Before we move to the next phase of Israel’s history, let’s review what was available from archaeology about Israel’s kings and other Iron Age II (1000 – 539 BC) notables mentioned in the Bible during the time I was investigating the historical reliability of the Old Testament 45 years ago (except where listed with asterisk **).
10th Century BC
King David
1 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 5
Goliath
1 Samuel 17
Pharaoh Shishak (Shoshenq I)
1 Kings 11:40; 14:25; 2 Chronicles 12
9th Century BC
King Ahab
1 Kings 16; 21 and 22
Ben Hadad II
2 Kings 8 & 13
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
King Hazael
2 Kings 8 & 12
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Ivory Decoration Inscription at Khadatu
King Jehu (Joram)
1 Kings 19:16-17; 2 Kings 9:20; 10:31
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Queen Jezebel
1 Kings 16:31; 21; 2 Kings 9
King Mesha of Moab
2 Kings 3
King Omri
1 Kings 16; 2 Kings 8:26; 2 Chronicles 22:2; Micah 6:16
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
Yahweh
Numbers 6:24-26
House of God Ostracon (7th-6th century BC)
Silver Scrolls and Ketef Hinnom Amulets **
8th Century BC
King Ahaz
2 Kings 16
Matthew 1
Stamp bulla **
Stamp bulla **
Amariah
2 Chronicles 31
Stamp bulla **
Stamp bulla **
Immer family name
Jeremiah 20 & 38
Stamp bulla **
King Hezekiah
2 Kings 16:20; 18:1-2
Stamp bulla **
King Hoshea
2 Kings 15:30; 17:1
Assyrian Records of Tisglath-Pilser III
King Jeroboam II
2 Kings 13:13; 1 Chronicles 5:17; Amon 1:1; 7:9-11
Megiddo Seal – Jeroboam Inscription
King Jotham (Uzziah’s son)
2 Kings 15:32
King Menahem
2 Kings 15:14-23
Assyrian Records of Tiglath-Pilser III
King Merodach-baladan
2 Kings 20:12; Isaiah 39
King Pekah
2 Kings 15:27
Assyrian Records of Tisglath-Pilser III
Tiglath-Pilser III (Pul)
2 Kings 15:19, 29; 1 Chronicles 5:6; 2 Chronicles 28:20
Assyrian Records of Tisglath-Pilser III
Palace Wall Relief
King Sargon II
Isaiah 20:1
King Sennacherib of Assyria
2 Kings 18:13; 19:16-36; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36; 37
Shebna
2 Kings 18:18-37; Isaiah 22:15-25
King Uzziah (Azariah)
2 Kings 15:13-34; 2 Chronicles 26; 27; Isaiah 6:1
7th Century BC
Ahikam
2 Kings 22
King Ashurbanipal
Ezra 4
2 Chronicles 33
Azaliah
2 Kings 22
Azzur
Jeremiah 28
Baruch
Jeremiah 32
Stamp bulla **
King Esarhaddon
2 Kings 19
Ezra 4
Isaiah 37
Stone Prism of Esarhaddon (British Museum Photo)
Stone Lion’s Head with Inscription
Gedaliah
Jeremiah 38
Hannaiah
Jeremiah 28
Stamp bulla **
Hilkiah
2 Kings 22:4-14; 23:4, 24
Stamp bulla **
Son of Immer
Jeremiah 20:1
Assyrian Records of Tisglath-Pilser III
Stamp bulla **
Jaazaniah
2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8
King Jehoahaz (Shallum)
2 Kings 23:30-34; 1 Chronicles 3:15; 2 Chronicles 36
Jerahmeel
Jeremiah 36:26
Joezer and Igdaliah
Jeremiah 35:4; 1 Chronicles 12:6
Malchiah
Jeremiah 38:6
King Manasseh
2 Kings 20:21; 21; 2 Chronicles 33:10-11
Meshullum
2 Kings 22:3
Nathan-melech
2 Kings 23:11
King Nebuchadnezzar
2 Kings 24; Daniel 1 – 5
Pharaoh Necho
Jeremiah 36:32
Neriah
Jeremiah 36:32
Stamp bulla **
Seriah
Jeremiah 51:59
Stamp bulla **
Shaphan
2 Kings 22:12
Stamp bulla **
Shelemiah
Jeremiah 37:3
Stamp bulla **
Pharaoh Tirhakah (Taharqa)
2 Kings 15:13-34; 2 Chronicles 26; 27; Isaiah 6:1
6th Century BC
King Ba’alis
Jeremiah 40
King Belshazzar
Daniel 5, 7 & 8
Cylinder of Nabonidus (article)
King Cyrus II
2 Chronicles 36
Ezra 1
Isaiah 44 & 45
King Darius I
Ezra 4
Eliakim
2 Kings 18
Elishama
Jeremiah 36
King Evil-Merodach
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 52
Gedaliah
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 39, 40, 41 & 43
Gemariah
Jeremiah 29 & 36
Stamp bulla **
Pharaoh Hophra (Apries)
Jeremiah 44:30
Babylonian Chronicles (article)
King Jehoiachin (Coniah)
2 Kings 24:8-15; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 22:24-28; 37:1
Jar handles stamped with king’s name at Beth-Shemesh and Tell Beit Mirsim (detailed article about finger-impressed jar handles at Khirbet Qeiyafa)
Jehucal
Jeremiah 37:3; 38:1
Pedaiah
1 Chronicles 3:18
Sarsekim
Jeremiah 39:3
Cuneiform Tablet (British Museum)
5th Century BC
King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)
Esther 1
Palace wall relief in Persepolis
King Artaxerses I
Ezra 4 & 7
Nehemiah 2, 5 & 13
King Darius (the Persian)
Nehemiah 12
Palace wall relief at Persepolis
Elnathan
Ezra 8
Sanballat
Nehemiah 2:10
Shelomith
1 Chronicles 3:19
Stamp seal **
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We hope this list is helpful to you in your research. Join us next time as we look at what archaeological evidence for the Old Testament was available in 1971 for the Second Temple period (Post Exile).
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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