Historical Books¶

The Historical Books are a set of twelve books in the Old Testament that come straight after the Torah. These books cover in detail around a thousand years of the history of God’s people:

• The conquest of the Promised Land.

• The judges and kings that led God’s people.

• The division of Israel into the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah.

• The fall of Israel’s capital, Samaria, and their Exile to Assyria.

• The fall of Judah’s capital, Jerusalem, and their Exile to Babylon.

• The return of God’s people back to Jerusalem, often called the Return to Zion.

Dates of historical events

Book	Century BC	Notes
Israel’s judges.
Joshua	14th	Continues from the Torah.
Judges	14th to 11th	Continues from Joshua.
Ruth		Set during the time of Judges.
Israel’s kings, the split into Israel & Judah, and the exile.
1 Samuel	12th to 11th	Samuel’s birth to Saul’s death.
2 Samuel	…continues to 10th	David’s reign.
1 Kings	…continues to 9th	Solomon’s reign and Division of Israel.
2 Kings	…continues to 6th	Decline of Israel & Judah and their exile.
From Adam to the exile.
1 Chronicles	Adam to 10th	Starts at Adam, ends at David’s death.
2 Chronicles	…continues to 6th	Same time-frame as 1 & 2 Kings.
Return to Zion (aka Jerusalem).
Ezra	6th to 5th	1st, 2nd & 3rd waves of Return to Zion.
Nehemiah	5th	4th wave of Return to Zion.
Esther	5th	Between 2nd & 3rd waves of Return to Zion.