When did Israel stop having kings? This question delves into the historical timeline of the ancient kingdom of Israel, which is rich with tales of kingship, conquest, and the eventual fall of a once mighty nation. The answer to this question is rooted in the biblical accounts and the annals of ancient Near Eastern history.
The kingdom of Israel, known as the United Monarchy, was established around 930 BCE when King Solomon unified the Israelites under one rule. However, the period of kingship did not last indefinitely. In 922 BCE, the kingdom split into two, with the northern tribes forming the Kingdom of Israel and the southern tribes becoming the Kingdom of Judah.
The Kingdom of Israel, with its capital at Samaria, was a relatively short-lived entity. In 722 BCE, the Assyrians, led by King Sargon II, conquered the Kingdom of Israel, effectively ending the era of Israelite kings. The Assyrians deported many of the Israelites to other parts of their empire, thus dissolving the kingdom and its monarchy.
On the other hand, the Kingdom of Judah, with its capital at Jerusalem, lasted longer. However, it too faced a similar fate. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquered Judah and destroyed the First Temple. This event marked the end of the kingdom and its monarchy. The Babylonians exiled many of the Jewish people, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon, thus bringing an end to the Israelite monarchy as a whole.
In summary, the Kingdom of Israel stopped having kings in 722 BCE, while the Kingdom of Judah’s monarchy came to an end in 586 BCE. These dates are significant in the history of the ancient Near East and have profound implications for the subsequent development of Judaism and the Jewish diaspora.
