Neo-Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Northwest Semitic inscriptions shed light on Israel and Judah and their conquerors, rivals, and allies. Iron Age inscriptions offer alternative histories and speak to military and political engagements that are not mentioned in Kings. Such comparanda fill in the gap in the biblical texts regarding the spread and might of the Neo-Assyrian and Babylonian Empires, whereas linear, alphabetic texts give voice to Israel and Judah’s neighbors in the Levant. Inscriptions in Hebrew are central for scholarly reconstructions of the political and religious histories of this region. They are also important witnesses to the language varieties, literacy practices, and the scribal communities connected to the monarchies of Israel and Judah. Indeed, these materials offer a more complete portrait of the people who wrote 1–2 Kings.