V. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE BOOK In 933 B.C., the United Kingdom of Israel divided into the ten-tribed Northern kingdom (“Israel) and the two-tribed Southern kingdom (“Judah”). God acknowledged, and sent His prophets to, both kingdoms, but both kingdoms followed a downward course, both spiritually and morally. At the time of Hosea’s call, the Southern kingdom had had ten kings (two of them, Asa and Jehosaphat, being good kings) and one great spiritual revival (during the reign of Jehoshaphat).