A Divided Kingdom:
The Books of I & II Kings
Allies and Enemies
Empires of the Old Testament
Announcements
II Kings
Week
Date
Topic
1
05 Dec 12 The Bible before 2nd Kings – A Summary
2
12 Dec 12 Allies and Enemies: The World of the Israelites
3
19 Dec 12 Judgment on Ahaziah: II Ki 1
4
26 Dec 12 Elijah, Moab, and Naaman: II Ki 2-4
5
02 Jan 13 Elisha the Prophet: II Ki 5-8
6
09 Jan 13 Jehu’s Revolt: II Ki 9:1-10:28
7
16 Jan 13 After Jehu until the Fall of Samaria, Pt 1: II Ki 11-14
8
23 Jan 13 After Jehu until the Fall of Samaria, Pt 2: II Ki 15-17
9
30 Jan 13 Judah after the Fall of Israel, Pt 1: II Ki 18-19
10
06 Feb 13 Judah after the Fall of Israel, Pt 2: II Ki 20-21
11
13 Feb 13 Judah after the Fall of Israel, Pt 3: II Ki 22-23
12
20 Feb 13 Judah after the Fall of Isreal, Pt 4: II Ki 24-25
13
27 Feb 13 Summary of Kings
Today’s Objectives
• Review last weeks lesson (Old Testament history)
• Review historical maps of Israel and the region
• Learn about key empires that Israel faced leading up
to and including the book of 2nd Kings
• Review occurrences of these empires in Old
Testament scripture
• Gain a desire to learn more about ancient empires
and their impact upon OT and NT history
• Review recent archaeological discoveries that
further highlight the history of these lost empires
Six Major Middle Eastern
Empires
• In biblical history, the land of Israel/Palestine
was ruled by six major empires:
– Egyptians
– Assyrians
– Babylonians
– Persians
– Greeks
– Romans
• Other minor empires impacted Israel’s history
including the Hittites
Gen 15:18, Jos 1:4
1 Ki 10:28
1 Chr 5:26, Is 36:1-22
Gen 10:22, Ez 4:9
Gen 10:22 , Num 23:7
Promised Land
Mentioned in 558 versus
In the OT and NT
Gen 10:10 , 11:2 – “Shinar”
• 2334–2279 BC
• Sargon the
Great
• Era of Abram’s
forefathers
• Language of
Mesopotamia
2100 B.C.
• Sumerians
• Abram birth
and call
Hekla III
Migrations in 2000 B.C.
2000-1800 B.C.
• City States
• Assyria growing



Died 1750 B.C.
• Battle the city
state of Larsa
• One of the first
set of secular
recorded laws
• Mesopotamia
united
• After Joseph
dies

• Assyrian
independence
• Treaties with
surrounding
city-states





• Hittites conquer Babylon after
attacking in 1585 BC allowed
the Kassites to take over
• Kassite dynasty in Babylon
(1500-1200 B.C.)
• During the period of Judges

Hittites
• The Hittites
–
–
–
–
–
–
2000 BC – perhaps from beyond the Back Sea
Lasted until about 1200 BC
Conquered Asia Minor
Set up several city states on Anatolia (Turkey)
1650 BC well organized kingdom
Fearsome army
• First in Middle east to wield Iron weapons
• Chariots – allowed them to field twice as many soldiers
as their foes
– Opened the doors for the Kassites to take over for
nearly 500 years

• Mitanni also known in the Bible
as the Hurrians or Horites
• Came to power due to the Hittite
after the destruction of Babylon
• Kassite dynasty in Babylon
(1500-1200 B.C.)

• Egyptian political-military
expeditions
• Diplomatic ties

• Mitanni forms alliance with
Egypt against the Hittites
• Mitanni eventually defeated
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


• Ugarit, a protected state
under the Hittite was
eventually sacked by sea
peoples
• Hittites fought Egypt in 1274
BC (Battle of Kadesh)
• Rameses II considered the
greatest of the pharaohs
• Sea People migrations around
1200 BC
• Originated from Europe/Med
The Assyrians
• Originated as part of the Mesopotamian nation
states with a long history
• By 900 BC Assyrians became strong enough to
repel attacks – also began to launch their own
military campaigns (during Israel’s divided
kingdom)
• Gained reputation as the most lethal fighting force
in the Middle East
– Broke troops into foot soldiers, charioteers, and fastmoving cavalry
– Fought with iron weapons and used battering rams
– Cruel invaders
• Burned cities, tortured and killed thousands of captives
• Resettled captured populations
Rise and Fall of the Assyrians
2000-1200 B.C. • Kassites in Babylon
• Mitanni period
1200-900 B.C. • New Migrations
• Assyrian cavalry
Neo-Assyrian
900-626 B.C.
Assyrian expansion into
Empire
the land of Israel
Fall of Nineveh 626-612 B.C.
Assyrian decline in face
of attacks
Early Assyrian
Period
Dark Ages
Rise and Fall of the Assyrians
• Assyrian Empire divided into provinces
headed by a governor who was directly
responsible to the king
• Built a network of roads to improve
communication
• Conquered peoples continually rebelled
• 612 BC Chaldeans formed an alliance with the
Medes from the east
– They captured Nineveh (Assyrian capital) and
brought down the Assyrian Empire
Carchemish

Scythians
Assyria
Megiddo
EGYPT

Medes
Babylon
The Babylonian
• Dominated the entire Fertile Crescent after fall of
Assyrians
• King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) – height of
Chaldean empire
– Acquired great wealth
– Rebuilt Babylon into one of the most beautiful cities of the
ancient world
– Hanging Gardens – one of 7 wonders of the world
• Constructed by Nebuchadnezzar for his wife
– Immense wall around city 50’ high w/watch towers every
100 yards
– Created foundations for astronomy
– 539 BC Persians conquered the empire
Babylonian Conquest of Judah
• 605 BC - Babylon defeats Egypt;
territory of Judah becomes part of
Babylonian Empire
• 597 BC - First unsuccessful revolt of
Judah vs. Babylon; ruling elite of Judah
exiled to Babylon
• 586 BC - Another unsuccessful revolt of
Judah vs. Babylon; total destruction of
Jerusalem city & temple by Babylonians
Babylonian Exile
• 586-539 BC - most upper-class Jews
(officials, priests, artisans) deported
to Babylon; others flee to Egypt, etc.;
• Much the Bible written, esp. major
prophets; final compilation of Torah
(Genesis to Deuteronomy) &
Deuteronomistic History (Joshua to
2 Kings) by Judean scribes living in
exile in Babylon.
The Persians
• Originally nomadic warriors and cattle herders
• Settled in area of present day Iran
• 540s Cyrus developed a strong army and
conquered the Medes and advanced northward
adding Northern Mesopotamia, Syria, Canaan and
Phoenician cities to his empire
• 525 VC Cambyses (Cyrus’ son) conquered Egypt
bringing all of Middle East under Persian control
• Empire spread from Nile River to Indus River
(3000 miles) with more than 50 million people
under their control
Persians
• Darius I (522 – 486 BC)
– Most efficient of Persian rulers
– Divided realm into provinces and assigned satraps –
provincial governors – to rule
– Military officials and tax collectors from the
subjugated peoples helped keep order
• Persians tolerant rulers
– Allowed conquered peoples to retain their own
languages, religions, and laws
– Won loyalty of conquered people by respecting local
customs
– Believed loyalty could be won more easily with
fairness than fear or force
– However did not hesitate to take extreme military
measures when faced with rebellion
Persians
• Considered trade indecent
– Though encouraged it among the peoples of their
empire
– Improved and expanded roads to aid trade
– Royal Road – most important thoroughfare
stretched more than 1500 miles from Persia to Asia
Minor
– Stations every 14 miles provided travelers with
food, water, and fresh horses
– Royal messengers to travel the length of the road in
just 7 days – a vast improvement over the 3 months
it had taken previously
Persians
• Persian expansion stopped with Xerxes disastrous
campaign to conquer Greece in 480 BC
• Person Culture & Religion
– Persians followed strict moral code that stressed
bravery and honesty
– Prior to 500s BC polytheistic
– 570 BC Zoroaster preached world divided by struggle
between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Ahriman)
– All humans must choose a side
– Persian kings believed they ruled by the power of
Ahura Mazda and were responsible to him alone
– Zoroaster was likely influenced by the Israelite beliefs
and influenced Christian and Islam writers
• Alexander absorbed Persian Empire in 300s BC
Persian Period
• 539 BC – Babylonian empire conquered by Persians
– King Cyrus allows all exiles to return to their homelands
– Urges reconstruction of city & temple of Jerusalem
– Book of Ezra & Nehemiah gives account
• Ca. 520 – rebuilding of Second Temple in Jerusalem
– Not as nice or large as Solomon’s Temple
• Ca. 458-445 – more exiles return to Jerusalem
– Led by priest Ezra & governor Nehemiah
• Some Jews stay in other parts of the Middle East,
sometimes in conflict with other nations.
– Book of Esther
Others
• Aramaeans
• Phoenicians
• Hittites
The Aramaeans
•
•
•
•
Central Syria around 1200 BC
Damascus – capital
Kings constantly challenged
Controlled overland trade between Egypt
and Mesopotamia
• Aramaic spoken across the Fertile Crescent
until 800 AD
• Some parts of bible written in Aramaic
The Phoenicians
• Canaan – today modern Lebanon, Israel, and
Jordan
• Sailors
• Little arable land for farming so became sailors
• By 1200 BC had built a string of city states
• Largest city was Tyre
– Provided leadership for what remained a
confederation – loose union – of independent
Phoenician city-states
Review
• Reviewed last weeks lesson (Old Testament history)
• Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region
• Learned about key empires that Israel faced leading
up to and including the book of 2nd Kings
• Reviewed occurrences of these empires in Old
Testament scripture
• Reviewed recent archaeological discoveries that
further highlight the history of these lost empires
• Next week: 2nd Kings chapter 1