Jeroboam I (;

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

: ''Yārŏḇʿām''; ), frequently cited Jeroboam son of Nebat, was, according to the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Kingdom of Israel following a

revolt Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

of the ten tribes against

Rehoboam Rehoboam (; , , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the Kingdom of Judah after the split of the united Kingdom of Israel. He was a son of and the successor to Solomon and a grandson of David. In the account of I Ki ...

that put an end to the

United Monarchy The Kingdom of Israel (Hebrew: מַמְלֶכֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, ''Mamleḵeṯ Yīśrāʾēl'') was an Israelite kingdom that may have existed in the Southern Levant. According to the Deuteronomistic history in the Hebrew Bible ...

. According to the book of 1 Kings, he reigned for 22 years and "there was war continually between Rehoboam and Jeroboam". Jeroboam also fought Abijam son of Rehoboam king of Judah. Jeroboam is often described as "doing evil in the sight of the Lord"

William F. Albright William Foxwell Albright (May 24, 1891 – September 19, 1971) was an American archaeologist, biblical scholar, philologist, and expert on ceramics. He is considered "one of the twentieth century's most influential American biblical scholars ...

has dated his reign from 922 to 901 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele offers the dates 931 to 910 BC. There has been much academic discussion in recent years on whether Jeroboam I existed and whether he may be a retrojection of Jeroboam II, though there is not a consensus on the topic.

Etymology

The name ''Yārŏḇ‘ām'' is commonly held to have been derived from ''rīḇ'' and ''ʿam'' , signifying "the people contend" or "he pleads the people's cause". It is alternatively translated to mean "his people are many" or "he increases the people" (from ''rbb'', meaning "to increase"), or even "he that opposes the people". In the

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

he is called ''Hieroboam'' (Ἱεροβοάμ). Source of transliterations and explanation of significance.

Biblical background

Jeroboam was the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zereda. His mother, named Zeruah (צרוע "leprous") was a widow. He had at least two sons, Abijah and Nadab; Nadab succeeded Jeroboam on the throne. King

Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...

made the young Jeroboam a superintendent over his tribesmen in the building of the fortress Millo in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and of other public works, where he became conversant with the widespread discontent caused by the extravagances which marked the reign of Solomon. Influenced by the words of the prophet

Ahijah Ahijah ( ''ʾĂḥīyyā'', "brother of Yahweh, Yah"; Latin and Douay–Rheims Bible, Douay–Rheims: Ahias) is a name of several biblical individuals: # Ahijah the Shilonite, the Biblical prophet who divided the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. # One ...

, he began to form conspiracies with the aim of becoming king; but these plans were discovered, and he fled to

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, where he remained under the protection of

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

Shishak Shishak, also spelled Shishaq or Susac (, Tiberian: , ), was, according to the Hebrew Bible, an Egyptian pharaoh who sacked Jerusalem in the 10th century BC. He is usually identified with the pharaoh Shoshenq I.Troy Leiland Sagrillo. 2015.Shoshe ...

until the death of Solomon. After learning of Solomon’s death, Jeroboam returned and participated in a delegation sent to ask the new king

to reduce taxes. After Rehoboam rejected their petition, ten of the tribes withdrew their allegiance to the house of David and proclaimed Jeroboam their king, forming the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained to form the rump kingdom of Judah, loyal to Rehoboam.

Temples

Claes Moeyaert - Sacrifice of Jeroboam - Google Art Project

Jeroboam rebuilt and fortified

Shechem Shechem ( ; , ; ), also spelled Sichem ( ; ) and other variants, was an ancient city in the southern Levant. Mentioned as a Canaanite city in the Amarna Letters, it later appears in the Hebrew Bible as the first capital of the Kingdom of Israe ...

as the capital of the northern kingdom. Fearing that the

pilgrimages A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is o ...

to the

temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...

prescribed by the Law might provide an occasion for his people to go back to their old allegiances, Jeroboam built two state temples with golden calves, one in

Bethel Bethel (, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; ; ) was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Bet ...

and the other in Dan. This act is condemned by an unnamed prophet in 1 Kings 13, where the LORD declares that Jeroboam has cast YHWH behind his back. Jeroboam further deviated from normative

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

law by declaring the holiday of

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

in the eighth month of the calendar instead of the seventh (perhaps by adding a leap month in

Elul Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...

). According to 1 Kings, while Jeroboam was engaged in offering incense at

, a "man of God" warned him that "a son named Josiah will be born to the house of David", who would destroy the altar (referring to King Josiah of Judah who would rule approximately three hundred years later). When Jeroboam attempted to have the prophet arrested for his bold words of defiance, the king's hand was "dried up", and the altar before which he stood was rent asunder. At the entreaty of the man of God, his hand was restored to him again, but the miracle made no abiding impression on him. Jeroboam offered hospitality to the man of God but this was declined, not out of contempt but in obedience to the command of God. The prophecy is fulfilled in 2 Kings.

Identity of related figures

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...

and

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

identify the "man of God" who warned Jeroboam as the seer named Iddo. The wife of Jeroboam is a character in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Masoretic text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...

, she appears in the

as an

ian princess called Ano: :''And Sousakim gave to Jeroboam Ano the eldest sister of Thekemina his wife, to him as wife; she was great among the king's daughters...'' 1 Kings 12:24e
New English Translation of the Septuagint In 1 Kings, Jeroboam's son Abijah falls ill, and Jeroboam sends his wife to the prophet Ahijah. Ahijah's message, however, is that Abijah will die, which he does. According to ''

The Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on the ...

'', the good that Abijah did for which he would be laid in the grave ("Rabbinical Literature: The passage, I Kings, xiv. 13, in which there is a reference to "some good thing ound in himtoward the Lord God of Israel") is interpreted (M. Ḳ. 28b) as an allusion to Abijah's courageous and pious act in removing the sentinels placed by his father on the frontier between Israel and Judah to prevent pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Some assert that Abijah himself undertook a pilgrimage." Nevertheless, these sentinels on the frontier were not removed until the reign of Hoshea, last king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Rabbis explain the description of Hoshea "And he did what was evil in the eyes of the L‑rd, though not like the kings of Israel who had preceded him."

War with Judah

According to the Hebrew Bible, Jeroboam was in "constant war with the house of Judah". While the southern kingdom made no serious military effort to regain power over the north, there was a long-lasting boundary dispute, fighting over which lasted most of Jeroboam’s reign. In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign, Abijah (also known as Abijam), Rehoboam's son, became king of Judah. During his short reign of three years, Abijah went to considerable lengths to bring the Kingdom of Israel back under his control. He waged a major battle against Jeroboam in the mountains of

Ephraim Ephraim (; , in pausa: ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath, as well as the adopted son of his biological grandfather Jacob, making him the progenitor of the Tribe of Ephrai ...

. According to the Book of Chronicles Abijah had a force of 400,000 and Jeroboam 800,000. The Biblical sources mention that Abijah addressed the armies of Israel, urging them to submit and to let the Kingdom of Israel be whole again, but his plea fell on deaf ears. The biblical account states that his elite warriors fended off a

pincer movement The pincer movement, or double envelopment, is a maneuver warfare, military maneuver in which forces simultaneously attack both flanking maneuver, flanks (sides) of an enemy Military organization, formation. This classic maneuver has been im ...

and routed Jeroboam's troops, killing 500,000 of them. Jeroboam was crippled by this severe defeat to Abijah and posed little threat to the

Kingdom of Judah The Kingdom of Judah was an Israelites, Israelite kingdom of the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. Centered in the highlands to the west of the Dead Sea, the kingdom's capital was Jerusalem. It was ruled by the Davidic line for four centuries ...

for the rest of his reign. He also lost the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. Bethel was an important centre for Jeroboam's

Golden Calf According to the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, the golden calf () was a cult image made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai (bible), Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as "the sin of the calf" (). It is first mentio ...

cult (which used non-Levites as priests), located on Israel's southern border, which had been allocated to the

Tribe of Benjamin According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the ...

Joshua Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...

, as was Ephron, which is believed to be the Ophrah that was allocated to the Tribe of Benjamin by Joshua. Jeroboam died soon after Abijam.

Rabbinic literature

According to

Rabbinic literature Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era (70–640 CE), as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic ...

, Gehazi possessed a magnet by which he lifted up the idol made by Jeroboam, so that it was seen between heaven and earth; he had "Yhwh" engraved on it, and in consequence the idol (a calf) pronounced the first two words of the Decalogue That Ahijah, though one of the pillars of righteousness, should have been sent to Jeroboam with a divine message inducing him to establish his idolatrous kingdom is explained by the rabbis in the following manner: They say that he was entrapped by a ruse of Jeroboam's idolatrous friends, who circulated a document requesting Jeroboam to become king and stipulating that, if he were elected, he set up a golden calf at Dan and Beth-El. Ahijah signed this document, believing firmly that Jeroboam would not betray his trust. In this he was mistaken. Jeroboam had shown great wisdom and learning, and appeared to Ahijah "as pure as the new garment" he wore when Ahijah saw him coming out of Jerusalem (). Moreover, as he excelled all the rest of the students, he had been initiated by Ahijah into the innermost secrets of the Law. Just as the words said of Isaac, "his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (), are taken to refer to spiritual blindness (because he favored his wicked son Esau), so the words, "Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were set by reason of his age" (), imply spiritual blindness on the part of Ahijah, who favored a wicked student and set him up as ruler. For this reason Ahijah was stricken with the plague. Jeroboam became for the rabbinical writers a prototypical evildoer. This appears in the Septuagint (2d recension), where even his mother is represented as a disreputable woman. His name is explained as "one that caused strife among the people," or "one that caused strife between the people and their Heavenly Father". The name (Nebat) of his father is construed as implying some defect in his progenitor. Although Jeroboam reached the throne because he reproved Solomon, he was nevertheless punished for doing so publicly. In the meeting between Jeroboam and Ahijah, the Rabbis detect indications of Jeroboam's presumption, his zeal for impious innovations. His arrogance brought about his doom. His political reasons for introducing idolatry are condemned. As one that led many into sin, the sins of many cling to him. He is said to have invented 103 interpretations of the law in reference to the priests to justify his course. At first God was pleased with him and his sacrifice because he was pious, and in order to prevent his going astray proposed to His council of angels to remove him from earth, but He was prevailed upon to let him live; and then Jeroboam, while still a lad, turned to wickedness. God had offered to raise him into Gan Eden; but when Jeroboam heard that David would enjoy the highest honors there, he refused. Jeroboam had even learned the "mysteries of the chariot". Jeroboam is excluded from the

world to come The world to come, age to come, heaven on Earth, and the Kingdom of God are eschatology, eschatological phrases reflecting the belief that the World (theology), current world or Dispensation (period), current age is flawed or cursed and will be r ...

.Yalkut, Kings, 196 Nevertheless, he will still arise when the time of resurrection arrives, as compensation for the fact that many years after he died his remains were ignominiously burned in fire. An account of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi tells how in the fourth compartment of

Gehenna Gehenna ( ; ) or Gehinnom ( or ) is a Biblical toponym that has acquired various theological connotations, including as a place of divine punishment, in Jewish eschatology. The place is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as part of the border ...

are ten nations presided over by Jeroboam. Jeroboam, however, has immunity for he himself had studied the Law, and he comes from those who had said: "We will do and hearken."

Commentary on sources

The account of Jeroboam's life, like that of all his successors, ends with the formula "And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel". "The

Chronicles of the Kings of Israel The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel is a book that gives a more detailed account of the reigns of the kings of ancient Kingdom of Israel than that presented in the Hebrew Bible, and may have been the source from which parts of the biblical acc ...

", likely compiled by or derived from these kings' own scribes, is likely the source for the basic facts of Jeroboam's life and reign, though the compiler(s) of the extant Book of Kings clearly made selective use of it and added hostile commentaries. His family was eventually wiped out. The prophecies of doom concerning the fall of both the House of Jeroboam and the northern kingdom as a whole ("For the Lord shall smite Israel..., and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river", might have been composed retroactively, after the events described had already come to pass. Alternatively, the prophecy could have been a logical deduction. Judah had just been conquered and turned into a vassal of Egypt, while Israel stood between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian empires. Oded and Sperling argued that the story of the

golden calf According to the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, the golden calf () was a cult image made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai (bible), Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as "the sin of the calf" (). It is first mentio ...

in the wilderness was composed as a polemic against Jeroboam's cultic restoration by claiming that its origins were inconsistent with worship of YHWH. Thomas Römer argued that Jeroboam I may not have existed and that Deuteronomistic redactors transferred data from the reign of Jeroboam II to Jeroboam I, although Lester L. Grabbe finds this theory unlikely.

In popular culture

Jeroboam is portrayed by Nickolas Grace in '' Solomon & Sheba'' (1995) and by Richard Dillane in ''

'' (1997). Both of these are television films. Within the range of standard liquor bottle sizes, a Jeroboam (also called a Double Magnum) contains 3 liters (101.4 fluid ounces). A Rehoboam contains 4.5 liters (152.2 fluid ounces). "The Jeroboam" is the name of a whaling ship in ''Moby Dick''. Ahab and Ishmael's ship, the Pequod, meets the Jeroboam in Chapter 71, and learns of its trials.

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * *,

External links

Jeroboam at the Jewish Encyclopedia

"The House of Jeroboam"
at the blog of Omniglot {{Authority control 10th-century BCE kings of Israel 900s BC deaths Solomon Year of birth unknown House of Jeroboam Golden calf 10th-century BC rebels