ESV

Biblical

Elijah and Elisha

c. 875–797 b.c. Elijah and his successor Elisha figure prominently in 1 and 2 Kings as they prophesied against the wickedness of Ahab and Joram (also called Jehoram) of Israel. Elijah’s opposition to pagan worship also put him at odds with Jezebel, Ahab’s Phoenician wife, who

Biblical

War between Israel and Judah

War between Israel and Judah As Israel and Judah battled each other to determine their permanent border, King Baasha of Israel attempted to restrict access to Judah by moving the border down to Ramah. Rather than fight with Baasha himself, King Asa of Judah bribed Ben-hadad of Syria to attack

Biblical

The Kingdom Divides

931 b.c. When Solomon’s son Rehoboam arrived at Shechem for his coronation after his father’s death, he refused to lighten his father’s heavy tax burden on the people, and the 10 northern tribes revolted and set up Jeroboam as their king. The northern kingdom would now

Biblical

Solomon’s Enemies

c. 950 b.c. Though Solomon held a firm grip on his kingdom throughout his lifetime, there were still those who worked to subvert his rule. Hadad was a member of the royal family of Edom who fled to Egypt to escape David’s purge of all Edomite males. He

Biblical

Solomon’s International Ventures

c. 950 b.c. Solomon’s firm control of important trade routes linking Egypt, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia (Asia Minor) provided him with incalculable wealth. Partnering with King Hiram of Tyre, Solomon also launched his own trading expeditions to Ophir to acquire valuable and exotic goods. The queen of Sheba’

Biblical

Jerusalem at the Time of Solomon

c. 950 b.c. Through various building projects Solomon began to transform the small military stronghold of the city of David into a full-scale city that would be the geographical center of Israelite religion. He built the temple of the Lord and the royal palace complex on the hill to

Biblical

Solomon’s Administrative Districts

c. 950 b.c. Solomon reorganized the Israelite territory of his kingdom into 12 districts, each of which was responsible to supply the immense provisions for the king for one month out of the year. It appears that Judah, Solomon’s tribe, was exempted from this burden. Solomon also fortified

Biblical

The Extent of Solomon’s Kingdom

c. 971–931 b.c. Solomon’s reign marked the zenith of Israel’s power and wealth in biblical times. His father, David, had bestowed upon him a kingdom that included Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, and Zobah. Solomon would later bring the kingdom of Hamath under his dominion as well,

Biblical

David’s Census

c. 975 b.c. David ordered his commander Joab to take a census of all the people in the regions in which he exercised direct control. The reason for this census was probably to assess David’s military capacity (see2 Sam. 24:9; 1 Chron. 21:5). Joab’s men

Biblical

David and Absalom

c. 985 b.c. In retaliation for the incestuous rape of his sister, Absalom killed his brother Amnon at Baal-hazor and fled to Geshur. After three years, arrangements were made for Absalom to return to Jerusalem, and later he and David were reconciled. Soon after this, however, Absalom led a

Biblical

David Defeats the Ammonites and the Syrians

c. 995 b.c. After purposely humiliating ambassadors sent by David, the Ammonites prepared for David’s response by calling for help from the king of Maacah, the men of Tob, and the Syrians living in Beth-rehob and Zobah. When David’s commander Joab defeated these forces, the Syrians called

Biblical

David Defeats the Philistines

c. 1000 b.c. Soon after David moved his capital to Jerusalem, the Philistines prepared to attack David’s forces at the nearby Valley of Rephaim. David defeated them, but they regrouped and prepared for a second attack. This time David attacked them from the rear and struck them down

Biblical

David Captures the Stronghold of Zion

c. 1005 b.c. After securing his reign over all Israel, David moved his capital from Hebron, a southern city of Judah, to a more central and tribally neutral location at Jerusalem. At the time, Jerusalem (called “the stronghold of Zion”) was held by the Jebusites, and its terraced defensive

Biblical

David’s Struggle for Power

c. 1010 b.c. Immediately after Saul’s death, a struggle for power ensued between David and Ish-bosheth (or Eshbaal), Saul’s youngest and only surviving son. David ruled over his native tribe of Judah from Hebron, while Ish-bosheth ruled over the rest of Israel from Mahanaim across the Jordan

Biblical

The Setting of 2 Samuel

c. 1000 b.c. The book of 2 Samuel recounts David’s reign over Israel and his battles to establish Israel as the dominant power in Syria and Palestine. David expanded Israel’s borders from Saul’s fledgling territory until, by the end of his reign, he controlled all of

Biblical

The Battle at Mount Gilboa

c. 1010 b.c. Philistine forces advanced to Shunem from Aphek and prepared to attack the Israelites near their camp in Jezreel. Saul, fearing the great army that faced him, slipped away during the night to consult a medium at En-dor in order to seek the counsel of the deceased

Biblical

David Flees from Saul

David’s growing reputation among the people as a warrior and leader incited Saul’s jealousy, and Saul began trying to kill David. David fled from Saul in Gibeah (1) and went to Samuel at Naioth in Ramah (2), but soon Saul sought him there, and David fled back to

Biblical

The Battle at Elah

Sometime after being anointed as the next king of Israel, David was sent from Bethlehem by his father to take food to his brothers serving in the Israelite army near Socoh and Azekah. When David arrived, he learned of the Philistines’ challenge to the Israelites to send a champion to

Biblical

The Battle at Michmash

As the Philistines strengthened their grip on the central hill country of Israel, they placed troops at Michmash and sent raiding parties into the countryside. After Saul’s son Jonathan captured the town of Geba, Saul mustered more Israelite forces at Gilgal and joined Jonathan. A daring raid by Jonathan

Biblical

Saul Rescues Jabesh-gilead

c. 1050 b.c. Soon after Saul was anointed king of Israel, the people of Jabesh-gilead were attacked by the Ammonites. When Saul heard the news at Gibeah, he quickly mustered the Israelite forces at Bezek and defeated the Ammonites in battle. Samuel then called upon the people to confirm

Biblical

The Ark’s Travels in 1 Samuel 3–7

After suffering losses in battle against the Philistines at Ebenezer, the Israelite forces called for the ark of the covenant to be brought to the battle from Shiloh. But the Israelites were defeated again, and the Philistines captured the ark. The ark’s presence in each Philistine city caused the

Biblical

The Setting of 1 Samuel

c. 1050 b.c. The book of 1 Samuel is set in Israel during the time of transition between the period of the judges and the period of the monarchy. It opens with Samuel’s birth and then describes his role as judge over Israel. When the people ask for

Biblical

The Setting of Ruth

Set in the period of the judges, the book of Ruth records how a famine in Judah forces Naomi and her husband to leave Israel and move to Moab, where their sons marry Moabite women. When Naomi’s husband and sons die, she decides to return to her home in

Biblical

Dan’s Migration and Israel’s War with Benjamin

The final chapters of Judges record the migration of the tribe of Dan to the north, and Israel’s war with Benjamin for deeds committed against a Levite passing through Gibeah. After refusing to surrender the perpetrators to judgment, the Benjaminites were defeated by the other tribes, and the remaining

Biblical

Samson’s Exploits

The Philistines ruled over Israel during Samson’s lifetime, and Samson was raised up by God to begin to deliver Israel from them. Samson’s marriage to a Philistine woman in Timnah led to a number of encounters with the Philistines, often resulting in their harm at Samson’s hand.