Author:
Originally, 1 and 2 Kings were one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. Nothing in 1 and 2 Kings indicates who the author was. Some Jewish and Christian teachers have supposed that Jeremiah wrote them.
Time of Writing:
Some time during the Babylonian captivity of Israel and after 561 B.C. (
2 Kings 25:27).
Place of Writing:
Probably in Jerusalem.
Time Period Covered:
The two books cover 455 years:
1 Kings covers 119 years, from 1015 to 897 B.C., that is, from the death of David (
2:10)
to the reign of Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, king of Israel (
22:51);
2 Kings covers 336 years, from 896 B.C. to 561 B.C., that is, from the reign of Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel (
3:1-3),
to the captivity, during the reign of Evil-merodach in Babylon (
25:27).
