The Historical Books of the Old Testament
Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther
The Historical Books of the Old Testament may be divided into two groups. The first is comprised of Joshua through Kings. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally a single book, as were the books of 1 and 2 Kings. Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings (also known as the Former Prophets; in the Hebrew Bible, Ruth is included among the Writings) relate the story of the Israelites’ conquest of the promised land of Canaan and of all the obstacles they faced and overcame by the Lord’s power. They also cover the historical periods of the judges, the united kingdom (under Saul, David and Solomon) and the divided kingdom (Israel in the north and Judah in the south), including finally the exile of Israel and Judah to Assyria and Babylonia, respectively.
The second group of books is comprised of Chronicles through Esther. These relate important events in Israel’s history during the exilic and postexilic periods, including their restoration from captivity in Babylonia.