1_2_Kings_A_Commentary (1)

hese “chronicles,” or “annals,” were apparently the royal records commissioned by the king and his administration (compare Esth 6:1 for a reference to Persian royal records). Various additional sources may have been used as well, including the narratives of the “Elijah-Cycle,” the “Elisha-Cycle,” and “Temple Records.” None of these sources survives outside of 1 and 2 Kings, however. In any case, the important point is that the books of Kings draw on various sources, and some of these are actually named within the books of Kings (Cogan 89–95).