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Part of a series on
Kings of Israel and Judah
Tribes of Israel Tribal leaders Abimelech
United monarchy Saul Ish-bosheth David Solomon
Northern Kingdom of Israel Jeroboam I Nadab Baasha Elah Zimri Tibni Omri Ahab Ahaziah Jehoram Jehu Jehoahaz Jehoash Jeroboam II Zechariah Shallum Menahem Pekahiah Pekah Hoshea
Southern Kingdom of Judah Rehoboam Abijam Asa Jehoshaphat Jehoram Ahaziah Athaliah Jehoash Amaziah Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Manasseh Amon Josiah Jehoahaz Jehoiakim Jeconiah Zedekiah
Hasmonean dynasty Simon Thassi John Hyrcanus Aristobulus I Alexander Jannaeus Salome Alexandra Hyrcanus II Aristobulus II Antigonus II Mattathias
Herodian dynasty Herod the Great Archelaus Antipas Philip the Tetrarch Agrippa I Herod of Chalcis Agrippa II
Jewish-Roman Wars Ananus ben Ananus John of Giscala Simon Bar Giora Simon bar Kokhba
See also List of Jewish leaders gəḇīrōṯ
(Italics indicate a disputed reign or non-royal title) Judaism portal
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The article deals with the biblical and historical kings of the Land of Israel—Abimelech of Sichem, the three kings of the United Kingdom of Israel and those of its successor states, Israel and Judah, followed in the Second Temple period, part of classical antiquity, by the kingdoms ruled by the Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties.

The Hebrew Bible describes a succession of kings of a United Kingdom of Israel, and then of divided kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

In contemporary scholarship, the united monarchy is debated, due to a lack of archaeological evidence for it. It is generally accepted that a "House of David" existed, but some scholars believe that David could have only been the king or chieftain of Judah, which was likely small, and that the northern kingdom was a separate development. There are some dissenters to this view, including those who support the traditional narrative, and those who support the united monarchy's existence but believe that the Bible contains theological exaggerations.

Overview tables

Kings and prophets

Table: kings and prophets

This table describes the kings, their parents, age they lived, the prophets who influenced them, and the emperors they encountered in battle.

Diagrams, Saul to Zedekiah

Summary diagram

Abimelech, son of Gideon

• Abimelech – the son of Gideon, was the first man declared a king in the Land Israel; he ruled from Sichem over the territory of Manasseh.

House of Saul

According to the Bible, the Tribes of Israel lived as a confederation under ad hoc charismatic leaders called judges. In around 1020 BCE, under extreme threat from foreign peoples, the tribes united to form the first United Kingdom of Israel. Samuel anointed Saul from the Tribe of Benjamin as the first king.

• Saul (1020–1000 BCE) or (1040-1000 BCE)
• Ish-bosheth (Esbaal) (1000–991 BCE)

House of David: united monarchy

Separation into two kingdoms

After Rehoboam reigned three years, the United Kingdom of Israel was divided in two – the northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, with its capital, first in Shechem, then Penuel, Tirzah, and finally Samaria, and ruled by a series of dynasties beginning with Jeroboam; and the southern Kingdom of Judah with its capital still in Jerusalem and ruled by the House of David. Under Hezekiah's rule in the Kingdom of Judah, the Neo-Assyrian Empire conquered and destroyed the northern kingdom 722 BCE leaving only the southern kingdom of Judah.

Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)

Kingdom of Judah

Hasmonean Dynasty

Herodian Dynasty

• Herod the Great (r. 37–4 BCE)
• Herod Agrippa (r. 41–44 CE)

Family Tree

See also

• History of ancient Israel and Judah
• List of Jewish leaders in the Land of Israel
• Lists of ancient kings

References

1. Lipschits, Oded (2014). "The history of Israel in the biblical period". In Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi (eds.). The Jewish Study Bible (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-997846-5. The promonarchic period long ago became a literary description of the mythological roots, the early beginnings of the nation, and the way to describe the right of Israel on its land. The archeological evidence also does not support the existence of a united monarchy under David and Solomon as described in the Bible, so the rubric of "united monarchy" is best abandoned, although it remains useful for discussing how the Bible views the Israelite past.
2. Lipschits, Oded (2014). "The history of Israel in the biblical period". In Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi (eds.). The Jewish Study Bible (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-997846-5. The promonarchic period long ago became a literary description of the mythological roots, the early beginnings of the nation, and the way to describe the right of Israel on its land. The archeological evidence also does not support the existence of a united monarchy under David and Solomon as described in the Bible, so the rubric of "united monarchy" is best abandoned, although it remains useful for discussing how the Bible views the Israelite past.
3. Finkelstein, Israel; Silberman, Neil Asher (2001). The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Stories. New York: Simon & Schu. ISBN 0-684-86912-8.
4. Kuhrt, Amélie (1995). The Ancient Near East, c. 3000–330 BC, Band 1. New York: Routledge. p. 438. ISBN 978-0-41516-762-8.
5. Wright, Jacob L. (July 2014). "David, King of Judah (not Israel)". The Bible and Interpretation.
6. Judges 9:6
7. 2 Chronicles 11:17
8. Considered to be a contemporary of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III (858–824 BC) 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.
9. 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. Some of the population of the Northern Kingdom was exiled to other parts of the Assyrian Empire and new population groups were resettled in the new Assyrian province of Samaria. A small group of people fled south to take refuge in Judah.
10. Jeremiah 52:11

External links

• King at the Jewish Encyclopedia
• Kings of the Jews at Project MUSE
• Kings of the Jews: Israel, Judah, Hasmoneans & Herodians at The Algemeiner

• Jewish monarchs
• Ancient Israel and Judah
• Bible genealogy
• Books of Kings
• Family trees of royalty
• Jewish genealogy
• Jewish history timelines
• Israel history-related lists
• Kings of ancient Israel
• Kings of ancient Judah
• Lists of ancient people
• Lists of monarchs in Asia