Here's a complete list of Israel's kings, in three columns. The first column (left) represents the United Kingdom, which only had 3 kings. The second column (middle) shows Judah's kings, which had the longest dynasty (in fact, the dynasty continues in Jesus, though there was earthly kingdom involved). The thrid column shows Israel's kings (Israel=the Northern Kingdom, as distinct from the Southern Kingdom). There is no overlap in the reigns of the United Kingdom kings, since there was only one king at a time; but the middle column king often overlaps with the rule of the king in the third column, since there were two kings at the same time, until the fall of Israel in 722 BCE.
I have highlighted kings that have specical distinction, not necessarily because of their historical importance, though most do. Zimri I highlighted because his name became a byword for an assassin and was later yelled at Jehu by Jezebel; yet Zimri's short reign had no distinction other than the fact that he assassinated and was assassinated.
Students should certainly memorize the dates of the United Kingdom kings (Saul, David, Solomon); know the dates of the first kings of the divided kingdom (Rehoboam and Jeroboam: first in their respective columns); know the dates of the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) in 722 BCE; of the Southern kingdom (587/6); know the names of the two great reformers of Judah (Hezekiah and Josiah); know the year of Josiah's great reform (622 BCE), which is also the year when the Book of Deuteronomy (or that book's legal code) was either discovered or "forged" as if it had been written in the time of Moses; know the special dislike (even hatred) that the D writer had for the first Northern king, Jeroboam, because of his violation of centralized worship and setting up of two calves in Dan and Bethel (two bulls) to worship outside of Jerusalem: certainly one of the key events in Jewish history) (Jeroboam thereby becoming a model for all evil, as David became a model for all good, at least in government); Manasseh is important because of his long reign but mostly because he undid all the reforms of his father, Hezekiah, and therefore was especially hated; Ahab, because of his wife, Jezebel and his allowing her to import other gods; Jehu because of his special assassin's role in reclaiming the crown for the reforming party (though he later compromised); and the last 3 kings of Judah because the Babylonian invasion covered all those kings; and the last king of Israel (Hoshea) because of obvious reasons: the kingdom fell during his rein.
Students should appreciate that there are not that many dates to memorize in this class and a little effort to remember a few exact years will not hurt. The exact years of the United Kings and the first two kings of the divided kingdom; as well as the last two kings of the divided kingdom are required. That will give the student a rough sense of time span. The Babylonian captivity ends in 539 and Jews are allowed to return to Judah (where the Jews get their name). The Second Temple was built in 515. Other kings, in red, should at least be known by their century BCE (though there's no harm in trying to memorize their exact dates!). Zimri is least important; I put his name in red because, as I said, his name becomes a byword, used by Jezebel in accusing Jehu, who has come to kill her. The letters in parentheses of some names below mean they are spelled in variant ways.
I advise printing this up (if possible, in color) and tacking it on your wall or in your notebooks. I repeat, for a book that covers thousands of years, there are very few dates to memorize (a few more in the intertestamental period, then in the New Testament, and that's it).
UNITED KINGDOM JUDAH'S KINGS ISRAEL'S KINGS
| *SAUL 1020-1000 | *REHOBOAM 922-915 | *JEROBOAM 922-901 |
| *DAVID 1000-961 | ABIJAM 916-913 | NADAB 901-900 |
| *SOLOMON 961-922 | ASA 913-873 | BAASHA 900-877 |
| JEHOSHAPHAT 873-849 | ELAH 877-876 | |
| J(EH)ORAM 849-842 | *ZIMRI 876-876 | |
| AHAZIAH 842-842 | *OMRI 876-869 | |
| ATHALIAH 842-837 | *AHAB 869-850 | |
| J(EH)OASH 837-800 | AHAZIAH 850-849 | |
| AMAZIAH 800-783 | J(EH)ORAM 849-842 | |
| UZZIAH 783-742 | *JEHU 842-815 | |
| JOTHAM 742-735 | JEHOAHAZ 815-801 | |
| AHAZ 735-715 | J(EH)OASH 801-786 | |
| *HEZEKIAH 715-687 | JEROBOAM II 786-746 | |
| *MANASSEH 687-642 | ZECHARIAH 746-745 | |
| AMON 642-640 | SHALLUM 745-745 | |
| *JOSIAH 640-609 | MENAHEM 745-738 | |
| JEHOAHAZ 609-609 | PEKAHIAH 738-737 | |
| *JEHOIAKIM 609-598 | PEKAH 737-732 | |
| *JEHOIACHIN 598-597 | *HOSHEA 732-721 | |
| *ZEDEKIAH 597-587/6 |
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