1 & 2 Kings

Title:	First and Second Kings describes the history of Israel and Judah after the kingdom divided.  Throughout both books are described the activites of all the kings of both kingdoms from the division after Solomon's death up to the times both nations are taken captive by Assyria (Israel) and Babylon (Judah).
Author:	Although the author of 1 & 2 Kings is not identified in the text, it is generally accepted by Jewish tradition and many biblical scholars that the prophet Jeremiah is the probable author.
Date:	Due to the fact that 2 Kings 25:27-30 refers to the release of King Johoiachin from captivity in Babylon in 561 BC, the book could not have been written prior to that.  Of course it is quite possible it could have been written earlier and edited, or added to, over a period of time.
Main Theme	First and Second Kings was written to not only describe the kings of the monarchy after the kingdom divided, but how the people of Israel and Judah can live out the instructions given to them by Moses in Deuteronomy.  As Moses promised, if you follow the commands established by God, the people of Israel will be able to remain in the land God has given to them.  If not, the land will be taken away.
Location:	The events of 1 and 2 Kings take place in the lands of Judah and Israel in the land occupied by the Israelites.
History	First and Second Kings deals with the history of both Israel and Judah after the kingdom is divided.  Due to Solomon's disobedience to God's commands, the kingdom is stripped from the house of David, except for the land of Judah.  These two books depict key events during the lives of all the kings of both kingdoms from the dividing of the kingdoms to their taken captive.  The disobedience of the people of both Israel and Judah leads to their destruction.
Major Characters:	Solomon
	Adonijah
	Rohoboam
	Jeroboam
	Ahab
	Jehoshaphat
	Jezebel
	Elijah