The phrase denotes a group of data detailing the reigns of monarchs who ruled the Kingdom of Judah. These data, presumed to have existed anciently, would have contained accounts of great occasions, royal decrees, navy campaigns, and different administrative issues pertaining to the rulership of every king. Whereas no full, extant copy of such a compilation has been found, references to it seem inside the Hebrew Bible, particularly within the books of Kings and Chronicles. These biblical passages counsel that extra detailed historic accounts have been as soon as accessible.
The importance of those misplaced data lies of their potential to supply a extra complete understanding of Judahite historical past. They may present further insights into political methods, non secular practices, financial circumstances, and social dynamics of the time. From a historiographical perspective, they symbolize a beneficial, although presently inaccessible, major supply that would illuminate points of Judahite historical past solely partially identified by surviving biblical texts and archaeological findings. The references to them in canonical texts additionally underscore the follow of sustaining royal data in historic Judah.