |
Pekahiah Pekahiah was a king of Israel and the son of Menahem, whom he succeeded, and the second and last king of Israel from the House of Gadi. He ruled from the capital of Samaria....
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פקחיה בן-מנחם מלך ישראל
Pekahyah ben MenahemPekahiah was a king of Israel and the son of Menahem, whom he succeeded, and the second and last king of Israel from the House of Gadi. He ruled from the capital of Samaria....
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 2 years. Death: Pekah son of Remaliah, one of the chief officers, took 50 men with him and assassinated the king in his palace at Samaria. |
The House of Pekah |
| 737–732 |
740–732 |
736–732 |
737–732 |
Pekah Pekah was king of Israel. He was a captain in the army of king Pekahiah of Israel, whom he killed to become king. Pekah was the son of Remaliah....
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פקח בן-רמליהו מלך ישראל
Pekah ben RemalyahuPekah was king of Israel. He was a captain in the army of king Pekahiah of Israel, whom he killed to become king. Pekah was the son of Remaliah....
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 20 years. Death: Hoshea son of Elah conspired against him and assassinated him. |
The House of Hoshea |
| 732–722 |
732–722 |
732–722 |
732–722 |
Hoshea See also Hosea, who has the same name in Biblical Hebrew.Hoshea was the last king of Israel and son of Elah. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 732 BC – 721 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 732 BC – 723 BC.Assyrian records basically confirm the Biblical account of how he...
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הושע בן-אלה מלך ישראל
Hoshe’a ben ’ElahSee also Hosea, who has the same name in Biblical Hebrew.Hoshea was the last king of Israel and son of Elah. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 732 BC – 721 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 732 BC – 723 BC.Assyrian records basically confirm the Biblical account of how he...
, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 9 years. Death: King Shalmanser attacked and captured Samaria. He charged Hoshea of treason and he put him in prison, then, he deported the Israelites to Assyria. |
See also
- Assyrian captivity of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was extorted, invaded, conquered, and taken captive primarily by the Neo-Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III and Shalmaneser V. The later Assyrian rulers Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib, were responsible for finishing the twenty year demise of...
- Government of ancient Israel
king of ancient Israel was not an absolute monarch. By tradition, the King was required to obey the laws of the Torah, which includes both religious laws and 'secular' laws...
- History of ancient Israel and Judah
The history of ancient Israel and Judah is known to us essentially from the Hebrew Bible...
- Israel
Israel officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
- The Bible Unearthed
The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts is a 2001 book about the archaeology of Palestine and its relationship to the origins of the Hebrew Bible...
External links