Kingdom of Israel

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"Commonwealth of Israel" redirects here. For the religious movement by that name, see The Twelve Tribes.

The Kingdom of Israel Hebrew: מַלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yisraʼel, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yiśrāʼēl) was the Kingdom proclaimed by the Israelite nation around 1030-1020 BCE.

Biblical Account of Israel's Origins

According to the Biblical account, Israel is descended from Hebrew slaves who left the Land of Goshen, Egypt during the Exodus at an uncertain date, often considered to be in the late 13th century BCE. Prior to the establishment of the kingdom, the Hebrew people, (the Israelites) were led by the patriarchs and later by Judges. The notion of kingship was for a long time anathemetised, as it was seen as one man being put in a position of reverence and power that in their faith was reserved for the one true God. According to the Bible, it was Samuel, one of the last of the judges, to whom the nation appealed for a king, as his sons, who had been appointed judges over Israel, misused the office. Although he tried to dissuade them, they were resolute and Samuel anointed Saul ben Kish from the tribe of Benjamin as king.

Other Biblical references seem more amicable to the regal structure, accepting the eventual reality and putting restrictions on his behaviour in Deuteronomy 17:14.

United Monarchy

Around 1025 BC, the children of the patriarch Jacob (Israel) united to form the Kingdom of Israel. Saul was the first King of Israel. He unified the tribes under a single Israelite authority, but, according to the first book of Samuel, due to his disobedience to God, he ruled for only two years, although some manuscripts read forty-two years (cf. the New Testament, which gives him a reign of forty years). The original figure, based on the number of battles ascribed to him, was probably twenty-two years, and has become corrupt (Finkelstein and Silberman, 2006).

David, the third King of Israel and the first king of Judah, established Jerusalem as Israel's national capital around 3,000 years ago. Before then, Hebron had been the capital of David's Judah and Mahanaim of Ishbaal's Israel, and before that Gibeah had been the capital of the United Monarchy under Saul.

David succeeded in truly unifying the Hebrew tribes, and firmly consolidated the monarchical government. He embarked on successful military campaigns against Israel's enemies, and defeated bitter foes such as the Philistines, thus creating secure borders for Israel. David established a central government in Jerusalem, a standing army, judiciaries across the land, and a sophisticated infrastructure.

Under King David, Israel grew from Kingdom to Empire, and its military and political sphere of influence in the Middle East expanded greatly, as it controlled a number of weaker client states around it.

The fourth King of Israel and the second of Judah, Solomon, (meaning "one whose peace is his" in Hebrew), is portrayed as a wise leader in the Hebrew Bible. Solomon constructed the First Temple in Jerusalem. His reign was a time of peace for Israel.

Following Solomon's death, tensions between the northern part of Israel, containing the ten northern tribes, and the southern section, dominated by Jerusalem and the southern tribes, increased, and around 931 BC, Israel split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah.

Soon after the death of Solomon, the prophecy of Ahijah (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled with the division of the kingdom. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely seated on his throne when the old jealousies between Judah and the other tribes broke out anew, and Jeroboam was sent for from Egypt by the malcontents (12:2,3).

Rehoboam insolently refused to lighten the burdensome taxation and services that his father had imposed on his subjects (12:4), and the rebellion became complete. The Tribe of Ephraim and all Israel raised the old cry, "Every man to his tents, O Israel" (2 Samuel 20:1). Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:1-18; 2 Chronicles 10), and Jeroboam was proclaimed king over all Israel at Shechem, with the Tribe of Judah and the Tribe of Benjamin remaining faithful to Rehoboam. War continued, with varying success, between the two kingdoms for about sixty years, until Jehoshaphat allied himself with the house of Ahab through marriage. Later, his son and successor Jehoram of Judah married Ahab's daughter Athaliah, cementing the alliance. The sons of Ahab were slaughtered by Jehu following his Coup d'état.

Extent of the Kingdom

The area of Solomon's kingdom, excluding the Phoenician territories on the shore of the Mediterranean, is usually agreed to not have much exceeded 34,000 km² (13,000 square miles). The kingdom of Israel encompassed about 24,000 km² (9,375 square miles). However, a minority of biblical literalists grant a much larger land area for his empire. [link] Shechem was the first capital of this kingdom (1 Kings 12:25), afterwards Tirza (14:17). Samaria was subsequently chosen as the capital (16:24), and continued as such until the destruction of the kingdom by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5). During the siege of Samaria (lasting for three years) by the Assyrians, Shalmaneser V 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" (2 Kings 17:6) into Assyria. Thus, after a duration of two hundred fifty-three years, the kingdom of the nine tribes came to an end. They were scattered throughout the East, and are popularly known as the Lost ten tribes of Israel.

"Judah held its ground against Assyria for yet one hundred and twenty-three years, and became the rallying-point of the dispersed of every tribe, and eventually gave its name to the whole race. Those of the people who in the last struggle escaped into the territories of Judah or other neighbouring countries naturally looked to Judah as the head and home of their race. And when Judah itself was carried off to Babylon, many of the exiled Israelites joined them from Assyria, and swelled that immense population which made Babylonia a second Judah".

After the deportation of the ten tribes, the vacated land was colonized by various eastern tribes, especially Syrians, whom the king of Assyria sent there (Ezra 4:2, 10; 2 Kings 17:24-29).

The Kings of Israel

For this period, most historians follow either of the older chronologies established by William F. Albright or Edwin R. Thiele, or the newer chronology of Gershon Galil, all of which are shown below. All dates are BCE.

Albright dates	Thiele dates	Galil dates	Common/Biblical name	Regnal Name and style	Notes
The House of Saul
c.1021–1000		c.1030–1010	Saul	שאול בן-קיש מלך ישראל Shaul ben Qysh, Melek Ysra'el	Killed in battle
c.1000		c.1010–1008	Ishbaal (Ish-boseth)	איש-בשת בן-שאול מלך ישראל Ishba'al ben Shaul, Melek Ysra'el	Assassinated
c.1000–962		c.1008–970	David	דוד בן-ישי מלך ישראל David ben Yishai, Melekh Ysra’el	Son-in-law of Saul, brother-in-law of Ish-boseth
c.962–c.922		c.970–931	Solomon	שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל Shelomoh ben David, Melekh Ysra'el	Son of David by Bathsheba, his rights of succession were disputed by his older half-brother Adonijah
Israel was divided into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms
The House of Jeroboam
922–901	931–910	931–909	Jeroboam I	ירבעם בן-נבט מלך ישראל Yerav’am ben Nevat, Melekh Yisra’el
901–900	910–909	909–908	Nadab	נדב בן-ירבעם מלך ישראל Nadav ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
The House of Baasha
900–877	909–886	908–885	Baasha	בעשא בן-אחיה מלך ישראל Ba’asha ben Achiyah, Melekh Yisra’el
877–876	886–885	885–884	Elah	אלה בן-בעשא מלך ישראל ’Elah ben Ba’asha, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
The House of Zimri
876	885	884	Zimri	זמרי מלך ישראל Zimri, Melekh Yisra’el	Servant of Elah, ruled for 7 days, committed suicide
The House of Omri
876–869	885–874	884–873	Omri	עמרי מלך ישראל ’Omri, Melekh Yisra’el	Captain of the Hosts. "Khumri" in some foreign records, founder of a new dynasty.
869–850	874–853	873–852	Ahab	אחאב בן-עמרי מלך ישראל Ah’av ben ’Omri, Melekh Yisra’el	Sent troops against the Assyrians in the Battle of Karkar, 853; killed in siege
850–849	853–852	852–851	Ahaziah	אחזיהו בן-אחאב מלך ישראל ’Ahazyahu ben 'Ah’av, Melekh Yisra’el
849–842	852–841	851–842	Joram	יורם בן-אחאב מלך ישראל Yoram ben ’Ah’av, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
The House of Jehu
842–815	841–814	842–815	Jehu	יהוא בן-נמשי מלך ישראל Yehu ben Nimshi, Melekh Yisra’el	See Note 1
815–801	814–798	819–804	Jehoahaz	יהואחז בן-יהוא מלך ישראל Yeho’ahaz ben Yehu, Melekh Yisra’el
801–786	798–782	805–790	Jehoash (Joash)	יואש בן-יואחז מלך ישראל Yeho’ash ben Yeho’ahaz, Melekh Yisra’el	Jehoash paid tribute to King Adad-nirari III of Assyria (810–783).
786–746	782–753	790–750	Jeroboam II	ירבעם בן-יואש מלך ישראל Yerav’am ben Yeho’ash, Melekh Yisra’el	Israel at the height of its power
746	753	750–749	Zachariah	זכריה בן-ירבעם מלך ישראל Zekharyah ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
The House of Jabesh
745	752	749	Shallum	שלם בן-יבש מלך ישראל Shallum ben Yavesh, Melekh Yisra’el
The Last Houses of Israel
745–738	752–742	749–738	Menahem	מנחם בן-גדי מלך ישראל Menahem ben Gadi, Melekh Yisra’el
738–737	742–740	738–736	Pekahiah	פקחיה בן-מנחם מלך ישראל Pekahyah ben Menahem, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
737–732	740–732	736–732	Pekah	פקח בן-רמליהו מלך ישראל Pekah ben Remalyahu, Melekh Yisra’el	Assassinated
732–722	732–722	732–722	Hoshea	הושע בן-אלה מלך ישראל Hoshe’a ben ’Elah, Melekh Yisra’el	Deposed. See Note 2

Notes

1. Jehu: Considered to be a contemporary of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III (858–824) to whom he paid tribute. This is based on an inscription on The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III showing "Yaua" son of Omri paying tribute, dated to 841 BCE.

2. Hoshea: Paid tribute to the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V (727–722 BCE) but rebelled in 725 BCE. Shalmaneser besieged the capital, Samaria, but died shortly before the fall of the city. His brother Sargon II (722–705 BCE) completed the siege with success in 722, making Judah the sole remaining Hebrew kingdom. The ten tribes were exiled to other parts of the Assyrian Empire and never heard from again in recorded history. A small group of people fled south to take refuge in Judah.

See also

• Government of ancient Israel
• Kingdom of Judah
• History of ancient Israel and Judah

External links

• [Biblical History] The Jewish History Resource Center - Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• [Complete Bible Genealogy] A synchronized chart of the kings of Israel and Judah

 

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