anointed ones of Jehovah, although the record does not specifically state that each individual king was literally anointed with oil when he ascended the throne. Literal anointing oil is recorded as being used when a new dynasty was established, when the throne was disputed in David’s old age, as well as in the days of Jehoash, and when an older son was passed over for a younger son at the time Jehoahaz was enthroned. (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13; 1 Ki. 1:39; 2 Ki. 11:12; 23:30, 31, 34, 36) It seems likely, nevertheless, that such anointing was the regular practice.

The king of Judah was chief administrator of national affairs, as a shepherd of the people. (Ps. 78:70-72) He generally took the lead in battle. (1 Sam. 8:20; 2 Sam. 21:17; 1 Ki. 22:29-33) He also acted as the higher court in the judiciary, except that the high priest would consult Jehovah for decisions on some matters of state and on certain matters in which the decision was very difficult or evidence at the mouth of witnesses was insufficient.—1 Ki. 3:16-28.

Kingly restraints

The restraints placed upon the king in the exercise of his authority were his own fear of God, the law of God, which he was bound to obey, and the persuasive influence of the prophets and the priests as well as the advisory counsel of the older men. He was required to write for himself a copy of the law and to read in it all the days of his life. (Deut. 17:18, 19) He was, as Jehovah’s special servant and representative, responsible to Jehovah. There were, sad to relate, many Judean kings who broke through these restraints and ruled despotically and wickedly.—1 Sam. 22:12, 13, 17-19; 1 Ki. 12:12-16; 2 Chron. 33:9.

Religious leader

Although the king was prevented by law from being a priest, he was supposed to be the chief non-priestly supporter of Jehovah’s worship. At times the king blessed the nation in Jehovah’s name and represented the people in prayer. (2 Sam. 6:18; 1 Ki. 8:14, 22, 54, 55) Besides being responsible for safeguarding the religious life of the people from idolatrous intrusions, he had the authority to dismiss an unfaithful high priest, as King Solomon did when High Priest Abiathar supported Adonijah’s seditious attempt to take the throne.—1 Ki. 1:7; 2:27.

Wives and property

The marriage and family customs of the Judean kings included the practice of having a plurality of wives and concubines, although the king was not to multiply wives to himself, a thing that Solomon did to his undoing. (Deut. 17:17; 1 Ki. 11:4) The concubines were considered to be crown property and were passed on to the successor to the throne along with the rights and property of the king. To marry or take possession of one of the deceased king’s concubines was equivalent to publishing a claim to the throne. Hence, for Absalom to have relations with the concubines of his father, King David, and for Adonijah to request as wife Abishag, David’s nurse and companion in his old age, was tantamount to a claim on the throne. (2 Sam. 16:21, 22; 1 Ki. 2:15-17, 22) These were treasonable acts.

Aside from the king’s personal estate, spoils of war and gifts (1 Chron. 18:10), other sources of revenue were developed, such as special taxation of the produce of the land for the royal table, tribute from subjugated kingdoms, toll on traveling merchants passing through the land, commercial ventures, such as the trading fleets of Solomon, and so forth.—1 Ki. 4:7, 27, 28; 9:26-28; 10:14, 15.

INSTABILITY OF NORTHERN KINGDOM

In the northern kingdom of Israel the principle of hereditary succession was observed except when it was interfered with by assassination or revolt. The practice of false religion kept the northern kingdom in a constant state of unrest that contributed to frequent assassinations of its kings and usurpation of the throne. Only two dynasties lasted more than two generations, those of Omri and Jehu. Not being under the Davidic kingdom covenant, none of the kings of the northern kingdom sat on the “throne of the kingship of Jehovah” as the anointed of Jehovah.

GENTILE KINGS AND SUBORDINATE KINGS

Babylonian kings were officially consecrated as monarchs over all the Babylonian Empire by grasping the hand of the golden image of Bel-Marduk. This was done by Cyrus the Great so as to gain control over the Babylonian Empire without having to conquer the entire empire by military action.

Other kings came to their thrones through appointment by a higher king, such as the one who conquered the territory. It was a frequent practice for kings to rule conquered domains through tributary native kings of lesser rank. By this process Herod the Great became a tributary king of Rome over Judea (Matt. 2:1), Herod Antipas became king over Galilee and Perea (Matt. 14:1), Herod Agrippa I over territory in the Palestinian area (Acts 12:1), and Aretas the king of the Nabataeans was confirmed by Rome in his tributary kingdom.—2 Cor. 11:32.

Non-Israelite kings were less accessible to their subjects than those that ruled God’s people. The Israelite kings evidently mingled quite freely with their people. The Gentile kings were often very remote. To enter the inner court of the Persian king without express permission automatically made that one liable to death unless the king gave his specific approval by extending his scepter, as was done with Esther. (Esther 4:11, 16) The Roman emperor, however, was available for audience on the appeal of a Roman citizen from a decision made by a lower judge, but only after a process of going through many lower officials.—Acts 25:11, 12; see BURIAL PLACES OF THE KINGS, OR, OF DAVID; CHRONOLOGY; JESUS CHRIST; KINGDOM.

KINGDOM

Basically, a royal government; also the territory and peoples under the rule of a king or, less frequently, a female monarch or queen. Often the kingship was hereditary. The sovereign ruler might bear other titles such as Pharaoh or Caesar.

Kingdoms of ancient times, as today, had various symbols of royalty. There was generally a capital city or place of the king’s residence, a royal court, a standing army (though perhaps quite reduced in size in times of peace). The word “kingdom,” as used in the Bible, does not of itself reveal anything definite as to the governmental structure, the territorial extent, or the authority of the monarch. Kingdoms ranged in size and influence from the mighty world powers such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, on down to small city-kingdoms such as those in Canaan at the time of the Israelite conquest. (Josh. 12:7-24) The governmental structure also might vary considerably from kingdom to kingdom.

The first kingdom of human history, that of Nimrod, seems to have been initially a city-kingdom, later extending its realm to include other cities, its base remaining at Babel. (Gen. 10:9-11) Salem, over which King-Priest Melchizedek ruled in the first kingdom with divine approval, was also apparently a city-kingdom. (Gen. 14:18-20; compare Hebrews 7:1-17.) Larger than the city-kingdoms were those embracing an entire region, such as the kingdoms of Edom, Moab and Ammon. The great empires, ruling vast areas and having other kingdoms tributary to them, generally seem to have arisen or grown out of small city-states or tribal groups that eventually combined under a dominant leader. Such coalitions were sometimes of a temporary nature, often formed for war against a common foe. (Gen. 14:1-5; Josh. 9:1, 2; 10:5) Vassal kingdoms frequently enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy or self-rule, though subject to the will