History of Israel

Kingdom of Israel, 930–720 BCE Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Israel, also called the Kingdom of Samaria or the Northern Kingdom, was an Israelite kingdom that existed in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It controlled the areas of Samaria, Galilee and parts of Transjordan. It had four capital cities in succession: Shiloh, Shechem, Tirzah, and the city of Samaria. Around 720 BCE, Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

Seat of power: Shechem

Rulers

• Jeroboam I, King of Israel, 931–910 BCE
• Nadab, King of Israel, 910–909 BCE
• Baasha, King of Israel, 909–886 BCE
• Omri, King of Israel, 885–874 BCE
• Tibni, King of Israel, 885–880 BCE
• Ahab, King of Israel, 874–853 BCE
• Jehoram, King of Israel, 852–841 BCE
• Jehu, King of Israel, 841–814 BCE
• Jehoahaz, King of Israel, 814–798 BCE
• Jehoash, King of Israel, 798–782 BCE
• Jeroboam II, King of Israel, 782–753 BCE
• Menahem, King of Israel, 752–742 BCE
• Pekahiah, King of Israel, 742–740 BCE
• Pekah, King of Israel, 740–732 BCE
• Hoshea, King of Israel, 732–722 BCE

Kingdom of Judah, 930–586 BCE Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Judah was an Israelite kingdom of the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. Centered in the highlands to the west of the Dead Sea, the kingdom's capital was Jerusalem. It was ruled by the House of David for four centuries. In 587 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II engaged in a siege of Jerusalem, ultimately destroying the city and ending the kingdom.

Seat of power: Jerusalem

Rulers

• Rehoboam, King of Judah, 931–913 BCE
• Asa, King of Judah, 911–870 BCE
• Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, 870–848 BCE
• Jehoash, King of Judah, 835–796 BCE
• Amaziah, King of Judah, 796–767 BCE
• Uzziah, King of Judah, 767–740 BCE
• Hezekiah, King of Judah, 716–687 BCE
• Manasseh, King of Judah, 687–643 BCE
• Josiah, King of Judah, 641–609 BCE

Mandatory Palestine, 1920–1948 Draft, not yet reviewed

Mandatory Palestine, officially known as Palestine, was a British administrative territory in the region of Palestine between 1920 and 1948. Under the League of Nations mandate system, Britain was entrusted with administrating Palestine on the development of representative institutions and eventual self-government. From 1922, Britain administered the territory under the Mandate for Palestine with the British High Commissioner under the Colonial Office as its chief administrator. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, adopted by the UN General Assembly in November 1947, recommended dividing the territory into two states, one Arab and one Jewish.

Seat of power: Jerusalem

Israel, 1948 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, shortly before the end of the mandate. The 1949 armistice left Israel controlling more territory than had been allocated to it under the UN partition plan. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and Egyptian Sinai, and annexed East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights. Peace treaties were signed with Egypt in 1979 (the Sinai being returned in 1982) and Jordan in 1994.

Seat of power: Jerusalem

Rulers

• Chaim Weizmann, President of Israel, 1948–1952
• Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, President of Israel, 1952–1963
• Joseph Sprinzak, Head of state, 1952–1952
• Zalman Shazar, President of Israel, 1963–1973
• Kadish Luz, Head of state, 1963–1963
• Ephraim Katzir, President of Israel, 1973–1978
• Isaac Navon, President of Israel, 1978–1983
• Chaim Herzog, President of Israel, 1983–1993
• Ezer Weizman, President of Israel, 1993–2000
• Moshe Katsav, President of Israel, 2000–2007
• Abraham Burg, Head of state, 2000–2000
• Shimon Peres, President of Israel, 2007–2014
• Dalia Itzik, Head of state, 2007–2007
• Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel, 2014–2021
• Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, 2021 to today