After the death of Solomon (c930 BCE)
 Judah
and Israel become two separate nations (I Kings 12; II Chron. 10).
After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king. When he would
not reduce the high taxation burden and treat this subjects better,
the northern 10 tribes revolted and split from the kingdom.
They set up their own nation of Israel, leaving only the two tribes
Judah and Benjamin of the original nation loyal to the House of David.
The Israelites then crowned in Shechem, Solomon's servant Jeroboam
to be King over Israel.
Unfortunately Jeroboam started Israel on the downward path of idolatry.
The magnificent House for God which Solomon built remained within Judah
at Jerusalem.
Jeroboam realized he could not allow the people to go to the temple
for God's annual Holy Days. He changed the important fall Feast of Tabernacles
from the seventh month to the eighth month and set up idols to worship
in the north at Dan and the south at Beth-el.
Israel then started down the slippery slope which was to end in the
destruction of the nation, its national captivity, and the withholding
of the birthright for over twenty-five centuries.
|
