Introduction to 1-2 Kings.
Historical Setting
The historical setting of 1 Kings can be understood either as the time of the book’s composition or, alternatively, as the same era as the final events described in the book. Its composition, along with 2 Kings, is likely to be sometime late in the Judahite monarchy (the late 600s BC), when the northern kingdom had gone into exile and a similar devastation of the Davidic dynasty seemed unavoidable. The actual events recounted in Kings are known to have transpired between 1000 and 562 BC. This can be known from the good number of extra-Biblical texts and archaeological finds that corroborate the Biblical record.
The era of David and Solomon is commonly known as the united monarchy. This period (1000–931 BC) was a time in which Israel became the dominant nation in the ancient Near East (1Ki 1–11). David’s successful military campaigns extended his control over neighboring and distant lands, while Solomon’s administration capitalized upon Israel’s strength to bring vast wealth and cultural resources into the kingdom. Israel became a mini-empire that conformed to the conventional Near Eastern model, complete with alliances, cosmopolitan influences and fortified administrative centers with palaces and military garrisons.
After the division of the monarchy, two less powerful Israelite kingdoms (the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah) fought each other and their neighbors for supremacy in the region. Both suffered crushing defeats when Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt made a lightning raid through the region. After decades of infighting, the two kingdoms entered a period of detente and cooperation. Alliances were forged with neighbors (most important, the Arameans and Phoenicians). By the mid-ninth century BC, Ahab of Israel was identified as the most powerful member of a united coalition that fought Assyria in 853 BC against the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III, whose annals recorded Ahab’s significant role.
The ebb and flow of Israel’s and Judah’s fortunes continues in the book of 2 Kings, which spans the period from 850 to 586 BC. Following Ahab’s reign, struggles with the Assyrians and Arameans continued for several decades until Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah restored peace and prosperity. The heyday ended in 732 BC when the age of nationalism came to a tumultuous end and imperial powers returned, this time in the form of a new and powerful Assyrian military invasion. A series of attacks beginning with those of Tiglath-Pileser III and ending with those of Sargon II led to the annihilation of the capital city (Samaria) and the captivity of Israel (2Ki 15–17). Judah and its capital (Jerusalem) survived for another century—only to meet the same fate at the hands of the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC.
Cultural and Religious Setting
During the era of David and Solomon, the needs of the state began to encroach on the concerns of the tribe. This is reflected in the increased size and number of cities and also in a new level of interaction with surrounding cultures. Distinctive architectural forms, such as palaces, fortified cities with distinctive gateways, and ornate masonry found their way from Phoenicia to the largest cities in Judah and Israel. Administrative and military activity increased significantly, as did the level of prosperity.
Literary Setting
The compiler of the books of Kings, like the scribes of most ancient Near Eastern kingdoms, had available to him the copious records of key events in the life of the court and the history of the state such as royal archives. Royal archives from Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Mari, Emar and other kingdoms contained annals of military events, king lists and chronicles, as well as a variety of royal inscriptions. The Babylonian Chronicle and the Assyrian Eponym List are good examples of the detailed records kept in state archives in the second and first millennia BC. Frequent allusions to documents of this sort are found in Kings, so there can be no doubt that the court in Jerusalem contained an archive similar to those of surrounding nations. The annals referred to in Kings would seem to have much in common with those of other ancient kingdoms, but the great historical work into which they are crafted has few, if any, parallels in the ancient Near East. ◆
Key Concepts
• The two books of Kings, like the book of Judges, document covenant failure.
• The exiles are shown that the cause of the judgment was apostasy and idolatry.
• The kings were frequently warned by the prophets.
• Recurrent themes are the sins of Jeroboam (the golden calves) and the promises to David (covenant).