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Kingdom of Israel
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The Kingdom of Israel (Hebrew: ממלכת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Mamlechet Yisraʼel Tiberian Malḵûṯ Yiśrāʼēl) (KJV Israel in Samaria [1]) is one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel'). It existed from roughly 930s BCE until about 720s BCE. This article follows its history until its final destruction by the Assyrian Empire, and considers the fate of its population and territory following its destruction.
By Historians, ancient Israel is often referred to as the Northern Kingdom to differentiate it from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Hebrew Scriptures sometimes referred to the separate kingdom idiomatically as the "House of Joseph" [2] in order to distinguish it principally from the "House of Judah" [3].
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The United Monarchy was formed out of the territories of the twelve Hebrew tribes living in the area in and around modern Israel and Palestine.
The Kingdom of Israel was one of two successor states to the older Kingdom of Israel, which existed from around 931 BCE-722 BCE. The other successor state bore the name Kingdom of Judah which existed from 931 B.C.E.- 586 B.C.E. Both Eusebius and Josephus place the division in 997 BC and lunar dates of Venus can be mistaken as 64 years later. (Crossing of sun over Mars as Tamuz would be July 10 in 997 BC.) However, many biblical minimalists question whether the United Monarchy actually existed, citing a lack of supporting evidence for much of what is written in the Bible. They claim that events described in the Bible as having taken place in the 10th century BCE actually took place a century later.3
Soon after the death of King 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 in 930 BCE-920 BCE, 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.
At around 850 BCE the Mesha Stele, written in Old Hebrew alphabet, records a victory of King Mesha of Moab against king Omri of Israel and his son Ahab ( cf.2 Kings 3),
The conflict between Israel and Judah was resolved when Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself with the house of Ahab through marriage. Later, Jehosophat's son and successor Jehoram of Judah married Ahab's daughter Athaliah, cementing the alliance. However, the sons of Ahab were slaughtered by Jehosophat's son Jehu following his Coup d'état around 840 BCE.
Shechem was the first capital of the kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12:25), afterwards Tirza (14:17). Samaria was 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" into Assyria. Thus, around 720 BCE after a duration of two centuries, the kingdom of the ten tribes came to an end.
The Kingdom of Judah, or Southern Kingdom, existed as an independent state from about 930 BCE until 586 BCE when it was conquered by the Babylonian Empire.
The inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel 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 thirty-four 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).
In 537 BCE, the ruler of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great permitted exiled populations within the newly conquered Babylonian Empire to return to their native lands, marking the end of the so-called Babylonian Captivity. Any Israelite exiles retaining their national identity or having joined with their fellow exiles from the Kingdom of Judah, and possessing the will to return to their old territories would have begun returning to the territories of the former Kingdom of Israel at this time.
The emergence of the Samaritan people as an ethnic group distinct from Jewish people, with a religion distinct from Judaism yet bearing much in common with it can be traced to the political changes in the area when it was occupied by the Assyrians. The removal of the old ruling structure of the Kingdom of Israel, together with the influx of a foreign population in an area already devastated by foreign conquest led to the emergence of a new identity distinct from that of the Kingdom of Judah to the south. This population has persisted as a separate ethnic entity through the restoration of an autonomous Jewish nation in the area by Cyrus the Great, and on into the present.
- Elijah, opponent of religious reforms under Ahab and Jezebel
- Elisha, chosen successor of Elijah
- Amos
- Hosea
- Jonah
- Nahum
The Kingdom of Israel was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Gad, and was named after Israel, son of Isaac.
Its capital was Samaria. [1] [2]
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[4] | Thiele dates[4] | Galil dates[4] | Common/Biblical name | Regnal Name and style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1011–1010 | 1050–1010 | 1050–1010 | Saul | '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 | Ish-bosheth | (also called Eshba'al or Ashba'al or Ishbaal) | Reigned in Israel for 2 years: |
| 1000–962 | 1010–970 | David | דוד בן-ישי מלך ישראל David ben Yeshay, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel & Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem and 7 years in Hebron, 40 years in total. Death: Natural causes | |
| 962–922 | 970–931 | Solomon | שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל Shelomoh ben David, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel & Judah in Jerusalem for 40 years. Death: Natural Causes | |
| 922–901 | 931–910 | 931–909 | Jeroboam I | ירבעם בן-נבט מלך ישראל Yerav’am ben Nevat, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned in Israel for 22 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 901–900 | 910–909 | 909–908 | Nadab | נדב בן-ירבעם מלך ישראל Nadav ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned in Israel for 2 years. Death: Killed by Bassha, son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, along with his whole family. |
| 900–877 | 909–886 | 908–885 | Baasha | בעשא בן-אחיה מלך ישראל Ba’asha ben Achiyah, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tizrah for 24 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 877–876 | 886–885 | 885–884 | Elah | אלה בן-בעשא מלך ישראל ’Elah ben Ba’asha, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tizrah for 2 years. Death: Zimri, one of his officials, got him drunk and killed him at his house in Azra. |
| 876 | 885 | 884 | Zimri | זמרי מלך ישראל Zimri, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Tizrah 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 Tizrah. |
| 876–869 | 885–874 | 884–873 | Omri | עמרי מלך ישראל ’Omri, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 12 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 869–850 | 874–853 | 873–852 | Ahab | אחאב בן-עמרי מלך ישראל Ah’av ben ’Omri, 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 | Ahaziah | אחזיהו בן-אחאב מלך ישראל ’Ahazyahu ben 'Ah’av, 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 | Joram | יורם בן-אחאב מלך ישראל Yehoram ben ’Ah’av, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 11 years. Death: Killed by Jehu, the next king of Israel, |
| 842–815 | 841–814 | 842–815 | Jehu | יהוא בן-נמשי מלך ישראל Yehu ben Nimshi, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 28 years. [5] Death: Natural Causes |
| 815–801 | 814–798 | 819–804 | Jehoahaz | יהואחז בן-יהוא מלך ישראל Yeho’ahaz ben Yehu, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 17 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 801–786 | 798–782 | 805–790 | Jehoash (Joash) |
יואש בן-יואחז מלך ישראל Yeho’ash ben Yeho’ahaz, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 16 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 786–746 | 782–753 | 790–750 | Jeroboam II | ירבעם בן-יואש מלך ישראל Yerav’am ben Yeho’ash, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 41 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 746 | 753 | 750–749 | 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. |
| 745 | 752 | 749 | Shallum | שלם בן-יבש מלך ישראל Shallum ben Yavesh, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 1 month. Death: Menahem son of Gadi attacked Shallum and assassinated him. |
| 745–738 | 752–742 | 749–738 | Menahem | מנחם בן-גדי מלך ישראל Menahem ben Gadi, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 10 years. Death: Natural Causes |
| 738–737 | 742–740 | 738–736 | Pekahiah | פקחיה בן-מנחם מלך ישראל Pekahyah ben Menahem, 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. |
| 737–732 | 740–732 | 736–732 | Pekah | פקח בן-רמליהו מלך ישראל Pekah ben Remalyahu, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 20 years. Death: Hoshea son of Elah conspired against him and assassinated him. |
| 732–722 | 732–722 | 732–722 | Hoshea | הושע בן-אלה מלך ישראל Hoshe’a ben ’Elah, Melekh Yisra’el |
Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 9 years. [6] 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. |
- ^ 1 Kings 22:51 and many subsequent passages
- ^ *Zechariah 10:6
- ^ *II Samuel 2:10
- ^ a b c All dates are BCE.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- About Israel - The Information Center About Israel
- 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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