Ch. 3/2 “The Kingdom of Israel” Around 1000 BC, the strongest people living in Canaan were the Philistines. They had strong cities, and they knew how to make iron tools and weapons. Fearing their power, many Israelites copied their ways and worshipped their gods. Despite quarreling between the 12 tribes, they knew they had to learn to work together to save their religion and way of life.

Israel Unites Against the Philistines They needed a king to unite them against the Philistines, so in 1020 BC, they asked Samuel to choose a king. Samuel was a judge and a prophet, a person who claims to be instructed by God to share God’s words. Samuel warned that a king would tax the Israelites and make them slaves, but they still demanded a king, so they chose a warrior- farmer named Saul.

King Saul Samuel anointed Saul as king, blessing him with oil to show that God had chosen him Saul was tall and handsome and had won many battles. However, according to the Bible, Saul displeased God by disobeying some of his commands, so he ordered Samuel to chose another king and instructed him to anoint the new king in secret.

David Becomes a Hero The new king was a young shepherd named David. His fame as a warrior spread. He was known for killing a giant Philistine with a single sling-shot when he was just a boy. Saul put David in charge of the army, and as David’s victories grew, Saul grew envious and plotted to kill David.

King David David hid out in enemy territory until Saul and his three sons were killed in battle. The bitter rivalry was over and David was able to take the throne in about 1,000 BC. He drove the Philistines out of the area and created an empire by conquering several other nations. David strengthened his kingdom by forcing his conquered peoples to pay tributes of money and slaves.

David Builds Jerusalem David made the Israelites pay heavy taxes to expand his new capital city of Jerusalem. He wanted a fine temple there so that sacred religious objects cherished by the Israelites would finally have a permanent home. He died before the temple was built, but for centuries he was remembered by the Israelites as their most cherished king.

King Solomon When David died, his son Solomon became king. He built a splendid temple in Jerusalem that became the symbol and center of the Jewish religion. In the Bible, Solomon was known for his wise sayings, or proverbs, but many Israelites hated his rule because he taxed the people to pay for his great buildings.

The Kingdom Splits The Israelites in the north were especially unhappy with Solomon because he made many of their young men work in the mines of a neighboring country. When he died, the northerners rebelled and fighting broke out.

Israel & Judah Ten of the tribes set up their own kingdom in the north called Israel. Its capital was Samaria. In the south, the other two tribes founded a smaller kingdom of Judah. Its capital was Jerusalem and its people were called Jews.

Growing Empires Pose a Threat While the Israelites were dividing their kingdom, the Assyrians and Chaldeans were building empires. These peoples wanted to control the trade routes that ran through the small and weak Israelite kingdoms. Israel and Judah felt threatened by their powerful neighbors.

A Troubled Time During this troubled time, many Israelites forgot their religion. The rich mistreated the poor, and government officials stole money. The prophets wanted to bring Israelites back to God’s laws. Their message said that being faithful meant more than going to temple to worship. It meant working for a just society.

A Just Society The prophet Amos said that justice should “roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.” The goal of a just society became an important part of Christianity and Islam.

The Fall of Israel The warlike Assyrians were feared everywhere in the region. When they conquered a nation, the Assyrians destroyed its main buildings and scattered the population so they could settle the territory. In 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered Israel and scattered the 10 tribes across their empire. Because they lost their religion and way of life, they are often called the “lost tribes of Israel.”

The Samaritans The Assyrians settled the area around Samaria and became known as Samaritans. The Assyrian settlers were afraid that Israel’s God might punish them for taking the Israelites’ land, so they offered sacrifices to Israel’s God. They also read the Torah and followed the Israelites’ religious laws and eventually worshipped the God of Israel.

God’s People? The people of Judah looked down on the Samaritans. They believed that God accepted only the sacrifices from the temple at Jerusalem. They did not believe that other people were God’s people too.

Judah Falls to the Chaldeans Only the small kingdom of Judah was left of David’s once proud empire. The Egyptians conquered it in about 620 BC, and allowed the Jews to keep their king as long as they paid tribute to Egypt. Several years later, the Jews united with the Egyptians to rebel against the Chaldeans. Judah held out against the Chaldean invasion until 597 BC, when King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem.

Babylonian Captivity Nubuchadnezzar severely punished the Jews by making 10,000 leave the city of Jerusalem and exiling the Jews to Babylon. He appointed a new king of Judah, but soon that king planned a revolt against the Chaldeans. A prophet named Jeremiah warned him that another revolt would be dangerous, but the king did not listen.

Babylonian Captivity In 586 BC, the Jews revolted and this time the Chaldeans crushed Jerusalem. He destroyed the temple, bound the king in chains, and took him and thousands of Jews to Babylon. This time was known as the Babylonian Captivity.