History of Ancient Israel

Centuries during which the various prophets spoke:

Northern Kingdom:

  • 8th century prophets: Hosea, Amos

Southern Kingdom:

  • 8th century prophets: Isaiah, Micah

  • 7th century prophets: Jeremiah, Zepheniah, Nahum, Habakkuk

The Nation of Assyria:

  • 8th century prophet: Jonah (literary setting, not date)

Dates for the fall of Israel and Judah, kings/kingdoms who destroyed them:

Northern Kingdom (Israel) falls to Assyrians in 722/21 BC (King Shalmaneser V and Sargon II)

  • Many people deported

  • Other nationalities imported

  • There were no prophets during this time

Southern Kingdom (Judah) falls to Babylonians (King Nebuchadnezzar II) in 587/86 BC 

  • The Walls of City and the First Temple is destroyed

  • Many exiled to Babylon in an event called the ‘Exile of Elites of Judah’

    • The story was told in The Book of Ezekiel and The Book of Daniel

  • Book of Lamentations: poetic laments for destruction of Jerusalem, the capital 

  • The Book of Obadiah describes downfall of Edom (founded by Esau) as punishment for their mistreatment of the people of Judah (and Jacob)

Cyrus the Great, from Persia, destroyed Babylon in 539 BC

Second Temple completed in 516 BC and stood until 70 CE

Haggai and Zechariah encouraged people to build the Second Temple.