The Chronology of the Kings of Israel

A Study in the Precise Biblical Dating

by Pastor Ed Rice

05/18/2010 Public Domain

In that many have taken in hand the task of exploring and settling the chronological dating of the Kings of Israel, and in that none of these have held Bible accuracy in the highest esteem, I have undertaken this exciting, intriguing and Biblically exact solution of dating the Kings of Israel. With the Bible as our sole authority and the start dates of king's reigns given in reference to their sister nation's kings (Judah's kings reigning from Jerusalem, Israel's kings reigning from Samaria) it is possible to systematically back a calendar from a know reference point. The Ussher dates used in reputable reference Bibles provide the most Biblically accurate calendar dating available and his date of 586 BC for the fall of Zedekiah, king of Judah, and Nebuchadnezzar's complete destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, is the reference point used here.

James Ussher (1581-1656) was the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland between 1625 and 1656, but two factors make him pertinent in this day. First is his staunch belief in the verbal plenary inspiration of the infallible inerrant Scriptures. James Ussher preceded by 300 years the diabolical deceptions of Brook Foss Westcott (1825-1903) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828-1892), two Anglican ministers fully steeped in the Alexandrian philosophy that “there is no perfect Bible”¹ Westcott and Hort brought Biblical criticism into vogue for 'scholars'-so called and chronological works have not leaned on Biblical accuracy since the tremendous strides made by James Ussher. It is also note worthy that Ussher was contemporary with the 57 linguistic giants that labored for 7 years (1604-1611)² to translate the Greek Received Text (T.R.) and the Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text (M.T.)³ into the English language, and Biblical Scholars of that day readily believed in the verbal plenary inspiration of the infallible inerrant Scriptures.

Secondly James Ussher was contemprary with Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius (1537-1612) who was recruited by Rome to fix the Julian Calendar which had allowed the solar equinox to drift from March 21^st to almost April fools day. The Roman popes, who thought themselves infallible, weere tired of dating Easter on a very fallible Julian Calendar.⁴ Julius Caesar needed a reformed calendar for his world empire and following his conquest of Egypt in 709 a.u.c. (i.e. From founding of the city of Rome) (which is what we now call 46 B.C. ) he adopted the Alexandrian Aristarchus calendar, which recognized a solar year of 365 ¼ days, likely taken form the Babylonians in 239 B.C. This Julian Calendar, as it became called, was 11.23 minutes per year to long, accumulating a whole day every 130 years. In James Ussher's lifetime it was resolved t make a leap year only when the year was divisible by 4 but not by 100 or if it was divisible by 400, because a year has 365.2422 days, not 365.25 days. This intriguing mathematical solution allowed Ussher a zeal to roll back a calendar through all ions of time, even back to the 6 day creation!. The extraordinary detail found in the Bible and the extraordinary exactness found in this new calendar mathematics made James Ussher the extraordinary explorer of past chronologies. His extensive investigative work is still trustworthy today. James Ussher's extensive research is scoffed by modernist scholars for two reasons. He believed in every word of the Holy Bible as inspired, inerrant and infallible, they do not, and he thus believed in a 6 day creation which according to that inerrant infallible Biblical recode occurred in 4004 BC⁵.

The research in this effort is but a minor adjustment to a small portion of Ussher's stupendous efforts. It was done in hours sitting in front of a spreadsheet, his in years researching all over Europe. It is amazing that I can sit in my study with an internet connection and access all 1200 pages of his work in “The Annuls of the World”. Do not miss the free purview of the public domain document and his tremendous detailing of Biblical History.

This system, though not flawless, as is God's Holy Word, can carry a general accuracy of +/- ½ year in roundoff error and a specific error of +/- 1.5 year which is far more accurate than any other chronology of Israel's kings.

The following tables show the results of this methodology. I trust they will be a blessing in your studies of God's precious, inerrant, infallible and forever accurate, revealed word.

Book Mark Kings of Israel Saul to Fall

For a defense of Pastor Rice's datings see www.GSBaptistChurch.com/timeline

Book Mark Kings of Israel & Judah with Prophets

For a defense of Pastor Rice's datings see www.GSBaptistChurch.com/timeline

The hours of analysis and spreadsheet development was a labor of love for God's Holy Bible and it can be only partially captured in the following explanation and documentation. The complete spreadsheet in an open office format is available on our web site at http://www.gsbaptistchurch.com/timeline Exercising the spreadsheet is not nearly informative as developing it but tweeking the numbers does enhance an understanding of the exactness of God's Holy Writ. Hopefully goring through these clarifications can be as rewarding.

Abijah the First Required Gap from 1Ki 15

“Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.” (1Ki 15:1-2 ) We have logically assumed that Rehoboam and Jeroboam became kings of Judah and Israel, respectively, at roughly the same time. Rehoboam reigned 17 years (1Ki 14:21) and his son, Abijam, took the reign in the 18^th year of Jeroboam, meaning there was a 1 year gap for the throne of Judah. One year gaps or overlaps are accounted for in this effort but they do not arouse much concern. Consider that both Reoboam and Jeroboam could have entered the throne on April 1^st and Reoboam died in March of his 17^th year. Abijam assended to the throne in the next month and now reigned, as accounted in the Bible, in the 18^th year of Jeroboam. Thus this accounting system for the kings of Israel carries an accuracy of +/- ½ year. Future overlaps and lapses of 1 year are thus not examined in any detail here.

Omri & Ahab Gaps and Overlaps from 1Ki 16

There are some other anomolys to examine so notice that 1Ki 16:23 starts Omri as the king of Israel in the 31^st year of Asa, king of Judah. Omri was king after Zimri, who overthrew the family dynasty of Baasha (1Ki 16:11-12), and there was a struggle between him and Tibni, the son of Ginath, over the throne. Now Zimri only reigned for 1 month in the 27^th year of Asa, king of Judah (1Ki 16:12) and that leaves the throne empty for, lets say 11 months of Asa's 27^th year, and all of his 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th years. Almost four years lapses here before Omir becomes Isreal's 6^th king and starts their 4^th family dynasty. (I appologize for the exactness of the math from the spreadsheet method, but 1 7 days of Zimri's reign is 2/100^ths of a year and the 4 year gap is thus represented as 3.98 years in our exact analysis.)

Now Omri's son, Ahab, began to reign in the 38^th year of Asa (1Ki 16:29) and Omri, who reigned 12 years (1Ki 16:23), thus reigned from Asa's 31^st year until his 43^rd year. ( 31 + 12 = 43 ) Thus Ahab was co-regeant with his father Omri for 5 years. ( 43 – 38 = 5) This math may seem pretty exacting but we are studying a book, God's Holy Word, which deserves every ounce of our exactness.

Now let's examine 8 years of gap added because of 2Ki 12 and 13. In 12:1 Jehoash becomes king of Judah in the 7^th year of Jehu, king of Israel, and in 13:1 Jehoahaz, Jehu's son, begins to reign in Israel in Jehoash's 23^rd year. Thus Jehoahaz began his reign in his father's 30^th year. ( 7 + 23 = 30) but since Jehu only reigned for 28 years, (2Ki 10:36) Israel's throne was empty for 2 years between Jehu and Jehoahaz.

A 2 year Overlapp, Jehoram Coregent with his Father

“And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.” (2Ki 8:16-17) You can notice in the wording of this verse that Jehoram began to reign while his father was yet king. In the 18^th year of Jehoshaphat, who reigned for 25 years, (1Ki 22:41-42) Joram, son of Ahab, became king in Israel. Now in his 5^th year, which would be Jehoshaphat's 23^rd year ( 18 + 5 = 23 ), Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son, begins to reign as well. He was coregent for his father's 24^th and 25^th years as king of Judah.

A 2 year gap before Jehoahaz takes the throne of Israel

“In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.” (2Ki 13:1) Joash began to reign in Jehu's 7^th year, (2Ki 12:1) Jehoahaz began to reign in Joash's 23^rd year, and Jehu reigned in Israel for 28 years, (2Ki 10:36) Thus the throne of Israel was vacant for 2 years. ( 7 + 23 = 30, 30 – 28 = 2 ) The exactness of this Biblical accounting is still only +/- ½ year, but it is an accounting that needs to be considered when fitting the kings into a chronology.

A 3 year coregent overlapp for Jehoash king of Israel

“In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.” (2Ki 13:10) The Bible says that Jehoash's father, Jehoahaz, began to reign in Joash's 23^rd year and reigned 17 years. Now it says Jehoahaz began to reign in Joash's 37^th year, which would be his father's 14^th year. ( 37 – 23 = 14 ) The solution here requires that Jehoash was coregent for his father's 15^th, 16^th and 17^th years on the throne of Israel.

Major Gaps for Uzzziah And Zechariah

The case developing the largest devation from any straight forward simple solutions is found in 2Ki 14. In verse 1, Amaziah of Judah, begins his reign in the 2^nd year of Joash of Israel. In verse 17, he dies 15 years after Joash, and in verse 21, the people of Judah make Azariah, his 16 year old son, the King of Judah in his stead. One would assume in this wording that there was no gap between Amaziah's death and Azariah's startup as the new king of Judah. One would be very wrong.

In verse 23, a Jeroboam begins reigning in Israel in the 15^th year of Amaziah. In chapter 15 verse 1, Azariah begins to reign in the 17^th year of this Jeroboam, and that would make his reign start in the 42^nd year of his father, Amaziah. (15 + 17 = 42) But Amaziah only reigned for 29 years (14:2) and thus Azariah begins to reign, at age 16, but 13 years after his fathers death. (42 – 29 = 13) Now we can conclude, with a very accurate Bible, that Azariah was 3 when his father king Amaziah dies. The people of Judah make him the king when he was 16, and that leaves the 13 year vacancy in Judah's throne.

But the same intrigue is playing out in Israel's throne. In the last verse of chapter 14⁶ Jeroboam, king of Israel, dies. We previously made reference to his 42 year reign, referenced in 2Ki 14:23, and one could assume, from that last verse, that Zachariah, his son, immedieately reigned in his stead. But 2Ki 15:8 says Zachariah took to the throne in the 38^th year of Azariah king of Judah. Now Azariah started to reign in the 27^th year of Jeraboam, and Zachariah started in the 38^th year of Azariah, so it must be that he took his fathers throne in his fathers 65^th year. (27 + 38 = 65) His father only reigned for 42 years, so Zachariah took his fathers throne, 65 – 42 = 23 years after his fathers death. Note also that God's dating methods here allows for a +/- 1 year round off error because a reign may begin in the first month or in the last month of any calander year, and the x^th year of any king's reign contains 12 months.

In this manner we can discover gaps and overlapps in the reigns of kings, and in this manner, with a proper spread sheet assembled to zero the errors, we can construct a chronological dating of all the kings of Judah and Israel.

A 2 year gap between Ussiah and Jothan

“In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.” (2Ki 15:32) Pekah took the throne in the 52^nd year of Uzziah (2Ki 15:27) and Uzziah (synonymous with Azariah) only reigned 52 years. (2Ki 15:2) Jotham beginning his reign in the 2^nd year of Pekah would leave the throne of Judah empty for about 2 years.

Descriptions of Hoshea makes an interesting dillemma

2Ki 17:1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. Some difficulties are found in exactly dating the reign of the 19^th and final king of Israel, Hoshea. Since he bagan his reign in the 12^th year of Ahaz, who began his reign in the 17^th year of Pekah (2Ki 16:1) he would have began his reign in Pekah's 29^th year. Pekah only reigned 20 years (2Ki 15:27) so the throne would thus sit empty for 9 years. How can we account that Hoshea slew Pekah and assumed his throne and there was this still a 9 year gap? I am glad you asked. Now we must consider some inaccuracies in our mathematical methods.

Notice 2Ki 15:30 says “And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.” If we neglect the fact that Jotham only reigned 16 years (2Ki 15:33), his 20^th year would have fallen in Pekah's 22^nd year, (via 2Ki 15:32 wherein Jotham began to reign in Pekah's 2^nd year, thus Jotham's 20^th year would be Pekah's 22^nd .) and Pekah only reigned 20 years, so our dating methods must be relaxed to account for Hoshea's reign. Thus, accounting for a +/- 1 year of uncertainty in our calendar, we can assert that Hoshea slew Pekah in, on, or about Pekah's final year of reign (being his 22^nd year +/- 1, but allowing him only 20 years total +/- 1), and that Hoshea, then, was not considered settled into his own reign until roughly 7 years, +/-1, later. Such a loose explanation of this time period can fit all the Bible criteria and it is the tightest explanation available from this author.

In “The Annals of The World” by James Ussher, 1612, he clarifies

“3265c AM, 3975 JP, 739 BC, 4SK, 1 NK

610. NK - When Hoshea, the son of Elah, murdered Pekah the son of Remaliah, he took over the kingdom 20 years after Jotham started to reign over Judah, 2Ki 15:30-38 or the 4th year of the reign of Ahaz. See Gill on "2Ki 15:30" However the kingdom was in civil disorder and anarchy for nine years and Hoshea had a troubled reign.”

“3274c AM, 3984 JP, 730 BC, 13 SK, 1 NK

614. NK When Hoshea restored order in Israel, he began a peaceful reign in the latter end of the 12th year of Ahaz king of Judah. 2Ki 17:1”

Because the Holy Bible is accurate in every detail we conclude that there were some problems in Hoshea's assension to the throne which made for troubelous times for the nine years containing his slaying of Pekah. Perhaps he was two years getting into the throne, then 7 years coming to a place where he actually reigned. In any event the Bible says he reigned 9 years, and he was thus overturned by the Assyrians in 719 BC. This 7 year snafoo appears unresolvable, so we are assuming the date that the Assyrians overrun of Israel and took out Hoshea is 719 BC. This date is only slightly variant from the Ussher accepted Assyrian overthrow in 721 BC. This sets the fall of Hoshea only 2 years after Ussher's date, (1.5 years more precisely) and since Ussher did not account for overlapps and gaps in the reigns of the kings, this is the most reasonable solution.

It would seem that uncertainty around Hoshea's start would with 2Ki 18:1-2 now overflow into Hezekiah's start. “Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.” Such is not the case because in our system we started with a certainty of Ussher's 586 BC and backed all the other reigns into that assumption. The last 7 kings of Judah cannot be compared in date to the kings of Israel who was now carried off into the Assyrian captivity and utterly, and permanently dismantled as a monarchy. Their reigns are herein assumed to be back to back and their dates, then, are back off from Ussher's standard date of 586 BC for the Babylonian captivity

Comparison of Ussher Dates with Contemporary Theologians

Contempory Scholars are often more influenced by secular history and less concerned with Bible accuracy