KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH

KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH

The chart below lists the kings from the time when Israel split into two kingdoms after the reigns of Saul (1028-1013), David (1013- 973), and Solomon (973-933 BC).

The dates for the kings are only approximate because it is not easy to reconcile all the details in the books of Kings and Chronicles to get a smooth chronology. For example, calculations based on the reigns of the kings of Israel (the northern kingdom) would indicate that Solomon died in approximately 948 BC. However, if we base our calculations on the dates for the kings of Judah (the southern kingdom), his death would have taken place in approximately 964 BC. To further complicate matters, the latest date for Solomon’s death is generally held to be 933 BC.

These discrepancies should not shake our firm faith in the accuracy of Scripture. The differences can be accounted for in several ways. First, one year may be included in the dating for two kings, because a part of a year was regarded as a full year. Thus, if a king died in May of a certain year, that year would be counted as the last year of his reign, and also as the first year of his successor’s reign.

Secondly, it was not uncommon for the heir to the throne to begin ruling alongside his father. The years in which they reigned together would be counted as part of each one’s reign, so that each of these years would be counted twice.

In trying to sort out the chronology, we do, however, have some fixed dates to work with. The Assyrians brought an end to the northern kingdom in 722 BC; the Babylonians attacked the southern kingdom and took its people into captivity in 586 BC; and Uzziah died and Isaiah was commissioned in 740 BC. We also know that Ahaziah of Judah and Joram of Israel died at about the same time, since
Jehu killed both of them.