Israel, ancient

Hebrew kingdom founded in the late 11th century BC by King Saul and consolidated by David (c.1006-965 BC). It reached its greatest extent under Solomon (c.965-928 BC), who dominated the region from Sinai to the Euphrates, but split into the separate kingdoms of Judah and Israel in about 920 BC. As Egyptian and Assyrian power revived and internal disunity and hostilities with Judah continued, Israel declined and by the mid-8th century BC it had become a vassal of the Assyrian empire. A rebellion by Hoshea in 727-724 BC was crushed, resulting in the annexation of Israel and the deportation of much of the population and the Diaspora of the Jews.