Appendix A: The Kings Please be sure to click on the footnotes (0) to see the 14 Biblical discrepancies relating to the reigns of the kings.
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Abijam's reign began in the 18th year of Jeroboam's reign and lasted 3 years (1 Ki. 15:1-2). Since his son Asa began his reign after Abijam's death, and since 18+3=21, Asa's reign must've started in the 21st year of Jeroboam's reign, not the 20th year, as the Bible claims in 1 Ki. 15:8-9.
Nadab's reign started before his predecessor's reign ended, and continued after his successor's reign began. This is in spite of the fact that his successor began his reign only after having killed Nadab! This is another little-known miracle of the Bible: Nadab ruled Israel for a year after his death! (1 Ki.14:20; 15:9,25-28)
If Baasha reigned 24 years (and his reign began in the 3rd year of Asa's) then his reign wouldn't have ended until the 27year of Asa's reign (1 Ki. 15:28,33). Yet we're told that Elah began to reign in Asa's 26th year, so the reigns of Baasha and Elah overlap (1 Ki. 16:8). However, 1 Ki. 16:6 states that Elah began his reign after his father (Baasha) died.
If Elah reigned for 2 years, and started in Asa's 26th year (1 Ki. 16:28), then Zimri couldn't have started in Asa's 27th year (as 1 Ki. 16:10 claims that he did) unless he reigned concurrently with Elah. However, according to 1 Ki. 16:8-10 Zimri started his reign after having killed Elah!
If Elah's reign began in the 26th year of Asa's and lasted two years (1 Ki. 16:8), and Omri's reign began in Asa's 31st year (1 Ki. 16:23), then there was no king of Israel for at least 2 years!
If Omri's reign began in the 31st year of Asa's, and lasted 12 years (1 Ki. 16:23), and if Ahab's reign began in the 38th year of Asa (1 Ki. 16:29), then their reigns overlapped by 5 years. However, 2 Ki. 16:28 says that Ahab began his reign after his father Omri died, so there could not have been any overlap.
If Ahaziah's reign began in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat's reign (1 Ki. 22:51), then it overlapped Ahab's reign by 2 years (since Ahab's reign began in Jehoshaphat's 38th year and lasted 22 years (1 Ki. 16:29)). Yet we are told that Ahaziah began his reign after the death of his father Ahab (2 Ki. 22:40).
At this point the story becomes impossible to graph without assuming that at least one verse in the Bible is false. 2 Ki. 1:17 states that Israel's Jehoram ("Joram") began his reign in the 2nd year of Judah's Jehoram. Yet 2 Ki. 8:16 states that Judah's Jehoram began his reign in the 5th year of Joram's reign! This is a circular reference which contradicts itself. For this graph I have assumed that 2 Ki. 1:17 is false; I think this yields the fewest contradictions.
2 Ki. 9:29 states that Ahaziah's reign began in the 11th year of Joram. 2 Ki. 8:25 states that Ahaziah's reign began in the 12th year of Joram. Since one of these statements must be false, I have assumed 2 Ki. 9:29 is false as this prevents Ahaziah's reign from overlapping with Jehoram's reign.
There is an 11-year gap between the reign of Amaziah and his son Azariah. But 2 Ki. 14:17-21 indicates that Azariah became king immediately after his father was buried.
There is a 22-year gap between the reigns of Jeroboam and his son Zacharia. Yet 2 Ki. 14:29 indicates that Zacharia began to reign right after his father's death.
Hoshea's reign is also said to have started in the 12th year of the reign of Ahaz (2 Ki. 17:1): a 7 year discrepancy which would've left the throne of Israel vacant for 7 years.