Jeroboam

Jeroboam I (Hebrew ירבעם, yarobh `am, Hierobeam ) ( † 907 BC) was 926 v. BC until his death in 907 AD, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Biblical tradition

According to 1 Kings 11:26 Jeroboam EU came from the tribe of Ephraim. He was at Solomon's construction in Jerusalem overseers of the levy out of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. With this he rose up against Solomon - allegedly only after he had been anointed by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh to the king. He had to flee to Egypt under the protection of Pharaoh Sheshonk I. (Hebrew Shishak - 1 Kings 11,40 EU). After Solomon's death, and possibly after the conquest of the northern territory by Sheshonk I. He returned (1 Kings 12.2 EU) and was chosen from all the tribes of Israel except Judah and Benjamin in the south of the kingdom of Solomon the king, while the southern kingdom to Jerusalem was ruled by Rehoboam the son of Solomon (1 Kings 12,20 EU). He reigned from 926 BC until his death in 907 BC

Jeroboam made ​​Shechem as the capital and built the sanctuaries of Bethel and Dan. According to the Bible he was there set up golden calves and stood in opposition to God's order, were approved after only Levites to priests, each priest to who wanted it. This cultic action, thought of Jeroboam, according to the biblical narrative as a countermeasure to Solomon in Jerusalem cult centralization and thus as secure his own rule in the northern kingdom, were later authors of the biblical writings - particularly the Deuteronomistic History - as a waste of YHWH. This sin of Jeroboam the destruction of Israel was established (1 Kings 13,36 EU).

Was succeeded by his son Nadab.

Archeology

After the victory relief of Pharaoh Sheshonk I. Karnak, the settlements of the old tribal area of King Saul were destroyed, which has been archaeologically confirmed. The destruction took place in the 10th century, most of the settlements were not rebuilt. It is therefore possible that Scheschonk few decades before Jeroboam conquered the territory and this was as an Egyptian vassal indirect legacy of the old Stammeskönigtum Saul. Jerusalem, however, was too small and was probably already a vassal of the Philistines and Egypt subject, because it is not mentioned there.