There is solid archaeological evidence of the kingdom of David, and solid evidence of both Judah and Israel (the two kingdoms resulting from the splitting of the Davidic kingdom). The Assyrians and Babylonians wiped out these kingdoms. Judah regained semi-independent status as a vassal kingdom under the Persian Empire and continued until the Greek Seleucid conquest. The Maccabeean kingdom was again semi independent -- initially as a buffer state between Rome and the Persians, but eventually a Roman vassal state before outright annexation at the end of Herod's reign. All in all, that's roughly 900 years of independence, broken up by the Babylonian and Seleucid conquests. Admittedly, a good part of this was as a buffer state or vassal kingdom, but that's still independence.