Our Jewish Heritage
Dr. Lenore C. Kipper, Judaic Studies Director Emerita
After Torah: Time for Tanach, The Books of the Bible
Under King David and King Solomon, the Israelite kingdom was a major force in the region. This was no longer the case after the breakup of the kingdom. The ten tribes of the north became Israel, and the two tribes of the south became Judah. In the meantime, the Aramean kingdom of Assyria became the superpower. The divided kingdoms maintained a relationship, but many factors eventually led to their eventual downfall. The second book of Kings describes the causes.
King Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah
The capital of the northern kingdom was established at Shechem, and then moved to Samaria by King Omri. (This area is in the territory called the West Bank today) His son, Ahab, became the next king. According to the text, Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Phoenicia to the north. She tried to make her religion of Baal worship the religion of the royal court and the people. Elijah, the prophet, fought against this. He warned Ahab that a drought would occur as punishment for allowing pagan gods to be worshiped in Israel. After challenging the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and being victorious, he had to escape to the south to avoid Jezebel’s wrath (read the story in Kings). Elijah is described as a lonely figure who roamed the countryside, appearing and vanishing unexpectedly. His main task was to defend God against the influence of the pagan gods. He became the champion of justice in the social and economic life of Israel. The stories about Elijah are full of wonders and miraculous acts. This is the same prophet who is included at the Passover seder and at the end of the Havdalah ceremony.
Naboth’s Vineyard
This is one of the stories we read in the text. A man called Naboth owned some vineyards adjoining the gardens of King Ahab’s palace in Samaria. Ahab wanted to buy the vineyards for himself, but Naboth refused to sell them because they had belonged to his family for generations. This upset Ahab, and he was in a very bad mood. When Jezebel learned of Naboth’s refusal, she promised to take care of it. She wrote letters in the name of Ahab, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders. She had two witnesses declare that Naboth had cursed God and the king. Naboth was taken out of the city and stoned to death. (Kings 21: 8-10) Then Ahab took possession of the vineyards. Elijah confronted Ahab and Jezebel, condemning them for this injustice. “Thus says Adonai: Have you killed and also taken possession…?”
Legends about Elijah
Elijah remains one of the most intriguing of the prophets. We read about his departure from earth in a chariot of fire by a whirlwind into the heavens. His name appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls as the one who would precede the coming of the messiah. In Jewish tradition, he is seen as the hope for bringing a time of peace. When you visit Israel, there is a cave of Elijah on Mt. Carmel, in the Haifa area. He is remembered as a symbol of freedom and justice who will return during the messianic age. The time period is 869-849 BCE.
The End of the Northern Kingdom
The rise of Assyria led to the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel. The author of the Book of Kings condemned all of the many rulers of the northern kingdom. One of the main reasons was that they allowed places of worship apart from Jerusalem. But the basic historical reason for the destruction was that the kings revolted against the Assyrian rulers. The religious interpretation of the destruction was that the kings did not keep the terms of the Covenant. The kingdom ended in 722 BCE. Assyria dispersed the people to other parts of its kingdom. They became known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Modern scholarship holds that they were settled in Mesopotamia and assimilated into the native populations. If any of them retained their identity, they probably escaped to the southern kingdom ofJudah. Every time a group of Jews is found in some remote areas of the Near East or even further, like India, there is speculation that they are remnants of the lost tribes.
The details of the political situation of this period are very complicated. The bottom line is that the northern kingdom was destroyed, the people dispersed, and the kings were blamed for the fall.
“Now all this came about because the Israelites had sinned against the Adonai…they had done what was evil in the sight of Adonai. . .they refused to observe the laws of the covenant. . .they went after false gods. . .they worshiped the stars and honored Baal. They practiced magic and consulted with witches. . .thus Adonai was very angry with Israel and removed them. . .Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria. . .only the kingdom of Judah was left.” (Kings 11:17)
So, what happened to the Kingdom of Judah? To be continued next time!
Shalom, Chag Chanukah Sameach
Lenore