Page 61 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

(surmised)
none
Menahem did evil
son
Pekahiah did evil

captain
Pekah did evil

none
Hoshea did evil

Six and perhaps seven of the twenty kings were assassinated. One died by suicide. One was killed in
battle, and the last king was taken prisoner when Assyria took Israel captive. Half of them died of
natural causes. It is amazing that the Northern Kingdom was able to sustain itself for almost 200 years
through all the political unrest. For the most part, the people followed the examples of their rulers,
worshipping false gods in defiance against the Lord, God.

What were the results of Israel’s rejection of Jehovah? God promises blessings to those who obey Him
and judgment to those who reject His authority. Jeroboam reigned as king from 930 to 909 BC, and his
dynasty would continue only two more years under his son, Nadab, before being cut off by Baasha.
Baasha’s kingship only lasted through one son, Elah. Zimri, one of Elah’s military commanders
assassinated the king and assumed the throne, but for only seven days (I Kings 16:15-30). Israel fell into
civil war. Eventually, their unfaithfulness led to their violent destruction.

The fall of Samaria (722 BCE)

Samaria withstood the Assyrian siege for three years, but the city finally fell in 722, shortly before the
death of Shalmaneser. His son Sargon doubtless assisted in the siege and claimed credit for the capture
of the city. Sargon states that he carried away captive 27,290 Israelites, and the Bible indicates that they
were taken to northwestern Mesopotamia and to Media. In place of the deported Israelites, the
Assyrians introduced settlers from Babylonia and Syria, who brought their idols with them. In time these
pagan settlers were assimilated to the remaining Israelites and to Yahwism. So the later Samaritans
were a mixture of Israelite and foreign elements and were therefore despised by the Judeans as “mix
breeds” or “impure”.

Religious Worship in the Northern Kingdom

Israel no longer worshipped in Jerusalem. Jeroboam created two geographical areas for worship:
Bethel, just a few files north of Jerusalem, and way north in Dan. In doing so, Jeroboam made sure that
one of these worship centers was closer to the Israelites than was Jerusalem.

Jeroboam led the people of Israel away from worshipping Jehovah to worshipping images of cows. In a
sense, he repeated the action of Aaron by creating a golden calf, and he quoted the words of Aaron,
“Here are you gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt (Ex. 32:4, I Kings 12:28).

60