Page 55 - Biblical Backgrounds

To finance his building projects and expansion of the
kingdom, Solomon placed heavy taxes upon all the
people of Israel (I Kings 12:4). Basically, his forty-year
reign was a prelude to disaster as the people of Israel
chafed under their heavy burden of taxation.
Upon Solomon’s death, his son, Rehoboam,
succeeded the throne. The discontent and unrest of
the people under the yoke of huge taxes asked
Rehoboam for a reprieve. But Rehoboam was foolish
and informed the people that during his reign, their
burdens would increase. As a result, the 10 northern
tribes revolted against Rehoboam and appointed
Jeroboam as their king.

After this break (c. 922), the two kingdoms continued a
separate but interrelated existence for 200 years till
the fall of Samaria in 722 BCE. The northern kingdom,
including the territories of Ephraim, western
Manasseh, Asher, Zebulon, Issachar, Dan, and Naphtali
West of the Jordan, and of eastern Manasseh, Gad,
and Reuben East of the Jordan, was larger than the
southern kingdom, which included only Judah, Simeon,
and Benjamin. The northern kingdom was also richer
both agriculturally, because of its plains, and
commercially, because of the international trade
routes running through it. The southern kingdom was
more mountainous and more isolated. For the above
reasons, the northern kingdom was more open to foreign cultural and religious influences as well as to
foreign conquest. The southern kingdom was more provincial, more faithful in maintaining the religion
of Yahweh, and it continued an independent existence for about 150 years after the fall of the northern
kingdom.

During his reign, Rehoboam fought border wars against Jeroboam, probably over the territory of
Benjamin, which was a buffer zone between the two kingdoms (I Kings 14:30). His son, Abijah,
continued the border wars against Jeroboam (I Kings 15:7).

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