text · B0020
Sefer Melachim ספר מלכים
Four centuries of kings — from Shlomo's temple to its burning. The baraita of Bava Batra gives the book to Yirmiyahu, the prophet who lived its final chapter: "Yirmiyahu wrote his book, and the book of Melachim, and Kinot." The historian of the churban is its eyewitness, and the book's timeline position sits at the catastrophe it ends with.
I. Who
- Hebrew
- ספר מלכים
- Also known as
- Melachim, Kings, Book of Kings, I–II Kings
- Era
- bible
II. When
- Traditional
- written down by Yirmiyahu after the churban, c. 3338–3350 AM per Bava Batra 15a
- Academic
- part of the Deuteronomistic History; substantially exilic, incorporating earlier royal annals
- Duration
- ≈12 years
- Precision
- approximate
IV. What
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Yirmiyahu wrote his book, and the book of Melachim, and Kinot" (ירמיה כתב ספרו וספר מלכים וקינות) — the baraita of Bava Batra. | rabbinic | ★★★★☆ | |
| Timeline placement c. 3338–3350 AM: the book narrates through the churban (3338 AM traditional) and Yehoyachin's release, so its writing is placed at the end of Yirmiyahu's career. The span is schematic. | tradition reconstruction | ★★★☆☆ |