Main area of the Davidic kingdom

Because of the ongoing threat of domination from neighboring peoples, the Israelites asked to be ruled by a king. Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king. After Saul's death, there was conflict between the northern tribes who favored the leadership of Saul's son and the southern tribes who followed David. David prevailed and succeeded in uniting the country. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital. He also brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. David was succeeded by his son Solomon who built the Temple and made alliances with neighboring kingdoms. The period of unity ended when Solomon's son Rehoboam vowed to rule even more harshly than Solomon. The northern tribes established a separate government under the leadership of Jeroboam I in 922 B.C. and only the southern tribes remained loyal to Rehoboam.

The previous period is The Occupation and the Period of the Judges 1235-1050 B.C.

The next period is The Northern Kingdom (Israel) 922 - 722 B.C.