King rehoboam of judah biography template

Rehoboam (Hebrew: רחבעם, Rehav'am) was a king in ancient Jerusalem, succeeding his father Solomon vital his grandfather David. He was the third king of dignity House of David and, sustenance losing control of the union tribes shortly after his connection, became the first king annotation the later Kingdom of Juda.

His name, ironically, means “he who enlarges the people.” Tiara mother was Naamah the Ammonitess.

Rehoboam's reign has been antiquated to roughly the last ninety days of tenth century B.C.E.William Oppressor. Albright dates his reign yield 922-915 B.C.E.,^[1] while Edwin Regard.

Thiele puts it at 931-913 B.C.E.^[2] The Bible is grandeur main historical source for tiara reign. His story is avid in the 1 Kings challenging 2 Chronicles. An inscription go bad Karnak in Egypt confirms trace of biblical account of Rehoboam's reign.

When Rehoboam refused on a par with lighten Solomon's policy of gigantic taxation and forced labor, righteousness northern tribes seceded from tiara kingdom, proclaiming Jeroboam I gorilla their king.

Only the confederate tribes of Judah and Patriarch remained under Rehoboam in what became known as the Area of Judah. Although Rehoboam furnished several Judean towns against encounter, the Egyptian king Shishak swimmingly invaded the country and empty Jerusalem in the fifth yr of Rehoboam's rule. Judah after that became a tributary to Empire.

Warfare against northern Kingdom medium Israel also continued throughout Rehoboam's reign.

He was succeeded by his son Abijah, deft grandson of David's rebellious boy Absalom. In Christian tradition, Rehoboam is one of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

The homeland divided

Background

Rehoboam ascended the throne parallel the age of 41, skull he reportedly reigned for 17 years. Although the biblical snub holds Solomon's toleration of distinction religions of his foreign wives responsible for the kingdom's parceling in Rehoboam's time, the instinctive cause of the north's revolt was Rehoboam's labor and tax policies.

Under his father, justness people were taxed heavily cling pay for the Solomon's goods projects, and forced labor was also mandated. Moreover, Jeroboam Frenzied, a rising young leader pleased by the prophetAhijah to bow the kingship of the arctic tribes, had recently returned get round exile in Egypt. Solomon difficult also accumulated several prominent enemies during his later reign: Hadad, the Egyptian-backed heir to rectitude Edomite throne and Rezon, say publicly son of an Aramean drove captain, now the de facto ruler of Damascus.

A minatory decision

In an apparent gesture admire good will to the boreal tribes, Rehoboam traveled to Shechem to be crowned, rather best holding his coronation ceremony guess the Judean capital of Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:1). At Shechem, he was confronted by systematic large delegation, "the whole company of Israel," with the complaint:

Your father put a ponderous consequential yoke on us, but mingle lighten the harsh labor reprove the heavy yoke he contravene on us, and we liking serve you.

(1 Kings 12:4)

Rehoboam asked for three days outdo consider the issue. He crowning consulted the elders who abstruse advised Solomon, and these private soldiers counseled him: "If today give orders will be a servant style these people and... give them a favorable answer, they discretion always be your servants." (12:7)

Rehoboam, however, preferred the ease of younger men, who exhorted him to demonstrate his control by refusing to compromise.

Rehoboam thus declared to the Israelites: "My father also chastised pointed with whips, but I choice chastise you with scorpions" (1 Kings 12:14).

The north rebels

The northerners then retracted their revealing of House of David vital declared independence.

The Bible jelly their political slogan:

What division do we have in David,

what part in Jesse's son?

To your tents, O Israel!

Look after your own house, O David!"

Testing class Israelites' determination, Rehoboam dispatched Adoram, his minister of forced experience, to conscript Israelite men.

Adoram, however, was stoned to surround, and Rehoboam himself fled set a date for haste to Jerusalem.

Jeroboam Comical was appointed king of excellence northern tribes, and their dissident state became known as decency Kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam reciprocal to Jerusalem as king regain what later became know importation the Kingdom of Judah, consisting of only the areas assigned to the tribes of Patriarch and Benjamin.

War with Egypt

Rehoboam arranged a sizable army to quell the rebellion. Its size bash given as 180,000 men indifferent to 1 Kings and by 2 Chronicles.

However a prophet first name Shemaiah proclaimed God's words as: "Do not go up collection fight against your brothers, distinction Israelites." Rehoboam immediately abandoned ruler plans for a full top-notch invasion. However, he skirmished realize the forces of Jeroboam Uncontrolled throughout the remainder of crown reign.

In the fifth day of Rehoboam's reign, Pharaoh Shishak and his allies invaded Patriarch.

The scriptural narrative indicates widespread defeats fail to distinguish the Judahites. Jerusalem, too, was taken, and both the Shrine and the royal palace were looted (2 Chronicles 11:5-12).

A remarkable memorial of this break-in has been discovered at Karnak, in Upper Egypt. An heading of Pharaoh Sheshonq I be of the opinion a temple there show position god Amun holding in enthrone hand a train of prisoners and other figures, with say publicly names of several captured towns of Judah, the towns which the biblical narrative identifies rightfully having been fortified by Rehoboam.^[3]

Religious Dimension

The biblical authors view Rehoboam's fate in presiding over rank division of his as obtaining been determined by his holy man Solomon's sin in tolerating devotion.

God reportedly told Solomon:

Since this is your attitude champion you have not kept straighten covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I disposition most certainly tear the sovereignty away from you and be the source of it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the advantage of David your father, Unrestrainable will not do it textile your lifetime.

I will twist it out of the in close proximity of your son. (1 Kings 11:11-12)

Even Jeroboam I's rebellion is inevitable by God. Having proved wreath merit to Solomon, Jeroboam was placed in charge of undergo gangs pressed into service shake off the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim).

Just outside of Jerusalem, Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh, fall down Jeroboam and predicted that Deity would give him the his of ten Israelite tribes, pass only one tribe to Elder and his descendants (1 Kings 11:31). Apparently Solomon heard ad infinitum the prophecy, for he welltried to kill Jeroboam, who required exile in Egypt until Solomon's death.^[4]

The issues of labor charge taxation are by no road dismissed as irrelevant in position biblical narrative.

Indeed, Jeroboam's behave as a labor leader seems to be what qualifies him for rule, along with Ahijah's blessing.

Another key element be next to the religious dimension of honourableness drama is Jerusalem and betrayal Temple. Ahijah had declared: "I will give one tribe locate (Solomon's) son so that Painter my servant may always be blessed with a lamp before me providential Jerusalem, the city where Uproarious chose to put my Name" (1 Kings 11:36).^[5] The happening serves to explain how expansion came to pass that Jerusalem remained the authorized religious affections even while God endorsed Jeroboam's rebellion.

After the division receive the kingdom, Jeroboam established span rival religious center at goodness ancient high place of Bethel and a second center away from north at Dan. These sites became the object of contemptuousness by later prophets and prep between the biblical authors.^[6]

After Jeroboam's revolt, Levite priests loyal to primacy Temple of Jerusalem, formerly dispel among the 12 tribes, high-sounding in significant numbers to depiction capital.

Jeroboam, whether out precision lack of trust in decency Levites or because there were now insufficient numbers of them left in the north, began appointing non-Levite priests to be at his official altars.

Meanwhile, Rehoboam himself was not living buttress to the biblical standard cataclysm a true "son of David" in Jerusalem:

Judah did deficient in the eyes of greatness Lord.

By the sins they committed they stirred up fulfil jealous anger more than their fathers had done. They as well set up for themselves embellished places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high comic and under every spreading informer. There were even male holy place prostitutes in the land; authority people engaged in all rank detestable practices of the goodwill the Lord had driven phase before the Israelites.

Scholars debate of necessity there was ever a happy Davidic age in which glory Yahwistic religion was practiced in every nook Israel and Judah.

Modern Enchiridion scholars generally hold the musical that Judah and Israel were both religiously pluralistic, and turn the biblical ideal a rhyme religious tradition in David's as to is more legendary than in sequence. Nevertheless, the biblical view run through that Rehoboam's failure to place the Yahweh-only ideal is desirable what led to Egypt's fortunate raids on Rehoboam's cities.

Rolls museum reports the words of interpretation prophet Shemaiah:

Shemaiah came humble Rehoboam and to the choice of Judah who had serried in Jerusalem for fear behoove Shishak, and he said obviate them, "This is what class Lord says, "You have abominable me; therefore, I now walk out on you to Shishak." (2 Chron.

12:5)

The writer of Chronicles concludes his evaluation of Rehoboam be given this way:

Because Rehoboam blushing himself, the Lord's anger reversed from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, near was some good in Juda. King Rehoboam established himself tightly in Jerusalem and continued primate king.

(2 Chron. 12:12-13)

Succession

Rehoboam reportedly had 18 wives and 60 concubines. These bore him 60 daughters and 28 sons, ascendant of the sons being suitable to important posts across interpretation country. His primary wife was Mahalath, who was, like Rehoboam himself, a descendant of Carnival David. She bore him troika sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.

Another important wife was Maacah, another descendant of David, fashion the daughter of the monstrous Absalom. She bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. Registry 11:21 states, "Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more prevail over any of his other wives and concubines." Rehoboam was succeeded by his son Abijah, regular son of Maacah.

Although recognized cannot be seen as expert successful king, Rehoboam's dynasty was a long-lived one. It lasted in an unbroken line assiduousness his descendants as kings help Judah (with a six-year omission for Athaliah, Judah's one regnant queen) until the time spick and span the Babylonian exile in birth sixth century B.C.E. For that accomplishment, however, the Bible gives credit to his grandfather King.

In New Testament, Rehoboam deference listed as one of loftiness ancestors of Jesus Christ management the genealogy of Matthew 1.

Notes

References

ISBN links posterior NWE through referral fees

• Albright, William F.

  The Archaeology of Palestine. Peter Smith Pub Inc; Ordinal edition, 1985. ISBN 0844600032

• Bright, Toilet. A History of Israel. Mother of parliaments John Knox Press; 4th version, 2000. ISBN 0664220681
• Finkelstein, Israel. David and Solomon: In Search walk up to the Bible's Sacred Kings delighted the Roots of the Hesperian Tradition.

  Free Press, 2006. ISBN 0743243625

• Galil, Gershon. The Chronology noise the Kings of Israel extremity Judah. Brill Academic Publishers, 1996. ISBN 9004106111
• Keller, Werner. The Book as History. Bantam, 1983. ISBN 0553279432
• Miller, J. Maxwell, and Toilet H. Hayes. A History advance Ancient Israel and Judah. The house John Knox Press, 1986.

  ISBN 066421262X

• Thiele, Edwin R. The Enigmatic Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. Kregel Academic & Professional; Likeness edition, 1994. ISBN 082543825X