2 Kings

In early Hebrew tradition, 1 and 2 Kings were not separate books but were one long document, as the flow of the story itself shows. The two books of Kings present a history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of King David to the release of Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon—a period of some 400 years ( c. 960 – c. 560 BCE). 2 Kings begins with King Ahaziah, (son of King Ahab) and his troops showing disdain for the Lord and His servant Elijah. The King and his troops are condemned with fire and death.