Research on the Kingdom of Judah in the Last Decade, 2010–2020

Abstract

In the last decade (2010–2020), various discoveries have been made concerning the Kingdom of Judah, which existed from the tenth century BCE until the destruction of the First Temple in the early sixth century BCE (ca. 1000–586 BCE). The main discoveries are organized in four chronological stages: one stage for every hundred years. The new data gives us a better understanding of the various stages in the kingdom's history. The discoveries from the tenth and ninth centuries BCE, which are the subjects of intense debate between different research approaches, are particularly notable. In the last decade we saw a tremendous contribution by interdisciplinary studies in "archaeological sciences". These are summarized separately, as they are not necessarily related to a particular century. Beyond the various viewpoints and debates, the most important development, in my view, is the awarness that drawing a hasty and unfounded connection to historical events to explain any archeological phenomenon in the Kingdom of Judah is a mistake. So is the notion that any development in the Kingdom of Judah was necessarily the result of foreign influence. Detailed research shows that the Kingdom of Judah evolved gradually as a result of local factors.