Before we move to the next phase of Israel’s history, let’s review what was available from archeology 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
Gath Inscription **
Pharaoh Shishak (Shoshenq I)
1 Kings 11:40; 14:25; 2 Chronicles 12
9th Century BC
King Ahab
1 Kings 16; 21 and 22
Kurkh Monolith
Ben Hadad II
2 Kings 8 & 13
Tell Dan Stele **
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
Palace in Samaria
King Mesha of Moab
2 Kings 3
Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone)
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 **
Water tunnel
Annals of Sennacherib
Sennacherib Annals
Taylor Prism
King Hoshea
2 Kings 15:30; 17:1
Stamp bulla
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
Stamp bulla
King Menahem
2 Kings 15:14-23
Assyrian Records of Tiglath-Pilser III
King Merodach-baladan
2 Kings 20:12; Isaiah 39
Sennacherib Prism
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
Annals of Sargon
Royal Brick Inscription
King Sennacherib of Assyria
2 Kings 18:13; 19:16-36; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36; 37
Sargon’s Palace Reliefs
Royal Brick Inscription
Shebna
2 Kings 18:18-37; Isaiah 22:15-25
Royal Steward Inscription
King Uzziah (Azariah)
2 Kings 15:13-34; 2 Chronicles 26; 27; Isaiah 6:1
Stamp bulla
7th Century BC
Ahikam
2 Kings 22
King Ashurbanipal
Ezra 4
2 Chronicles 33
Nineveh library texts
Nineveh palace reliefs
Azaliah
2 Kings 22
Azzur
Jeremiah 28
Baruch
Jeremiah 32
Stamp bulla **
King Esarhaddon
2 Kings 19
Ezra 4
Isaiah 37
Letters of Esarhaddon
Stone Prism of Esarhaddon (British Museum Photo)
Wall relief of Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon Chronicle
Royal Brick Inscription
Stone Lion’s Head with Inscription
Gedaliah
Jeremiah 38
Stamp bulla
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
Stamp bulla
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
Stamp bulla
Nathan-melech
2 Kings 23:11
King Nebuchadnezzar
2 Kings 24; Daniel 1 – 5
East India House Inscription
Royal Brick Inscriptions
Pharaoh Necho
Jeremiah 36:32
Inscriptions
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
Nabonidus Chronicle (article)
Cylinder of Nabonidus (article)
King Cyrus II
2 Chronicles 36
Ezra 1
Isaiah 44 & 45
Cyrus Cylinder (article)
Cyrus Brick Inscriptions
King Darius I
Ezra 4
Behistun Inscription
Eliakim
2 Kings 18
Stamp bulla
Elishama
Jeremiah 36
King Evil-Merodach
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 52
Jehoiachin Ration Tablet
Gedaliah
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 39, 40, 41 & 43
Stamp bulla
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
Stamp bulla
Pedaiah
1 Chronicles 3:18
Stamp bulla
Sarsekim
Jeremiah 39:3
Cuneiform Tablet (British Museum)
5th Century BC
King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)
Esther 1
Silver Bowl of Artaxerses I
Elephantine Papyri
Palace wall relief in Persepolis
King Artaxerses I
Ezra 4 & 7
Nehemiah 2, 5 & 13
Silver Bowl Inscription
King Darius (the Persian)
Nehemiah 12
Palace wall relief at Persepolis
Silver Bowl of Artaxerxes I
Elnathan
Ezra 8
Stamp bulla
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.”
