Why and how was the kingdom of Israel formed?

Answer 1

A:Biblically, the kingdom of Israel was formed when the people all demanded that a king be appointed as their leader. Their judge, Samuel, at first resisted, but then appointed Saul as the first king of the Israelites, later followed by David. David's son, Solomon, ruled unwisely, impoverishing the Israelites to such an extent that when his son Rehoboam insisted on continuing his swingeing taxes, they rebelled and formed their own kingdom of Israel in the north. In spite of the hardship, the southern Hebrews remained loyal to Rehoboam and took the name Judah for their remnant kingdom, not disputing the right of the northerners to the name Israel for theirs.

Many archaeologists and historians now dispute the biblical story. They say that Israel and Judah were never really united, and had their own customs, pottery and dialect of the Hebrew language. As both kingdoms grew, it was inevitable that they would become kingdoms and appoint kings as their leaders. One view is that Ahab was probably the first king of Israel. Judah was much smaller and less heavily populated, and might not have become a kingdom until the seventh century BCE. Saul, David and Solomon were probably no more than local warlords or tribal chieftains.