Intro to the Divided Kingdom

Introducing Israel’s kings

• The name of the king and the name of his father

• Dating the king’s coronation in terms of the reigning king in Judah

• The name of the capital city• The length of the reign• A characterization of the reign of the king.

Introducing the Judean kings

• The name of the king and his father• The date of the king’s coronation in terms of

the reigning Israeli king• The age at which the king came to the throne

and the length of his reign• The name of the queen mother• A comparison of the king’s reign with that of

David

Trouble with Chronology

• “Read all the books of the Old Testament, and you will find such discord as to the number of the years of the kings of Judah and Israel, that to attempt to clear up this question will appear rather the occupation of a man of leisure than of a scholar.”

• ---- Jerome, 4th century A.D.

Three Chronological Procedures

• Each kingdom used a different calendar• Each counted the years a king reigned

differently.

Accession vs. Non-Accession

• Non-Accession counting: immediately began counting. The first partial year was the first year of the king.

• Accession counting: did not begin counting until the beginning of the next calendar year.

Three Chronological Procedures

• Each kingdom used a different calendar• Each counted the years a king reigned

differently• Each used its own system in referring to the

other country’s kings.

Overlapping Reigns (Co-regencies)• Tibni and Omri in Israel (1 Kings 16:21)• Menahem and Pekah (Hosea 5:5)• Jehoash and Jeroboam 2 (2 Kings 13:10,14:23)• Amaziah and Azariah (Uzziah) • Jotham and Azariah (2 Kings 15:5)• Jehoram and Jehoshaphat (2 Kings 8:16)• Jehoshaphat and Asa (2 Chron. 16:12)• Manasseh and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1,6)

Dynasties

• In Israel, at least 8 different dynasties.• In Judah, only one, despite lasting an extra

150 years.• 2 Samuel 7. God keeps His word.