Second Kings starts during the short reign of Ahaziah king of Israel, with a formula (“after the death of Ahab”) that recalls the openings of the preceding books of Joshua, Judges, and 2 Samuel. The book is divided thematically into two parts: chs 1–17 continue the synchronic history of the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel until the fall of Samaria in 722 bce; chs 18–25 relate the last century and a half of the Judean kingdom until the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple and the exile of 586.
