THE KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. George Rawlinson

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      Preface

       Table of Contents

      THE Books of Kings and Chronicles form the main source for the History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. They require, however, to be supplemented, especially for the later kings, by a careful study of the Prophetical Scriptures, particularly of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Local colouring, the life and manners of the time, and the feelings of those contemporary with the events described, are derivable almost wholly from this latter source, which furnishes them often in tolerable abundance. The “Antiquities” of Josephus supply less material than might have been expected, and the character of all additional material derived from this quarter requires to be weighed in the scales of a careful and sober criticism. Considerable light is thrown on the history of some of the kings by contemporary notices contained in the monuments of Egypt and Assyria. It has been the endeavour of the writer, so far as the limits of space allowed, to make full use of all these various sources of information. His labours have been much lightened by the excellent work done by many of his predecessors in the field of Sacred History, as especially by the writers of the articles on the several kings in Dr. Smith’s “Dictionary of the Bible,” Kitto’s “Biblical Cyclopædia,” Winer’s “Realwörterbuch,” and Ersch and Grüber’s “Cyclopädie.” He is indebted also largely to the graphic and brilliant narrative of his lamented friend. Dean Stanley, whose “Lectures on the Jewish Church,” though on some points they “give an uncertain sound,” contain the best account of the Divided Monarchy which at present exists in the English language. Ewald’s “History of the People of Israel” has been also consulted throughout, but more sparingly used, the writer’s absolute rejection of the miraculous rendering him an untrustworthy commentator on a period of history wherein, according to the original authorities, the miraculous played a prominent part.

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