Kings, books of

▪ Bible

      two books of the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant Old Testament that, together with Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel, belong to the group of historical books (Deuteronomic history) written during the Babylonian Exile (c. 550 BC) of the Jews. (In most Roman Catholic versions, 1 and 2 Samuel are called the first and second books of Kings, and the two Hebrew and Protestant books of Kings are called the third and fourth books of Kings.)

      The two books of Kings recount the fate of the monarchy in Israel after the death of King David. Many old traditions have been preserved in the books, but they have been reworked by the historian. The first two chapters of 1 Kings complete the story of David, begun in the preceding books of Samuel, and tell of the accession of his son Solomon. The reign of Solomon is treated in 1 Kings 3–11, followed by the reigns of kings of Judah and Israel from the beginning of the divided monarchy (c. 930 BC) until the fall of the kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. The second book, 2 Kings, tells of the reigns of kings of the surviving southern kingdom of Judah until its eventual collapse in 586 BC.

      In both books, the performance of each king is judged not on political accomplishments but on theological criteria. All of the kings of the northern kingdom are consequently presented in a bad light because they did not recognize the exclusive legitimacy of the cult in Jerusalem. By attending northern centres of worship established by Jeroboam I, they were all made to share in the sin of Jeroboam. Of the southern kings, only Hezekiah and Josiah receive unqualified approval. By instituting cultic reforms that upheld the requirements of the Covenant as set down in Deuteronomy, they earned the historian's high praise.

      The author uses traditional materials freely to construct a unified presentation reflecting his personal views, interweaving materials from north and south to emphasize the unity of the people, elaborating prophetic oracles with his own words, and at times offering his own reflections on the course of events. The books of Kings are thus very much the work of an individual. The author's concern in part is to explain the fate of the Israelite people. Though their fall is directly related to their apostasy, the author is hopeful that his people will be restored to the glory of the days when David ruled over all the Israelite people.

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