Determining the chronology of a sequence (or otherwise) of events such as those of the Old Testament is fraught. There are many wise scholars who have somewhat different opinions, because the methodology is complex – there was no calendar as we know it - dates of events, such when a king ascended a throne, were relative, often to the lives of prominent people, such as other kings. For example, King Ahab's reign is narrated as: In the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years (1 Kings 16:29).
Of course there are some who dispute everything, such as those who think David got no further than ruling a small part of Judah, not a united Israel, but this view requires dispensing with Biblical truth, and thus the work of the Holy Spirit, so no further mention is warranted.
This table is based on that of William Thiele[1], who has his critics but many quote him over others. William F Albright commences the chronology ~40 years earlier, but Gershon Galil (a newish scholar[2]) from Israel, is similar to Thiele in many ways with some quirks. Kenneth Kitchen (from Britain) whose expertise is on Egyptian chronology, has also contributed to this literature and worth examining[3]. Some go way out on a limb such as Floyd Nolen Jones who asserts all are wrong, and provides and alternative view, commencing with the reign of David in 1055 BC, but has Zedekiah ascending the throne in the same year as Thiele provides.[4]
King | Walked with the Lord | Year ascent (Thiele) | Reign (yrs) | Prophets | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First King |
Judah | Israel | ||||||
1. Saul | Yes/No | 1050 BC | 40 | |||||
Davidic Kingdom |
||||||||
1. David | Yes/No | 1010 BC | 40 | |||||
2. Solomon | Yes/No | 970 BC | 40 | |||||
Divided Kingdom |
||||||||
Kings of Judah | Kings of Israel | |||||||
1. Rehoboam | No | 931 BC | 17 | |||||
1. Jeroboam I | No | 931 BC | 22 | (Ahijah) | ||||
2. Abijah | No | 913 BC | 3 | |||||
3. Asa | Yes | 911 BC | 41 | |||||
2. Nadab | No | 910 BC | 2 | |||||
3. Baasha | No | 909 BC | 24 | (Jehu) | ||||
4. Elah | No | 886 BC | 2 | |||||
5. Zimri | No | 885 BC | 7 days | |||||
6. Omri | Evil | 885 BC | 12 | |||||
7. Ahab | Evil | 874 BC | 22 | (Elijah) | ||||
4. Jehoshaphat | Yes | 870 BC | 25 | (Micaiah) | ||||
8. Ahaziah | No | 853 BC | 2 | (Elisha) | ||||
9. Joram | Yes/No | 852 BC | 12 | |||||
5. Jehoram | No | 848 BC | 8 | |||||
6. Ahaziah | No | 841 BC | 1 | |||||
10. Jehu | Yes/No | 841 BC | 28 | |||||
7. Queen Athaliah | No | 841 BC | 6 | |||||
8. Joash | Yes/No | 835 BC | 40 | Joel (estimate) | ||||
11. Jehoahaz | No | 814 BC | 17 | |||||
12. Jehoash | No | 798 BC | 16 | |||||
9. Amaziah | Yes/No | No | 796 BC | 29 | Jonah (to Nineveh) (approx) | |||
13. Jeroboam II | No | 782 BC | 41 | Amos, | ||||
No | Hosea (until Hezekiah) | |||||||
10. Uzziah (Azariah) | Yes/No | 767 BC | 52 | Isaiah (until Hezekiah) | ||||
14. Zechariah | No | 753 BC | 6 months | |||||
15. Shallum | No | 752 BC | 1 month | |||||
16. Menahem | No | 752 BC | 10 | |||||
17. Pekahiah | No | 742 BC | 2 | |||||
18. Pekah | No | 740 BC | 20 | |||||
11. Jotham | Yes | 740 BC | 16 | Micah (until Hezekiah) | ||||
12. Ahaz | No | 732 BC | 16 | |||||
19. Hoshea | No | 732 BC | 9 | |||||
13. Hezekiah | Yes | 716 BC | 29 | |||||
14. Manasseh | No | 687 BC | 55 | |||||
15. Amon | No | 642 BC | 2 | Nahum (to Nineveh) (approx) | ||||
16. Josiah | Yes | 640 BC | 31 | Zephaniah | ||||
Jeremiah (into exile) | ||||||||
17. Jehoahaz | No | 609 BC | 3 months | |||||
18. Jehoiakim | Evil | 609 BC | 11 | Habakkuk (approx) | ||||
19. Jehoiachin | No | 597 BC | 3 months | |||||
20. Zedekiah | No | 597 BC | 11 | |||||
Captivity - Israel & Judah ruled by Gentile Nations [5] |
||||||||
592 BC | Ezekiel, | |||||||
Daniel | ||||||||
587 BC (maybe) | Obadiah | |||||||
520 BC | Haggai, Zechariah | |||||||
(Esther) | 478 BC | |||||||
(Ezra) | 458 BC | |||||||
(Nehemiah) | 445 BC | |||||||
433 BC | Malachi |
[1] E.R. Thiele, The Chronology of the Kings of Judah and Israel (1944) Jounral of Near Eastern Studies III(3) July 1944 https://archive.org/details/E.r.ThieleTheChronologyOfTheKingsOfJudahAndIsrael1944 (accessed November 2024)
[2] Gershon Galil, The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah (1996), Brill Academic Publishers.
[3] Kenneth Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (2003), Eerdmans Publishing
[4] Floyd Nolen Jones, The Chronology of the Old Testament: Solving the Bible's Most Intriguing Mysteries 15th Edition, (2005), Master Books.
[5] 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
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