Chronicon
Menu
Historical Period

David's kingdom, Solomon's Temple, and the golden age remembered by tradition.

Use the timeline below to navigate through major events and milestones.

The United Monarchy · 1003-931 BC
The Ancient Levant

The United Monarchy of David & Solomon

In the biblical account, David united the tribes of Israel, made Jerusalem his capital, and forged a small empire, and his son Solomon crowned it with a great Temple, fabled wealth, and wisdom. How large this kingdom really was is fiercely debated by historians, but its memory became the golden age against which all later ages of Israel and Judah were measured. Slide across the united kingdom and its division.

1003 BC
Reign of David
1 / 8

1003 BC

Reign of David
  • Political

    David, king of all Israel

    The Tel Dan Stele, whose inscription names the 'House of David'
    Via Wikimedia Commons

    David unites the tribes of Judah and Israel under a single crown after years of civil war.

8 milestones

Meanwhile

Around 1003 BC

Full Chronicle

The United Monarchy of David & Solomon

In the biblical account, David united the tribes of Israel, made Jerusalem his capital, and forged a small empire, and his son Solomon crowned it with a great Temple, fabled wealth, and wisdom. How large this kingdom really was is fiercely debated by historians, but its memory became the golden age against which all later ages of Israel and Judah were measured. Slide across the united kingdom and its division.

  1. Reign of David

    • David, king of all Israel

      David unites the tribes of Judah and Israel under a single crown after years of civil war.

  2. Reign of David

    • Jerusalem, the City of David

      David captures the hill fortress of Jerusalem and makes it his capital, neutral between the tribes.

  3. Reign of David

    • The Ark comes to Jerusalem

      David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, making his capital the religious heart of Israel.

  4. Reign of Solomon

    • Solomon succeeds David

      Solomon takes the throne and, in the biblical account, asks God not for riches but for wisdom to rule.

  5. Reign of Solomon

    • The First Temple

      Solomon builds the Temple in Jerusalem, the central sanctuary of Israel's God and a wonder of its age.

  6. Reign of Solomon

    • Solomon's wealth and trade

      Solomon fortifies cities, sends out trading fleets, and receives the fabled Queen of Sheba.

  7. Reign of Solomon

    • The strain on the kingdom

      Solomon's grand projects rest on heavy taxes and forced labour that breed deep resentment in the north.

  8. Division of the Kingdom

    • The kingdom divides

      At Solomon's death the northern tribes reject his son Rehoboam, splitting the realm into Israel and Judah.