Kings of Israel and Judah Timeline

God ruled over Israel in the Promised Land from the time of Joshua (1405 B.C.) to Samuel and his sons (1050). Saul then becomes the first anointed human king when the people reject the Lord's rule over them (1Samuel 8 - 9). His reign ends when, after wounded in battle, he takes his own life on Mount Gilboa (1Samuel 31:1 - 6, 2Samuel 1:1 - 5). Three of his sons also die in battle.

A short time later God informs David to go to Hebron where he is anointed king over the tribe of Judah (2Samuel 2:1 - 4). Abner, Saul's general, works to make Ishbosheth (Saul's remaining son) ruler of all of Israel's tribes (2Samuel 2:8 - 9) except Judah, possibly during a period of five to five and one half years. Ishbosheth ultimately reigns over Israel for two years (verse 10), his reign cut short when two of his captains murder him in bed (4:1 - 7).

King David rules over Judah for seven and one-half years then over a united Israel for thirty-three (2Samuel 2:4, 5:1 - 5, 1Chronicles 3:4, 29:27). Solomon, his son, reigns for forty years, after which God's people split into two distinct kingdoms (see 1Kings 11:9 - 11, 29 - 39). This split in 930 B.C. produces the Kingdom of Israel, composed of the northern ten tribes, and the Kingdom of Judah, composed of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi.

The Kingdom of Israel
before the Split

The Kingdom of Israel
(northern ten tribes)

Notes about Kings of Israel

* After the death of Zimri in 885 B.C. Tibni ruled half the nation and Omri ruled the other half (1Kings 16:21 - 22). Except for this brief mention in Scripture nothing else is known about Tibni. After Tibni's death Omri became sole king of the Northern kingdom in 880 B.C.

** Pekah began as a ruling rival of Menahem in 752 B.C. This rivalry lasted ten years (2Kings 15:17) until Menahem's death in 742. From 742 to 740 Pekah and Pekahiah maintained rival thrones (15:23), with Pekah beginning his sole rule of the Northern kingdom in 740 B.C. with his assassination of Pekahiah. Pekah's reign ended when he was assassinated by Hoshea in 732 (2Kings 15:30).

In 723 B.C. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel, falls to Assyrian King Shalmaneser V. This causes the Israelites to go into Assyrian captivity.

The Kingdom of Judah

Notes about Kings of Judah

* Amaziah began his reign in 796. Because he was taken prisoner by Israel's King Jehoash in 792 the people of Judah made his sixteen year old son Azariah ruler in his stead (2Kings 14:11 - 14, 21).

Amaziah likely did not return to Jerusalem until after the death of Jehoash in 782. Although he would live another 15 years (2Kings 14:17), Amaziah likely did not return to his throne.

** King Jotham of Judah ruled from 750 to 735 B.C. Although Ahaz took the throne from him in 735, Jotham was allowed to live until 732 (see 2Kings 15:30) and died at the age of 44. Ahaz, although technically not the sole ruler from 735 to 732, nevertheless wielded power as though he were.

With the exception of Queen Athaliah (daughter of Israel's King Ahab and Jezebel), who seized power and ruled for six years, the Kingdom of Judah always had a descendant of David sitting on the throne.

In 586 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem a third time. He destroys the city and burns its temple. The destruction of the temple starts on the 9th of Ab (Hebrew month) and completes on the 10th.