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follow: and thus were the latter days of this illustrious monarch, who reigned through a space of forty years, embittered by the prospect of calamities impending over his posterity, and by the sorrowful conviction derived from his own experience, "that all is vanity and vexation of spirit," to those who "forsake the law of the Lord, and keep not the covenant of their God."

The extreme folly of Rehoboam's conduct, upon his ascending the throne, induced ten of the tribes to revolt immediately, and they chose Jeroboam for their king. Two tribes only, namely, those of Judah and Benjamin, remained faithful to Rehoboam. Thus two kingdoms were formed; that under Jeroboam and his successors was called the kingdom of Israel; and that under Rehoboam and his successors was called the kingdom of Judah. The capital of the latter was Jerusalem, which had been the seat of government since the eighth year of David's reign. The capital of the former was at first Shechem, then Tirzah, and afterwards Samaria, the principal city of the tribe of Ephraim, whence this kingdom is also sometimes called the kingdom of Samaria, and sometimes the kingdom of Ephraim.

Jeroboam, fearing that the ten tribes, by going regularly to offer sacrifice at the temple of Jerusalem,

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Jerusalem, might return to their allegiance to the house of David, set up, in opposition to the warning he had received from the prophet Ahijah, two golden calves, and erected altars at Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his kingdom, and ordered that sacrifices should be offered at those places instead of Jerusalem; and because the priests and Levites, leaving their respective cities situated within his dominions, had gone to reside at Jerusalem, he made priests from the lowest of the people. Many persons also, from every one of the ten tribes, who were desirous of worshipping God at Jerusalem, left Jeroboam, and settling in the kingdom of Judah, added considerably to its strength. Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Nadab. After Nadab had reigned two years, he was killed by Baasha, who usurped the kingdom, and destroyed the whole race of Jeroboam, according to Ahijah's prophecy (g). Rut the kings of Judah were all descendants of Rehoboam, and consequently of David, as God had promised him: "When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom (h)."

(g) 1 Kings, c. 15. v. 27. C. 14. v. 10.
(h) 2 Sam. c. 7. v. 12.

There

There were frequent wars between the kings of Judah and Israel, and between them and the neighbouring kings. The kings and people, both of Judah and Israel, soon fell into the grossest depravity. But though their idolatry and other wickedness called down the heavy displeasure of God in continual punishments, yet did he raise up among them, in both kingdoms, a succession of prophets, who endeavoured to recal them to obedience, by reminding them of the many and distinguished instances of divine favour which they had experienced, and by denouncing the fatal consequences which would inevitably follow a perseverance in sin. All these admonitions and threatenings, although enforced by the performance of miracles, and accomplishment of predictions, were ineffectual. Signal deliverances awakened not gratitude, nor did remarkable punishments produce contrition. And, at length, 740. God suffered Tiglath-Pileser, or Arbaces, king

of Assyria, to carry away captive many of the subjects of the kingdom of Israel, who inhabited the eastern side of the river Jordan, and part of Galilee; and nineteen years after, upon 721. repeated provocations, it pleased God to permit Salmaneser, the son and successor of TiglathPileser, by the capture of Samaria, in the reign of Hoshea, to put an end to the kingdom of Israel,

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Israel, about 250 years after its first establishment as a separate kingdom: "So the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by his servants the prophets; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only (i)." Most of the people were carried away captive into Media and almost all who were then left were carried away, about 44 years after, by Esarhad- 677. don, the grandson of Salmaneser, and king of Assyria: but it appears that a remnant still remained in the land (k)." Esarhaddon sent colonies from several of his provinces, but chiefly from Cuthan, to inhabit Samaria; and these new inhabitants took the name of Samaritans, though they were frequently called Cuthæans. Soon after their settlement in Samaria they were taught the worship of the true God; but retaining also the worship of their false deities, their religion was for some years a mixture of Judaism and Heathenism. In process of time, however, having many of the Israelites incorporated among them, and having built a temple (1) upon Mount Gerizim, like to that at Jerusalein, they appear

སྐ

(i) 2 Kings, c. 17. v. 18.

(k) 2 Chron. c. 30. v. 6. c. 34. v. 9.

to

(1) Dean Prideaux is of opinion, that this temple was built in the time of Darius Nothus, about the year 409 before Christ.

to have abandoned all idolatry, and to have worshipped only the God of Israel (m).

Among all the kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to Hoshea, there was not one entirely free from the sin of idolatry. It is said of all, that "they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and made Israel to sin," though on many occasions they sought the Lord in their distress, and he was pleased to deliver them from the hands of their enemies; and in particular, he distinguished Jehu, who executed his judgments upon the house of Ahab, and upon the priests of Baal, with peculiar marks of favour: "Because thou hast done this, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel (n)." But it was not so with the house of David, who sat upon the throne of Judah. Many of the kings of Judah were remarkable for their piety, and zeal for the honour of God, and obedience to his law; but the nation in general gave themselves up to iniquity, with but few and transient exceptions, although the everlasting goodness of God never failed to manifest his acceptance of their repentance, and readiness to hear their

cry,

(m) Josephus says, that the Samaritans called the Jews brethren while in prosperity, and denied the connection when in adversity. This implies, that many Israelites were mixed with the Cuthæans.

(n) 2 Kings, c, 10. v. 30.

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