Judah's Expansion in Historical Context

The rise of Judah as a territorial kingdom is characterized by expansion from the southern hill country to the Shephelah and the Beer-sheba–Arad Valleys. Archaeological and historical considerations indicate that this process could not have occurred before the mid-9th century BCE and that it probably persisted until the end of that century. During most of the 9th century BCE the kings of Judah maintained political and familial ties with the kings of Israel. This study aims to explore the nature of these relationships and the extent to which they influenced the territorial and political formation of the Southern Kingdom.