The books of First and Second Kings record the history of Israel from the death of David to the fall of Jerusalem and the end of Hebrew national independence. Some scholars argue for a single author/redactor of Kings, while others ascribe the book to the Deuteronomistic school of writing. The authors of this text assert that the book was probably written between the fall of Jerusalem and the decree of Cyrus, perhaps in two stages. Many archeological findings have been unearthed which lend support to the biblical account.
