After the termination of the Israelite monarchy by the capture of Samaria. in B.C. 722, the difficulties of the chronology become much less, chiefly from the absence of those exact synchronisms which have constituted tbe main difficulty in the period between the accession of Ahaziah and the Israelite captivity. Such exact synchronisms as occur (eh. :uiv. 12; :xxv. 2, 8, and 27) show in general a remarkable agreement between sacred history and profane, while the vaguer ones ( eh. XX, 12; xxiii. 29; :x.xiv. 1) are also quite consonant with the accounts given to us by secular historians. The only serious difficulty which meets us is the date in eh. xviii. 14, which assigns the first expedition of Sennacherib against Jerusalem to Hezekiah's fourteenth year, or B.c. 714, whereas the .Assyrian annals place it in Sennacherib's fourth year, which was B.C. 701, or thirteen years later. This date is best regarded as an interpolation-a marginal gloss which has crept into the text, and which was the mere conjecture of a commentator. The event itself probably occurred in the twenty-seventh year of Hezekiah's reign. The subjoined table will complete the chronology of the Davidic monarchy, and may be regarded as scarcely presenting any doubtful points or uncertainties-
Contemporary kings, Year Yearofthe b efore Davidlc Kings of Judah, Chrlst. mono.rchy. Egypt, Assyria. Babylon. --- -. 722 881 6th year of Hezekiah Sargon (B.O, Merodach-Ba- 722-705) la.dan (a.o. 722-710) 714 389 Hth ditto: Hezekiah's illness (2 Kings xx. 6) Sennacherib (B.O, 705- 681) Bel-ibni (B.O, 704-701) lN'l'HODUC'flON TO
Conton,porary kings. YC'Ar lrYE'nrofthe bt:>forc Davidic King, of Jnd,h. Cliri~t. monarcl.Jy. Egnit. Assyria. Dallylon,
701 35~-i-2_7_t_h_y_e_ar_o_f_H_czc- 'l'irhakah (n.o. kiah : Hezekiah at- 701-<i67) tacked by Senna- cherib (2 Kings xviii. 13-xix. 3G). Asshur-nadin- sum (B.o. 700 6()8 -681) MANASSEH, 55 yee.rs (2 Kings =i. 1) Esarhaddon E8arbaddon (B.C, 681- (B,O, 681- 668) 668) Asshur - bani- Saul-Mugina pal (n.c. 668 (B.O, 668- -626) • 648) Mi-ammon-nut Cbiniladanus, Psamati.k I. or Assbur- (about B.O. bani-pal (?) 650-610) (B.C, .648~ 626) .. 6!3 410 A:r.roN, 2 years (2 Kings :ni. 19) 641 412 J oSJ.A.H, 31 years (2 .. , Kings xxii. 1) Nabopolassar (B.O. 626- • 605) 623 430 18th year of Josiah: celebration of Pass- over (2 Kings xxiii. 23) Assyrian em- pire ends about n:o. 617 610 ¾43 Battle of Megiddo (2 Neco (11.0. 610 Kings xx.iii. 29) -595) JEllOAHAZ, 3 months 609 44-4 J EBOIAKw; 11 years (2 filugs :x:xiii, 36) Nebuchadnez- • zar (n.o:605 -562) f>98 455 JEHOIACBJN, 3 months (2 Kings xxiv. 8) 597 456 ZEDEKIAII, 11 vears (2 Kings xxiv: 18) Psamatik II. (B.C. 595- 590) Hophra (B.O. 590-565) 586 467 End of reign. Evil-Me1·odach (B.C, 562- 560)
II. lNTEUCONNECTION BETWEEN SACRED AND PROFANE HISTORY DURING': THE p mIOD OF THE ISRAELITE MONARCHY.
At the commencement of the monarchy, during the reigns of David and S _,lomon, the great world-power was Egypt. Assyria, which had exercised 'l'HE SECOND BOOK Oil Tm: KINGS. vii