Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)

right|thumb|250px|Map of the region in the 9th century BCE
: This article is about the northern kingdom of Israel during the period of divided monarchy, For the original kingdom during the period of the united monarchy see Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy). For other uses see Kingdom of Israel (disambiguation).
The Kingdom of Israel ()) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel'). It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC, when the kingdom was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. The major cities of the kingdom were Shechem, Tirzah, and Shomron (Samaria).
 
Historians often refer to ancient Israel as the Northern Kingdom to differentiate it from the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
==Name==
In the Hebrew Bible, the Kingdom of Israel has been referred to as "House of Joseph".*Zechariah 10:6 *II Samuel 2:10 It has also been referred to as "Israel in Samaria".1 Kings 22:51 and many subsequent passages
==Territory==
The territory of the Kingdom of Israel comprised the territories of the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Gad. 
Its capital was Samaria. 
==History==
===United Monarchy===
The united Kingdom of Israel existed from about 1030 to about 930 BCE. It was a union of all the twelve Israelite tribes living in the area that presently approximates modern Israel and the Palestinian territories. 
===Division===
 
After the death of Solomon in about 931 BCE, all the Israelite tribes except for Judah and Benjamin (called the ten northern tribes) refused to accept Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, as their king. The rebellion against Rehoboam arose after he refused to lighten the burden of taxation and services that his father had imposed on his subjects., 
Jeroboam, who was not of the Davidic line, was sent for from Egypt by the malcontents. The Tribe of Ephraim and all Israel raised the old cry, "Every man to his tents, O Israel". Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem, and in 930 BCE (some date it in 920 BCE), Jeroboam was proclaimed king over all Israel at Shechem. After the revolt at Shechem at first only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David. But very soon after the tribe of Benjamin joined Judah. The northern kingdom continued to be called the Kingdom of Israel or Israel, while the southern kingdom was called the kingdom of Judah. 2 Chronicles 15:9 also says that members of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon fled to Judah during the reign of Asa of Judah. 
Both Eusebius and Josephus place the division in 997 BCE - lunar dates of Venus can be mistaken as 64 years earlier. (Crossing of sun over Mars as Tamuz would be 10 July 997 BCE.)
Shechem was the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Afterwards it was [[Tirzah].] King Omri built his capital in Samaria (16:24), which continued as such until the destruction of the Kingdom by the Assyrians (). During the three-year siege of Samaria by the Assyrians, Shalmaneser V died and was succeeded by Sargon II of Assyria, who himself records the capture of that city thus: "Samaria I looked at, I captured; 27,280 men who dwelt in it I carried away" into Assyria. Thus, around 720 BCE, after two centuries, the kingdom of the ten tribes came to an end.
Today, among archaeologists, Samaria is one of the most universally accepted archaeological sites from the biblical periodSee Yohanan Aharoni, et al., The Macmillan Bible Atlas, Macmillan Publishing: New York, 1993, p. 94.; and Amihai Mazar, The Archaeology of the Land of the Bible: 10,000 – 586 B.C.E, New York: Doubleday, 1992, p. 404, see Pp. 406-410 for discussion of archaeological significance of Shomron (Samaria) under Omride Dynasty. At around 850 BCE, the Mesha Stele, written in Old Hebrew alphabet, records a victory of King Mesha of Moab against king Omri of Israel and his son Ahab.
===Relations between the kingdoms===
For the first sixty years, the kings of Judah tried to re-establish their authority over the northern kingdom, and there was perpetual war between them. For the following eighty years, there was no open war between them, and, for the most part, they were in friendly alliance, co-operating against their common enemies, especially against Damascus. 
The conflict between Israel and Judah was resolved when Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, allied himself with the house of Ahab through marriage. Later, Jehosophat's son and successor, Jehoram of Judah, married Ahab's daughter Athaliah, cementing the alliance. However, the sons of Ahab were slaughtered by Jehu following his coup d'état around 840 BCE.
===Destruction of the kingdom===
In c. 732 BCE, Pekah of Israel allied with Rezin, king of Aram, threatened Jerusalem, and Ahaz, king of Judah, appealed to Tiglath-Pileser III, the king of Assyria, for help. After Ahaz paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser Tiglath-Pileser sacked Damascus and Israel, annexing AramLester L. Grabbe, Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? (New York: T&T Clark, 2007): 134 and territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh in Gilead including the desert outposts of Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. People from these tribes including the Reubenite leader, were taken captive and resettled in the region of the Habor river system. Tiglath-Pilesar also captured the territory of Naphtali and the city of Janoah in Ephraim and an Assyrian governor was placed over the region of Naphtali. According to and , the population of Aram and the annexed part of Israel was deported to Assyria. 
Israel continued to exist within the reduced territory as an independent kingdom until around 720 BCE, when it was again invaded by Assyria and the rest of the population deported. The Bible relates that the population of Israel was exiled, becoming known as the The Ten Lost Tribes. However, other writers estimate that only a fifth of the population (about 40,000) were actually resettled out of the area during the two deportation periods under Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II.Finkelstein & Silberman 2001,The Bible Unearthed. Many also fled south to Jerusalem, which appears to have expanded in size fivefold during this period, requiring a new wall to be built, and a new source of water (Siloam) to be provided by King Hezekiah.
The remainder of the northern kingdom was conquered by Sargon II, who captured the capital city Samaria in the territory of Ephraim. He took 27,290 people captive from the city of Samaria resettling some with the Israelites in the Habor region and the rest in the land of the Medes thus establishing Jewish communities in Ecbatana and Rages.
The Book of Tobit additionally records that Sargon had taken other captives from the northern kingdom to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, in particular Tobit from the town of Thisbe in Naphtali.
In medieval Rabbinic fable the concept of the ten tribes who were taken away from the House of David (who continued the rule of the southern kingdom of Judah) becomes confounded with accounts of the Assyrian deportations leading to the myth of the "Ten Lost Tribes". The recorded history differs from this fable: No record exists of the Assyrians having exiled people from Dan, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun or western Manasseh. Descriptions of the deportation of people from Reuben, Gad, Manasseh in Gilead, Ephraim and Naphtali indicate that only a portion of these tribes were deported and the places to which they were deported are known locations given in the accounts. The deported communities are mentioned as still existing at the time of the composition of the books of Kings and Chronicles and did not disappear by assimilation. 2 Chronicles 30:1-11 explicitly mentions northern Israelites who had been spared by the Assyrians in particular people of Dan, Ephraim, Manasseh, Asher and Zebulun and how members of the latter three returned to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah.
===Kingdom of Judah===
The Kingdom of Judah continued to exist as an independent state until 586 BCE, when it was conquered by the Babylonian Empire.
==Culture==
===Religion in the Kingdom of Israel===
The religious climate of the Kingdom of Israel appears to have followed two major trends. The first, that of Yahweh detailed in the Hebrew Bible, and the second the cult of Baal as detailed in the so-called "Baal cycle" discovered at Ugarit.
It is recorded that Jeroboam built two places of worship, one at Bethel and one at far northern Dan, to be an alternative to the Temple at Jerusalem. He did not want the people of his kingdom to have religious ties to Jerusalem, the capital city of the rival Kingdom of Judah. He had golden calves erected for the people to represent their "god." These acts became known as the way of Jeroboam or the sins of Jeroboam. ()
Ahab allowed the cult worship of Baal to become an acceptable religion of the kingdom. His wife Jezebel was a devotee to Baal worship. ()
===Notable people===
====Prophets active in the Kingdom of Israel====
*Elijah, opponent of religious reforms under Ahab and Jezebel
*Elisha, chosen successor of Elijah
*Amos
*Hosea
*Jonah
*Nahum
==Royal Houses of Israel==
For this period, most historians follow either of the older chronologies established by William F. Albright or Edwin R. Thiele, or the newer chronologies of Gershon Galil and Kenneth Kitchen, all of which are shown below. All dates are BC/BCE.
Albright 	Thiele 	Galil 	Kitchen 	Common/Biblical name	Regnal Name and style 	Notes
=====The House of Saul=====	
=====The House of Saul=====	
=====The House of Saul=====	
=====The House of Saul=====	
=====The House of Saul=====	
=====The House of Saul===== 	
=====The House of Saul=====
1051–1010	1050–1010	1050–1010	1042–1010	Saul 	'שאול המלך or Sha'ul 	Reigned in Israel & Judah for 40 years: He killed himself during the war with the Philistines in Mount Gilboa.
1010–1008	1000–998 	1010–1008	1006–1004	Ish-bosheth 	(also called Eshba'al or Ashba'al or Ishbaal) 	Reigned in Israel for 2 years:
=====The House of David=====	
=====The House of David=====	
=====The House of David=====	
=====The House of David=====	
=====The House of David=====	
=====The House of David===== 	
=====The House of David=====
1000–962 	  	1010–970 	1010–970 	David 	דוד בן-ישי מלך ישראלDavid ben Yeshay, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Judah in Hebron 7 years and then over both Israel & Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem, 40 years in total. Death: Natural causes
962–922 	  	970–931 	971–931 	Solomon 	שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראלShelomoh ben David, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over United Kingdom of Israel (& Judah) in Jerusalem for 40 years. Death: Natural Causes
=====The House of Jeroboam=====	
=====The House of Jeroboam=====	
=====The House of Jeroboam=====	
=====The House of Jeroboam=====	
=====The House of Jeroboam=====	
=====The House of Jeroboam===== 	
=====The House of Jeroboam=====
922–901 	931–910 	931–909 	931–911 	Jeroboam I 	ירבעם בן-נבט מלך ישראלYerav’am ben Nevat, Melekh Yisra’el 	Led the rebellion and divided the kingdoms. Reigned in Israel (Northern Kingdom) for 22 years. Death: Natural Causes
901–900 	910–909 	909–908 	911–910 	Nadab 	נדב בן-ירבעם מלך ישראלNadav ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned in Israel for 2 years. Death: Killed by Baasha, son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, along with his whole family.
=====The House of Baasha=====	
=====The House of Baasha=====	
=====The House of Baasha=====	
=====The House of Baasha=====	
=====The House of Baasha=====	
=====The House of Baasha===== 	
=====The House of Baasha=====
900–877 	909–886 	908–885 	910–887 	Baasha 	בעשא בן-אחיה מלך ישראלBa’asha ben Achiyah, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 24 years. Death: Natural Causes
877–876 	886–885 	885–884 	887–886 	Elah 	אלה בן-בעשא מלך ישראל’Elah ben Ba’asha, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 2 years. Death: Zimri, one of his officials, got him drunk and killed him at his house in Azra.
=====The House of Zimri=====	
=====The House of Zimri=====	
=====The House of Zimri=====	
=====The House of Zimri=====	
=====The House of Zimri=====	
=====The House of Zimri===== 	
=====The House of Zimri=====
876 	885 	884 	886 	Zimri 	זמרי מלך ישראלZimri, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Tirzah for 7 days. Death: He set his palace on fire when Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
=====The House of Omri=====	
=====The House of Omri=====	
=====The House of Omri=====	
=====The House of Omri=====	
=====The House of Omri=====	
=====The House of Omri===== 	
=====The House of Omri=====
876–869 	885–874 	884–873 	886–875 	Omri 	עמרי מלך ישראל’Omri, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 12 years. Death: Natural Causes
869–850 	874–853 	873–852 	875–853 	Ahab 	אחאב בן-עמרי מלך ישראלAh’av ben ’Omri, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. Death: Shot by an archer during the battle at Ramoth Gilead. He died upon his arrival on Samaria.
850–849 	853–852 	852–851 	853–852 	Ahaziah 	אחזיהו בן-אחאב מלך ישראל’Ahazyahu ben 'Ah’av, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 2 years. Death: He fell through the lattice of his upper room and injured himself. Elijah the prophet told him he would never leave his bed and would die on it.
849–842 	852–841 	851–842 	852–841 	Joram 	יורם בן-אחאב מלך ישראלYehoram ben ’Ah’av, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 11 years. Death: Killed by Jehu, the next king of Israel,
=====The House of Jehu=====	
=====The House of Jehu=====	
=====The House of Jehu=====	
=====The House of Jehu=====	
=====The House of Jehu=====	
=====The House of Jehu===== 	
=====The House of Jehu=====
842–815 	841–814 	842–815 	841–814 	Jehu 	יהוא בן-נמשי מלך ישראלYehu ben Nimshi, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 28 years. Considered to be a contemporary of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III (858–824) to whom he paid tribute. This is based on an inscription on The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III showing "Yaua" son of Omri paying tribute, dated to 841 BCE. Death: Natural Causes
815–801 	814–798 	819–804 	814–806 	Jehoahaz 	יהואחז בן-יהוא מלך ישראלYeho’ahaz ben Yehu, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 17 years. Death: Natural Causes
801–786 	798–782 	805–790 	806–791 	Jehoash(Joash) 	יואש בן-יואחז מלך ישראלYeho’ash ben Yeho’ahaz, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 16 years. Death: Natural Causes
786–746 	782–753 	790–750 	791–750 	Jeroboam II 	ירבעם בן-יואש מלך ישראלYerav’am ben Yeho’ash, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 41 years. Death: Natural Causes. The Book of Jonah or Jonah's journey to Nineveh (when he was swallowed by a whale or fish) happened at that time.
746 	753 	750–749 	750 	 Zachariah 	זכריה בן-ירבעם מלך ישראלZekharyah ben Yerav’am, Melekh Yisra’el	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 6 months. Death: Shallum son of Jabesh killed him in front of the people and succeeded as king.
=====The House of Shallum=====	
=====The House of Shallum=====	
=====The House of Shallum=====	
=====The House of Shallum=====	
=====The House of Shallum=====	
=====The House of Shallum===== 	
=====The House of Shallum=====
745 	752 	749 	749 	Shallum 	שלם בן-יבש מלך ישראלShallum ben Yavesh, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 1 month. Death: Menahem son of Gadi attacked Shallum and assassinated him.
=====The House of Menahem=====	
=====The House of Menahem=====	
=====The House of Menahem=====	
=====The House of Menahem=====	
=====The House of Menahem=====	
=====The House of Menahem===== 	
=====The House of Menahem=====
745–738 	752–742 	749–738 	749–739 	Menahem 	מנחם בן-גדי מלך ישראלMenahem ben Gadi, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 10 years. Death: Natural Causes
738–737 	742–740 	738–736 	739–737 	Pekahiah 	פקחיה בן-מנחם מלך ישראלPekahyah ben Menahem, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 2 years. Death: Pekah son of Remaliah, one of the chief officers, took 50 men with him and assassinated the king in his palace at Samaria.
=====The House of Pekah=====	
=====The House of Pekah=====	
=====The House of Pekah=====	
=====The House of Pekah=====	
=====The House of Pekah=====	
=====The House of Pekah===== 	
=====The House of Pekah=====
737–732 	740–732 	736–732 	737–732 	Pekah 	פקח בן-רמליהו מלך ישראלPekah ben Remalyahu, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 20 years. Death: Hoshea son of Elah conspired against him and assassinated him.
=====The House of Hoshea=====	
=====The House of Hoshea=====	
=====The House of Hoshea=====	
=====The House of Hoshea=====	
=====The House of Hoshea=====	
=====The House of Hoshea===== 	
=====The House of Hoshea=====
732–722 	732–722 	732–722 	732–722 	Hoshea 	הושע בן-אלה מלך ישראלHoshe’a ben ’Elah, Melekh Yisra’el 	Reigned over Israel in Samaria for 9 years. Paid tribute to the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V (727–722 BCE]]) but rebelled in 725 BCE. Shalmaneser besieged the capital, Samaria, but died shortly before the fall of the city. His brother Sargon II (722–705 BCE) completed the siege with success in 722, making Judah the sole remaining Hebrew kingdom. The ten tribes were exiled to other parts of the Assyrian Empire and never heard from again in recorded history. A small group of people fled south to take refuge in Judah. Death: King Shalmanser attacked and captured Samaria. He charged Hoshea of treason and he put him in prison, then, he deported the Israelites to Assyria.
==References==
==External links==
*About Israel - The Information Center About Israel
*Biblical History The Jewish History Resource Center - Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
*Complete Bible Genealogy A synchronized chart of the kings of Israel and Judah
Category:800s BC