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Patriarch / Tribal Leader

Judah

1917 BC – 1787 BC

Fourth son of Jacob and Leah. Ancestor of the royal line of David and ultimately of Jesus Christ. His tribe received the promise of the scepter.

Quick Facts
Patriarch / Tribal Leader
Role
1917 BC – 1787 BC
Lifespan
0
Locations Known
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Connections
Where They Lived & Traveled
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Life Timeline
1010 BC

David Anointed King

Anointed by Samuel as a shepherd boy in Bethlehem, David becomes king of Judah at Hebron — and seven years later king of all Israel, establishing Jerusalem as the capital, the City of David.

930 BC

Kingdom Divides

After Solomon's death, the kingdom splits into Israel (10 northern tribes under Jeroboam) and Judah (southern tribes under Rehoboam).

853 BC

The Death of King Ahab at Ramoth-Gilead

King Ahab of Israel allied with Jehoshaphat of Judah to retake Ramoth-Gilead from Aram, disguising himself in battle. A randomly drawn bow struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor, and he died that evening, fulfilling the prophecy against him.

760 BC

Amos, Herdsman of Tekoa, Prophesies at Bethel

Amos, a shepherd and tender of sycamore-fig trees from Tekoa in Judah, was called by God to prophesy against the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. He told the priest Amaziah that he was no professional prophet, but a herdsman whom the Lord took from following the flock.

760 BC

Amos and the Vision of the Plumb Line

Amos received a vision in which the Lord stood beside a wall with a plumb line, declaring that Israel would be measured and found crooked. When Amos prophesied the fall of Jeroboam's house, the priest Amaziah ordered him to flee back to Judah, and Amos foretold Amaziah's own ruin and Israel's exile.

740 BC

Isaiah's Commission

In the year King Uzziah dies, Isaiah sees the Lord high and exalted in the Temple. He is cleansed and commissioned as a prophet to Judah.

622 BC

Josiah's Reforms

The young king Josiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple and launches sweeping reforms, tearing down altars and idols throughout Judah.

586 BC

Fall of Jerusalem

Babylon destroys Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple, carrying Judah into exile. The Davidic monarchy is ended, and the land is left desolate.

586 BC

Babylonian Exile

Judah lives in captivity in Babylon — a 70-year period reckoned from the first deportation in 605 BC to the return in 538 BC, as prophesied by Jeremiah. It is a period of deep reflection and theological transformation.

The World They Lived In
Middle Kingdom Egypt & Canaanite City-States
1917 BC1787 BC
Middle Kingdom Egypt & Canaanite City-States
Connections
Prophecy & Fulfillment

Isaiah foretells a people who hear but do not understand (Isaiah 6:9-10) — Jesus quotes this to explain His parables (Matthew 13:14-15).

Jeremiah prophesied 70 years of captivity (Jeremiah 29:10) — fulfilled when Cyrus decreed the return from exile.

Key Verses
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480 min

Fourth son of Jacob and Leah.

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