Skip to main content
ExamExplained
NSW · Ancient History
Ancient History study scene
§-Quick questions
NSWAncient HistorySection II (Ancient Societies): Israel from Solomon to the fall of Samaria

Quick questions on Israelite kingship and political organisation: HSC Ancient History

2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.

What is the dynasty of Jehu?
Show answer
In 841 BC, the army commander Jehu led a violent coup that annihilated the Omride house: he killed King Jehoram, had Jezebel thrown from a window to her death, and slaughtered the remaining royal family and Baal's priesthood (2 Kings 9-10). Shalmaneser III's Black Obelisk, an Assyrian monument dated to 841 BC, depicts an Israelite king bowing and presenting tribute, labelled in cuneiform "Jehu, son of Omri," the only surviving ancient image of an Israelite king. The label is historically misleading in a way that itself teaches a source-criticism lesson: Jehu was not Omri's descendant at all, he had destroyed Omri's line, but Assyrian scribes used "House of Omri" (Bit Humri) as a generic dynastic name for the kingdom of Israel regardless of who actually ruled it.
What are no dates, no historians?
Show answer
A response that cannot place events precisely (931, 885, 853, 841, 722 BC) or name at least one modern historian's position will not reach the top band, however fluent the prose.

Have a question we have not covered?

This dot-point answer is short enough that we have not extracted many short questions yet. Read the full dot-point answer or ask Mo, our study assistant, in the chat for follow ups.

ExamExplained