Some time after Joshua's death, Judges were appointed to govern Israel: they were 12 in number and their government lasted rather more than 300 years. Othniel was the first of the Judges, and Samuel the last. In his time the people desired to have a king like other nations, and God commanded him to anoint Saul of the tribe of Benjamin 1095 years B. C., to be the first king of Israel. Johim succeeded David of the tribe of Judah, and at his death the throne devolved to his son Solomon, who built a temple to the name of the "Lord his God;" in it were deposited the ark—the holy Scriptures, and other sacred things.—Solomon was succeeded by his son Rehoboam, the folly and wickedness of whose conduct induced ten of the tribes to revolt, and they chose Jeroboam one of his officers for their king. The two tribes that remained faithful to Rehoboam were Judah and Benjamin. Rehoboam's kingdom was called Judah, and the capital of it was Jerusalem. Jeroboam's kingdom was named Israel and its chief city was Samaria.
Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Nadab; and after he had reigned two years, he was killed by Baasha, who usurped the crown and destroyed the whole race of Jeroboam, a man remarkable for his impiety.—All the succeeding kings of Judah were descendants of Rehoboam, which fulfilled the promise made by God to David, that he would "establish his house and the throne of his kingdom for ever:" this was a declaration that the Messiah was to be a descendant of David.
There were frequent wars between the kings of Judah and Israel, and between them and the neighbouring kings,—the kings and people both of Judah and Israel, soon fell into the greatest depravity; and at length God suffered Shalmaneser king of Assyria, by the capture of Samaria in the reign of Hoshea, to put an end to the kingdom of Israel 721 years B. C. and about 250 years after its first establishment into a separate kingdom. And 606 years B. C. and about 115 years after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, God permitted Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to invade Judea in the reign of Jehoiakim, and to besiege and take Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was carried prisoner to Babylon, though afterwards restored to his kingdom, and succeeded by two other kings, yet, from this period may be dated the commencement of the Babylonian captivity, which according to the prediction of Jeremiah was to last 70 years. When this time was completed, Cyrus, under whom were united the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylon, permitted the Jews to return to their own land, and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.
They were conducted by Zerubbabel the grandson of Jeconias, and Joshua the son of Josedec the high priest. The second temple was finished in the reign of king Darius of Persia.
The settlement of the people "after their old estate," together with the arrangement of all civil and ecclesiastical matters, were completed by Ezra and Nehemiah.
At the period, about 430 years B. C. the Scripture history closes, and for the remaining particulars of the Jewish history recourse must be had to uninspired writers, particularly to the books of the Maccabees and to Josephus.
Judea continued subject to Persia until Alexander conquered that country; it then fell under his dominion and he treated the Jews with great lenity. After the conqueror's death, Judea became subject to his successors, till Mattathias, a priest eminent for his piety and resolution, encouraged the people to shake off the Syrian yoke. Mattathias died before this was effected, but his son Judas Maccabeus completed the deliverance of his country, and the government of Judea remained in his family till the time of Herod the great, who put an end to the administration of the Maccabees or Armenians, and prevailed upon the Roman senate to appoint him king of Judea.
It was in the thirty sixth year of the reign of Herod, and while Augustus was Emperor of Rome that our Saviour Jesus Christ was born, four years before the common æra.
Herod was a cruel tyrant to his people, and even to his own children: but to keep the Jews in subjection, and to erect a lasting monument to his own name, he repaired the temple at Jerusalem, and considerably enlarged the kingdom of Judea.
At his death, the countries over which he had reigned were divided among his three sons, but they were not allowed to take the title of kings; they were called ethnarchs or tetrarchs. Archelaus one of Herod's sons, acting with great cruelty and injustice, was, by order of Augustus, banished to Vienne in Gaul, where he died. His dominions were then reduced to a Roman province, and from this time the Jews possessed but little civil authority. Justice was administered in the name and by the laws of Rome, and taxes were paid immediately to the emperor. Several of the Roman governors severely oppressed and persecuted the Jews, and at length, in the reign of Nero they openly revolted from the Romans. Then began the Jewish war, which was terminated after an obstinate defence and unparalleled suffering, on the part of the Jews, by the total destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, by Titus son of Vespasian the Roman emperor. Since that time the Jews have no where subsisted as a nation.