I Kings מְלָכִים א

First Kings opens with the house of David at its zenith and traces its long descent. It carries Israel from David's deathbed and Solomon's God-given wisdom through the building and dedication of the Temple — the summit of the united monarchy's glory — to the folly that tears the kingdom in two. From Rehoboam and Jeroboam onward the narrative braids the parallel reigns of Judah and Israel, weighing each king by his faithfulness, until it fixes on the great confrontation of the age: the prophet Elijah against Ahab, Jezebel, and the priests of Baal — fire on Carmel, the still small voice at Horeb, and Naboth's vineyard. It is at once a royal chronicle and a prophetic indictment, showing how the throne stands or falls by the word of Hashem.