1.) =The Age of Unity=, under three kings, Saul,
Da'vid, and Sol'o-mon, each reigning about forty
years. In Da'vid's reign, about B. C. 1,000, the
kingdom became an empire, ruling all the lands from
E'gypt to the Eu-phra'tes.
2.) =The Age of Division.= The division of the kingdom
took place B. C. 934, when two rival principalities,
Is'ra-el and Ju'dah, succeeded the united empire, and
all the conquests of Da'vid were lost (1 Kings 12. 16,
17). The kingdom of Is'ra-el was governed by nineteen
kings, and ended with the fall of Sa-ma'ria, B. C.
721, when the Ten Tribes were carried into captivity
in As-syr'i-a (2 Kings 17. 6) and became extinct.
3.) =The Age of Decay.= After the fall of Is'ra-el,
Ju'dah remained as a kingdom for one hundred and
thirty-four years, though in a declining condition. It
was ruled by twenty kings, and was finally conquered
by the Chal-de'ans. The Jews were carried captive to
Bab'y-lon in B. C. 587 (2 Chron. 36. 16-20).
4. The following may be regarded as the representative =Persons= of his
period, one from each epoch:
1.) =Da'vid=, the great king (2 Sam. 23. 1), and the
true founder of the kingdom.
2.) =E-li'jah=, the great prophet (1 Kings 18. 36).
3.) =Hez-e-ki'ah=, the good king (2 Kings 18. 1-6).