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Revision as of 00:14, 1 December 2003 by Llywrch (talk | contribs) (formatting; removing duplicate material)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Kingdom of Israel is the nation formed from the descendants of Jacob, who is also known as Israel.
Following the death of Solomon, this kingdom was divided into a Northern Kingdom known as Israel and a Southern Kingdom known as Judah. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah.
Soon after the death of Solomon, Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled, and the kingdom was rent in twain. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely seated on his throne when the old jealousies between Judah and the other tribes broke out anew, and Jeroboam was sent for from Egypt by the malcontents (12:2,3). Rehoboam insolently refused to lighten the burdensome taxation and services which his father had imposed on his subjects (12:4), and the rebellion became complete. Ephraim and all Israel raised the old cry, "Every man to his tents, O Israel" (2 Samuel 20:1). Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:1-18; 2 Chronicles 10), and Jeroboam was proclaimed king over all Israel at Shechem, Judah and Benjamin remaining faithful to Solomon's son. War, with varying success, was carried on between the two kingdoms for about sixty years, till Jehoshaphat entered into an alliance with the house of Ahab.
Extent of the Kingdom
The area of Solomon's kingdom, excluding the Phoenician territories on the shore of the Mediterranean, did not much exceed 34,000 km² (13,000 square miles). The kingdom of Israel comprehended about 24,000 km (9,375 square miles). Shechem was the first capital of this kingdom (1 Kings 12:25), afterwards Tirza (14:17). Samaria was subsequently chosen as the capital (16:24), and continued to be so till the destruction of the kingdom by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5). During the siege of Samaria (which lasted for three years) by the Assyrians, Shalmaneser died and was succeeded by Sargon, who himself thus records the capture of that city: "Samaria I looked at, I captured; 27,280 men who dwelt in it I carried away" (2 Kings 17:6) into Assyria. Thus after a duration of two hundred and fifty-three years the kingdom of the ten tribes came to an end. They were scattered throughout the East, and are known as the lost tribes of Israel.
"Judah held its ground against Assyria for yet one hundred and twenty-three years, and became the rallying-point of the dispersed of every tribe, and eventually gave its name to the whole race. Those of the people who in the last struggle escaped into the territories of Judah or other neighbouring countries naturally looked to Judah as the head and home of their race. And when Judah itself was carried off to Babylon, many of the exiled Israelites joined them from Assyria, and swelled that immense population which made Babylonia a second Judah."
After the deportation of the ten tribes, the deserted land was colonized by various eastern tribes, whom the king of Assyria sent thither (Ezra 4:2, 10; 2 Kings 17:24-29).
The Kings of Israel
Here follows the chronology accepted by most historians.
- 928 - 907 Jeroboam I
- 907 - 905 Nadab
- 905 - 883 Baasha
- 883 - 881 Elah
- 881 Zimri (Son, ruled for 7 days)
- 881 - 870 Omri (Khumri in some foreign records, founder of a new dynasty)
- 870 - 848 Ahab (Defeated the Assyrians at Qarqar)
- 848 - 847 Ahaziah
- 851 - 842 Joram
- 842 - 814 Jehu
General, staunch supporter of Jahweh, called by Elijah to end Ahab's dynasty. He was a contemporary of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III (858 - 824) (Ahab died in battle against Shalmaneser), and paid tribute to him.
He paid tribute to King Adad-nirari III of Assyria (810 - 783).
- 783 - 748 Jeroboam II (Israel was at the height of its power)
- 748 Zachariah
- 748 Shallum
- 748 - 738 Menahem
- 738 - 733 Pekahiah
- 733 - 732 Pekah
- 732 - 722 Hosheah
Hosheah paid tribute to the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V (727 - 722) but rebelled in 728 BC. Shalmaneser besieged the capital, Samaria, but died shortly before the fall of the city. His brother Sargon II (722 - 705) completed the siege with success in 722, making Judah the sole Hebrew kingdom. The ten tribes were migrated to other parts of the Assyrian Empire and never heard from again. A small group of people fled south to assimilate into Judah.