SECESSION OF THE TRIBES.
Accession of Rehoboam--Jeroboam's return--The King at
Shechem--The Secession of the Ten Tribes--Election of
Jeroboam--New Alliances--Rezon and Shishak--Fortification
of Shechem--Jeroboam's idolatry--Ahijah's rebuke--Religion
in Judah--Abijam--Asa--Nadab--Baasha--Wars between Asa and
Baasha--Defeat of Zerah--Benhadad--Elah--Zimri--Omri--Civil
war--Samaria built--Omri's policy--Alliances with Ethbaal
and Tyre--Ahab: his character--Jezebel--The Priests of
Baal--Elijah--Naboth's vineyard--Elijah at Carmel--War
with Benhadad--Death of Ahab and Jehoshaphat--Ahaziah's
Accession--Jehoram--Elijah and Elisha--Jehu--Death of Jezebel.
977-887 B. C. E.
For the first time since the monarchical government had been
established in Israel, the next heir to the throne could succeed
without disturbance or contest. Rehoboam, more fortunate than his
father and grandfather, found himself, when he ascended the throne,
ruler over a mighty and important country. Many nations bowed in
allegiance to him, and he could indulge in golden dreams of power and
happiness. His undisputed accession was perhaps owing to the fact that
he had no brother, or that Solomon's strict laws regarding private
property had also extended to the rights of succession. Whatever may
have been the reason, Rehoboam ascended the throne of his father
without opposition. In fact, disputes between brothers concerning
the succession, such as had occurred at the death of David, did not
occur again in Jerusalem. Nor would Rehoboam have been equal to such
contests. He by no means resembled his father; indeed, his abilities
were not even mediocre. Like all princes born in the purple, who are
not gifted with striking personal qualities, he was thoughtless,
haughty, and at the same time so wanting in self-reliance that he
could not decide for himself. He had neither martial abilities nor an
appreciation of greatness of any kind. The throne was to secure for him
power, peace, and the enjoyment of life's pleasures. If this was his
dream, it was of but short duration. He was unexpectedly confronted
with an enemy who robbed him of power and peace, and who caused a
breach in the state of Israel which could never again be healed.
Jeroboam, the Ephraimite who had raised the flag of rebellion during
the last years of Solomon's reign, and who, on the failure of his
attempt, had fled to Egypt, returned to his native land immediately on
receipt of the news of Solomon's death, with the intention of resuming
his ambitious schemes, which had been approved by a prophet. Probably
his protector, Shishak, the king of Egypt, assisted him, and permitted
him to proceed by sea to the Israelitish port. No sooner had this bold
Ephraimite arrived in Shechem, the second city of importance in the
kingdom, than the Shechemites, ever ready for sedition, began a revolt.
Jeroboam was invited to join the meeting of the people, or rather he
instigated the holding of such an assembly in order to consider the
steps necessary to attain the desired end without bloodshed.
The elders of other tribes were likewise invited to take part in the
projects of the Shechemites, and thus their rebellious undertaking
assumed the character of a national demonstration. It was first of
all decided that the elders of the tribes were not, as heretofore, to
repair to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the new king, but that
he was to be invited to receive their allegiance at Shechem. This was
the first step in the rebellion. Rehoboam determined to accept their
invitation, much against his will probably, in the expectation that
his presence would put a stop to any intended insurrection. It was a
disastrous hour, fraught with far-reaching results for the history of
Israel.
Rehoboam was accompanied to Shechem by his council, consisting of the
elder members who had served his father, and of younger members whom he
himself had selected. In order to provide for all cases, he took with
him Adoniram, the overseer of the slaves, whose angry glance and whose
rod kept the unwilling labourers in submission. When Rehoboam arrived
in Shechem, the representatives of the tribes came before him in order
to explain their grievances. Jeroboam, who had been chosen as their
mouthpiece, placed the troubles of the nation before the king in strong
language: "Thy father put a heavy yoke on the people, and made them
submit to heavy burdens. If thou wilt lighten this heavy yoke, we will
serve thee." Struck by this bold language, Rehoboam concealed his anger
as best he could, and told them to return for his reply in three days.
He knew not what answer to give the representatives of the tribes. He
therefore consulted his council. The older members were unanimously in
favor of mild treatment, the younger men advocated severity, and the
unwise king followed the advice of the latter. When, on the third day,
Jeroboam and the elders came to him for his answer, he replied in words
which he thought would annihilate them: "My little finger is stronger
than my father's loins. If he scourged you with rods, I will scourge
you with scorpions." Jeroboam had expected and reckoned on no other
reply. Turning to the elders he said, "What share have we in David, and
what inheritance in the son of Jesse? Return to your tents, O Israel,
and thou, David, see to thine own house!" Jeroboam then unfurled the
standard of rebellion, and assembled the Shechemites, who willingly
mustered around him in order to display their enmity towards Rehoboam.
All the jealousy and hatred that the Ephraimites had cherished during
the reigns of David and Solomon, on account of the oppression and
supposed humiliation to which they had been forced to submit, now burst
forth. They seized the opportunity to free themselves from the yoke of
David, and to place themselves, as they had done in the days of the
Judges, at the head of the tribes. Sword in hand, the Shechemites,
headed by Jeroboam, attacked the house in which Rehoboam dwelt. He sent
Adoniram, the overseer of the slaves, to chastise the ringleaders like
rebellious slaves. A shower of stones overpowered him, and he sank
lifeless to the ground. Rehoboam, whose life was in danger, fled from
Shechem in his chariot, and reached Jerusalem. A breach had been made
which no one could heal.
Indignant and dispirited as Rehoboam was at the turn affairs had taken
in Shechem, he felt himself obliged to ascertain, before taking any
steps, how far he could count on the fidelity of the nation. What was
he to do, if the tribes nearest to the capital, induced by the example
of the Shechemites, also renounced their allegiance to him? Where
would the secession end? From this care, however, he was soon freed.
The tribe of Judah, which was intimately connected with the house of
David, and considered that house its most precious ornament, remained
faithful to Rehoboam. The tribe of Simeon was merely a subsidiary of
that of Judah, and could not be considered independent. The tribe of
Benjamin also remained faithful to Rehoboam. It was closely connected
with that of Judah, and their fortunes could not again be parted.
There were more Benjamites than Judæans living in Jerusalem. These
tribes, then, sided with Rehoboam. No sooner was he aware that two or
three tribes would remain true to him, than he naturally entertained
the idea of compelling the Shechemites and Ephraimites to return to
their allegiance by means of the sword, and he would no doubt have
succeeded, had not Jeroboam taken measures to turn the secession to
the greatest advantage. He impressed on the Ephraimites that only
a king could successfully resist Rehoboam's attacks, and that by no
other means could they escape the severe punishment which awaited them
as insurgents. They then determined to set up an opposition king. Who
would be better suited for this post than Jeroboam? He alone possessed
the needful courage and skill, and he was an Ephraimite. The elders of
Ephraim therefore assembled, and with the co-operation of the remaining
tribes, chose him as king. The latter paid homage to Jeroboam, possibly
because they also had grievances against the house of David, and could
expect no redress from Rehoboam. Thus the obscure man of Zereda became
king over ten tribes (977-955), counting Manasseh of Machir as one, and
Manasseh of Gilead as another tribe.
The tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon alone remained attached to the
house of David. The two last named, however, had no separate existence,
they were merged into the tribe of Judah. The house of Israel, which
had been joined with the house of Judah for barely a century, was
thus again divided from it. To avoid continual warfare as well as the
necessity of being constantly on the defensive, each of the two kings
sought to strengthen himself by alliances, and thus frustrate all
hostile plans. Rehoboam made a treaty with the newly elected king of
Damascus, the state founded by Rezon, the bandit, in Solomon's time,
having attained great power. Rezon, or his successor Tabrimon, had
united various Aramæan districts to Damascus, and ruled over extensive
territory. The treaty between Rehoboam and the king of Damascus
prevented Jeroboam from attacking the kingdom of Judah, and visiting it
with the horrors of a long war. Jeroboam, on the other hand, formed an
alliance with another power, in order to exasperate and alarm the king
of Judah.
A union of the two kingdoms was distasteful to both. The difference
in their history prevented their coalescing. The house of Israel,
especially the tribe of Ephraim, willingly relinquished the advantages
which might accrue from a union with the house of David, in order
that it might not be forced to assume an inferior position. The more
worthy in both kingdoms were probably filled with grief at the breach
which had occurred, but they were unable to avert it. The civil war
which appeared imminent was prevented by the prophet Shemaiah, who, in
the name of God, called on the Judæans and Benjamites to desist from
fratricide. Slight feuds, however, broke out between the contiguous
kingdoms, as was unavoidable between such near neighbours, but they led
to no serious result.
Jeroboam was effectually aided in his ambitious plans by Shishak
(Sheshenk), who, it is said, married his wife's elder sister Ano to the
fugitive Israelite, just as he had given another sister in marriage
to the Idumæan prince who had taken refuge with him. Shishak probably
had furnished Jeroboam with the supplies of money that enabled him to
return to his fatherland, and now the new king seems to have formed
an alliance with him against Judah. Thus Rehoboam was prevented from
undertaking any noteworthy steps against Israel. In order to secure
himself from Egyptian and Israelitish attacks, Rehoboam erected a chain
of fortresses in a circuit of several miles round about the capital.
But they failed him in the hour of need. Shishak, with an overwhelming
force, undertook a war against Rehoboam in the fifth year of the Jewish
king's reign (972). Overcome by excess of numbers, the strongholds
were taken one after another by the Egyptian armies, and Shishak
pressed forward as far as Jerusalem. It appears that the capital
yielded without a struggle, and the Egyptian king contented himself
with seizing the treasures which Solomon had deposited in the palace
and the Temple. He appropriated all the money then in Jerusalem, as
well as the golden shields and spears which the king's guards used in
royal processions to the Temple. He, however, left the kingdom of Judah
intact, did not even touch the walls of Jerusalem, and left Rehoboam on
his throne. On his return, Shishak commemorated his deeds of prowess
and his victories over Judah and other districts by records and
monuments. The alliance between Solomon and the king of Egypt was thus
of but short duration. His son learned the futility of such a treaty,
and experienced how little trust can be placed in plans and political
measures, though apparently the outcome of the deepest calculation and
forethought. Solomon, in spite of his wisdom, had acted thoughtlessly
in regard to the union with the daughter of Pharaoh. He had built her a
special palace, and within a few years after his decease, an Egyptian
king ransacked this very palace and other monumental buildings of
Solomon, and plundered them of all their treasures. The grandeur and
power of Solomon's kingdom were at an end.
Jeroboam fortified Shechem and built himself a palace, which served
also as a citadel (Armon) for purposes of defence. On the opposite
side of the Jordan, he also fortified various towns, among them Penuel
(or Peniel), to serve as a rampart against attacks from the south,
where the Moabites and the Ammonites, in consequence of what had taken
place, had separated themselves from the Israelites, in the same way
as the Idumæans had shaken off the yoke of the Judæans. Internal
embarrassments forced Jeroboam to introduce innovations. Guided either
by habit or conviction, the families of the northern tribes continued
to present themselves at Jerusalem in the autumn at harvest time, in
order to take part in the service of the invisible God. This loyalty
to the Jewish capital, even though manifested by only a part of his
subjects, was a source of great anxiety to Jeroboam. How would it be
if the people turned in ever increasing numbers to the temple in
Jerusalem, and once more made peace with the house of David? Would he
not be dethroned as quickly as he had attained to royalty? In order
to avoid the possibility of such a reunion, Jeroboam matured a wicked
plan, which caused Israel to fall back into the ways of idolatry and
barbarity.
During his protracted stay in Egypt, Jeroboam had become acquainted
with the system of worship established there, and he had observed that
the worship of animals, particularly of the bull, tended to promote the
aims of despotic government. He had observed that this animal worship
served to stultify the nation, and Jeroboam thought he might turn to
his own purposes a system so politic and advantageous. He therefore,
in conjunction with his advisers, devised a plan by which these
observances should be introduced in the Ten Tribes. He considered that
this idol-worship might be of advantage to him in other ways, as it
would keep him in favour with the court of Egypt. Israel would appear
as a dependency of Egypt, and both countries, having common religious
observances and customs, would also have common interests. The habits
of Egypt were of special interest to him, as his wife was probably an
Egyptian, and connected with the royal house of Egypt. Jeroboam also
studied the convenience of the tribes. He wished to relieve those who
lived far off from the necessity of making long journeys at the time
of the harvest. At Bethel and at Dan, Jeroboam, therefore, put up
golden calves, and issued a proclamation to the effect: "This is thy
God, O Israel, who brought thee out of Egypt." In Bethel, where he
himself intended to preside at the worship, he built a large temple,
in which he also placed a sacrificial altar. To prevent the people
from celebrating the Feast of Ingathering at Jerusalem, he fixed the
festival a month later (in the eighth instead of the seventh month).
Probably also a different time-reckoning was followed, according to
the longer solar, instead of the shorter lunar year.
The nation, as a whole, appears to have taken no offence at this
alteration, but to have actually regarded it as a revival of the
ancient mode of worship. The fundamental principle, the _unity_ of God,
was in no way affected by it. Jeroboam had not attempted to introduce
polytheism, but had merely given them incarnations of the Deity,
symbolising strength and fruitfulness. The people, naturally sensual,
were, indeed, well pleased to have a representation of the Godhead. The
_spirituality_ of God, not admitting of ocular demonstration, was at
that period more remote from their comprehension than the conception
of His _unity_. Sensual dissipation and depravity were not bound up
with the worship of the bull as with the Canaanite service of Baal, and
therefore it did not outrage the moral sense.
Thus the people gradually became accustomed to repair to Bethel or Dan
for the high feasts; otherwise they made their offerings at home, or at
the nearest place where sacrifices had been offered of old. Jeroboam
fully attained his object; the nation became stultified, and bowed
to him in servile obedience. The tribe of Levi, however, caused him
anxiety. No Levite would consent to perform the office of priest at
the worship of the bull; for Samuel's prophetic teachings had made a
lasting impression on this tribe. That Jeroboam might not compel their
services, the Levites, who had been living in the Israelitish towns,
wandered forth, and settled in the kingdom of Judah. As he could not
possibly manage without priests, he took any one who offered himself
to serve in that capacity. At one festival he himself performed the
priestly office, in order to elevate it in the eyes of the people, or,
perhaps, in imitation of the Egyptian custom. Jeroboam was thus led
step by step to destroy the original principles of Judaism.
His conduct was not allowed to pass uncondemned. The old prophet,
Ahijah, of Shiloh, who had incited Nebat's ambitious son to
insurrection, now was too old and frail to lift his voice publicly
against these proceedings. When, however, Jeroboam's wife visited
him at Shiloh, to consult him about the dangerous illness of her
eldest son, the prophet took the opportunity of announcing to her
the approaching dissolution of the royal house. But a return was
impossible, without paving the way to a reunion with the house of
David. From motives of self-preservation, he was obliged to continue in
the way he had chosen. The new worship was, therefore, retained during
the existence of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, and none of Jeroboam's
successors attempted to make any alteration in its form.
In the kingdom of Judah (or House of Jacob), the conditions were quite
different. Politically weakened by the severance of the tribes and
the incursions of Egypt under Shishak, its wounds were too deep to
heal before the lapse of a considerable time. But Judah had not sunk
in religion or morals. Rehoboam appears to have troubled himself but
little about religious or moral affairs; he was indifferent in every
respect, and his pride having once received a blow, he seems to have
passed his days in idleness. But the Temple, on the one hand, and the
Levites, on the other, appear to have counteracted all deteriorating
influences. In outward appearance all remained as it had been in
the time of Solomon; the High Altars (Bamoth), on which families
performed the sacrificial rites throughout the year, continued to be
maintained, but at the autumn festivals the people repaired to the
temple. Deviations from the established order of divine service were
exceptional, and were accepted only by the circle of court ladies.
As Solomon had permitted altars to be erected for his heathen wives,
Rehoboam did not feel called upon to be more severe in his enactments.
His mother Maachah, the daughter or granddaughter of Absalom, had a
predilection for the immoral Canaanite worship; she erected a statue
of Astarte in her palace, and maintained temple priestesses. Rehoboam
permitted all this, but the unholy innovations did not spread very
wide. Meanwhile, although idolatrous practices did not gain ground in
the kingdom of Judah, there was no impulse towards a higher stage of
moral culture under Rehoboam's government. A weakness seemed to have
come over the people, as if they were in the last stage of senility.
Nearly two centuries elapsed before traces of a higher spiritual force
became evident. Rehoboam's reign of seventeen years was inglorious.
The reign of his son Abijam (960-958) passed in a like manner. He also
indulged in petty acts of hostility against Jeroboam, but without any
important result. He, too, permitted the idolatrous practices of his
mother Maachah. Abijam, it appears, died young, leaving no issue, and
he was therefore succeeded by his brother Asa (957-918). He again was
a minor, and the queen-mother Maachah held the reins of government. At
first she seems to have desired to extend her idolatrous and immoral
worship, but a revolution in the kingdom of the Ten Tribes put an end
to her projects, and changed the course of events.
Nadab, who had succeeded to the throne on the death of Jeroboam
(955-954), undertook a war against the Philistines, and besieged the
Danite city of Gibbethon, which the Philistines had occupied. During
this campaign a soldier by the name of Baesha (Baasha) conspired
against the king in the camp, and killed him. From the camp Baasha
proceeded to the capital, Tirzah, and destroyed the whole house of
Jeroboam (954). The founder of this dynasty had not been anointed by
the prophet; he was not considered inviolable, like Saul and David, and
therefore the hand of the murderer was not restrained. Baasha was the
first of the list of regicides in the Ten Tribes, and his act hastened
the fate impending over the nation.
Having perpetrated the murder, he took possession of the throne and
kingdom (954-933). He continued Tirzah as the capital, on account of
its central position. It lay in the very heart of the kingdom, and
possessed the additional advantage of being fortified. Had Baasha
abolished the worship of the bull, he might have drawn to his side the
worthier portion of the people of Judah. The latter were indignant at
the idolatrous innovations of Maachah, which were more reprehensible
than the bull-worship, as with them were connected the depraved habits
of the temple priestesses. In Jerusalem the fear of eventual sympathy
with Israel appears to have arisen; but Asa hastened to avert the
calamity. Either on his own impulse, or urged thereto by one of the
prophets, he snatched the reins of government from the hands of the
queen-mother, forbade the worship of Astarte, removed the priestesses,
and burnt the disgusting image which had been erected for worship in
the valley of Kedron. Through these resolute acts Asa secured for
himself the good-will of the well-disposed among his people.
The old inconclusive feuds between the two kingdoms were continued
between Asa and Baasha. The former is said to have acquired several
cities of Ephraim, and to have incorporated them in his own kingdom.
In order to secure himself from the attacks of Judah, Baasha seems to
have entered into a league with the king of Egypt, and to have urged
him to carry war into the lands of his own foe. An Egyptian general
named Zerah (Osorkon) sallied forth with a numerous body of Ethiopians,
and pressed forwards as far as Mareshah, about ten leagues south-west
of Jerusalem. Asa, however, marched against him with the combined
forces of Judah and Benjamin, defeated the Ethiopian army north of
Mareshah, pursued it as far as Gerar, and brought back enormous booty
to Jerusalem.
Baasha was disconcerted by these proceedings, and endeavoured to bring
about an alliance with the Aramæan king, Ben-hadad I., of Damascus,
who, hitherto friendly to the kingdom of Judah, had prevented all
inimical attacks. Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, now cancelled his
treaty with Asa, and went over to Baasha's side. The latter conquered
Ramah, the birth-place and residence of the prophet Samuel, which
belonged to the Benjamites, and fortified it so that it served as a
base whence to make raids on the neighbouring districts. Alarmed at
these doings, Asa endeavoured to revive the treaty with the king of
Damascus, and sent ambassadors to him, with quantities of treasure
in silver and gold, which he took both from the Temple and from his
palaces. Ben-hadad allowed himself to be won over; it flattered him to
be thus sought after by both realms, to which his people had formerly
been obliged to pay tribute. He resolved to utilise the weakness of
both sides, and he commanded an army to effect an entrance into the
north of the kingdom of Israel; he subjugated Ijon, Dan, and the
contiguous region of Abel-Bethmaachah; and also reduced the district
around the lake of Tiberias, and the mountainous lands of the tribe of
Naphtali. Asa was thus saved at the expense of Judah's sister nation;
and Baasha was forced to abandon his desire for conquest, and to
relinquish Ramah.
Asa now summoned all the men capable of bearing arms to assist in the
destruction of the fortifications of Ramah. The death of Baasha, which
occurred soon after this (in 933), and a revolution which ensued in
Tirzah, left Asa free from menace on that side. Mizpah, a town having
a very high and favourable situation, was made an important citadel by
Asa. He also built a deep and roomy cistern in the rocks, in order to
have stores of water in case of a siege.
Meanwhile, in the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, terrible events were
happening, which were productive of changes in both kingdoms. Baasha
was succeeded by his son Elah (933-932), who was addicted to idleness
and drunkenness. Whilst his warriors were engaged in battle with the
Philistines, and were attacking Gibbethon, he passed his days in
drinking-bouts. This circumstance was taken advantage of by his servant
Simri (Zimri), the commander of one-half of the war-chariots, which had
remained behind in Tirzah. Whilst Elah was dissipating in the house
of the captain of his palace, Zimri killed him (in 932), at the same
time destroying the entire house of Baasha, and not even sparing its
friends. He then, as a matter of course, ascended the throne, but his
reign was of short duration; it lasted only one week. No sooner had the
news of the king's murder reached the army, then besieging Gibbethon,
than they elected the Israelitish general Omri, as king. He repaired to
the capital, but finding the gates closed against him, he laid siege to
the city and effected a breach in the wall. When Zimri discovered that
he was lost, he anticipated a disgraceful end by setting fire to the
palace and perishing in the flames. He was the third of five kings of
Israel who died an unnatural death, and only two of them were buried
in the mausoleum for the kings, erected by Jeroboam. A fourth king was
soon to be added to the list. Omri, a warrior, expected to obtain the
vacant throne forthwith, but he met with opposition. One part of the
population of the capital had chosen another king, Tibni, the son of
Ginath; he was probably a native of the city. Thus two parties were
formed in the capital, and the streets were no doubt deluged with
blood. A civil war was the one thing wanting in the domains of Ephraim
to make the measure of misery full to overflowing. For three years the
partisan conflict raged (932-928); at length the party of Omri gained
the upper hand. Tibni was killed, and Omri remained sole ruler (928).
He, however, felt ill at ease in Tirzah; the palace was in ashes since
the death of Zimri, and other depredations had no doubt taken place
during the protracted civil war. The conquered party was hostile
to him, and Omri, therefore, determined to transfer the seat of the
empire. He could not select Shechem, where the restless and rebellious
spirit of the inhabitants would not permit him to live in safety, and
there was no other important town situated in the heart of the country.
Omri therefore conceived the idea of building a new capital. A high
plateau, at a few hours' distance north-west of Shechem, seemed to him
the fittest spot. He bought it of its owner, Shemer, erected buildings,
a palace and other houses, fortified it, and called it _Shomron_
(Samaria). Whence did he obtain inhabitants for the newly founded
city? He probably adopted a course similar to David's in the case of
Jerusalem, and caused the warriors attached to his cause to settle
there. A year after his victory over the rival king, Omri left Tirzah,
and removed to Samaria, which was destined to be the rival of Jerusalem
for a period of two hundred years, and then, after two centuries
of desertion, to revive, and once more wage war against Judah and
Jerusalem. Samaria inherited the hatred of Shechem against Jerusalem,
and increased it tenfold. The new city gave its name to the kingdom of
the Ten Tribes, and the land was thence called the land of Samaria.
Omri, the first king of Samaria, was neither a strong nor a warlike
leader, but he was a wise man. The crown which he had acquired,
rather by the favour of circumstances than his own force of will, did
not satisfy him. He wished to make his court and his people great,
respected and wealthy, and he hoped that the prosperity of the days of
Solomon might be restored to Israel. It is true that the nation was
divided, and thereby weakened. But was it necessary for war always to
be carried on between the two portions, and for the sword to destroy
them? Connected as they were by reason of tribal relations and common
interests, could they not henceforth pursue their course in friendly
alliance?
Omri endeavoured, in the first place, to make peace with the
representative of the royal house of David, and to impress upon him
the advantages, to both of them, of pursuing an amicable policy. They
might in that way obtain their former sway over the countries which
had once been tributary to them. For a long time friendly relations
were actually established between the two kingdoms; and they supported,
instead of opposing, each other. Omri also cherished to a great,
perhaps even to a too great degree, the hope of a friendly alliance
with Phœnicia. He desired that a part of the riches which their
extensive maritime expeditions and trade introduced into that country,
might also flow into his own kingdom. At this time various kings had
waded to the throne in Tyre through the blood of their predecessors,
until at length Ethbaal (Ithobal), a priest of Astarte, ascended the
throne, after the murder of his predecessor, Phalles. The disastrous
occurrences in Phœnicia had greatly weakened the land. The great
families had been compelled to emigrate, and had founded colonies on
the north coast of Africa. The kingdom of Damascus, which had acquired
great power, sought to obtain possession of the productive coast-line
of Phœnicia; Ethbaal, therefore, had to strengthen himself by means of
alliances. The kingdom of the Ten Tribes was nearest to him.
Omri and Ethbaal therefore had common interests, and formed an
offensive and defensive treaty. The league, desired by both powers,
was confirmed by an intermarriage. Omri's son Ahab married Ethbaal's
daughter Jezebel (Jezabel or Izebel)--a marriage which was fraught with
disastrous consequences.
Omri, fortified by this alliance, could now venture to think of
undertaking warlike expeditions. He captured several towns of Moab,
which had emancipated itself under Jeroboam's rule, and compelled it
to become once more tributary. He forced the Moabites to send herds of
oxen and rams every year as tribute. As, however, a sort of alliance
existed between Moab and Aram, and an increase of Israel's power was
watched by Aram with a jealous eye, the Aramæan king of Damascus,
Ben-hadad I., declared war against Omri, and recovered some of the
cities he had taken. Omri was forced to accept peace with Ben-hadad on
hard terms, and bound himself to open the caravan-roads through the
kingdom of Israel, and to allow free passage through the land.
Omri thereupon entered into a closer alliance with the kingdom of Tyre,
and pursued the plan of assimilating his people to their Canaanite
neighbours. Why should he endeavour to keep Israel separate from the
surrounding peoples? Would it not be wiser and better to permit the
kingdom of the Ten Tribes to assume a Phœnician or Tyrian character?
United as they were in language and customs, might not the two races
become more closely welded together, if the Phœnician form of worship
were introduced into the kingdom of Israel? Omri led the way to this
union. He introduced the service of Baal and Astarte as the official
mode of worship; he built a temple for Baal in his capital of Samaria,
ordained priests, and commanded that sacrifices should be universally
made to the Phœnician idols. He desired to see the worship of the
bull, as observed in Bethel and Dan, abolished. It seemed to him too
distinctly Israelitish in character, and to be likely to maintain
the division between the Israelites and Phœnicians. Jehovah, adored
with or without a visible image, was too striking a contrast to the
Tyrian Baal or Adonis for Omri to permit His worship to remain. Omri's
innovations were of far greater import than those of Jeroboam; or, to
speak in the language of the Bible, he acted yet more sinfully than
his predecessors. He desired to rob the nation of its God and of its
origin; he desired it to forget that it had a special nationality in
contradistinction to that of the idolaters. History has not recorded
how these changes were received. His son Ahab (922-901) was destined to
continue the work,--his father's bequest, as it were. In furtherance of
the latter's projects he naturally kept up the close connection with
Tyre and with the king of Judah.
But the execution of a charge involving the severest attacks on the
inner convictions of man is, in spite of all one may do, dependent on
circumstances or contingencies beyond the calculations of the wisest
mind. Two kinds of obstacles intervened to prevent the Canaanisation
of the Ten Tribes. The one was Ahab's disposition, and the other
arose from an unexpected cause which weakened, if it did not entirely
destroy, the effect of the terrible blow aimed at religion. In order to
accomplish this transformation of the nation into a mere appendage of
Phœnicia, and the consequent loss of its own identity, the successor
of Omri needed a powerful mind, an unbending will, and unyielding
severity to crush all opposition with a strong hand. Ahab was, however,
of an entirely different nature--weak, mild, loving peace and comfort,
rather disposed to avoid disturbances and obstacles than to seek or
remove them. Had it rested with him alone, he would have abandoned his
father's system and given himself up to such enjoyments as the royal
power granted him, regardless of what the future might bring. Ahab
was not even warlike; he permitted the neighbouring kings to treat
him in a manner which would have excited the indignation and roused
the most determined opposition of any king not altogether destitute
of the feeling of honour. But as he was forced against his desire and
inclination to enter into a contest with an ambitious neighbour, so
he was also compelled to enter upon a conflict with the Israelitish
nation. His father had given him a wife in every way his opposite, with
a strong manly will, who was determined to gain her ends by severity
and cruelty, if necessary.
Jezebel, the Phœnician princess, whose father had filled the post
of priest to Astarte before he obtained the throne, was filled with
enthusiastic eagerness to carry out the plan of Canaanising the
people of Israel. Either from a perverted idea or from political
considerations, she desired to amalgamate the Israelitish people
with her own, and make Tyrians and Israelites one nation. She
continued the work commenced by Omri, with energy and mercilessness,
and led her weak-minded husband into all kinds of oppressive and
unrighteous actions. Jezebel's gloomy and obstinate character, with
her uncontrollable energy, was the cause of a ferment and commotion
in the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, which led to disastrous results,
but which, like a destroying storm, performed the beneficent service
of clearing the atmosphere. Jezebel's first step was to build a great
temple to Baal in the capital of Samaria. In such a temple there were
three altars, images and pillars, which were dedicated to a sort
of holy trinity: Baal, his consort Astarte, and the god of fire or
destruction (Moloch Chammon). For this worship, Jezebel introduced
into the country a host of priests and prophets (450 for Baal and 400
for Astarte), who were supported at the expense of the royal house,
and dined at the queen's table. Some of these priests attended to the
sacrifices in Samaria, while others rushed madly through the country,
celebrating their scandalous rites in the cities and villages. The
Phœnician priests or prophets attired themselves in women's apparel,
painted their faces and eyes, as women were in the habit of doing,
their arms bared to the shoulders, and carried swords and axes,
scourges, castanets, pipes, cymbals and drums. Dancing and wailing,
they whirled round in a circle, by turns bowed their heads to the
ground, and dragged their hair through the mud. They also bit their
arms and cut their bodies with swords and knives till the blood ran,
providing an offering for their bloodthirsty goddess. Doubtless they
were accompanied by temple priestesses (Kedeshoth), who followed their
shameful pursuit in honour of Astarte, and for the benefit of the
priests. By means of this troop of priests of Baal and the ecstatic
followers of Astarte, Jezebel hoped to wean the Israelitish people from
the God of its fathers, and to carry into effect the plan of entirely
transforming the national character. At the head of the Phœnician
priesthood there was a high priest, who probably gave instructions
and commands as to how they were to proceed. In the first place, the
altars dedicated to God were destroyed, and others erected in the
Canaanite fashion, with pointed pillars, the symbols of an obscene
cult. The altars in Bethel and Dan were, no doubt, transformed in a
similar manner. It was intended that the sacrifice-loving nation, for
want of altars of its own, should bring its offerings to the temples
of Baal and of Astarte, and thus become accustomed to this mode of
worship. How easy it is to force a nation to give up its usages and
peculiarities, and to accept those of strangers, if the rulers act
with subtlety and force combined! The Israelites in the kingdom of the
Ten Tribes had already been demoralised, owing to their half-century's
separation from Jerusalem (the centre of intellectual activity), and
to the bull-worship which they had long been practising. The cities
had acquired a taste for luxury, and a love of dissipation, which the
impure worship of Baal and Astarte only served to foster. The towns
doubtless, for the most part, yielded to the new state of things, or,
in any case, offered no opposition to it. Seven thousand individuals
alone remained firm, and would not pay homage to Baal, nor adore him
with their lips. A part of the nation, amongst them the villagers,
meanwhile wavered in their ideas and actions, and not knowing whether
God or Baal was the mightier divinity, they worshipped the one publicly
and the other secretly. It was a period of uncertainty and confusion,
such as usually precedes an historical crisis. It remained to be seen
whether the ancient belief in the God of Israel, and the demands of
holiness had taken sufficiently deep root, and had acquired enough
vitality and power to conquer an opposing force and eradicate what
was foreign. In such times a man of striking personality, in whom
lives a pure faith, and who is entirely ruled by it, naturally assumes
leadership, and by firmness, enthusiasm and heroic self-sacrifice
convinces the waverers, strengthens the weak, incites the indifferent,
and thus collects an army of defenders to rescue from imminent
destruction their own national, peculiar endowments. When such an
individual is roused by the very opposition of the enemy, and spurred
on to action, he becomes a vivifying principle, and brings about a
new state of things, a mingling of both old and new elements. Such an
individual arose during this crisis in the person of the prophet Elijah
(920-900).
Whence came this energetic, all-subduing prophet? In which tribe was
his cradle? Who was his father? This is not known. He was simply
known as Elijahu (shortened into Elijah). He was not a citizen
of Transjordanic Gilead, but belonged to that class of tolerated
half-citizens called Toshabim (dwellers). He was of a tempestuous
nature, and was guided by no considerations of expediency; he would
not have hesitated to offer his life for his creed. He was considered
by his successors as the incarnation of moral and religious zeal
(_kanna_). Like a tempest he made his entry, like a tempest he
thundered forth his execrations against the weak, woman-led Ahab;
like a tempest he rushed away, so that no one could seize him; and in
a tempest he finally disappeared from his earthly scene of action.
Elijah was imbued with the one thought, to save the belief in the God
of Israel, which was passing away from the minds of the people. To
this God he dedicated himself, and to His service did his life belong
solely and exclusively. Elijah was outwardly distinguishable by his
peculiar dress. In contradistinction to the effeminate, luxurious dress
of the worshippers of Baal and Astarte, his undergarment was confined
by a leather belt, and over it he wore a black hairy cloak. He wore his
hair long, and touched no wine, and thus gave rise to the institution
of Nazarites, who were not permitted to drink wine or to shave the hair
of the head. In this costume and with these habits he appeared first in
Gilead, and there announced the all-embracing creed, "Jehovah alone is
God." Here, where the Jordan offered a barrier against the swarms of
the priests of Baal, and where the fear of Ahab and Jezebel could not
paralyze the conscience, there were yet faithful adherents of the God
of Israel. Amongst these Elijah probably found his first auditors and
disciples, who were carried away by his enthusiastic manner, and became
his helpers.
In a short time a body of prophets or disciples (Bene-Nebiim) had
arisen, who were ready to give up their lives for their ancestral
tenets. They also followed Elijah's way of living, and became
Nazarites. The principles of this newly formed circle were to lead a
simple life, not to dwell in cities where luxury and effeminacy ruled,
but in village tents, not to drink wine, not to till vineyards, to
avoid agriculture generally, but, like the patriarchs and the tribes in
earlier times, to live by tending flocks. Jonadab, the son of Rechab,
who doubtless was one of the followers of Elijah, was the first to
establish these rules for himself and his household. He impressed on
his descendants the necessity of abstaining from wine, from building
fixed residences, from sowing seed, and especially from planting
vineyards. In this way Elijah not only aroused and inspired a band of
defenders of the ancient law for his own time, but opened the path to
a new future. He set simplicity and self-restraint against degeneracy
and love of pleasure. With his body of disciples he eagerly commenced
action against the priests and prophets of Baal. He probably passed
rapidly from place to place, called the populace together, and inspired
them with his storm-like eloquence, the point of which was "Jehovah
alone is God, and Baal and Astarte are dumb, lifeless idols." He may
even have incited attacks on those priests of Baal whom he encountered.
Jezebel could not long endure the doings of the energetic Tishbite,
which interfered with her plans; she sent her soldiers against
Elijah's troop, and those who fell into their hands were mercilessly
slaughtered. They were the first martyrs who died for Israel's ancient
law. Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, the priest of Astarte, was the
first persecutor for religion's sake. Elijah himself, however, on whom
Jezebel was specially anxious to wreak her vengeance, could never be
reached, but always eluded his pursuers. His zeal had already produced
an important effect. Obadiah, the superintendent of Ahab's palace, was
secretly attached to the ancient law. He who, perhaps, had the task of
persecuting the disciples of the prophet, hid one hundred of them in
two caves of Mount Carmel, fifty in each cave, and supplied them with
bread and water. Obadiah was not alone--he had in his employ men of
his own faith, who executed his secret commissions. How could Jezebel
combat an invisible enemy that found assistance in her own house?
One day, Elijah, though deprived of his followers, ventured into the
vicinity of King Ahab, whose weak, pliable disposition he knew, in
order to reproach him for the misdeeds which he permitted. Ahab had a
passion for building and fortifying towns. It was at his instance that
Jericho, which had been deprived of its walls since the entry of the
Israelites, was fortified by Hiel of Bethel. Ahab also founded a new
capital in the beautiful table-land of Jezreel, where he was desirous
of passing the winter months, for Samaria served only as a summer
residence. This new town of Jezreel, which was destined to become the
scene of tragic encounters, was built with great splendour. The royal
couple had a palace of ivory erected there, which was to be surrounded
by extensive gardens. For this purpose Ahab wished to have a beautiful
vineyard which belonged to Naboth, one of the most respected citizens
of Jezreel. Ahab offered him a compensation, either in money or land,
but Naboth did not wish to part with the heritage of his fathers.
Disappointed at his inability to surround his palace with park-like
grounds, Ahab would not even take food. Finding him in this state,
Jezebel contemptuously upbraided him for his childish vexation and his
cowardly helplessness, but promised him that he should nevertheless
possess the desired vineyard. She sent out letters in the king's name
to those of the elders of Israel of whose slavish obedience she was
certain, and commanded them to produce two witnesses who would testify
to having heard Naboth revile the gods and the king. When the council
of judges had assembled at one of the gates of Jezreel, and Naboth,
who was the eldest among them, had placed himself at their head, two
degraded men appeared, and testified against Naboth, under oath, as
they had been instructed. Naboth was condemned to death by the elders,
and the sentence was carried out not only on him, but also on his
sons. The property of the executed fell by law to the king. Jezebel
triumphantly announced to her husband, "Now take Naboth's vineyard,
for he is dead." When Elijah heard of this crime, he could no longer
contain himself. He repaired to Jezreel and met the king just as he was
inspecting Naboth's vineyard. Behind him rode two men, of whom one was
fated to become the avenger of Naboth. The prophet thundered out to
him, "Hast thou murdered, and dost now take possession?" "In the place
where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even
thine." (1 Kings xxi. 19; see 2 Kings ix. 25). This denunciation had
an overwhelming effect on Ahab. He reflected and meekly did penance,
but ruthless Jezebel's power over her weak-minded husband was too
strong for this change of mind to last.
Elijah, who had suddenly disappeared, now returned a second time to
Ahab, and announced that a famine of several years' duration would
befall the land. He then departed and dwelt in the Phœnician town of
Zarephath (Sarepta), at the house of a widow, and later in a cave of
Mount Carmel. Meanwhile a famine devastated the land, and there was
not fodder even for the king's horses. One day, Elijah approached
Obadiah, the superintendent of the palace, and said to him, "Go, tell
thy master, Elijah is here." On his entrance, Ahab said to him, "Is
it thou, disturber of Israel?" Then the prophet replied, "Not I have
troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house have."
As though he had the right to give orders, he bade the king command the
priests of Baal to assemble on Mount Carmel, where it would be revealed
who was the true, and who the false prophet.
What occurred on Mount Carmel, where the contest took place, must have
produced an extraordinary impression. Ahab, we are told, summoned
all the prophets of Baal to the mountain, whither many of the people
repaired, anxious to witness the result of the contest between the
prophet and the king, and to see whether the prevailing drought would
in consequence come to an end. The hundred prophets who had hidden
in the caves of Carmel, and were maintained there by Obadiah, were
probably also present. Elijah presided at the assembly, which he
addressed, saying (1 Kings xviii. 21): "How long halt ye between two
opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow
him." He then ordered the priests of Baal to erect an altar, offer
sacrifices, and call on their god for a miracle. The priests did so,
and according to their custom, they wounded themselves with knives and
lances till the blood gushed forth over their bodies. They cried from
morning till midday, "O Baal, hear us!" When they at length ceased
in confusion, Elijah erected an altar of twelve stones, performed
his sacrifice, and prayed in a low voice. Then a miracle followed so
suddenly that all present fell on their faces and cried, "Jehovah alone
is God!" A flash of lightning burnt the sacrifice and everything on the
altar, even the water in the trench was dried up. Elijah determined to
avenge himself on the priests of Baal, and commanded the multitude to
kill them and throw their bodies into the river Kishon, which flowed
hard by. Ahab, who was present, was so amazed and terror-stricken that
he permitted this act of violence.
Jezebel, however, who was made of sterner stuff, did not look with
equal unconcern on this scene. On receiving information of what had
occurred, she threatened Elijah with a similar fate, if he should
ever fall into her hands. He was, therefore, obliged to flee in order
to save himself. In the desert near Mount Horeb he had a vision, in
which it was revealed to him that the kingdom would pass away from
the house of Ahab, whose descendants would be utterly destroyed, and
that Jehu was to be anointed as king over Israel. Elijah himself was
instructed to return on his way to the wilderness of Damascus, appoint
a successor, and retire from the scene of action. The intemperate zeal
which had led him to direct the slaughter of the priests of Baal was
severely condemned on Horeb.
During Elijah's long absence there appears to have been a sort of truce
between the royal house of Omri and the followers of the Tishbite.
Ahab, who had been an eye-witness of the events at Carmel, had probably
become more indifferent towards the worship of Baal, and as far as
lay in his power had put a stop to the persecution of the prophets of
the Lord. The latter, on their part, also seem to have become less
aggressive. Associations of prophets were formed in Jericho, Bethel and
Gilgal, in which places they were permitted to dwell unmolested.
One prophet or disciple, however, remained inimical to Ahab--namely,
Michaiah, son of Imlah. As often as the king sought out Michaiah
to learn his prospects of success in some enterprise, the prophet
foretold evil. Ahab, however, did not attempt his life, but merely
imprisoned him. The ruler of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes had
misfortunes enough to serve him as forewarnings. The king of Aram,
Ben-hadad II., became daily more powerful, more presuming, and more
eager for conquest. Besides his own horsemen and chariots, he had in
his train thirty-two conquered vassal kings. With their assistance
he attacked Ahab--doubtless in the hope of profiting by the famine
and the discord which were weakening his kingdom. Ben-hadad subdued
entire districts of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, and besieged Samaria
(904). In his distress, Ahab sued for peace, but Ben-hadad imposed such
hard and disgraceful conditions that Ahab was forced to continue the
contest. Finally, Ahab was victorious, and the Aramæan king, forced to
surrender, was ready to promise anything in order to secure peace. The
former enemies became friends, made a treaty and ratified it by many
oaths, soon to be forgotten. This hastily-formed alliance was rightly
condemned by one of the prophets, who predicted that Ahab had thereby
created a fresh source of danger.
Ben-hadad, in fact, had no desire to fulfil the conditions and
promises of the treaty. He restored, it is true, the captured town of
Naphtali, but the Transjordanic cities, especially the important town
of Ramoth-Gilead, he refused to cede, and Ahab was too indifferent to
press the matter. The longer he delayed, the more difficult it became
for him to insist on his claim, as Ben-hadad meanwhile was recovering
his strength. Perhaps it would have been impossible for Ahab alone to
regain possession of Ramoth-Gilead by force of arms. Just at this time
he formed an alliance with King Jehoshaphat of Judah (918-905), and
together with this king, he ventured to proceed against Ben-hadad. This
alliance was a surprising one, seeing that Jehoshaphat detested the
idolatrous perversions of Ahab and Jezebel, and could not approve of
the forcible introduction of the Baal-worship into Samaria, nor of the
cruel persecution of the prophets. Nevertheless, he formed an intimate
connection with the house of Omri, and, guided by political reasons,
even permitted his son Jehoram to marry Athaliah, the idolatrous
daughter of Ahab.
When Jehoshaphat paid his visit to Samaria, in order to strengthen
himself by an alliance with its king, Ahab probably solicited his
royal guest to aid him in recovering Ramoth-Gilead; and the king of
Judah promised the help of his nation and soldiery. Thus, after a long
separation, the kings of Israel and Judah fought side by side. After
crossing the Jordan with Jehoshaphat, Ahab was mortally wounded by
an arrow as he stood in his war-chariot, but he possessed sufficient
presence of mind to order his charioteer to drive him out of the
turmoil of the battle. The soldiers were not informed of the king's
condition, and fought until evening. Not until after the king had bled
to death did the herald announce "Let each return to his own country
and to his own town." The Israelitish and Judæan armies then recrossed
the Jordan, and the Aramæans remained in possession of the mountain
city of Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab's corpse was brought to Samaria and
interred. But his blood, which had filled the chariot, was washed out
at a pool and licked up by dogs.
Ahaziah, his son, succeeded Ahab, this being the first occasion on
which the kingdom of the Ten Tribes descended in a direct line to a
grandson. He reigned only a short time (901-900) and but little is
known of his character. In spite of all warnings, he followed in the
evil ways of his parents. Falling from the window of his room, he
took to bed, and sent to Ekron to consult the oracle of the reputed
idol Baal-Zebub (Bel-Zebul). By this time Elijah had returned from
his sojourn on Mount Horeb, but in accordance with the commands laid
upon him, he had remained in seclusion, probably on Mount Carmel. He
no longer interfered with the course of events, but had chosen as his
successor Elisha, son of Shaphat, who lived near the Jordan. The manner
of choice was characteristic of Elijah. While Elisha was ploughing
a field with a yoke of oxen, Elijah approached, threw over him his
dusky mantle (the distinctive garb of the prophets), and went away. If
Elisha was indeed worthy to succeed him, he would understand the sign.
Elisha ran after him and begged him to wait until he had taken leave
of his parents. "Go! return!" said Elijah curtly. Elisha understood
that a faithful prophet of God must leave father and mother, and
sacrifice the wishes of his heart and the habits of his life. Without
returning to his father's house, he followed Elijah at once, and became
his attendant, or, in the language of the time, "poured water on his
hands." Only once again did Elijah take part in public affairs. He
accosted the messenger whom Ahaziah had sent to Baal-Zebub, and said
to him, "Say to the king who sent thee, Is there no God in Israel,
that thou sendest to Ekron in order to consult Baal-Zebub concerning
thine illness?" The messenger returned to Samaria and related what
he had heard of the extraordinary man. From the description Ahaziah
recognised Elijah, and dispatched messengers for him. After a long
delay, Elijah went fearlessly to Samaria, and announced to Ahaziah
that he would not again leave his sick bed. As the king died without
leaving any children, he was succeeded by his brother Jehoram (Joram,
899-887). Elijah also disappeared from the scene at about the same
time. His disciples and followers could not believe that the mortal
frame of so fiery a soul could crumble into dust, and the belief arose
that he had ascended to heaven in a storm-wind. His constant follower,
Elisha, seeing that his master desired to avoid him, followed him the
more closely. Elijah visited Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho, followed
by Elisha, who did not venture to ask him whither he was going. At
length they crossed the Jordan on dry ground, and then the teacher was
withdrawn from his disciple's vision in a fiery chariot with fiery
horses, which conveyed the prophet to heaven. The untiring activity
of Elijah in preserving the ancient law under the most unfavorable
circumstances, amidst ceaseless strife and persecution, surrounded by
the idolatry and wickedness of the Baal and Astarte worship, could only
be explained as the result of miracles. The greatest marvel, however,
which Elijah accomplished, consisted in founding a circle of disciples
who succeeded in keeping alive the teachings of the ancient law, and
who raised their voices against the perversions of the mighty ones of
the land. The members of the prophetic school founded by the prophet
lived by the work of their own hands. After Elijah's disappearance, the
disciples being without a leader, Elisha placed himself at their head.
In the beginning of his career he followed closely in the footsteps of
his master, keeping aloof from all men, and living chiefly on Mount
Carmel. Gradually, however, he accustomed himself to mix with the
people, especially after he had succeeded in rousing an energetic man
to destroy the house of Omri, and put an end to the worship of Baal.
Jehoram, the third of the Omris, was not as fanatical in his desire to
spread idolatry as his mother Jezebel, but nevertheless Elisha felt so
profound an aversion for him that he could not bear to meet him face to
face. After his brother's death, Jehoram undertook a war against King
Mesa (Mesha) in order to punish him for his secession, and to reduce
him to subjection. Together with his brother-in-law, Jehoshaphat, he
determined to proceed through Idumea, whose king was also to supply
auxiliary forces, and south of the Dead Sea, towards Moab. By taking
this route Jehoram passed Jerusalem, where the heads of the houses of
Israel and Jacob met in a friendly way. But it was merely an alliance
of the chiefs. By the advice of Jehoshaphat, Elisha, as the successor
of Elijah, was summoned to foretell the issue of the war. On seeing
Jehoram, the prophet said to him, "Were it not out of consideration
for King Jehoshaphat, I would not look at thee. Go thou to the
prophets of thy father and thy mother." He nevertheless prophesied
a favorable result. Mesa, king of Moab, who was awaiting the attack
of the allies on the southern border of his kingdom, was overcome by
force of numbers, and fled to the mountain fortress of Kir-Haraseth
(Kir-Moab, Kerek). The land of Moab was laid waste, although Mesa was
not subjugated. Not long after, on the death of Jehoshaphat, Edom also
fell away from Judah. Edom had not acted quite fairly in the combined
attack on Moab, and appears to have come to a friendly understanding
with Mesa after the withdrawal of the allies. It seemed as if the close
friendship and intermarriage with the house of Omri was destined to
bring nothing but misfortune on the house of David. Joram (Jehoram),
the son of Jehoshaphat, the namesake of his royal brother-in-law of
Israel (894-888), was so intimately connected with the royal house of
Israel that he introduced idolatrous practices into his own country.
There can be no question but that his wife Athaliah was the cause of
this, for she, like her mother Jezebel, was fanatically attached to the
disgraceful rites connected with the worship of Baal.
At length the fate impending over the house of Omri was to be
fulfilled, and the house of David was destined to be entangled in its
meshes, woven by Elisha. A change of dynasty had occurred in Damascus,
where Ben-hadad II., the same king who had warred with Ahab, had
been suffocated by his confidential servant Hazael, who seized the
throne. Hazael was desirous of regaining the conquered portions of
the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, which had been lost by Ben-hadad. He
first directed his attacks against the tribes on the other side of the
Jordan. Jehoram of Israel repaired with his army to Ramoth-Gilead, in
order to defend that important fortress. The contest for the citadel
seems to have been a severe one, and Jehoram was wounded by an arrow.
In consequence he went to Jezreel to have his wound attended to, and
left one of his captains, named Jehu, as commander of the defence. One
day a disciple of the prophets came to Jehu as a messenger from Elisha,
and after leading him from the council of warriors to a distant room,
where he appointed him the executor of divine justice on the house of
Omri, he disappeared as suddenly as he had come. When Jehu returned to
the council, they observed a change in his manner, and eagerly asked
him what the disciple of the prophets had announced to him. Jehu at
first did not wish to reply, but at last he disclosed to them that at
Elisha's instance he had been anointed king over the Ten Tribes. The
chiefs of the army did him homage. Improvising a throne by spreading
their purple garments on the highest steps of the palace, amid trumpet
blasts they shouted, "Long live King Jehu." Having been acknowledged
king by the army, Jehu proceeded without delay to carry out his design.
He blockaded all the roads leading from Ramoth-Gilead to Jezreel, so
that the news might not spread. He then led forth a part of the army,
crossed the Jordan, and rode in haste to Jezreel, where Jehoram still
lay ill from the effects of his wound. The king recognised Jehu from
afar, by his rapid driving, and as the messenger whom he had sent out
to meet him failed to return, he foreboded evil. Jehoram therefore
ordered his chariot that he might see what had brought Jehu to Jezreel
in such hot haste. Ahaziah, the king of Judah (who had shortly before
this succeeded to the throne of his father Joram, 888), accompanied his
uncle. They met Jehu in the field of Naboth, the victim of the judicial
murder which Jezebel had brought about. When Jehoram saw that Jehu had
come with hostile intentions, he turned to flee, but an arrow from
Jehu's hand struck him, and he sank down lifeless in his chariot. Jehu
ordered his follower Bidkar to cast the body into the field of Naboth,
reminding him how they had been witnesses of the prophetic threat
which Elijah had uttered against Ahab in that very field, and of the
execution of which he was now the instrument. Ahaziah fell on the same
day at the hands of Jehu's followers.
The destruction of the house of Ahab was imminent, and no one arose
in its defence. Jehu entered Jezreel unmolested; the queen-mother,
Jezebel, richly decked out, came to the palace window, and called, "How
goes it, thou regicide, thou Zimri?" Jehu commanded the eunuchs of
the palace to throw her into the street, and they obeyed. The body of
the queen who had done so much harm was trampled down by the horses,
and her blood spurted on the wall of the palace and over the horses.
Naboth was not yet, however, fully avenged by the death of the son and
the grandmother. There were still sons, grandsons, and relations of
Jehoram, about seventy in number, who lived in Samaria, where they were
trained and educated by the most respected men. To these men Jehu sent
a message that they should appoint one of the royal family as king.
They, however, knew that this charge was not to be taken seriously, and
preferred to submit to the man who had already killed two kings. Jehu
then ordered them to come with the "heads" to Jezreel, and thereupon
they came with the heads of Ahab's descendants. Jehu placed the heads
in two rows on the city gates, and the next morning he explained to
the inhabitants of the city that, while he had only conspired against
Jehoram, destiny had fulfilled the words of Elijah concerning the house
of Ahab. Jehu combined cunning with determination; he had all the
officers who had brought him his victims executed as murderers. There
being now no survivor of the royal house, Jehu took possession of the
throne, and the inhabitants of Jezreel paid him homage.
In order to gain the hearts of the nation, he made preparations to
exterminate the worship of Baal in Samaria. On his road thither he met
with Jonadab, who had adopted the Nazarite mode of life as introduced
by Elijah. Together with Jonadab, Jehu went to Samaria, where he
assembled the priests of Baal on a certain day. While pretending
to join in their rites, he placed armed men inside and outside the
temple of Baal, and went there accompanied by Jonadab. Hardly had
the sacrifice been offered, when all the priests fell as victims.
The soldiers killed all those inside the temple, and those who fled
were cut down by the men stationed outside. The soldiers then rushed
in, burnt the images, destroyed the altar, the columns, and also the
temple, and converted the whole into a dunghill. Throughout the country
Jehu destroyed the public monuments of the hideous idol-worship, for
he professed to be a follower of Elijah, and zealous in the cause of
Jehovah. In Jerusalem alone the worship of Baal continued, or rather
it was fanatically upheld there by Athaliah, who was in every way the
worthy daughter of her mother.