Nadene Goldfoot
Once over 3,000 years ago, there was a United States of Israel, made up of the clan of Jacob, his 12 sons and some others making 12 states. This clan had been held captive in Egypt for 400 years, freed by Moses, and settled in their original land, led back there by G-d over a 40 year period.
It was made up of about 9 states of the North and 3 of the south, and was a long elongated empire in shape. The width of this United States or Empire was never more than about 2 states, in one place 3 states wide.
At the last census taken by Moses before entering their Promised Land, about 1271 BCE
the Northern tribes numbered:
1. Asher: 53,000
2. Naphtali: 45,400
3. Zebulun: 60,500
4. Isssachar: 64,300
5. Manasseh: 32,200
6. Dan: 64,400
7. Ephriam 32,500
8. Gad 40,500
9. Benjamin 45,600, ( about 20,000 in North) , allotted a small state spilling over into Judah)
10. Reuben 43,730
______________________
Total about 456,530 original
The division of land was decided by Moses and then Joshua, who took over when Moses died.
The Southern tribes were
1. Most of Benjamin of 45,600
2. Judah 76,000, the largest of all the tribes; who had started the 40 year trek with 74,600.
3. Simeon 22,200 who had started the trek of 40 years with 59,300. They had lost the most of their population.
______________________________
Total about 123,800 left in the South
By ceding from their union, the North lost about 1/4 of their population and Jerusalem, the center of their religion.
By the year 920 BCE, 351 years after entering the Promised Land, King Solomon of Israel had died. His son had established the city of Jerusalem as their capital and center of their religion of believing in ONE G-d. It was Solomon who was able to build the Temple, during his reign from 961 to 920 BCE-- the central focus for Divine worship that lasted until 70 CE when the Romans burned down the city and this Temple, now the 2nd time built up from destruction by enemies.
When Solomon died, the northern kingdom felt relieved. Solomon had taxed all 12 states more than they could tolerate, using the money to build the Temple. Men also had to spend time in forced labor as well in the building of the Temple. The question now was in the hands of Solomon's and Naamah, his Ammonite wife, son, Rehoboam (933-917 BCE). Would he continue the taxation? He refused to accede to a popular demand for relief from taxation, and so the kingdom split in two shortly after his accession. Only the South, the tribes of Judah, Simeon and most of Benjamin remained loyal to this son of Solomon.
Now was the time Israel was most vunerable to attack as Israel was at their weakest when they had just divided, and Shishak of Egypt did. He invaded the country and plundered the Temple in 928 BCE.
The southern tribes were in a different position from the northern tribes. The north was more interested in worldly affairs involving trading and less in religion. They were a much richer group of states and had access to ports for trade. Judah was but 1/3 of the area of the northern kingdom, the poor states though Judah was the largest. Judah was unimportant compared to the northern tribes. Judah, because of these reasons, had not become involved in international rivals of trade, and the land was more peaceful. It was the one who preserved the Mosaic monotheism in a pure form. The House of David continued handing down the monarchy from father to son except for the usurpation of Athaliah from 843 to 837 BCE.
The split caused the northern tribes to lose the heir to the throne who went with the southern tribes, so they chose Jeroboam (933-912 BCE as their king. He was an Ephraimite, a very important tribe among the 12. He had acted as a superintendent of forced labor during the reign of Solomon but later led the revolt against the burden of high taxes imposed on the people by King Solomon. His revolutionary movement at first failed so that he had to take refuge in Egypt. After Solomon's death, he led a delegation of the northern tribes to the city of Shechem to meet with Rehoboam and demanded changed in the system of taxation and forced labor. The request was refused and this is when they declared their independence and anointed Jeroboam as their king. He used Shechem as his capital. Later they moved it to Penuel in Transjordan and finally to Tirzah.
It only took the Egyptians 5 years to attack Israel after his accession and 60 towns of the North were ravaged by this Egyptian invasion.
Another problem Jeroboam had was in competing with Jerusalem, the center of their unified religion. He decided to combat the competition by setting up new shrines at Bethel and Dan with a similar cult but centering around the symbols of golden calves. How he had the chutzpa to do this is unknown, but could have been his wives' influence if they were foreign wives, the usual problem men in authority had. The Bible and talmudic sources are violently hostile to Jeroboam who had "sinned and caused Israel to sin." by this very act. It's evident that he was not schooled in their religion as well as Rehoboam had been, who took the Temple and their religion very seriously.
Jeroboam's son took over as king from 784 to 744 BCE. Jeroboam II 's rule caused the northern kingdom to reach the best of their economic, military and political prosperity. He even exploited Aram's weakness after the defeat by Assyria by recapturing all lands detached from Israel and they annexed Aramean towns. Inside the government though, his rule was marked with corruption and the pursuit of pleasure and profit, things denounced by the prophets Hosea and Amos.
The Assyrians attacked Israel in 722-721 BCE-, 206 years after this Egyptian attack and plundering, only this time they took away the best of the population and they became lost to the Southern Tribes, who did not know what their fate had been. The Israelite Empire had broken apart and were a temptation to attacks, weakened. The people were carried away and as we discover now, a big majority of them were taken to what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan where many carried on their customs of their ancient religion of Israel from that time to now, 2,739 years. These remain to be viewed, identifying them along with their oral histories of their past. All had not been lost of their beliefs with their king
It was to prove to be their biggest error. The Assyrians were stopped before the walls of Jerusalem in 701 BCE.
125 later, from 597-586 BCE the Southern tribes would suffer the same fate. The Babylonians, a people who had inherited the Assyrian Empire, pulled the same attack on Judah, Benjamin and Simeon. It's possible that left alone for this long, the 3 tribes had intermarried with each other due to proximity of each other. They would certainly be doing this when living as a captured society in Persia, another huge Empire (today's Iran). Therefore, the descendants of the exiles in Babylonia continued to cherish their national and religious ideals so steadfastly as to make possible the renewal of Jewish life after 539 BCE in the land of the former kingdom of Judah. Its intellectual and spiritual life of Judah was extraordinarily rich. Most of the prophets had carried on their activity and great parts of the Bible were composed and the essential traditions of Judaism were developed and preserved right here.
Today, as hoped for and prophesied about, Judah has discovered their lost cousins and a connection is being re-established. with Pashtuns of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India as well as other groups who have come forward with this histories. These are truly special days.
Reference: The new Standard Jewish Encycllopedia
Tanakh, Stone Edition (Bible)
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2014/12/facts-about-judea-and-samaria-that-you.html
 |
| Egyptian soldiers chasing after the freed slaves in 1351 BCE in a change of mind of the Pharaoh. |
It was made up of about 9 states of the North and 3 of the south, and was a long elongated empire in shape. The width of this United States or Empire was never more than about 2 states, in one place 3 states wide.
At the last census taken by Moses before entering their Promised Land, about 1271 BCE
the Northern tribes numbered:
1. Asher: 53,000
2. Naphtali: 45,400
3. Zebulun: 60,500
4. Isssachar: 64,300
5. Manasseh: 32,200
6. Dan: 64,400
7. Ephriam 32,500
8. Gad 40,500
9. Benjamin 45,600, ( about 20,000 in North) , allotted a small state spilling over into Judah)
10. Reuben 43,730
______________________
Total about 456,530 original
The division of land was decided by Moses and then Joshua, who took over when Moses died.
The Southern tribes were
1. Most of Benjamin of 45,600
2. Judah 76,000, the largest of all the tribes; who had started the 40 year trek with 74,600.
3. Simeon 22,200 who had started the trek of 40 years with 59,300. They had lost the most of their population.
______________________________
Total about 123,800 left in the South
By ceding from their union, the North lost about 1/4 of their population and Jerusalem, the center of their religion.
When Solomon died, the northern kingdom felt relieved. Solomon had taxed all 12 states more than they could tolerate, using the money to build the Temple. Men also had to spend time in forced labor as well in the building of the Temple. The question now was in the hands of Solomon's and Naamah, his Ammonite wife, son, Rehoboam (933-917 BCE). Would he continue the taxation? He refused to accede to a popular demand for relief from taxation, and so the kingdom split in two shortly after his accession. Only the South, the tribes of Judah, Simeon and most of Benjamin remained loyal to this son of Solomon.
The southern tribes were in a different position from the northern tribes. The north was more interested in worldly affairs involving trading and less in religion. They were a much richer group of states and had access to ports for trade. Judah was but 1/3 of the area of the northern kingdom, the poor states though Judah was the largest. Judah was unimportant compared to the northern tribes. Judah, because of these reasons, had not become involved in international rivals of trade, and the land was more peaceful. It was the one who preserved the Mosaic monotheism in a pure form. The House of David continued handing down the monarchy from father to son except for the usurpation of Athaliah from 843 to 837 BCE.
The split caused the northern tribes to lose the heir to the throne who went with the southern tribes, so they chose Jeroboam (933-912 BCE as their king. He was an Ephraimite, a very important tribe among the 12. He had acted as a superintendent of forced labor during the reign of Solomon but later led the revolt against the burden of high taxes imposed on the people by King Solomon. His revolutionary movement at first failed so that he had to take refuge in Egypt. After Solomon's death, he led a delegation of the northern tribes to the city of Shechem to meet with Rehoboam and demanded changed in the system of taxation and forced labor. The request was refused and this is when they declared their independence and anointed Jeroboam as their king. He used Shechem as his capital. Later they moved it to Penuel in Transjordan and finally to Tirzah.
It only took the Egyptians 5 years to attack Israel after his accession and 60 towns of the North were ravaged by this Egyptian invasion.
Another problem Jeroboam had was in competing with Jerusalem, the center of their unified religion. He decided to combat the competition by setting up new shrines at Bethel and Dan with a similar cult but centering around the symbols of golden calves. How he had the chutzpa to do this is unknown, but could have been his wives' influence if they were foreign wives, the usual problem men in authority had. The Bible and talmudic sources are violently hostile to Jeroboam who had "sinned and caused Israel to sin." by this very act. It's evident that he was not schooled in their religion as well as Rehoboam had been, who took the Temple and their religion very seriously.
Jeroboam's son took over as king from 784 to 744 BCE. Jeroboam II 's rule caused the northern kingdom to reach the best of their economic, military and political prosperity. He even exploited Aram's weakness after the defeat by Assyria by recapturing all lands detached from Israel and they annexed Aramean towns. Inside the government though, his rule was marked with corruption and the pursuit of pleasure and profit, things denounced by the prophets Hosea and Amos.
The Assyrians attacked Israel in 722-721 BCE-, 206 years after this Egyptian attack and plundering, only this time they took away the best of the population and they became lost to the Southern Tribes, who did not know what their fate had been. The Israelite Empire had broken apart and were a temptation to attacks, weakened. The people were carried away and as we discover now, a big majority of them were taken to what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan where many carried on their customs of their ancient religion of Israel from that time to now, 2,739 years. These remain to be viewed, identifying them along with their oral histories of their past. All had not been lost of their beliefs with their king
It was to prove to be their biggest error. The Assyrians were stopped before the walls of Jerusalem in 701 BCE.
 |
| Nebuchadnezzar, Babylonian king ( 605- 562 BCE) He conquered all the lands from the Euphrates to the Egyptian frontier including Judah. In 597 BCE he captured Jerusalem and replaced the Judean king Jehoiachin with Zedekiah and exiled 8,000 of the local aristocracy to Babylon. 8 years later Zedekiah rebelled. The enemy invaded Judah again, took Jerusalem in 586 BCE and destroyed the Temple, laying waste the cities and exiling the masses of the population. The king was taken to Riblah and killed there. |
125 later, from 597-586 BCE the Southern tribes would suffer the same fate. The Babylonians, a people who had inherited the Assyrian Empire, pulled the same attack on Judah, Benjamin and Simeon. It's possible that left alone for this long, the 3 tribes had intermarried with each other due to proximity of each other. They would certainly be doing this when living as a captured society in Persia, another huge Empire (today's Iran). Therefore, the descendants of the exiles in Babylonia continued to cherish their national and religious ideals so steadfastly as to make possible the renewal of Jewish life after 539 BCE in the land of the former kingdom of Judah. Its intellectual and spiritual life of Judah was extraordinarily rich. Most of the prophets had carried on their activity and great parts of the Bible were composed and the essential traditions of Judaism were developed and preserved right here.
Today, as hoped for and prophesied about, Judah has discovered their lost cousins and a connection is being re-established. with Pashtuns of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India as well as other groups who have come forward with this histories. These are truly special days.
Reference: The new Standard Jewish Encycllopedia
Tanakh, Stone Edition (Bible)
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2014/12/facts-about-judea-and-samaria-that-you.html
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