Kings of Israel — The Northern Kingdom

"Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

"In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes."

"For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day."

"And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel."

Why did the kingdom split after Solomon?

1 Kings 11 names two reasons: Solomon's idolatry under his foreign wives, and Rehoboam's harshness in refusing to lighten the tax burden (1 Kings 12). God used both to fulfil the judgment foretold to Solomon.

Are any northern kings considered godly?

None. Scripture's verdict is uniform — even Jehu, who destroyed Baal worship, kept Jeroboam's calves (2 Kings 10:29-31). The entire monarchy stood under judgment.

What happened to the ten tribes?

Assyria deported them and resettled foreigners in Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Many descendants assimilated; a faithful remnant migrated south. The 'lost tribes' speculation goes beyond what Scripture states.