Kingdoms of Judah and Israel

The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel existed side by side from around 930 BCE to 722 BCE, when the Assyrians destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and exiled most of its inhabitants.

< Kings of Judah -- Kings of Israel >

Overview

Standard Biblical chronology suggests that around 930 BCE, following the death of Solomon, the Unified Monarchy split into a southern Kingdom of Judah and a northern Kingdom of Israel.

The existence of such Unified Monarchy is very dubious. Judah was the smaller kingdom and lived in the shadow of the more powerful Kingdom of Israel.

As the other kingdoms in the area Judah and Israel were subject to repeated invasions by their powerful neighbors, Egyptians and Assyrians.

The Bible's Books of Kings state that soon after the split Pharaoh "Shishaq" invaded the country plundering Jerusalem. An inscription over a gate at Karnak in Egypt recounts such an invasion by Pharaoh Sheshonq I.

In 854 BCE, according to Assyrian records (the Kurkh Monoliths) an alliance between King Ahab of Israel and Ben Hadad II of Aram Damascus managed to repulse the incursions of the Assyrians, with a victory at the Battle of Qarqar. This is not included in the Bible which describes conflict between Ahab and Ben Hadad.

Around 750 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III and annexed in the Assyrian Empire. The Philistine kingdom was also destroyed. The Assyrians sent most of the population of the northern Israelite kingdom into exile, thus creating the "Lost Tribes of Israel". The Samaritans claim to be descended from survivors of the Assyrian conquest. An Israelite revolt (724–722 BCE) was crushed after the siege and capture of Samaria by the Assyrian king Sargon II.