Page:03.BCOT.KD.HistoricalBooks.B.vol.3.LaterProphets.djvu/47

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of Joram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, and the later kings Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, are such references omitted. The books which are thus named are: (1) For David's reign, Dibre of Samuel the seer, of the prophet Nathan, and of Gad the seer (1Ch 29:29); (2) as to Solomon, the Dibre of the prophet Nathan, the prophecy (נבוּאת) of Abijah the Shilonite, and the visions (הזות) of the seer Iddo against Jeroboam the son of Nebat (2Ch 9:29); (3) for Rehoboam, Dibre of the prophet Shemaiah and the seer Iddo (2Ch 13:22); (5) for Asa, the book of the kings of Judah and Israel (2Ch 16:11); (6) as to Jehoshaphat, Dibre of Jehu the son of Hanani, which had been incorporated with the book of the kings of Israel (2Ch 20:34); (7) for the reign of Joash, Midrash-Sepher of the kings (2Ch 24:27); (8) for the reign of Amaziah, the book of the kings of Judah and Israel (2Ch 25:26); (9) in reference to Uzziah, a writing (כּתב) of the prophet Isaiah (2Ch 26:22); (10) as to Jotham, the book of the kings of Israel and Judah (2Ch 27:7); (11) for the reign of Ahaz, the book of the kings of Judah and Israel (2Ch 28:26); (12) for Hezekiah, the vision (הזון) of the prophet Isaiah, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel (2Ch 32:32); (13) as to Manasseh, Dibre of the kings of Israel, and Dibre of Hozai (2Ch 33:18 and 2Ch 33:19); (14) for the reign of Josiah, the book of the kings of Israel and Judah (2Ch 35:27); and (15) for Jehoiakim, the book of the kings of Israel and Judah (2Ch 36:8).
From this summary, it appears that two classes of writings, of historical and prophetic contents respectively, are quoted. The book of the kings of Judah and Israel (No. 5, 8, 11), the book of the kings of Israel and Judah (10, 14, 15), the histories (דּברי) of the kings of Israel (13), and the Midrash-book of kings (7), are all historical. The first three titles are, as is now generally admitted, only variations in the designation of one and the same work, whose complete title, “Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel” (or Israel and Judah), is here and there altered into “Book of the Events (or History) of the Kings of Israel,” i.e., of the whole Israelitish people. This work contained the history of the kings of both kingdoms, and must have been essentially the same as to contents with the two annalistic writings cited in the canonical books of Kings: the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, and the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. This conclusion is forced upon us by the fact that the