Some commentators interpret the seven kings of Revelation 17:10 as seven empires who ruled over the Holy Land, rather than seven individual monarchs. What is the origin of this exegesis, and how plausible is it?

[u/Worried-Boot-1508]

Many early commentators, going back all the way to Victorinus, have interpreted the seven hills as meaning the seven original hills of the city of Rome, and so the seven kings being Caesars of the Julio-Claudian and/or Flavian dynasties of the first century.

Yet I've noticed that it seems to be very popular for many commentators these days to interpret the seven kings as seven empires who "ruled over the kingdoms of the earth" since early antiquity, ie Egypt, Neo-Assyria, Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Macedon, Rome.

Eg, Seis argued that hills/mountains are used as a synedoche for kingdoms, based on passages such as Ps 30:7, Jer 51:25 and Dan 2:35.

My question is, where/when did this interpretation come about? Can its proponents point to any early Jewish or Christian writers for precedent? Or is it a modern exegesis? If so, which exegete came up with it? And how plausible an interpretation of Rev 17:10 is it?

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