| Time Period | King | Scripture Ref | Scripture Text | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Century BC | David | 1 King 2:2-3 | 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, | David is admonishing Solomon before his death to walk in God’s ways, to keep His commandments, His rules, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses. |
| 870-848 BC | Jehoshaphat | 2 Chr 17:9 | 9 And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the LORD with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. | This says they had physical possession of Moses’ scroll (or a copy). |
| 842-796 BC | Joash (Jehoiadah, the Priest) | 2 Chr 23:18 | 18 And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the LORD under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. | This story and narrative is a bit dubious. First, we have the boy Joash being hidden in the Temple for 6 years from the reigning queen in Jerusalem, Athaliah who has killed the rest of the royal (Davidic) family. Ultimately Joash is revealed and Athaliah is killed by Jehoiadah’s men. But the interesting tidbit is that the author attributes the burnt offerings, then offered in celebration, to the Law of Moses. This apparently means one of two things: either the author is writing in the knowledge of the Pentateuch as “the Law of Moses”, or he’s simply fabricating this small detail, as we know the Moses Scroll contains no mention whatsoever of any sacrifice. I would guess the former, since Chronicles is thought to be a 4th-century work. |
| 625 BC | Josiah | 2 Kings 22:8 | And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law” (or ‘Scroll of Instruction’: ‘Sefer HaTorah’) “in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. | Among many mysteries surrounding this narrative is the question of for how long previous to this “finding” the “Book of the Law” had been ‘missing’. |
