Lesson 3 of 5
In Progress

Background of 2 Kings

The Deuteronomistic History, of which 2 Kings is a part, addresses the questions of those who had experienced the fall of the north to Assyria in 722/721 B.C.E., the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar II, the destruction of the temple, the end of Davidic rule, and deportation to Babylon in 587/586 B.C.E. Had God abandoned them? Why was Israel’s history a history of failure? Especially important in this regard was the explanation that both the fall of the north and the Babylonian exile were due to Israel’s and Judah’s covenantal violations.