Page 77 - Advanced OT Survey Student Textbook

When Menelik turned 22, he returned to Jerusalem to meet his father. King Solomon is delighted with
his firstborn son and tries in vain to convince Menelik to remain in Israel and succeed him as king.
However, Menelik chooses to return to the land of Sheba.

It appears that Menelik was faithful to the God of Solomon, but Solomon, after taking so many wives,
was creating alters in honor to the gods of his wives. He was wandering away from his love for Yahweh.
Fear that God would be replaced with idols, Menelik, along with the elders of Israel, plot to take the Ark
of the Covenant to Sheba. A duplicate is made and switched, and Menelik takes the Ark with him back
to Ethiopia. It supposedly remains in the Chapel of the Tablet next to the Church of Maryam Tsion in
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Aksum, Ethiopia.

An interesting book to read is The New Temple and the Second Coming by Grant R. Jeffrey. In this book,
Mr. Jeffrey makes an interesting and compelling argument that the Ark was moved to Israel in the
rd
1990’s from Aksum and now resides near Jerusalem. It will be moved into the 3 temple when it is built
in Jerusalem. He sites eyewitnesses and testimonies of those involved in relocating it to Israel.

Below are charts showing the different Kings, prophets/prophetesses, and comparisons to activities in
the book of 1-2 Kings.

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Figure 1.1.7
DIVIDED KINGDOM “SCORECARD” (1-2 Kings)

ISRAEL JUDAH
9 Kings 19 Kings, 1 Queen
9 Ruling dynasties (families 2 Ruling Dynasties (families)
7 Assassinations 5 assassinations
1 suicide 2 Striken by God
1 Striken by God 3 exiled to foreign lands
All judged “evil” by the Kings Historian 8 judged “good” by the kings historian

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Figure 1.1.8

Baal (of the Canaanites) vs. Elijah and Elisha (of Yahweh)

Baal, as storm-god, controls rains Elijah commands drought (1 Kings 17:1)
Baal ensures agricultural fertility and bountiful Israel experiences famine and drought, yet Elijah
harvest and Elisha provide grain and oil miraculously (2
Kings 4:1-7, 42-44)
Baal controls lightning and fire Elijah commands fire from heaven in the name of
Yahweh (1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10-12; 2:11)
Baal controls life and death Elijah and Elisha raise the dead in the name of
Yahweh (1 Kings 17:7-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37; 5:1-20)

61 https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/who-is-the-queen-of-
sheba-in-the-bible/
62 Ibid, P. 290. Figure 1.1.7 summarizes the Divided the kingdom, e.g. number kings\queens, ruling dynasties,
assassinations, suicides, etc.
63 Ibid, P. 292. Figure 1.1.8 is a short summary of battles between Baal and Elijah and Elisha.
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