Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy) Facts for Kids

Imagine a time long ago, around 3,000 years ago. The Hebrew Bible tells us that there was once a single, large kingdom called the United Monarchy or United Kingdom of Israel. This kingdom was said to be ruled by famous kings like Saul, David, and Solomon. It supposedly covered the lands that later became two separate kingdoms: Judah and Israel.

However, whether this large United Monarchy truly existed exactly as described is a big question for historians and archaeologists. Some experts believe the Bible's story might be a bit exaggerated. Others think it was a real kingdom, but perhaps not as big or powerful as the Bible suggests. This is a topic that scholars are still debating today!

Archaeological Discoveries and Debates
- The Low Chronology Idea
- Other Views and New Finds
Biblical Story of the United Monarchy
Biblical Timeline of Kings
Images for kids
See also

Archaeological Discoveries and Debates

Archaeologists study old remains to learn about the past. In the 1980s, some scholars started to wonder if there was enough archaeological proof for a huge kingdom in Israel before the late 700s BCE.

The Low Chronology Idea

In the 1990s, an archaeologist named Israel Finkelstein suggested a "Low Chronology." This idea changed the dates for many ancient buildings and cities. He believed that many grand buildings thought to be from the 900s BCE (the time of David and Solomon) were actually built later, in the 800s BCE. If this is true, it would mean the United Monarchy might not have had many big, fancy buildings. Finkelstein and another writer, Neil Silberman, suggested that the idea of a huge united monarchy might be more of a powerful religious story than exact history. They thought David and Solomon were real kings, but perhaps of smaller areas.

Other Views and New Finds

Not everyone agrees with Finkelstein. Another archaeologist, Amihai Mazar, proposed a "Modified Conventional Chronology." He believes that archaeological finds can still match the time of Saul, David, and Solomon in the 900s BCE. Many other scholars also disagree with Finkelstein's "Low Chronology."

Some exciting discoveries have been made that seem to support the idea of a strong kingdom around the time of David and Solomon:

In 2005, archaeologist Eilat Mazar found what might have been King David's palace in Jerusalem. It included ancient pottery and a special clay seal (called a bulla) with an official's name mentioned in the Bible.
At a place called Khirbet Qeiyafa, archaeologists found an old city that was built much earlier than some scholars thought cities existed in Judah. This suggests that an organized kingdom might have been around in the 900s BCE.
In 2010, Eilat Mazar also announced finding parts of ancient city walls in Jerusalem that she believes date back to the 900s BCE, the time of King Solomon. This would mean there was a strong government able to build big structures.

However, some archaeologists still have doubts about the exact dates or what these finds truly mean. For example, in 2015, large walls were found in the ancient city of Gath, the supposed home of Goliath. These walls showed Gath was a very big city in the 900s BCE, perhaps even bigger than Jerusalem. This made some wonder if David's kingdom could have been as powerful as the Bible describes, if a rival city like Gath was so large.

The debate continues, with new discoveries helping us learn more about this ancient time.

Biblical Story of the United Monarchy

The Hebrew Bible tells a detailed story of how the United Monarchy began and ended.

How the Kingdom Started

According to the Bible, the people of Israel wanted a king, just like other nations. At first, God and the prophet Samuel weren't thrilled about this idea, as God said the people were rejecting Him as their king. But Samuel still went ahead and chose Saul to be the first king.

After Saul's reign, the Bible says he disobeyed God, and his kingdom was given to another family. Saul died in battle. His son, Eshbaal, ruled for only two years before being killed. Even though David was only king of the southern tribe of Judah at first, he eventually became king over all of Israel.

Later, David's own son, Absalom, rebelled against him. David had to leave Jerusalem but eventually fought back and won, becoming king again.

The Golden Age of Kings David and Solomon

During Saul's time, the capital was in Gibeah. After Saul, Eshbaal ruled from Mahanaim, and David first made Hebron his capital for Judah.

The Bible describes David as a very strong leader who united Israel and ruled from about 1000 to 961 BCE. He led successful wars against enemies like the Philistines, making Israel a powerful kingdom. Its influence grew, controlling smaller states around it.

David was followed by his son, Solomon. The Bible says Solomon became king after some family drama. Solomon was known for his wisdom and for building the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, with help from skilled workers and materials from the city of Tyre.

Solomon also rebuilt many important cities, including Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer. Archaeologists have found impressive gates and buildings at these sites, which some believe are from Solomon's building projects. However, as mentioned before, some scholars like Israel Finkelstein think these buildings were constructed later.

The Kingdom Splits Apart

After Solomon died around 926 BCE, there was a lot of tension between the northern and southern parts of the kingdom. The northern tribes had economic complaints against Solomon's son, Rehoboam, who became king.

Around 930 BCE, the United Monarchy split into two separate kingdoms:

The northern Kingdom of Israel, also called the Northern Kingdom or Samaria. Its main cities were Shechem and Samaria. This kingdom lasted until 722 BCE when it was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
The southern Kingdom of Judah, also called the Southern Kingdom. Its capital was Jerusalem. This kingdom lasted until 586 BCE when it was conquered by the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Map of Israel and Judah after the United Monarchy split. The Northern Kingdom is blue, and the Southern Kingdom is gold (9th century BCE).

Biblical Timeline of Kings

Historians and archaeologists use different timelines, so there isn't one perfect agreement on the exact dates for these ancient kings. Here are some commonly used dates for the kings of the United Monarchy, based on biblical scholars like William F. Albright, Edwin R. Thiele, and Gershon Galil:

Monarch	Albright–Thiele dates	Galil dates	Notes
House of Saul
Saul (שָׁאוּל‎)	c. 1021–1000 BCE	c. 1030–1010 BCE	Died in battle.
Eshbaal (אֶשְׁבַּעַל‎)	c. 1000 BCE	c. 1010–1008 BCE	Son of Saul; was assassinated.
House of David
David (דָּוִד‎)	c. 1000–962 BCE	c. 1008–970 BCE	Saul's son-in-law.
Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה‎)	c. 962–922 BCE	c. 970–931 BCE	Son of David and Bathsheba.
Rehoboam (רְחַבְעָם‎)	c. 922–921 BCE	c. 931–930 BCE	Son of Solomon; his reign saw the kingdom split.

Images for kids

Aerial view of Khirbet Qeiyafa, an archaeological site in modern-day Israel (2008).

Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy) facts for kids

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