The important reign of Jeroboam II. of Israel is dismissed as briefly as that of Azariah (xiv. 23-29). Of his successors Zecha riah, Shallum and Menahem only the briefest records remain, now embedded in the editorial framework (xv. 8-25). The sum mary of Pekah (?the same as Pekahiah) contains excerpts which form the continuation of the older material in v. 25 (cf. also vv. 1o, 14, 16, 19, 2o). For a similar adjustment of an earlier record to the framework, see above on I Ki. xv. 25-31, xvi. 8-25. Two accounts of the fall of Samaria are given, one under the reign of the contemporary Judaean Hezekiah (xvii. 1-6, xviii. 9-12). Re flections on the disappearance of the northern kingdom appear in xvii. 7-23 and xviii. ; the latter belongs to the Judaean history. The former is composite: xvii. 21-23 (cf. v. 18) look back to the introduction of calf-worship by Jeroboam I., and agree with the compiler's usual standpoint; but vv. 19-20 include Judah and presuppose the exile. The remaining verses survey types of idola try partly of a general kind (vv. 9-12, 16a), and partly charac teristic of Judah in the last years of the monarchy (vv. 16b. 17). The brief account of the subsequent history of Israel in xvii. 24 41 is not from one source; the piety of the new settlers (v. 32 34a, 41) conflicts with the later point of view in 34b-4o. The last-mentioned supplements the epilogue in xvii. 7-23, forms a solemn conclusion to the history of the northern kingdom, and is apparently aimed at the Samaritans.
38) alludes to the hostility of Pekah (v. 37) upon which the Israelite annals are silent. This is resumed in the account of Ahaz (xvi. 5 sqq.; v. 6 is confused), and is supplemented by a description, evidently from the Temple records, in which the ritual innovations by "King Ahaz" are described (vv. 10-18). The summary of Hezekiah (xviii. 1-8) emphasizes his important religious reforms and includes two references to his military achievements. Of these v. 7 is supplemented by (a) the annalistic extract in vv. 13-16, and (b) narratives in which the great con temporary prophet, Isaiah, is the central figure. (On these see HEZEKIAH ISAIAH.) In the accounts of the reactionary kings Manasseh and Amon, xxi. 7-15, refer to the exile and find a parallel in xxiii. 26 seq.; and xxi. 10 sqq. are replaced in 2 Chron. xxxiii. 10-20 by a novel record of Manasseh's penitence (see also ibid. v. 23 and note omission of 2 Ki. xxiii. 26 from Chron.).
Josiah's reign forms the climax of the history. The usual framework (xxii. 1; 2, xxiii. 28, is supplemented by narra tives dealing with the Temple repairs and his reforms. These are closely related to xi. seq. (cf. xxii. 3-7 with xii. 4 sqq.), but have signs of revision; xxii. 16 seq., xxiii. 26 seq., point distinctly to the exile, and xxiii. 15-20 are an insertion (the altar in v. 16 is already destroyed in v. 15) after 1 Ki. xiii. The reforms of Josiah are described in terms that point to an acquaintance with the teaching of Deuteronomy which promulgates the reforms themselves. (See