Main Page

New World Encyclopedia integrates facts with values. Written by certified experts.

Map of the southern Levant, ca. 800 B.C.E. The territory of the Kingdom of Judah is colored burgundy

The Kingdom of Judah was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin after the United Kingdom of Israel was divided. Its capital was Jerusalem. Named after Judah, son of Jacob, it is often referred to as the Southern Kingdom to distinguish it from the Northern Kingdom (the Kingdom of Israel) after the two entities divided. It endured as an independent kingdom, with intermittent periods of vassalage to foreign powers, from the reign of Rehoboam until the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.

Popular Article: Harpy

A medieval depiction of a Harpy as a bird-woman

Harpy is the singular form for the mythical creatures called Harpies in Greek mythology, winged-beasts that were sent down by Zeus to punish, most famously the prophet Phineus, leading them to be referred to as "the hounds of Zeus." While Harpies may occasionally be used in popular culture today, they are most widely remembered for their part in the legendary adventures of Jason and the Argonauts.

Did you know?

Cyril Burt claimed that individual differences in intelligence were innate (source: Cyril Burt)

> more interesting facts