Ancient Israel and Judah

A map showing the divided kingdoms

Synopsis: The history of the Israelites is a story of God's promises and steadfast love. It begins when God chose Abraham to go into the land of Canaan. The descendents of Abraham later became slaves in Egypt, but Moses delivered them out of slavery and back to the land God had promised. The people of Israel were initially rules by judges and later kings, the most famous being David. Time and time again the people turned away from God, only to be forgiven. Eventually however, the kingdom of Israel split in civil war into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Both fell to invading armies and the people of Israel were exiled to foreign lands. Some returned and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, but remained under foreign rule. The Romans controlled the area of Palestine at the time of Jesus, who came to restore God's kingdom - but not in the way people of the time expected - he restored us to a right relationship with God.

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Related topics

• Hebrew
• Characters of the Bible
• Patriarchs
• Exodus | Promised Land
• Judges
• Kings of Israel Index | King Saul | King David | Solomon
• Kingdom of Judah | Kingdom of Israel
• The Exile

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Main article

The history of the Israelites is a story of God's promises and steadfast love. It begins when God chose Abraham to go into the land of Canaan. The descendents of Abraham later became slaves in Egypt, but Moses delivered them out of slavery and back to the land God had promised. The people of Israel were initially rules by judges and later kings, the most famous being David. Time and time again the people turned away from God, only to be forgiven. Eventually however, the kingdom of Israel split in civil war into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Both fell to invading armies and the people of Israel were exiled to foreign lands. Some returned and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, but remained under foreign rule. The Romans controlled the area of Palestine at the time of Jesus, who came to restore God's kingdom - but not in the way people of the time expected - he restored us to a right relationship with God.

Patriarchs

The patriarchal period begins with Abraham (Abram), who lived around the 1,800 BC. The life of Abraham is recorded in the Book of Genesis. According to Genesis, God called Abram to faith and obedience, calling him to leave his home of Ur, and move to a land that He would show him. Abram, his wife Sarai (Sarah), and his extended clan then moved to the land of Canaan. In this land, God promised to bless him and make him a great nation (although Abraham was childless at the time). Trusting this promise, Abram journeyed down to Shechem, then to a spot between Bethel and Ai. He then moved to the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. The Bible tells us that Abraham trusted God, and God credited this to him as righteousness. Abraham's wife, Sarah, bore a son, Isaac, late in life. Isaac was the father of Jacob, who God renamed Israel. Jacob was the father of 12 sons, whose offspring became the 12 tribes of Israel.

Divided Monarchy

A map of the region around 830 BC

Captivity - Exile

In 722 BC the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. Its people were moved en masse by the Assyrians into neighbouring territories, and people of other conquered nations moved into the land to fill the void. The Jews of the northern Kingdom assimilated into their new lands, and these tribes of Israel disappeared from history as a distinct people forever. The account is explained in 2 Kings 17 as a judgement against the people of the the northern Kingdom for repeated and continued unfaithfulness to God.

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Links

• Wikipedia - Ancient Israel

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