Topical Bible: Books: Not Extant, But Mentioned in Scripture: The Kings

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Bible, while a complete and divinely inspired text, references several other works that are not extant today. Among these are the books concerning the kings of Israel and Judah, which are mentioned in the Old Testament as sources of additional historical detail. These books are often cited as authoritative records of the reigns and deeds of the kings, providing a fuller account than what is included in the canonical Scriptures.

1. The Book of the Acts of Solomon: This book is mentioned in 1 Kings 11:41, which states, "As for the rest of the acts of Solomon—all that he did, as well as his wisdom—are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon?" This suggests a comprehensive record of Solomon's reign, including his achievements, wisdom, and possibly his administrative and building projects, such as the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

2. The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel: Repeatedly referenced throughout the books of Kings, this work is cited as a source for the reigns of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. For example, 1 Kings 14:19 notes, "As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he waged war and how he reigned, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel." This book likely contained detailed accounts of political, military, and social events during the period of the divided monarchy.

3. The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah: Similarly, this book is mentioned in relation to the southern kingdom of Judah. 1 Kings 15:23 states, "Now the rest of the acts of Asa, along with all his might, accomplishments, and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?" This suggests a parallel record to that of the northern kingdom, chronicling the reigns of Judah's kings, their deeds, and their adherence to or deviation from the covenant with God.

These books, while not part of the biblical canon, are acknowledged within Scripture as valuable historical sources. They likely provided detailed narratives and records that complemented the theological and moral lessons emphasized in the biblical text. The repeated references to these works underscore the importance of historical documentation in the ancient Near Eastern context and the desire to preserve the legacy and lessons of Israel's and Judah's monarchies.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Chronicles 9:1
So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Remaining Books of the Old Testament.
... the Septuagint contains indeed certain apocryphal books not extant in the ... to mouth,
even apparently, and not in dark ... 9. The inspiration of the books of the Old ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xi remaining books of.htm

The Manner in which Josephus Mentions the Divine Books.
... then goes on to say in the passage quoted that he was not, like Justus ... [690] These
two epistles are still extant, and are given ... Send me the rest of these books. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter x the manner in which.htm

His Review of the Canonical Scriptures.
... the only fragments of Origen's Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews now extant. ...
read in church, but the text of a book or books as a whole, was not at all ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxv his review of the.htm

Melito and the Circumstances which He Records.
... the extracts, dividing them into six books." Such are ... meaning of Scripture words,
like the extant Latin Clavis ... must have been very literal--not allegorical--in ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxvi melito and the circumstances.htm

Origen's Earnest Study of the Divine Scriptures.
... of the Hexaplar LXX, which is still in large part extant. ... may perhaps explain the
fact that he did not use them in connection with all the books of the ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xvi origens earnest study of.htm

Interpretation of Holy Scripture. --Inspired Interpretation. --The ...
... And I find that every extant specimen of this sacred ... is absurd, whilst the authority
of these books is under ... Yea rather, I know not if Human Intellect ever had ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon v interpretation of holy.htm

A Letter from Origen to Africanus.
... it is impossible to show from the extant books of the ... shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel shall ... For, not satisfied with rebuking them through the Spirit ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens letters/a letter from origen to.htm

How the Books were Written.
... Out of all this vast mass of extant manuscripts, only twenty-seven ... It contains most
of the apocryphal books, and several others that we do not find in ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter xii how the books.htm

Introduction.
... But the work of this character that is still extant is called the Testaments of
the ... Our general view of the pseudepigraphical books would not be complete ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/introduction.htm

Second Part
... very same context he mentions that letters were extant purporting to ... In fact he could
not do so, for in the ... Concerning the canon and text of the Books of the ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/second part.htm