Kings of Unified Israel

Circa

Ruler and Details of Term

Reference

1050-1010 B.C.

Saul - Forty Years (possibility this was rounded from actual 42 years re 1 Samuel 13:1)

Acts 13:21

1010-1009 B.C.

Ish-bosheth - Two years over Israel excluding Judah 

2 Samuel 2:10

1010-970 B.C.

David - Forty years and six months (Judah only 1010-1003 B.C., All of Israel 1003-970 B.C.)

2 Samuel 5:4

970-931 B.C.

Solomon - Forty years 

1 Kings 11:42

Kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom) -- All Wicked

Circa

Ruler and Details of Term

Reference

931-910 B.C.

Jeroboam I - Twenty-two years 

1 Kings 14:20

910-909 B.C.

Nadab - Two years

1 Kings 15:25

909-886 B.C.

Baasha  - Twenty-four years

1 Kings 15:33

886-885 B.C.

Elah - Two years

1 Kings 16:8

885 B.C.

Zimri - Seven days

1 Kings 16:15

885 B.C.

Tibni - Over half of Israel only, for a few days,

1 Kings 16:21-22

885-874 B.C.

Omri ^  - Twelve years (over half of Israel only for an unknown few days, then over whole of Israel)

1 Kings 16:21-23

874-853 B.C.

Ahab - Twenty-two years 

1 Kings 16:29

853-852 B.C.

Ahaziah - Two years 

1 Kings 22:51

852-841 B.C.

Jehoram (Joram) - Twelve years 

2 Kings 1:17; 3:1

841-814 B.C.

Jehu - Twenty-eight years 

2 Kings 10:36

814-798 B.C.

Jehoahaz - Seventeen years

2 Kings 13:1

798-782 B.C.

Jehoash (Joash) - Sixteen years 

2 Kings 13:10

793-753 B.C.

Jeroboam II ^ - Forty-one years

2 Kings 14:23 

753 B.C.

Zechariah - Six months

2 Kings 15:8

753 B.C.

Shallum - One month

2 Kings 15:13

753-743 B.C.

Menahem - Ten years 

2 Kings 15:18

743-741 B.C.

Pekahiah - Two years

2 Kings 15:23

750-730 B.C.

Pekah - ^  Twenty years.  (His start is likely dated to when he first had power, perhaps as a rival to the official king Menahem and then as chief officer technically under Pekahiah, until he took full power in 741 by killing Pekahiah - 2 Kings 15:25)

2 Kings 15:27

730-722 B.C.

Hoshea - Nine years  #

2 Kings 15:30; 2 Kings 17:1

722 B.C.

Israel falls to Sargon II of Assyria after a three year siege started by Shalmaneser V. 

2 Kings 17:3-6; 18:9-10

Kings of Judah (Southern Kingdom) -- Eight were considered good *

Circa

Ruler and Details of Term

Reference

931-914 B.C.

Rehoboam - Seventeen years (Married Maacah, a daughter of Absalom and granddaughter of David.  1 Kings 15:2)

1 Kings 14:21

914-912 B.C.

Abijah - Three years  

1 Kings 15:1-2

912-871 B.C.

Asa - Forty-one years 

1 Kings 15:9-10

871-847 B.C.

Jehoshaphat - Twenty-five years

1 Kings 22:42

848-841 B.C.

Jehoram - ^  Eight years

2 Kings 8:16-17

841 B.C.

Ahaziah - One year 

2 Kings 8:26

841-835 B.C.

Athaliah - Six years 

2 Kings 11:3

835-796 B.C.

Joash (Jehoash) - Forty years

2 Kings 12:1

796-767 B.C.

Amaziah - Twenty-nine years  

2 Kings 14:1-2

792-740 B.C.

Uzziah (Azariah) - ^ Fifty-two years

2 Kings 15:2

748-732 B.C.

Jotham - ^  Sixteen years

2 Kings 15:32-33

732-716 B.C.

Ahaz - Sixteen years 

2 Kings 16:1-2

728-687 B.C.

Hezekiah - ^  Twenty-nine years.  His start of reign is based on 3rd year of Hoshea of Israel.  It is likely that he started to rule as co-regent during the reign of his father Ahaz but his 29 years were counted from when he truly was able to reign as a good king at the death of Ahaz.

2 Kings 18:1-2

687-642 B.C.

Manasseh - ^ * Fifty-five years

2 Kings 21:1

642-640 B.C.

Amon  two years

2 Kings 21:19

640-609 B.C.

Josiah - Thirty-one years

2 Kings 22:1

609 B.C.

Jehoahaz - Three months 

2 Kings 23:31

609-598 B.C.

Jehoiakim (Eliakim) - Eleven years 

2 Kings 23:36

598-597 B.C.

Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) - Three months (December 9, 598 - March 16, 597)

2 Kings 24:8

597-586 B.C.

Zedekiah (Mattaniah) eleven years 

2 Kings 24:18

586 B.C.

Judah falls to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after a 16 month siege.  Jerusalem burned in 17th month, people exiled.

2 Kings 25:1-11

End Notes

* Manasseh repented late in his reign (See 2 Chronicles 33:10-17).  He would be a 9th good king if counted "good" due to this personal outcome.  The remainder of Scriptures, however, seems to consider his reign "bad" (See Jeremiah 15:4).  FYI, Prism B of the Assyrian royal records of Esarhaddon (circa 680-669 BC) mentions Manasseh by name as a vassal, part of a group of 22 western kings.   Prism C (circa 668-635 BC), of Ashurbanipal, includes Manasseh in a nearly identical list of rulers who offered gifts to the king and helped him defeat Egypt. 

^ Co-Regency

# FYI, Assyrian cuneiform (from the walls of the royal palace at Dur-Sharrukin) states that 27,290 captives were taken from Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, by the hand of Sargon II (reigned 722-705 B.C.), who began his reign as co-regent with Shalmaneser V (reigned 727-722 B.C.)

By Brent MacDonald/LTM 2013   www.BibleIsTrue.com