III. =The Kingdom of Is'ra-el.= From the division the name _Is'ra-el_
was applied to the northern kingdom and _Ju'dah_ to the southern. We
notice the general aspects of Is'ra-el during its history, from B. C.
934 to 721.
1. =Its extent.= It embraced all the territory of the twelve tribes
except Ju'dah and a part of Ben'ja-min (1 Kings 12. 19-21), held a
nominal supremacy over Mo'ab east of the Dead Sea, and embraced about
9,375 square miles, while Ju'dah included only 3,435. Is'ra-el was about
equal in area to Massachusetts and Rhode Island together.
2. =Its capital= was first at _She'chem_, in the center of the land (1
Kings 12. 25); then, during several reigns, at _Tir'zah_ (1 Kings 15.
33; 16. 23); then at _Sa-ma'ri-a_ (1 Kings 16. 24), where it remained
until the end of the kingdom. That city after a time gave its name to
the kingdom (1 Kings 21. 1), and after the fall of the kingdom to the
province in the center of Pal'es-tine (John 4. 3, 4).
3. =Its religion.= 1.) Very soon after the institution of the new
kingdom Jer-o-bo'am established a national religion, the _worship of the
calves_ (1 Kings 12. 26-33). This was not a new form of worship, but had
been maintained in Is'ra-el ever since the exodus (Exod. 32. 1-4). In
character it was a modified idolatry, halfway between the pure religion
and the abominations of the heathen. 2.) A'hab and his house introduced
the Phoe-ni'cian _worship of Ba'al_, an idolatry of the most abominable
and immoral sort (1 Kings 16. 30-33), but it never gained control in
Is'ra-el, and was doubtless one cause of the revolution which placed
another family on the throne. 3.) Through the history of Is'ra-el there
remained a remnant of _worshipers of Je-ho'vah_, who were watched over
by a noble array of prophets, and though often persecuted remained
faithful (1 Kings 19. 14, 18).
4. =Its rulers.= During two hundred and fifty years Is'ra-el was
governed by nineteen kings, with intervals of anarchy. Five houses in
turn held sway, each established by a usurper, generally a soldier, and
each dynasty ending in a murder.
1.) _The House of Jer-o-bo'am_, with two kings, followed by a general
massacre of Jer-o-bo'am's family (1 Kings 15. 29, 30).
2.) _The House of Ba'a-sha_, two kings, followed by a civil war (1 Kings
16. 16-22).
3.) _The House of Om'ri_, four kings, of whom Om'ri and A'hab were the
most powerful. This was the age of the prophet E-li'jah and the great
struggle between the worship of Je-ho'vah and of Ba'al (1 Kings 18.
4-21).
4.) _The House of Je'hu_, five kings, under whom were great changes of
fortune. The reign of Je-ho'a-haz saw Is'ra-el reduced to a mere
province of Syr'i-a (2 Kings 13. 1-9). His son Jo'ash threw off the
Syr'i-an yoke, and _his_ son, Jer-o-bo'am II, raised Is'ra-el almost to
its condition of empire in the days of Sol'o-mon (2 Kings 14. 23-29).
His reign is called "the Indian summer of Is'ra-el."
5.) _The House of Men'a-hem_, two reigns. Is'ra-el had by this time
fallen under the power of As-syr'i-a, now dominant over the East, and
its history is the story of kings rising and falling in rapid
succession, with long intervals of anarchy. From the fall of this
dynasty there was only the semblance of a state until the final
destruction of Sa-ma'ri-a, B. C. 721.
5. =Its foreign relations.= During the period of the Is'ra-el-ite
kingdom we see lands struggling for the dominion of the East. The
history of Is'ra-el is interwoven with that of Syr'i-a and As-syr'i-a,
which may now be read from the monuments.
1.) There was a _Period of Division_. During the reign of the houses of
Jer-o-bo'am and Ba'a-sha there were constant wars between Is'ra-el,
Syr'i-a, and Ju'dah; and as a result all were kept weak, and "a balance
of power" was maintained.
2.) Then followed a _Period of Alliance_--that is, between Is'ra-el and
Ju'dah, during the sway of the House of Om'ri. The two lands were in
friendly relations, and the two thrones were connected by marriages. As
a result both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah were strong, Mo'ab and E'dom were kept
under control, and Syr'i-a was held in check.
3.) Next came the _Period of Syr'i-an Ascendency_. During the first two
reigns of the House of Je'hu, Syr'i-a rose to great power under
Haz'a-el, and overran both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah. At one time Is'ra-el was
in danger of utter destruction, but was preserved. Near the close of
these periods the dying prophecy of E-li'sha was uttered (2 Kings 13.
14-25).
4.) _The Period of Is'ra-el-ite Ascendency._ Is'ra-el under Jer-o-bo'am
II took its turn of power, and for a brief period was again dominant to
the Eu-phra'tes, as in the days of Sol'o-mon.
5.) _The Period of As-syr'i-an Ascendency._ But its glory soon faded
away before that of As-syr'i-a, which was now rapidly becoming the
empire of the East. Its rise meant the fall of Is'ra-el; and under the
unfortunate Ho-she'a, Sa-ma'ri-a was taken, what was left of the ten
tribes were carried captive, and the kingdom of Is'ra-el was
extinguished (2 Kings 17. 1-6).
IV. =The Fate of the Ten Tribes.= There has been much idle discussion
over this subject and some absurd claims set up; for example, that the
Anglo-Saxon race are descended from the ten lost tribes--a statement
opposed to all history, to ethnology, and to every evidence of language.
1. After their deposition nearly all the Is'ra-el-ites, having lost
their national religion and having no bond of union, =mingled with the
Gen'tiles= around them and lost their identity, just as hundreds of
other races have done. The only bond which will keep a nation long alive
is that of religion.
2. Some remained in Pal'es-tine, others returned thither and formed the
=nucleus of the Sa-mar'i-tan people=, a race of mingled origin (2 Kings
17. 24-29).
3. Some of those who remained in the East retained their religion, or
were revived in it, and later became a part of the =Jews of the
dispersion=; though "the dispersion" was mainly Jew'ish, and not
Is'ra-el-ite.
4. A few =families united with the Jews=, returned with them to
Pal'es-tine after the exile, yet retained their tribal relationship; for
example, An'na (Luke 2. 36).