Kings, First and Second Book of.
These embrace a period of the history of Israel from B.C. 1015 to B.C. 562. They do not give the commencement of the kingdom under Saul, nor the history of David, but begin with the reign of Solomon. In the headings of these books the A.V. adds "Commonly called the 'Third Book' and 'Fourth Book' of the Kings" (copied probably from the LXX or the Vulgate, for this addition is not in the Hebrew), the two books of Samuel being the First and Second. The kingdom was at its height in the reign of Solomon, but because of his sin the kingdom was divided, and after many warnings from God through His prophets, to both Israel and Judah, both kingdoms were brought to a close, the people being carried away into captivity, and Jerusalem and the temple destroyed. See ISRAEL, JUDAH, and the various Kings the books of the Kings differ from the books of the Chronicles in that the former treat of kingly power established by God in the nation of Israel; (and, though it failed and apostatised, the will of God in its establishment will be carried out when Christ administers the government of God in power:) whereas the Chronicles are principally occupied with the house of David, and God's promises concerning it.
The chronology of the period of the kings can be fairly well ascertained if it is remembered that parts of years were always reckoned as full years. In most cases, when a king began to reign, it is stated what year it was of the king reigning in the other kingdom, and these cross references help to check both lists. The dates are approximately as follows. The names of the contemporary Prophets are also added.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE KINGS.
Chronology of the Kings
B.C.
1095 Saul anointed King - Kingdom of Israel Begins
1055 David King
1015 Solomon King
1012 Temple begun, 4th year of Solomon, 480th year from Exodus, 1 Kings 6:1
1005 Dedication of the Temple, 11th year of Solomon, 1 Kings 6:38.
Kingdom Divided
975 Rehoboam 17
975 Jeroboam 22(21) 1 Kings 14:20,1 Kings 1:14
SHEMAIAH, prophet
AHIJAH, prophet
970 Shishak king of Egypt attacks Jerusalem 25
958 Abijam, or Abijah 3
958 19th year 15:1,2
955 Asa 41
955 20th year 9,10
954 2nd Year
954 Nadab, 2 (1) 25
953 3rd Year
953 Baasha, 24 (23) 33
941 Zerah attacks Asa 2 Chronicles 14:9
AZARIAH, Prophet
940 Asa leagues with Benhadad I, K. of Syria
18
HANANAI prophet
JEHU prophet 16:1
930 26th Year
930 Elah 2(1), 16:8
929 27th Year
929 Zimri 12 15
925 31st Year
925 Omri and Tibni 12 23
Samaria built by Omri 24
918 38th Year
918 Ahab 22(21) 29
914 Jehoshaphat 25, (23)
914 4th Year 22:41
ELIJAH Prophet 17:1
901
901 Benhadad II, k Syria besieges Samaria 20:1-21
JEHU, Prophet
MICAIAH, son of Imlab, prophet
897 17th Year Jehoram regent
897 Ahaziah, 2 (1) 22:51
ELIEZER, son of Dodavah, prophet
896 18th year, 2nd of Jehoram
896 Jehoram 12 2 Kings 1:17, 2 Kings 1:3
ELISHA prophet
891 Jehoram, 8 (6) (his father being alive)
891 5th year 8:16-17
885 Hazael murders and succeeds Benhadad
15
885 Ahaziah, 1
885 12th year
884 Athaliah, 6
884 Jehu, 28 5:36, 11:3
878 Joash, or Jehoash 40 (39)
878 7th Year 12:1
856 23rd Year
856 Jehoabaz, 17 (16) 13:1
841 37th Year
841 Jehoash, or Joash, co-regent 16 10
840 Benhadad III son of Hazael, k Syria 2 Kings 1:13 etc
839 Amaziah 29
839 2nd Year Joash reigns alone 14:1
836
836 Jeroboam II. co-regent
825 15th Year
825 Jeroboam II alone 41 Jonah 14:23
810 Azariah, or Uzziah 52
810 27th Year (from 836) 15:1
ZECHARIAH seer 2 Chronicles 26:5 JOEL
[Interregnum 11 years from 781] AMOS HOSEA
776 Era of the Olympiads begins
773 38th Year
776 Zachariah 6 months Hosea 8
772 39th Year
772 Shallum 1 month Hosea 13
771 Pul King
771 Menahem 10 17
761 50th Year
761 of Assyria, invades Israel 1 Chronicles 5:26 1 Chronicles 1:5
759 52th Year
759 Pekahiah 2 23
758 Jotham 16 MICAH ISAIAH
758 Pekah 20 27
753 Rome built ISAIAH
753 2nd Year 32
745 Later Assyrian empire founded by
745 the era of A.U.C. (Years of Rome) begins
Tiglathpileser II or III.
Israel and Syria doomed, Isa 7-8
742 Ahaz 16 (15) MICAH ISAIAH
742 17th year 16:1
Invasion by Pekah and Rezin; Ahaz
Alliance with Rezin, king of Damascus
comforted Isaiah 1:7-25
741 Second Invasion
741 Isaiah 7:1,Isaiah 1:7 invades Judah 5
740 Calls in Tiglath-pileser
740 Captives released through ODED prophet
Idolatrous altar in Temple
Tiglath-pileser kills Rezin, and destroys
Temple despoiled
Damascus 7-9
Captivity of two and a half tribes east of
the Jordan, and some west of Jordan.
2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:26
Israel tributary to Assyria
739
739 Hosea kills Pekah in what would have
been the 20th of Jotham 15:30
anarchy for 9 years Hosea 1:10
730 12th Year
730 Hoshea 9 Hosea 17:1
727 Hezekiah 28
727 Shalmaneaer makes Hoshea tributary Hosea 3
725 So (or Sobaco) king of Egypt
725 Hosea revolts from Assyria. He relies
on So, King of Egypt. Imprisoned by
Shalmaneser 17:4
722 Sargon, king of Assyria
722 Samaria taken 5
6th year = 9th year of Hosea (2 Kings 18:10)
Rest of Israel carried into captivity 6
721 Merodach-baladan, k of Babylon
721 End of Kingdom of Israel
714 Sennacherib co-regent with Sargon,
714 18:13
invades Judea NAHUM
20:1
714 Sickness of Hezekiah
20:12
712 Merodach sends an embassy to Hezekiah
705 Sennacherib reigns alone (ISAIAH)
700 Sennacherib's second invasion 2 Kings 18:17; His army is destroyed by an angel ISAIAH
698 Manasseh 55 21:1
681 Sennacherib slain by his sons, and Esarhaddon succeeds him 19:37
Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, rebuilds Babylon, and reigns over both kingdoms
678 Esarhaddon plants a colony of foreigners in Samaria Ezra 4:2 2 Kings 17:24
677 Manasseh carried to Babyulon, but released 2 Chronicles 1:33-13
643 Amon 2 21:19
641 Josiah 31 22:1
634 Median empire founded by Cyaxares (Ahasuerus of Daniel 9:1) ZEPHANIAH
625 Nabo-polasar founds the later Babylonian empire. HABAKKUK
610 Necho (or Pharaoh-necho) king of Egypt, attacks Babylon JEREMIAH
Josiah slain in battle by Necho JEREMIAH 2 Kings 23:29
610 Jehoahaz 3 months JEREMIAH 23:31
610 Jehoiakim, 11 JEREMIAH 23:36
Nineveh destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians about 606
606 4th year. Nebuchadnezzar co-regent with Nabo-polassar. JEREMIAH DANIEL
Battle of Carchemish 2 Chronicles 35:20; Her 46:2 DANIEL
606 Jeremiah prophesies of 70 years' captivity Jeremiah 1:25 DANIEL
Nebuchadnezzar defeats Necho. Jeremiah 46:2 DANIEL
606 Jerusalem taken - captives and vessels carried to Babylon. First Captivity of Judah DANIEL
604 Nabo-Polassar dies. Nebuchadnezzr
603 Jehoiakim revolts from Nebuchadnezzar
599 Jehoiachin 3 months 2 Kings 1:24-8
Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar. The Great Captivity 2 Kings 24:12
599 Zedekiah 11
593 Zedekiah rebels agains tthe king of Babylon Jeremiah 52:3; 2 Kings 24:20 EZEKIEL
590 Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:1 EZEKIEL
Nebuchadnezzar leaves to meet the king of Egypt. EZEKIEL
588 Jerusalem taken and destroyed in 11th year of Zedekiah, and 19th of EZEKIEL JEREMIAH
Nebuchadnezzar (from 606) 2 Kings 25:8 EZEKIEL JEREMIAH
LAMENTATIONS JEREMIAH
END OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH JEREMIAH
OBADIAH DANIEL JEREMIAH
561 Evil-merodach succeds Nebuchadnezzar. DANIEL
538 Babylon taken. End of the Empire of Babylon. DANIEL
536 Cyrus riengs alone in Babylon. Return of the Jews Ezra 1
515 the Temple dedicated Ezra 6:15 HAGGAI ZECHARIAH
475 Artaxerxzes succeeds Xerxes
468 7th year. Commission to Ezra Ezra 7:8
455 20th year. Commission to Nehemiah to rebuild the city Nehemiah 1:2 (See Seventy Weeks)
425 Compare Malachi 1:2-17 with Nehemiah 1:13-30