Kingdom of Judah
Israel, 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
He was a son of and the successor to Solomon and a grandson of David. After the Northern and Southern kingdoms were divided, he became the first king of the Kingdom of Judah.
Portrait of Rehoboam: Hans Holbein the Younger, Public domain, file
Asa
King of Judah, 911–870 BCE
According to the Hebrew Bible, he was the third king of the Kingdom of Judah and the fifth king of the House of David. He was succeeded by Jehoshaphat, his son (by Azubah).
Portrait of Asa: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Jehoshaphat
King of Judah, 870–848 BCE
According to the Hebrew Bible, he was the son of Asa, and the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, in succession to his father. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king.
Portrait of Jehoshaphat: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Jehoash
King of Judah, 835–796 BCE
He was the eighth king of Judah, and the sole surviving son of Ahaziah after the massacre of the royal family ordered by his grandmother, Athaliah. Jehoash was 7 years old when he ascended to the throne, reigning for 40 years.
Portrait of Jehoash: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Amaziah
King of Judah, 796–767 BCE
He was the ninth king of Judah and the son and successor of Joash. He took the throne at the age of 25, after the assassination of his father, and reigned for 29 years.
Portrait of Amaziah: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Uzziah
King of Judah, 767–740 BCE
He was the tenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and one of Amaziah's sons. Uzziah was 16 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 52 years.
Portrait of Uzziah: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Hezekiah
King of Judah, 716–687 BCE
He was the son of Ahaz and the thirteenth king of Judah. His reign was marked by his significant religious reforms and his revolt against the Assyrian Empire. He witnessed the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians under Sargon II in c. 722 BCE and later faced the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by King Sennacherib in 701 BCE.
Portrait of Hezekiah: This image was produced by me, David Castor (user:dcastor). The pictures I submit to the Wikipedia Project are releas..., Public domain, file
Manasseh
King of Judah, 687–643 BCE
He was the fourteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah. He became king at the age of 12 and reigned for 55 years.
Portrait of Manasseh: Guillaume Rouille, Public domain, file
Josiah
King of Judah, 641–609 BCE
He was the 16th king of Judah. According to the Hebrew Bible, Josiah became king of Judah at age eight after his father's assassination and reigned for 31 years.
Portrait of Josiah: This image was produced by me, David Castor (user:dcastor). The pictures I submit to the Wikipedia Project are releas..., Public domain, file
Culture
- The Hebrew Bible depicts the Kingdom of Judah as one of the two successor states of the United Kingdom of Israel, a term denoting the united monarchy under biblical kings Saul, David, and Solomon and covering the territory of Judah and Israel.
- The Tel Dan Stele, discovered in 1993, shows that the kingdom existed in some form by the middle of the 9th century BCE, but it does not indicate the extent of its power.
- In the 7th century BCE, the kingdom's population increased greatly, prospering under Neo-Assyrian vassalage despite Hezekiah's revolt against the Assyrian king Sennacherib.
- Josiah took advantage of the political vacuum that resulted from Assyria's decline and the emergence of Saite Egyptian rule over the area to enact his religious reforms.
Picture
Lachish was an ancient Canaanite and later Israelite city in the Shephelah region of Canaan.
Image: Wilson44691, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.