The Northern Kingdom in the Late Tenth-Ninth Centuries bce

A major problem in the discussion of the kingdom of Israel in the late tenth–ninth centuries is the evaluation of the Books of Kings as a source for historical reconstruction. In addition to Kings, there are some late tenth–ninth century Egyptian, Assyrian, Aramaic, and Moabite royal inscriptions that refer to various events in the history of the kingdom. However, the number and scope of these inscriptions are limited, and on their basis plus the archaeological data alone we would be unable to draw even a schematic history. The reconstruction of the early history of the Northern Kingdom must begin by tackling a major problem: that of the historicity of the United Monarchy. From the reigns of Jeroboam and Rehoboam on, the years of each king in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah are accurately enumerated. In addition to the above, this chapter also looks at the early dynasties of the Northern Kingdom, including that of the Omrides, and Jehu's rebellion.