A Short Introduction to 1-2 Kings

 The Unity of 1-2 Kings: 1-2 Kings originally consisted of one book

instead of two. Not until the Book of Kings was translated into Greek did it become two books. The reason for this is that Hebrew has no vowels, andits translation into a language with vowels meant that it doubled in size,thus no longer fitting onto one scroll.

Author: The prophet Jeremiah traditionally is considered the author. "Jeremiah wrote the book which bears his name, the Book of

Kings, and Lamentations" (Baba Bathra 15a).[1]

Date: 1-2 Kings cover a period of about 400 years, beginning with

Solomon's accession to the throne (970 B.C.), and ending with Jehoiachin,an exiled king of Judah, receiving mercy after a thirty-seven year imprisonment (ca. 597-560 B.C.). Jeremiah perhaps wrote 1-2 Kingsaround 550 B.C.

Recipients: Those who survived the Babylonian Exile.

Purpose

• Historically, to give an account of Solomon's kingship, the dividing of the nation into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and to chronicle the conquests of Israel by Assyrian, and Judah by Babylon.

• Spiritually, to demonstrate that the conquests of Israel and Judah  

were the result of unfaithfulness to God.

[1] Baba Bathra, in The Hebrew-English Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, rev. ed.,  2 vols., trans. Maurice Simon, Israel W. Slotki, ed. I. Epstein (London: Soncino Press, 1976), np.