If you find it helpful to refer to maps and timelines when reading historical books then this is for you. Here is a map, a timeline, and some other information to help you place what you are reading about in 2 Kings. Please let us know how helpful this is, and any suggestions for improving it.

 

 

God brought the twelve tribes of Israel out of Egypt and into the land he had promised them. Very soon they were picking up distasteful habits from the people living nearby, and increasingly ignoring God.

In about 945 BC, after the death of King Solomon, the leaders made bad decisions and two of the tribes split from the rest.

Israel became the northern kingdom, Judah the southern.

Each kingdom experienced a range of kings, some better than others but in general not very good and not obedient to God.

The depravity in Israel seems to have been even worse than in Judah.

God repeatedly warned both countries through prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. He told them they must return to Him, turn away from their evil behavior, and allow God to renew them – or else they risked destruction.

To the south-west: Egypt remained powerful. To the north: the Assyrian empire was becoming ever stronger and looking to expand. To the east: the Babylonian empire was gaining power.

God finally allowed Israel to be punished as promised. In 733 BC Assyria threatened Israel, and soon after began a military campaign against them. In 720 BC their defeat was complete, and large numbers of Israelites were deported to Assyria. People from other parts of the Assyrian empire were moved into Israel. This was a tactic intended to ensure that Israel would never revolt against Assyria. (The result was a mixed-race area which to some extent continued to try to worship God. They became what was known in Jesus’ time as Samaria, populated by people who were not counted as real Jews.)

A decade later God called Isaiah to warn Judah to return to Him and reform. Finally a promising ruler took over the country as king. His name was Hezekiah.

 

The August readings from 2 Kings focus on King Hezekiah, and deal mainly with the period shown below in blue.