The Israelite Kingdom The Israelite Kingdom Lesson 6.2 Lesson 6.2

Early Kings  By 1100 B.C., the Israelites had one powerful enemy – the Philistines.  Many Israelites called for a king to unite the Twelve Tribes and lead them into battle against the Philistines.

Saul: The First King  According to the Hebrew Bible: The Israelites asked the judge Samuel to choose a King.  Samuel warned against this, saying a new king would tax and enslave them.

Saul: The First King  Samuel chose a man named Saul to be King, and under his leadership, the Israelites won many battles and Saul became very popular.  However, Saul disobeyed some of God's commands, and God told Samuel to choose a new king.

King David  After Saul, Samuel chose David to be king of the Israelites.  Before becoming King, David was already popular because of his battle with Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior.

David and Goliath

King David  King Saul placed David in charge of his army, but as David became successful and gained popularity with the people, King Saul became jealous and tried to kill David, but David was able to escape.  When King Saul died in battle against the Philistines, David returned and took the throne.

King David  Under King David, the Tribes were united, and the Philistines were defeated.  David built a capital city for Israel in Jerusalem.

King David  King David was also a musician and is believed to have written many of the sacred songs in the Hebrew Bible’s book of Psalms. (Ex: Psalm 23)  Israelites prospered under David’s rule.  They cultivated tough, dry land by building terraces on steep hillsides.

Terracing Terracing

King David and Solomon  After David’s death, the Israelites honored him as their greatest King.  David’s son Solomon took over the throne after David’s death.  Solomon brought a long period of peace to the Israelites.  He built the first temple in Jerusalem, was known for his wisdom, and is believed to have written proverbs, or wise sayings, which were recorded in the Bible.

Solomon  Despite Solomon’s accomplishments, Israelites did not like paying the high taxes demanded by Solomon and, after his death, disagreements split their kingdom.

Two Kingdoms  After Solomon’s death, the ten Northern tribes rebelled and formed a separate kingdom, Israel with their capital in Samaria.  The two southern tribes founded the smaller kingdom of Judah with their capital in Jerusalem.

Two Kingdoms  During this time, other empires formed around Israel and Judah, like the Assyrians and Chaldeans.  The other empires wanted to control the trade routes running through the Israelite Kingdoms.

The Fall of Israel  The Assyrians spread fear throughout the region; forcing conquered people to pay tribute and burning the towns of people who refused.  In 772 B.C., when the kingdom of Israel refused to pay tribute, the Assyrians invaded and conquered Samaria.

The Fall of Israel  They forced many Israelites to resettle in Assyria, and then brought people from other parts of their empire to live in Israel.  The settlers mixed with the Israelites still living there, and a mingled culture developed. These people became known as Samaritans.

Samaritans  While Samaritans adopted principles of the Israelite's religion, they also adopted many religious practices that the Israelites did not accept.  Today's Judaism developed mainly from the religion preserved in the kingdom of Judah.

The Good Samaritan

The Fall of Judah  While the people of Judah survived the Assyrian conquests, in 597 B.C., the Chaldeans, under King Nebuchadnezzar forced thousands to leave Jerusalem and live in Babylon, the Chaldean capital.  Nebuchadnezzar chose a new king, a Judean to rule Judah.

Captivity Routes Captivity Routes

Jews in Babylon

Judeans The Judeans plotted to set Judah free.  Jeremiah, a prophet, warned the Judeans that God did not want Judah to rebel, but they did not listen.  The Chaldeans retook Jerusalem in 586 B.C., then leveled Jerusalem to the ground, destroyed their temple, and forced Judah’s people to move to Babylon.  This time became known as the Babylonian Exile. When people are forced to leave their home or country, this is an exile.

What was the Prophet’s message?  Prophets urged people to change their ways to make the world a better place, and they also offered words of hope in times of despair.

What was the Prophet’s message?  Prophets also made the goal of a just society the primary part of their teachings. Martin Luther King quoted the prophet Amos’ words in his “I Have A Dream Speech” when he said, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”