Southern kingdom

The land and tribes of Israel ruled over by kings from David’s family line. It was also called Judah. It included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and some Israelites from other tribes. Important cities in the southern kingdom were Hebron, Lachish and Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the capital city. The southern kingdom began when Rehoboam lost authority over ten of the tribes. It ended in 586 BC when Babylon took control of Jerusalem. Some people from the southern kingdom returned after being exiled in Babylon. Prophets to the southern kingdom included Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk and Ezekiel. The kings were Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah (queen), Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. Only a few of these kings were faithful to the Mount Sinai covenant. This included Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah.