Under Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel reached unparalleled splendor, ruling for forty years until his death around 975 BC. God, displeased with Solomon's performance as king, declared that his descendants would not inherit a throne over all Israel, though He would maintain the dynasty out of respect for His promise to David that his throne would be established forever. Upon Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam reigned, but the kingdom faced division due to heavy taxation and forced labor from Solomon's grandiose projects. Jeroboam, a talented Ephraimite, seized upon the people's unrest and challenged Rehoboam to lighten their burden. Rehoboam's refusal led to rebellion, splitting the kingdom. The northern part, consisting of ten tribes, became the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam's leadership, often referred to as the northern kingdom. This kingdom took a different historical path from the southern Kingdom of Judah, which consisted of three tribes under Rehoboam's rule.

God first uses the name Israel to identify Jacob, the progenitor of the twelve tribes, as seen in Genesis 32:28, where He renames Jacob as Israel for struggling with God and men and prevailing. The Bible uses Jacob and Israel interchangeably, and in Genesis 48:16, God through Jacob places the name Israel on the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, not on Judah, indicating an early distinction. The term "house of Israel" initially refers to all tribes in various scriptures, but by the time of King Saul, God begins to distinguish Israel from Judah, attaching the name Israel to the other tribes excluding Judah. During King David's time, this division is evident with the ten tribes forming the house of Israel, as seen in disagreements leading to rebellion and civil war recorded in II Samuel. Over 250 years before their deportation by the Neo-Assyrian Empire circa 722 BCE, God reveals this division was already in place, confirming that the name Israel does not include Judah unless referring to all the children of Israel. After Solomon's reign, a final separation occurs, with Israel comprising the ten tribes and Judah including Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites. Following deportation, the house of Israel takes a path of historical oblivion, becoming known as the Ten Lost Tribes, while Judah follows a path of perpetual prominence. The Bible consistently identifies Israel as these ten tribes rather than Judah, and God's intention for Israel to remain hidden is noted in Amos 9:9, where He states He will sift the house of Israel among all nations, yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground. Though lost to themselves and the world, the house of Israel exists today according to God, with prophecies pointing to a future reunification with the house of Judah at the end of this age.

The history of the Kingdom of Israel begins with Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel by God, marking his descendants as Israelites. Realistically, Israel's national history started with God's calling of Abraham to move from Mesopotamia to Canaan, promising to make of him a great nation. Abraham's descendants, through Isaac and Jacob, multiplied and inherited significant promises, including the birthright and scepter, with the scepter going to Judah and the birthright to Joseph, whose sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by Jacob as half-tribes. Due to famine, Jacob and his sons migrated to Egypt, where they prospered under Joseph but were later enslaved. God called Moses to lead them out of bondage, and after ten plagues, they left Egypt, crossing the Red Sea on dry land while the Egyptian army was destroyed. In the wilderness, God provided for Israel and made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, binding them to follow His way of life as an example to the world. However, Israel's pattern of zeal, apostasy, punishment, and deliverance emerged early, as seen in their idolatry with the Golden Calf. After forty years, Joshua led Israel into Canaan, where they conquered much of the promised land. For over three centuries, judges ruled Israel, a period marked by everyone doing what was right in their own eyes. When the people demanded a king, God gave them Saul, who was later rejected in favor of David. At this time, the tribes split into two houses: Israel, comprising ten northern tribes led by Joseph's half-tribes, and Judah, including Judah, Benjamin, and most of Levi. Civil war ensued after Saul's death, but David eventually united the kingdom, conquered Jerusalem, and made it his capital. God promised David an eternal house, kingdom, and throne. David's reign saw the expansion of Israelite territory from Egypt to the Euphrates, a legacy passed to Solomon, whose prosperous rule included building God's Temple in Jerusalem. After Solomon's death, the house of Israel rebelled against David's line, establishing a separate monarchy under Jeroboam. Israel soon fell into idolatry, rejected the Levites, and broke God's Sabbaths. Within just over two centuries, Assyria conquered Israel, capturing many of its people, and as a whole, the house of Israel never returned to Palestine. During Josiah's reign, some post-captivity Israelites, identified as Scythians, briefly resettled their ancestral lands but soon rejoined the main body of Israelites near the Caspian Sea.