The two Books of Kings, originally a single book, are the eleventh and twelfth books of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. They conclude the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also comprising the books of Joshua and Judges and the two Books of Samuel, which biblical commentators believe was written to provide a theological explanation for the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon in c. 586 BCE and a foundation for a return from exile.
The book of Second Kings continues to a brief history of the kings of Israel and Judah. The book ends when Judah is taken into captivity by the Babylonians.