TITLE
The Hebrew title is Sepher Melachim, “Book of Kings,” or “And the King.” These books were originally only one book. The LXX divided 1 and 2 Samuel into 1 and 2 Kings and Kings became 3 and 4 Kings.

AUTHOR
Unknown. Jewish tradition names Jeremiah as the author. The author must have been living at the end of the monarch reign of Judah (@ 585 BC). Several records of the events in Kings were available to the author including The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:19), The Chronicles of King David (1 Chronicles 27:24), and The Chronicles of Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29). Isaiah was probably the chief recorder (2 Chronicles 32:32).

DATE
@ 970-560 BC. The book spans the approximate four hundred and ten years from the end of King David’s reign to the captivity of Judah.

THEME
Chronicle of the height of Israel’s monarchial period, the division of the kingdom, fall of Samaria (Israel, Northern Kingdom), history of Judah (Southern Kingdom).