[1] Cf. Schoene's critical edition (Berlin, 1866, 1875).
JERKIN, a short close-fitting jacket, made usually of leather, and
without sleeves, the typical male upper garment of the 16th and 17th
centuries. The origin of the word is unknown. The Dutch word _jurk_, a
child's frock, often taken as the source, is modern, and represents
neither the sound nor the sense of the English word. In architecture the
term "jerkin-roofed" is applied, probably with some obscure connexion
with the garment, to a particular form of gable end, the gable being cut
off half way up the roof and sloping back like a "hipped roof" to the
edge.
JEROBOAM (Heb. _yarob'am_, apparently "Am ['the clan,' here perhaps a
divine name] contends"; LXX. [Greek: ieroboam]), the name of two kings
in the Bible.
1. The first king of (north) Israel after the disruption (see SOLOMON).
According to the traditions of his early life (1 Kings xi. 26 sqq. and
LXX.), he was an Ephraimite who for his ability was placed over the
forced levy of Ephraim and Manasseh. Having subsequently incurred
Solomon's suspicions he fled to Shishak, king of Egypt, and remained
with him until Rehoboam's accession. When the latter came to be made
king at Shechem, the old religious centre (see ABIMELECH), hopes were
entertained that a more lenient policy would be introduced. But
Rehoboam refused to depart from Solomon's despotic rule, and was
tactless enough to send Adoniram, the overseer of the _corvée_. He was
stoned to death, and Rehoboam realizing the temper of the people fled to
Jerusalem and prepared for war. Jeroboam became the recognized leader of
the northern tribes.[1] Conflicts occurred (1 Kings xiv. 30), but no
details are preserved except the late story of Rehoboam's son Abijah in
2 Chron. xiii. Jeroboam's chief achievement was the fortification of
Shechem (his new capital) and of Penuel in east Jordan. To counteract
the influence of Jerusalem he established golden calves at Dan and
Bethel, an act which to later ages was as gross a piece of wickedness as
his rebellion against the legitimate dynasty of Judah. No notice has
survived of Shishak's invasion of Israel (see REHOBOAM), and after a
reign of twenty-two years Jeroboam was succeeded by Nadab, whose violent
death two years later brought the whole house of Jeroboam to an end.
The history of the separation of Judah and Israel in the 10th century
B.C. was written from a strong religious standpoint at a date
considerably later than the event itself. The visit of Ahijah to
Shiloh (xi. 29-39), to announce symbolically the rending of the
kingdom, replaces some account of a rebellion in which Jeroboam
"lifted up his hand" (v. 27) against Solomon. To such an account, not
to the incident of Ahijah and the cloak, his flight (v. 40) is the
natural sequel. The story of Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam (ch.
xiv.) is not in the original LXX., but another version of the same
narrative appears at xii. 24 (LXX.), in which there is no reference to
a previous promise to Jeroboam through Ahijah, but the prophet is
introduced as a new character. Further, in this version (xii. 24) the
incident of the tearing of the cloak is related of Shemaiah and placed
at the convention of Shechem. Shemaiah is the prophet who counselled
Rehoboam to refrain from war (xii. 21-24); the injunction is opposed
to xiv. 30, but appears to be intended to explain Rehoboam's failure
to overcome north Israel. (See W. R. Smith, _Old Test. in Jewish
Church_ (2nd ed.), 117 sqq.; Winckler, _Alte Test. Untersuch._ 12
sqq., and J. Skinner, _Century Bible: Kings_, pp. 443 sqq.)
2. JEROBOAM, son of Joash (2) a contemporary of Azariah king of Judah.
He was one of the greatest of the kings of Israel. He succeeded in
breaking the power of Damascus, which had long been devastating his
land, and extended his kingdom from Hamath on the Orontes to the Dead
Sea. The brief summary of his achievements preserved in 2 Kings xiv. 23
sqq. may be supplemented by the original writings of Amos and Hosea.[2]
There appears to be an allusion in Amos vi. 13 to the recovery of
Ashteroth-Karnaim and Lodebar in E. Jordan, and the conquest of Moab
(Isa. xv. seq.) is often ascribed to this reign. After a period of
prosperity, internal disturbances broke out and the northern kingdom
hastened to its fall. Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Zechariah, who
after six months was killed at Ibleam (so read in 2 Kings xv. 10; cp.
ix. 27, murder of Ahaziah) by Shallum the son of Jabesh--i.e. possibly
of Jabesh-Gilead--who a month later fell to Menahem (q.v.).
(S. A. C.)
See, further, JEWS §§ 7, 9 and §§ 12, 13.