The Book of Kings covers a period of about four hundred years, beginning with the last days of King David and ending with the Babylonian exile. During most of this period, the Jewish people was divided into two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Judah in the south, and the Kingdom of Israel in the North. The Kingdom of Judah was ruled by the descendants of King David, the rightful anointed kings. The Kingdom of Israel was ruled by kings from among the other tribes. The high point of the Book of Kings, and indeed of all Jewish history, was reached with the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon, which is described in detail in Chapters 6 & 7. The Torah Anthology provides a picture of the Temple that is complete yet easy to understand, in both its text and the many original illustrations of the Temple and its furnishings.
