1 Kings: Dating

1 and 2 Kings form part of a large historical work that, along with the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, covers the history of Israel and Judah until around 560 BC.
In its present form the book probably dates to the period 550 to 500 BC. The book describes events that happened in the period from the tenth century BC until the ninth century BC.
The book contains many different traditional stories about well-known prophets and the history of Israel and Judah. In its present form, 1 Kings is the result of a lengthy process of transmission and editing. The editing process was completed during or after the Babylonian exile.