Editing Books of Kings (section)

=== Sources ===
The editors/authors of the Deuteronomistic history cite a number of sources, including (for example) a "[[Acts of Solomon|Book of the Acts of Solomon]]" and, frequently, the "[[Chronicles of the Kings of Judah|Annals of the Kings of Judah]]" and a separate book, "[[Chronicles of the Kings of Israel]]". The "Deuteronomic" perspective (that of the book of Deuteronomy) is particularly evident in prayers and speeches spoken by key figures at major transition points: Solomon's speech at the dedication of the Temple is a key example.<ref name= "Fretheim" />  The sources have been heavily edited to meet the Deuteronomistic agenda,<ref>Van Seters, p. 307.</ref> but in the broadest sense they appear to have been:
* For the rest of Solomon's reign the text names its source as "the book of the acts of Solomon", but other sources were employed, and much was added by the redactor.
* Israel and Judah: The two "chronicles" of Israel and Judah provided the chronological framework, but few details, apart from the succession of monarchs and the account of how the [[Temple of Solomon]] was progressively stripped as true religion declined. A third source, or set of sources, were cycles of stories about various prophets ([[Elijah]] and [[Elisha]], [[Isaiah]], [[Ahijah the Shilonite|Ahijah]] and [[Micaiah]]), plus a few smaller miscellaneous traditions. The conclusion of the book (2 Kings 25:18–21, 27–30) was probably based on personal knowledge.
* A few sections were editorial additions not based on sources. These include various predictions of the downfall of the northern kingdom, the equivalent prediction of the downfall of Judah following the reign of [[Manasseh of Judah|Manasseh]], the extension of [[Josiah]]'s reforms in accordance with the laws of [[Deuteronomy]], and the revision of the narrative from [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] concerning Judah's last days.<ref>McKenzie, pp. 281–84.</ref>