Funerary Inscription of Uzziah, King of Judah The inscription written in Aramaic reads: "Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah. Do not open." The inscription once marked the reburial location of Uzziah, an 8th century B.C.E. king of Judah. The inscription itself dates perhaps as early as the 1st century B.C.E. The inscription is notable because it is the only extra-biblical mention of a king of Judah. Israel Museum, Jerusalem

    The writer occasionally pauses, usually only to detail the territory that one kingdom or the other lost to foreigners, or how a particular king broke the Mosaic covenant in some way, resulting in a typical Deuteronomistic-styled condemnation. We have nothing in the nature of a complete political history of the kingdoms, only enough on which to form a theological evaluation of the king's disposition before God.
    The sins of Israel come home to roost in connection with an Assyrian movement into Canaan. First Ahaz (Judah 735-715) invited Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria (745-727) to rescue him from a joint Syrian-Israelite venture to take Judah. The result was the Assyrian capture of Damascus in 732. Ahaz himself was forced to pay tribute to Tiglath. These events form the background to Isaiah's Immanuel prophecy (see Isaiah 7-11 and Chapter 10).
    Later, Shalmaneser V (726-722) reinforced Assyrian control and made Hoshea (Israel 732-724) his vassal. Judah under Ahaz more stubbornly held out. When Hoshea attempted to get Egyptian support against Assyria, Shalmaneser laid siege to Samaria, the capital of Israel. It fell in 721 after holding out for three years. Thus, the kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. The majority of the Israelite leadership elite was deported to other Assyrian-held territories. In their place the Assyrians moved other conquered peoples. The result was a mixture of ethnic groups and religious perspectives. This mixed population lacked corporate commitment to Yahweh or his covenant. These Samaritans, as they came to be called, would forever be suspect to those in the south, who considered themselves more orthodox and obedient. Thus the old rivalry between north and south continued, albeit on slightly altered grounds.
    The voice of the Deuteronomistic Historian comes out especially clearly in chapter 17. Here he provides a comprehensive theological explanation for the demise of Israel. It was because they served other gods, worshiped idols, and ignored the commandments of Yahweh. Even Judah, while spared destruction, was not immune to his criticism. The Deuteronomistic writer seems to be sending out a warning: Do not depart from the way of covenant, or you, too, will be destroyed!