1 Kings

1 Kings opens with the succession of Solomon, his gift of wisdom, and the building of the Temple in Jerusalem — the golden age of the united kingdom. But Solomon's later idolatry sows division, and after his death the kingdom splits: Israel in the north, Judah in the south.

The book then tracks the two lines of kings, most of them evil, against the backdrop of the prophets who confront them. Its towering figure is Elijah, whose contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and encounter with God in the 'still small voice' are among the Old Testament's most memorable scenes.