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Christian Churches of God No. 212F

Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

(Edition 2.0 20070323-20070323-20070418)

The nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: one of Judah and the other of Israel proper.

This section deals with the nation of Israel often referred to as the Lost Ten Tribes and their role in prophecy.

Christian Churches of God PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA

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(Copyright  2007 Wade Cox & anor.)

This paper may be freely copied and distributed provided it is copied in total with no alterations or deletions. The publisher’s name and address and the copyright notice must be included. No charge may be levied on recipients of distributed copies. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles and reviews without breaching copyright. This paper is available from the World Wide Web page: http://www.logon.org and http://www.ccg.org Page 2 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Introduction In 1Kings 11:28 it is said that Jeroboam was a The story of the kingdom of Israel up until the very industrious and capable man who had death of Solomon is contained in the paper been put in charge of the forced labour of the Rule of the Kings Part III: Solomon and the House of Joseph during Solomon’s extensive Key of David (No. 282C). building programs.

This work is concerned with the fate of Israel On his return from exile following the death of after the division. God ordained the resulting Solomon, Jeroboam and the congregation of division of Solomon’s Kingdom as punishment Israel came before the new king, Rehoboam, to for his idolatry ask that he lighten the hard service imposed by his father (2Chr. 10:2ff.). The older and more Upon Solomon’s death in 932 BCE, his son experienced advisers approached Rehoboam Rehoboam was proclaimed king. Many in with a plea on behalf of Israel. Israel showed their displeasure by supporting 1Kings 12:7 And they said to him, "If you will be a his rival, Jeroboam, the Ephraimite. servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, The Northern Kingdom soon became then they will be your servants for ever." (RSV) idolatrous also, and it was periodically invaded and most of its inhabitants were sent into This fundamental principle of service to one’s captivity. The final Assyrian invasion and people was reinforced by Christ in a rebuke to deportation of Israel occurred in 722 BCE. his disciples.

These events can be seen ultimately as a means Mark 10:42b-44 "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, of preserving both Israel and Judah. and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever The restoration of a united Kingdom is would be great among you must be your servant, 44 prophesied. and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. (RSV)

The reigns of all 20 kings of the Northern The need sometimes to speak a good or gentle Kingdom will be examined chronologically. word, even to an oppressive and hard-hearted Pharaoh let alone the people of Israel, was A suggested Chronology of the Kings of Israel enjoined upon Moses by the Angel of Yahovah, is also appended. as the Qur’an records.

Jeroboam Surah 20:42 Go, thou and thy brother, with My The first ruler of the breakaway Kingdom of tokens, and be not faint in remembrance of Me. 43 Israel was Jeroboam the son of Nebath, from Go, both of you, unto Pharaoh. Lo! he hath transgressed (the bounds). 44 And speak unto him a the tribe of Ephraim. The complete story of his gentle word, that peradventure he may heed or fear. life and reign, as recorded in 1Kings 12 and 13, (Pickthal) is dealt with in the paper Jeroboam and the Hillel Calendar (No. 191). According to God’s purpose, however, the burden upon the Israelites was not lightened by We saw that Jeroboam had been involved in a Rehoboam, so that the division between Judah rebellion against Solomon whereby, “he lifted and Israel was inevitably swift, decisive and up his hand against the king” (1Kgs. 11:26ff.; permanent. Judah was told that the division of 2Chr. 2:6). He then fled to Egypt for sanctuary, the kingdom had been ordered by God; hence, just as many others had done before and since, civil war was narrowly averted … for the time including Messiah’s parents (cf. Hos. 11:1; being. However, “there was war between Mat. 2:15). Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 3 life” (1Kgs. 15:6). Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him from all places where they lived. 14 For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to The united Kingdom of Saul, David and Judah and Jerusalem, because Jerobo'am and his Solomon had lasted exactly 120 years, from sons cast them out from serving as priests of the 1052 to 932 BCE, while the Northern Kingdom LORD, 15 and he appointed his own priests for the of Israel was to survive for a further 210 years. high places, and for the satyrs, and for the calves Ahijah the prophet had already informed which he had made. 16 And those who had set their Jeroboam that he was to be given leadership hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to over these northern ten tribes (v. 35). sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. (RSV) The story of the Northern Kingdom continues in 2Chronicles 13, where Jeroboam and Abijah, It may be that fully two-thirds of the people – a the new king of Judah, are preparing for battle. great multitude – sided with Jeroboam in his rebellion (cf. also the size of the armies). The 2Chronicles 13:1-22 In the eighteenth year of King ultimate defeat of the northern Israelites was 2 Jerobo'am Abi'jah began to reign over Judah. He sealed, firstly by taking to themselves the reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micai'ah the daughter of U'riel of Gib'e- priestly duties reserved for those of Aaronic or ah. Now there was war between Abi'jah and Levitical descent and, secondly, from their Jerobo'am. 3 Abi'jah went out to battle having an idolatry in worship of the golden calves. The army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand fact is, however, that the Levites did not all picked men; and Jerobo'am drew up his line of remove to Jerusalem and the twenty-four battle against him with eight hundred thousand picked mighty warriors. 4 Then Abi'jah stood up on divisions of the Levites had to be reconstituted Mount Zemara'im which is in the hill country of from the three full divisions left in Judah plus E'phraim, and said, "Hear me, O Jerobo'am and all some returnees; and that remained the case Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the LORD God after the Babylonian captivity also. of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? Continuing in 2Chronicles 13: 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have The covenant of salt could not be altered or not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the rescinded (Num. 18:19) and Abijah is LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their reminding Israel of this fact. Such a covenant is service. 11 They offer to the LORD every morning further explained in the paper Passover and every evening burnt offerings and incense of Questions and the Reasons for Our Faith (No. sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its 51) under the heading ‘Salt’. lamps may burn every evening; for we keep the

6 charge of the LORD our God, but you have Yet Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, a servant of forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled 7 and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound against his lord; and certain worthless scoundrels the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not gathered about him and defied Rehobo'am the son fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for of Solomon, when Rehobo'am was young and you cannot succeed." irresolute and could not withstand them. 8 "And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a Judah continued to uphold the correct Temple great multitude and have with you the golden calves service and was favoured by God for so doing. which Jerobo'am made you for gods. 9 Have you not King Asa had also removed the sun images driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of (Heb. chamman) from all the cities of Judah Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever (2Chr. 14:5). comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or 13 seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods. Jerobo'am had sent an ambush around to come on them from behind; thus his troops were in front of 14 As a direct result of Jeroboam’s slide into Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was before idolatry many of the former priests and Levites and behind them; and they cried to the LORD, and found themselves destitute and deserted the the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Northern Kingdom for Jerusalem. Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jerobo'am and all 2Chronicles 11:13-16 And the priests and the Israel before Abi'jah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel Page 4 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

fled before Judah, and God gave them into their Shi'lonite; 30 it was for the sins of Jerobo'am which hand. 17 Abi'jah and his people slew them with a he sinned and which he made Israel to sin, and great slaughter; so there fell slain of Israel five because of the anger to which he provoked the hundred thousand picked men. 18 Thus the men of LORD, the God of Israel. 31 Now the rest of the acts Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? LORD, the God of their fathers. (RSV)

Although the army of Judah was outnumbered Little else is known of Nadab from either the two-to-one by the other Israelites in this battle, Bible or secular sources. He was killed by they correctly deduced that they had God (and Baasha at a place called Gibbethon just inside moral right) on their side; and so prevailed. the border with Philistia. They inflicted losses of 500,000 men killed upon Israel – more than half of its warrior Baasha strength. Thus Judah was able to encroach The second dynasty in Israel began with upon Ephraim’s territory to the north and create Baasha, son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar a buffer zone. and from humble beginnings, who would certainly live up to his name (meaning wicked). 19 And Abi'jah pursued Jerobo'am, and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jesha'nah 20 1Kings 15:32-34 And there was war between Asa with its villages and Ephron with its villages. and Ba'asha king of Israel all their days. 33 In the Jerobo'am did not recover his power in the days of 21 third year of Asa king of Judah, Ba'asha the son of Abi'jah; and the LORD smote him, and he died. Ahi'jah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and But Abi'jah grew mighty. And he took fourteen reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in wives, and had twenty-two sons and sixteen 22 the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of daughters. The rest of the acts of Abi'jah, his ways Jerobo'am and in his sin which he made Israel to and his sayings, are written in the story of the sin. (RSV) prophet Iddo. (RSV) He reigned in the new capital Tirzah in the King Jeroboam was finally struck down by period ca. 909-886 BCE following its God and died. Although his name is forever relocation from Shechem. Baasha’s idolatry synonymous with “evil”, the Hebrew word ra‘ was merely a continuation of what Jeroboam or ra‘ah (SHD 7451) used can mean disaster or had begun. calamity (resulting from sin) and not just moral wickedness. Jeroboam’s reign, as well as those In King Asa’s 36th year on the throne of Judah, of subsequent kings, generally proved and while that kingdom was enjoying relative disastrous. peace, Baasha began a military campaign against him (2Chr. 16:1ff.). Asa called for help Nadab from the Syrian king Ben-hadad of Damascus Jeroboam was followed on the throne of Israel (Heb. Darmesek) who attacked several Israelite by his son Nadab (meaning generous) who cities in order to relieve the pressure on Judah reigned for only 2 years. (v. 4). However, Asa had forgotten his covenant 1Kings 15:25-31 Nadab the son of Jerobo'am began of reliance upon God; consequently, he was to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of told by the prophet Hanani: “henceforth, you Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He shall have wars!” (v. 9). did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which 27 During this turbulent period King Asa built a he made Israel to sin. Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, fortress at Mizpah on the main route north from of the house of Is'sachar, conspired against him; and Ba'asha struck him down at Gib'bethon, which Jerusalem (1Kgs. 15:22; 2Chr. 16:6). It was belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel built partly from the materials Baasha had been were laying siege to Gib'bethon. 28 So Ba'asha killed using to fortify Ramah of Benjamin on the him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and 29 same road. The walls of Mizpah were reigned in his stead. And as soon as he was king, discovered to be an impressive 26 feet (8 he killed all the house of Jerobo'am; he left to the house of Jerobo'am not one that breathed, until he metres) thick in a 1930s American excavation had destroyed it, according to the word of the of the site – now Tell en-Nasbe, seven miles LORD which he spoke by his servant Ahi'jah the (11 km) north of Jerusalem. This massive Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 5 construction hints at the intensity and bitterness Shulammite woman to Tirzah in Song of Songs of the wars between the rival kingdoms. 6:4 (see the paper Song of Songs (No. 145)). It is now called Tell el-Farah and lies about 9 1Kings 16:1-7 And the word of the LORD came to miles (14 km) north of modern Sabastiyeh Jehu the son of Hana'ni against Ba'asha, saying, 2 "Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you (formerly Samaria). leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jerobo'am, and have made my people While Judah at this time was enjoying relative Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 stability under King Asa (who reigned a total of behold, I will utterly sweep away Ba'asha and his 41 years), Israel experienced the second house, and I will make your house like the house of murder of their incumbent king. In fact, during Jerobo'am the son of Nebat. 4 Any one belonging to Ba'asha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and his reign Asa saw no fewer than seven kings any one of his who dies in the field the birds of the come and go on the throne of Israel. air shall eat." 5 Now the rest of the acts of Ba'asha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written Zimri in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Ba'asha slept with his fathers, and was buried Zimri was a successful cavalry officer and at Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 7 commanded half of Israel’s chariot force. His Moreover the word of the LORD came by the name means my music. Once he became king, prophet Jehu the son of Hana'ni against Ba'asha and however, Zimri belied his melodious name and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in set about fulfilling Jehu’s prophecy concerning the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of the house of Baasha with ruthless efficiency. Jerobo'am, and also because he destroyed it. (RSV) 1Kings 16:11-20 When he began to reign, as soon Although Baasha was the instrument for as he had seated himself on his throne, he killed all the house of Ba'asha; he did not leave him a single fulfilling Ahijah’s prophecy by killing Nadab male of his kinsmen or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri (14:1ff.), it was still a regicide that had to be destroyed all the house of Ba'asha, according to the punished (see the paper Genealogy of the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Ba'asha Messiah (No. 119)). It was subsequently by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Ba'asha and returned upon Baasha’s own family by his the sins of Elah his son which they sinned, and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD ‘servant’ Zimri when he became king. God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they Despite his wickedness, Baasha enjoyed the not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the third longest reign in Israel’s history (24 years) Kings of Israel? 15a In the twenty-seventh year of and died a natural death. Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah.

Elah When Israel heard that Zimri had murdered the Elah the son of Baasha became the fourth king king in a conspiracy the army commander on Israel’s throne. His reign of two years was Omri was declared king and they took the city. cut short by his own chariot-force commander, Zimri, during a bout of drunkenness. It is not Zimri committed suicide by deliberately setting unreasonable to suppose that Arza was party to fire to the king’s house while still inside (v. the conspiracy to murder Elah. 18). The destruction of the palace may have been one reason for the subsequent transfer of 1Kings 16:8-10 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa the capital to Samaria (renamed Sebaste by the king of Judah, Elah the son of Ba'asha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two years. 9 Romans). 15b But his servant Zimri, commander of half his Now the troops were encamped against 16 chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Gib'bethon, which belonged to the Philistines, and Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, the troops who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri who was over the household in Tirzah, 10 Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king"; therefore came in and struck him down and killed him, in the all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, 17 twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and king over Israel that day in the camp. So Omri reigned in his stead. (RSV) went up from Gib'bethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw Tirzah was an ancient Canaanite city of that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house, and burned the king's house over particular beauty. Solomon had compared his Page 6 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

him with fire, and died, 19 because of his sins which Omri reigned six years in Tirzah, before he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, relocating to Samaria in about 880 BCE. In walking in the way of Jerobo'am, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20 Now The Bible as History, Werner Keller gives the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy details of the site of the new city. which he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? (RSV) The choice of a site revealed the expert who was guided by strategic considerations. Samaria lies on a Gibbethon (the mound), the Philistine city in solitary hill, about 300 feet high, which rises gently out of a broad and fertile valley and is surrounded the tribal lands of Dan that was given to the by a semi-circle of higher mountains. A local spring Kohathite Levites, again figured in the story of makes the place ideal for defence. (Bantam Books, transfer of the kingship. It was the same city of Hodder & Stoughton, 1980; pp. 243-4) the siege in which Nadab was killed by Baasha. Great military planner or not, Omri found little Tibni and Omri favour with God. He has the distinction of In verse 16 we saw another military having done more evil than all previous kings, commander, Omri (heaping), being made king excepting Jeroboam perhaps. by all Israel. However, Tibni (probably 25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, originally Tabni), the son of Ginath, garnered and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 enough support from half of Israel to also be For he walked in all the way of Jerobo'am the son of proclaimed king. What followed was a three- Nebat, and in the sins which he made Israel to sin, year civil war where Tibni was killed and Omri provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by ascended the throne of all Israel. their idols. He was the Omri mentioned in the inscription The Jewish Encyclopedia claims that he “was on the famous Moabite Stone (now in the regent over half the kingdom of Israel for a Louvre Museum, Paris) attributed to King period of four years” (art. ‘Zimri’), while Mesha of Moab whose capital was at Kir- David Rohl, the Egyptologist and historian, Haresheth, the modern Kerak/Karak. Part of says in The Lost Testament (Century, London, the inscription on the stone reads: 2002) that Tibni reigned for 2 years and died in battle. Ward (The Interpreter’s Dictionary of Omri [was] king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab the Bible art. ‘Tibni’, Vol. 4, p. 641) says the many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land. civil war was three years. The Bible states His son followed him and he also said, ‘I will simply that he “died”. oppress Moab.’ In my days Che[mosh] said, ‘I will see my desire on him and his house. And Israel

surely perished forever! (lines 4-7) 1Kings 16:21-28 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts; half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half Israel was indeed effectively ‘to perish’ from followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed off their land when they were deported by their Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the Assyrian conquerors beyond the Araxes River. son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri became Chemosh here is the god associated with the 23 king. In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, golden calves that Jeroboam erected and to Omri began to reign over Israel, and reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 He which children were sacrificed (see the paper bought the hill of Sama'ria from Shemer for two The Golden Calf (No. 222)). talents of silver; and he fortified the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Sama'ria, after The Assyrians had already shown their the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. intentions during Omri’s reign by attacking and pillaging the Phoenician cities of Tyre, Sidon The most notable achievement of Omri was the and Byblos. An inscription of King Ashurnasir- building of a new capital at Samaria, for which pal II proclaimed triumphantly: site at Shomeron he paid a mere two talents of silver, the same amount given by Naaman to I marched from the Orontes … I conquered the Elisha’s mercenary servant Gehazi (2Kgs. cities … I caused great slaughter, I destroyed, I 5:23). demolished, I burned. I took their warriors prisoner and impaled them on stakes before their cities. I settled Assyrians in their place … I washed my Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 7

weapons in the Great Sea. Ashe'rah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel The Orontes is the main river flowing through who were before him. 34 In his days Hi'el of Bethel Syria and is about 400 miles (640 km) long. built Jericho; he laid its foundation at the cost of Abi'ram his first-born, and set up its gates at the cost Both Israel and Syria were to suffer the same of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of fate at the hands of the determined Assyrians the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of during the reign of Hoshea, although the Nun. (RSV) invasions had actually begun as early as Menahem’s reign, as seen below. Ahab (whose name means brother/friend of his father) married Jezebel (Yezebul) the daughter The moral corruption that was to develop in of Ethbaal (Ittobaal) king of Sidon. Ahab’s Israel included adherence to the so-called Phoenician wife inevitably led him into serving statutes of Omri and the wicked ways of his her gods, namely Baal and Astarte/Ishtar, in the successor, King Ahab, and was denounced by same way that Solomon had been enticed by the prophet Micah. his foreign wives. The Baal here has been identified as either Baal Shamem (lord of Micah 6:16 For you have kept the statutes of Omri, heaven) or Melqart, ‘king of Tyre’ (or king of and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you the underworld). have walked in their counsels; that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of the peoples." (RSV) Hiel (God lives) of Bethel seems to have had a literal death-wish (v. 34), not for himself but 1Kings 15 ends: for his two sons when he planned to rebuild the 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and foundations and raise the gates of Jericho (see the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 the curse in Jos. 6:26). David Rohl states that And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in from this time onwards “the ruin-mound of Sama'ria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. Jericho was reoccupied on a permanent basis”. (RSV) In The Lost Testament he gives an alternative and plausible reason for Hiel’s sacrifice of his Unlike several of his predecessors and despite sons. being an unrepentant idolatrous king it seems that Omri died in peace. As had been the custom for centuries in the ancient Levant, Hiel ritually sacrificed his eldest and youngest sons, Abiram and Segub, in order to lay Ahab their bodies as foundation deposits beneath the Although one of the most notorious of all the chieftain’s new residence and town gate. … Hiel’s kings of Israel, Ahab had one of the longest new town is represented in the archaeological record reigns at 22 years, from ca. 874 to 853 BCE. by Iron Age pottery found at Jericho, the succeeding He had the singular dishonour of doing more phases of which continue on down into Byzantine times. Now that the Holy Land stratigraphical evil than all that were before him (vv. 30,33) timeline has been re-synchronised [by Rohl] with and was also the first king to come into conflict the New Chronology historical timeline (and with the Assyrians in the time of Shalmaneser therefore biblical history), the pattern of III. Perhaps the two events were linked. The archaeological remains at Tell es-Sultan (the ruin- more evil they became the more prone to mound of Jericho) corresponds remarkably with the invasions they were to become. biblical narrative (op. cit., p.401).

1Kings 16:29-34 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa It was to be that Jericho was not to be rebuilt king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign but the words of God were disobeyed, with the over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over prophesied penalty. Jericho, or Moon City, was Israel in Sama'ria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the a rebuilt on these ancient practices and son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more sacrifices. than all that were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, he took for wife Jez'ebel the The Subjugation of Israel daughter of Ethba'al king of the Sido'nians, and King Shalmaneser III was sent against Israel, 32 went and served Ba'al, and worshiped him. He which was forced to pay annual tribute to avoid erected an altar for Ba'al in the house of Ba'al, which he built in Sama'ria. 33 And Ahab made an immediate conquest. Shalmaneser reigned ca. Page 8 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

858-824 BCE and his Annals record that he "Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may 11 came up against Ahab and Israel in the 6th, 11th drink." And as she was going to bring it, he called th to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your and 14 years of his reign. He refers to Ahab of hand." 12 And she said, "As the LORD your God Israel as Akhabbu of Sir’ala in these campaign lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal records. in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, Elijah’s Prophecy 13 The significance of Elijah being a Gileadite or and die." And Eli'jah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake Gadite is explained in the paper Measuring the of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for Temple (No. 137) and is shown to have yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD relevance to the Last Days. The brook Cherith the God of Israel, `The jar of meal shall not be (SHD 3747) has the meaning cutting, derived spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day from karath (3772), as in to cut a covenant. that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" 15 And she went and did as Eli'jah said; and she, and he, and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of 1Kings 17:1-24 Now Eli'jah the Tishbite, of Tishbe meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of according to the word of the LORD which he spoke Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be by Eli'jah. 17 After this the son of the woman, the neither dew nor rain these years, except by my mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was word." 2 And the word of the LORD came to him, 3 so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And "Depart from here and turn eastward, and hide she said to Eli'jah, "What have you against me, O yourself by the brook Cherith, that is east of the man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he went and did according to the word of the LORD; took him from her bosom, and carried him up into he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is east the upper chamber, where he lodged, and laid him of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread upon his own bed. 20 And he cried to the LORD, "O and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the LORD my God, hast thou brought calamity even evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying while the brook dried up, because there was no rain her son?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to three times, and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my him, 9 "Arise, go to Zar'ephath, which belongs to God, let this child's soul come into him again." 22 Sidon, and dwellthere. Behold, I have commanded a And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Eli'jah; widow there to feed you." and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Eli'jah took the child, and brought In this text we see a demonstration of the him down from the upper chamber into the house, promise by God that he would feed His and delivered him to his mother; and Eli'jah said, servants even in times of famine, both physical "See, your son lives." 24 And the woman said to and spiritual (cf. also Isa. 49:10). Isaiah 33 Eli'jah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, confirms that the righteous will have their and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." (RSV) bread and water supplied; and there were none more righteous than Elijah at this time. The city lived up to its name by being a place of testing for the widow: she was shown Isaiah 33:15-16 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of undeniably who was the man of God, i.e. His oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a spokesman rather than simply a prophet as a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed foreteller of events. This incident also shows and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil, 16 he will that even God’s greatest prophets are required dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the to be persistent in prayer, and that an answer fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure. (RSV) may not be given immediately. Although He hears all prayer, God responds according to His Elijah was then sent to Zarephath, the Sarepta own timing. of Luke 4:26, now known as Surafend. Its name means refinery, from the root meaning to As noted earlier, God also ensures that His smelt, refine or test. servants are fed and watered at all times, in this case by a woman, but also by birds (v. 5) and 10 So he arose and went to Zar'ephath; and when he an angel (19:5-6). came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 9

1Kings 18:1-46 After many days the word of the you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you whither I LORD came to Eli'jah, in the third year, saying, know not; and so, when I come and tell Ahab and he "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your upon the earth." 2 So Eli'jah went to show himself to servant have revered the LORD from my youth. 13 Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Sama'ria. 3 Has it not been told my lord what I did when And Ahab called Obadi'ah, who was over the Jez'ebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid household. (Now Obadi'ah revered the LORD a hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifties in greatly; 4 and when Jez'ebel cut off the prophets of a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 14 And the LORD, Obadi'ah took a hundred prophets and now you say, `Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Eli'jah is hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with here"'; and he will kill me."15 And Eli'jah said, "As bread and water.) the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." 16 So Bullinger notes that this is the first recorded Obadi'ah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and 17 instance of civil power being used against the Ahab went to meet Eli'jah. When Ahab saw Eli'jah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you troubler of true religion (Companion Bible), although the Israel?" 18 And he answered, "I have not troubled civil power was used in Egypt against the Israel; but you have, and your father's house, covenant people. It is here being used to because you have forsaken the commandments of suppress the prophets of God within Israel the LORD and followed the Ba'als. 19 Now therefore itself. This was to continue for centuries send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, wherever Israel was established, either along and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba'al and the four hundred prophets of Ashe'rah, who eat at with or mingled with other nations. Jez'ebel's table." (RSV)

5 And Ahab said to Obadi'ah, "Go through the land The full text (vv. 20-40) of Elijah’s test of to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and spiritual strength with the 450 priests of Baal is mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." 6 So given in the paper Law and the Second they divided the land between them to pass through Commandment (No. 254). Following the killing it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and of all these idolatrous priests by Elijah and the 7 Obadi'ah went in another direction by himself. And people at the brook Kishon, the prophet as Obadi'ah was on the way, behold, Eli'jah met him; and Obadi'ah recognized him, and fell on his appeared again before King Ahab. face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Eli'jah?" 8 And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, `Behold, 1Kings 18:41-46 And Eli'jah said to Ahab, "Go up, 9 eat and drink; for there is a sound of the rushing of Eli'jah is here.'" And he said, "Wherein have I 42 sinned, that you would give your servant into the rain." So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10 As the LORD your God Eli'jah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face lives, there is no nation or kingdom whither my 43 lord has not sent to seek you; and when they between his knees. And he said to his servant, "Go would say, `He is not here,' he would take an oath of up now, look toward the sea." And he went up and the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. looked, and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again seven times." 44 And at the seventh time he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is We see here the lengths to which the false rising out of the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to religious system goes to find (and, where Ahab, `Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the possible, kill) the prophets of God. However, rain stop you.'" 45 And in a little while the heavens the system is only permitted certain power for a grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a specific time as all nations and peoples are great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 ultimately in God’s hands. He may also choose And the hand of the LORD was on Eli'jah; and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the to delegate power over the nations to His entrance of Jezreel. (RSV) prophets, such as Elijah here and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:10). Carmel, meaning garden-land and hence a particularly fertile area of Israel, was referred 2Chronicles 20:6 "O LORD, God of our fathers, art to in the records of Pharaoh Thutmosis III in thou not God in heaven? Dost thou not rule over all th the kingdoms of the nations? In thy hand are power the 15 century BCE as Holy Head, and so has and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. always had some spiritual significance. Mount (RSV) Carmel was supposedly the location of an oracle, which the Roman Emperor Vespasian Continuing in 1Kings 18: consulted before besieging Jerusalem. 11 And now you say, `Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Eli'jah is here."' 12 And as soon as I have gone from Page 10 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Elijah is said to have lived in a particular cave baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate 7 (of the Sons of the Prophet; 1Kgs.19:9), and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time, and touched located on the outskirts of modern Haifa. Even him, and said, "Arise and eat, else the journey will today the cave is a place of pilgrimage and be too great for you." 8 And he arose, and ate and prayer for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. drank, and went in the strength of that food forty There is also a perennial fountain on the days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. Carmel range said to be that used by Elijah, and in the southeast tip of the range is the Exactly as Moses had done and Christ would supposed site of the testing of Baal, called in do in the future, Elijah fasted for 40 days and Arabic, El-Muhraka, the place of burning. The nights in the wilderness (cf. Ex. 34:28; Mat. nearby river Kishon rises in Mt. Tabor and 4:1-2). It is significant that these three met empties into the Mediterranean. together in the transfiguration scene witnessed by a select few disciples during the 1Kings 19:1-21 Ahab told Jez'ebel all that Eli'jah demonstration of the Kingdom of God in had done, and how he had slain all the prophets with power (Mk. 9:1-4). See also the paper The 2 the sword. Then Jez'ebel sent a messenger to Angel of YHVH (No. 24). Eli'jah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of 3 Mark 9:1-4 And he said to them, "Truly, I say to one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was you, there are some standing here who will not taste afraid, and he arose and went for his life, and came death before they see that the kingdom of God has to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his come with power." 2 And after six days Jesus took servant there. with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was Queen Jezebel was now extremely vexed transfigured before them, 3 and his garments became because her prophets had not only been shown glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth to be powerless before the single priest of God could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them but also had been destroyed. She was Eli'jah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. determined to take revenge on Elijah, who (RSV) literally ran for his life into a remote area. The Continuing in 1Kings 19: symbols of the rain and the power exercised by 9 And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and Elijah are important to the function of the elect behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he in the Last Days. Elijah will again be sent to said to him, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?" 10 Israel in the Last Days and he will exercise the He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, power of the Holy Spirit as the Seven Spirits of the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and God in command of the Seven Churches, slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, culminating in the Laws of God being am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." developed and the nexus of the Law being restored (see the paper Seven Spirits of God Bullinger’s comment here is that “there were (No. 64)). Why then did Elijah run to Judah lay altars (local) for customary individual from Israel after performing such a miracle? offerings by laymen, as well as at Jerusalem. Was he entirely afraid or simply weary of the These had no horns.” (ibid.) The tribes of Israel work of God? The symbol is that He will deal sacrificed locally and conducted prayer with Israel and the false religions and then also services locally while their priestly divisions with Judah, who is separate to the nation of were on duty at the Tabernacle and later at the Israel but is to be rejoined to it. In the strength Temple under Solomon. and power of God he will rebuke Israel and the 11 nations of the world following that. And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, "It is an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the no better than my fathers." 5 And he lay down and LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still slept under a broom tree; and behold, an angel small voice. 13 And when Eli'jah heard it, he touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 And wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 11

came a voice to him, and said, "What are you doing 14 here, Eli'jah?" He said, "I have been very jealous Israel’s War with Syria for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy Syria was also known as Aram or the altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, Aramaean Kingdom of Damascus. 1Kings 20 even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it details the war that developed between Ben- away." hadad of Syria and his thirty-two allies on one side and Israel on the other. The still small voice was that of an angelic being (cf. The Angel of YHVH (No. 24)). The 1Kings 20:1-43 Ben-ha'dad the king of Syria word for word repetition of Elijah’s gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were explanation to this Angel indicates its with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Sama'ria, and fought against it. 2 And importance (vv. 10,14). he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of 3 15 Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-ha'dad: And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your `Your silver and your gold are mine; your fairest way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you wives and children also are mine.'" 4 And the king of arrive, you shall anoint Haz'ael to be king over 16 Israel answered, "As you say, my lord, O king, I am Syria; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint yours, and all that I have." 5 The messengers came to be king over Israel; and Eli'sha the son of Shaphat again, and said, "Thus says Ben-ha'dad: `I sent to of A'bel-meho'lah you shall anoint to be prophet in 17 you, saying, "Deliver to me your silver and your your place. And him who escapes from the sword gold, your wives and your children"; 6 nevertheless I of Haz'ael shall Jehu slay; and him who escapes 18 will send my servants to you tomorrow about this from the sword of Jehu shall Eli'sha slay. Yet I will time, and they shall search your house and the leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that houses of your servants, and lay hands on whatever have not bowed to Ba'al, and every mouth that has pleases them, and take it away.'" 7 Then the king of not kissed him." Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, "Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking Elijah is given the task of anointing two kings, trouble; for he sent to me for my wives and my of Syria and Israel, and one prophet, Elisha, children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did who was eventually to take over from him. not refuse him." 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not heed or consent." 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-ha'dad, "Tell my The practice of bending the knee and kissing lord the king, `All that you first demanded of your the images of Baal is carried on to this day in a servant I will do; but this thing I cannot do.'" And number of religions including the churches that the messengers departed and brought him word purport to be Christian. again. 10 Ben-ha'dad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Sama'ria Elisha anointed shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me." 11 And the king of Israel answered, "Tell 19 So he departed from there, and found Eli'sha the him, `Let not him that girds on his armor boast son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke himself as he that puts it off.'" 12 When Ben-ha'dad of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. heard this message as he was drinking with the Eli'jah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. kings in the booths, he said to his men, "Take your 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Eli'jah, and positions." And they took their positions against the said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and city. 13 And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, Have back again; for what have I done to you?" 21 And he you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give returned from following him, and took the yoke of it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the am the LORD." 14 And Ahab said, "By whom?" He yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and said, "Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the they ate. Then he arose and went after Eli'jah, and governors of the districts." Then he said, "Who shall ministered to him. (RSV) begin the battle?" He answered, "You." 15 Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the Elisha the son of Shaphat has the composite districts, and they were two hundred and thirty-two; meaning of “God is salvation: He has judged”. and after them he mustered all the people of Israel, Elisha demonstrated the same unwillingness to seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon, while go immediately with Elijah, as did some of Ben-ha'dad was drinking himself drunk in the Jesus’ potential disciples (Lk. 9:57-62). A booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17 The servants of the governors of the districts went similar reluctance followed by obedience, as out first. And Ben-ha'dad sent out scouts, and they required by God, is found in the parable of the reported to him, "Men are coming out from two sons (Mat. 21:28ff.). Sama'ria." 18 He said, "If they have come out for Page 12 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

peace, take them live; or if they have come out for that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful war, take them alive." 19 So these went out of the kings; let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes city, the servants of the governors of the districts, upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; and the army which followed them. 20 And each perhaps he will spare your life." 32 So they girded killed his man; the Syrians fled and Israel pursued sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their them, but Ben-ha'dad king of Syria escaped on a heads, and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your horse with horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went servant Ben-ha'dad says, `Pray, let me live.'" And he out, and captured the horses and chariots, and killed said, "Does he still live? He is my brother." 33 Now the Syrians with a great slaughter. 22 Then the the men were watching for an omen, and they prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to quickly took it up from him and said, "Yes, your him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well brother Ben-ha'dad." Then he said, "Go and bring what you have to do; for in the spring the king of him." Then Ben-ha'dad came forth to him; and he Syria will come up against you." caused him to come up into the chariot. 34 And Ben- ha'dad said to him, "The cities which my father took Springtime was traditionally the time to begin from your father I will restore; and you may military campaigning. 2Samuel 11:1 reads: “In establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Sama'ria." And Ahab said, "I will let the spring of the year, the time when kings go you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with forth to battle …” (RSV); although the literal him and let him go. Hebrew is at the return of the year, indicating Note that they encamped seven days and joined precisely when the year begins in God’s true battle on the seventh day. This is the same as it Calendar, namely, March/April in the northern was at Jericho and has a similar symbolism hemisphere. It will be so also in the Last Days (see the paper The Fall of Jericho (No. 42)). that the Spring-offensives will determine the conduct of some theatre operations such as of Ahab actually sinned by sparing the defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2007. The major Ben-hadad’s life and this subsequently brought offensives will be from Spring to Summer and great trouble to the whole of Israel (1Kgs. the King of the South will push at the King of 20:20-43). the North from Spring to Summer, and many of the sons of Shem will die in that war. The story continues in verse 35. 35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, said to his fellow at the command of the LORD, "Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were "Strike me, I pray." But the man refused to strike stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the him. 36 Then he said to him, "Because you have not plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, you have gone from me, a lion shall kill you." And and put commanders in their places; 25 and muster an as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him army like the army that you have lost, horse for and killed him. horse, and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be Josephus identified this certain man with stronger than they." And he hearkened to their voice, Micaiah in 1Kings 22:8. Severe and sometimes and did so. 26 In the spring Ben-ha'dad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against immediate consequences result from failure to Israel. 27 And the people of Israel were mustered, obey a directive from God through His servants and were provisioned, and went against them; the the prophets. people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the 37 Then he found another man, and said, "Strike me, country. 28 And a man of God came near and said to I pray." And the man struck him, smiting and the king of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, `Because wounding him. 38 So the prophet departed, and the Syrians have said, "The LORD is a god of the waited for the king by the way, disguising himself hills but he is not a god of the valleys," therefore I with a bandage over his eyes. 39 And as the king will give all this great multitude into your hand, and passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant you shall know that I am the LORD.'" 29 And they went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on soldier turned and brought a man to me, and said, the seventh day the battle was joined; and the people `Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, of Israel smote of the Syrians a hundred thousand your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a foot soldiers in one day. 30 And the rest fled into the talent of silver.' 40 And as your servant was busy here city of Aphek; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to thousand men that were left. Ben-ha'dad also fled, him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have and entered an inner chamber in the city. 31 And his decided it." 41 Then he made haste to take the servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 13

recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 And he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, `Because you The matter of swearing an oath falsely (vv. 10- have let go out of your hand the man whom I had 13) is dealt with in the paper Law and the devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'" 43 And Third Commandment (No. 255 ). 14 Then they sent to Jez'ebel, saying, "Naboth has the king of Israel went to his house resentful and 15 sullen, and came to Sama'ria. (RSV) been stoned; he is dead." As soon as Jez'ebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jez'ebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard Naboth’s Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give 1Kings 21:1-29 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead." 16 vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king 2 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, of Sama'ria. And after this Ahab said to Naboth, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 17 Then the vegetable garden, because it is near my house; and I word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems saying, 18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of good to you, I will give you its value in money." Israel, who is in Sama'ria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take This is precisely the type of situation that possession. 19 And you shall say to him, `Thus says Samuel had warned Israel about when, in their the LORD, "Have you killed, and also taken faithlessness, they had asked for a flesh-and- possession?"' And you shall say to him, `Thus says blood king like the surrounding nations (1Sam. the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'" 8:11,14). In accordance with the Law (Lev. 20 Ahab said to Eli'jah, "Have you found me, O my 25:23; Num. 36:7,8), Naboth quite rightly enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because refused to part with his inheritance, even to a you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight king of Israel. of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon you; I will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel; 22 and I will should give you the inheritance of my fathers." 4 make your house like the house of Jerobo'am the And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen son of Nebat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to of Ahi'jah, for the anger to which you have him; for he had said, "I will not give you the provoked me, and because you have made Israel to inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his sin. 23 And of Jez'ebel the LORD also said, `The bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no dogs shall eat Jez'ebel within the bounds of Jezreel.' food. 5 But Jez'ebel his wife came to him, and said to 24 Any one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no the dogs shall eat; and any one of his who dies in food?" 6 And he said to her, "Because I spoke to the open country the birds of the air shall eat." Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, `Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please you, I Jezebel’s blood was thus to join Naboth’s in the will give you another vineyard for it'; and he dust of Jezreel rather than in her capital city of 7 answered, `I will not give you my vineyard.'" And Samaria. Jez'ebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be 25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the 8 evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and Jez'ebel his wife incited. 26 He did very abominably sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, the elders and the nobles who dwelt with Naboth in 9 whom the LORD cast out before the people of his city. And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a 27 10 Israel.) And when Ahab heard those words, he rent fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and and set two base fellows opposite him, and let them fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about bring a charge against him, saying, `You have dejectedly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to cursed God and the king.' Then take him out, and 29 11 Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying, "Have you seen how stone him to death." And the men of his city, the Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the Jez'ebel had sent word to them. As it was written in 12 evil in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the the letters which she had sent to them, they evil upon his house." (RSV) proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And the two base fellows came in and sat opposite him; and the base fellows brought a In spite of the multitude of Ahab’s evil deeds, charge against Naboth, in the presence of the as soon as he fasted and humbled himself people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." before God, his repentance (however brief) was So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to accepted and the intended retribution was put death with stones. Page 14 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel upon his son’s head instead. Ahab’s repentance twenty-two letters," for which reason he was can be compared with that of King Manasseh permitted to reign for twenty-two successive years. He generously supported the students of the Law of Judah (2Chr. 33:12-13). out of his royal treasury, in consequence of which half his sins were forgiven him. Assuming Ahab as a devotee of Baal was a type of Satan, we can deduce from this that This belies the persecution of his wife of the even the present ‘king’ of this Earth will one prophets. Ahab supported both sides to cover day repent and find acceptance from God. The contingencies, as it were. Great Whore of the religious systems of this world, typified by his consort Jezebel, will be Israel and Judah at War with Syria totally cut off and destroyed, however. She We see that there had been a peace of sorts typifies the religion of the god of this world for between Israel and Syria for three years (cf. whom the name King of Tyre is an epithet. Her 20:34). However, the warlike tendencies of the death represents the cutting of Tyre and Sidon, kings of Israel soon surfaced with an attempt to symbols of religious power on this Earth. retake Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians, with Judah’s help. This was a City of Refuge, In his book, The History and Religion of Israel, probably taken in the former war (16:34; Dr. G.W. Anderson linked the breakdown in 20:43) by Ben-hadad I from Ahab’s father social justice with the introduction of the Baal Omri; however, his son Ben-hadad II agreed to system to Israel. restore it to Israel. During this time Jehoshaphat “strengthened himself against As the importation of Baal worship involved a denial of the supreme lordship of Yahweh in Israel, Israel” (2Chr. 17.1). so the ruthless removal of Naboth and his sons was 1Kings 22:1-39 For three years Syria and Israel an outrage against the status and rights of the 2 ordinary Israelite within the covenant community continued without war. But in the third year Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah came down to the and against the sanctity of the administration of 3 justice. Developments had already begun which king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his were to be increasingly evident in the kingdoms of servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the Israel and Judah: the pressure, not only of Canaanite 4 fertility religion, but of the cults of foreign hand of the king of Syria?" And he said to kingdoms; the threat to traditional norms of equity Jehosh'aphat, "Will you go with me to battle at brought about by economic and social changes; and Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your the corruption of judges and witnesses in the 5 interests of the rich and powerful. Later prophets people, my horses as your horses." And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first inveighed against these abuses. (Oxford University 6 Press, 1966; p.94) for the word of the LORD." Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go to battle against Anderson could hardly better describe the Ramoth-gilead, or shall I forbear?" And they said, situation in the nations descended from Israel "Go up; for the Lord will give it into the hand of the today, nearly 2900 years later. king." 7 But Jehosh'aphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may In its article ‘Ahab’, the Jewish Encyclopedia inquire?" 8 And the king of Israel said to gives a more favourable view of this particular Jehosh'aphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micai'ah the son of king of Israel. Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And Jehosh'aphat said, Though held up as a warning to sinners, Ahab is "Let not the king say so." 9 Then the king of Israel also described as displaying noble traits of character summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly (Sanh. 102b; Yer. Sanh. xi. 29b). Talmudic literature Micai'ah the son of Imlah." 10 Now the king of Israel represents him as an enthusiastic idolater who left and Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah were sitting on no hilltop in Palestine without an idol before which their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing he bowed, and to which he or his wife, Jezebel, floor at the entrance of the gate of Sama'ria; and all brought his weight in gold as a daily offering. So the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 And defiant in his apostasy was he that he had inscribed Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah made for himself on all the doors of the city of Samaria the words, horns of iron, and said, "Thus says the LORD, "Ahab hath abjured the living God of Israel." `With these you shall push the Syrians until they are Nevertheless, he paid great respect to the destroyed.'" 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, representatives of learning, "to the Torah given in and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 15

LORD will give it into the hand of the king." 13 And `Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in prison, and the messenger who went to summon Micai'ah said feed him with scant fare of bread and water, until I to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one come in peace."'" 28 And Micai'ah said, "If you accord are favorable to the king; let your word be return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!" 14 But Micai'ah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak." 15 And when he The word for hear is shama‘ (SHD 8085) had come to the king, the king said to him, meaning not just to listen with one’s ears but, "Micai'ah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go up more importantly, to obey or be obedient. It is and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the same term used for the ‘Shema Ysrael the king." 16 But the king said to him, "How many (Deut. 6:4). times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" 17 29 So the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the king of And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, "I will disguise myself the LORD said, `These have no master; let each and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And return to his home in peace.'" the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the The forthcoming battle against the Syrians is thirty-two captains of his chariots, "Fight with also described in 2Chronicles 18:2ff. Christ neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." 32 And when the captains of the chariots saw himself spoke of similar lost souls in Israel in Jehosh'aphat, they said, "It is surely the king of his day. Israel." So they turned to fight against him; and Jehosh'aphat cried out. 33 And when the captains of Matthew 9:35-38 And Jesus went about all the the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and they turned back from pursuing him. 34 But a certain preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king 36 every disease and every infirmity. When he saw of Israel between the scale armor and the the crowds, he had compassion for them, because breastplate; therefore he said to the driver of his they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without chariot, "Turn about, and carry me out o the battle, a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The for I am wounded." 35 And the battle grew hot that 38 harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray day, and the king was propped up in his chariot therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers facing the Syrians, until at evening he died; and the into his harvest." (RSV) blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 And about sunset a cry went through the Continuing in 1Kings 22: army, "Every man to his city, and every man to his 18 And the king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, "Did I country!" 37 So the king died, and was brought to not tell you that he would not prophesy good Sama'ria; and they buried the king in Sama'ria. 38 concerning me, but evil?" 19 And Micai'ah said, And they washed the chariot by the pool of "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the Sama'ria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of harlots washed themselves in it, according to the heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on word of the LORD which he had spoken. 39 Now the his left; 20 and the LORD said, `Who will entice rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 built, are they not written in the Book of the Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? LORD, saying, `I will entice him.' 22 And the LORD said to him, `By what means?' And he said, `I will The ivory houses mentioned in verse 39 were go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all long thought to have been inventions by the his prophets.' And he said, `You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.' 23 Now writer of the Book of Kings (i.e. Jeremiah, therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in according to the Talmud). During two the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has archaeological excavations in 1908-10 and spoken evil concerning you." 24 Then Zedeki'ah the 1931-35, however, the site of the former capital son of Chena'anah came near and struck Micai'ah on of Samaria revealed some surprising finds. the cheek, and said, "How did the Spirit of the 25 LORD go from me to speak to you?" And On the acropolis on the west side of the hill Micai'ah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day foundations and walls of a building were exposed. when you go into an inner chamber to hide 26 This enclosed a wide courtyard and was a royal yourself." And the king of Israel said, "Seize palace of the northern kingdom of Israel. … Micai'ah, and take him back to Amon the governor 27 of the city and to Jo'ash the king's son; and say, As the rubble was being carted off the diggers very Page 16 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

quickly noticed the innumerable splinters of ivory are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of that it contained. Finds of ivory in itself are nothing the Kings of Judah? 46 And the remnant of the male unusual in Palestinian excavation. On almost every cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his site this expensive material is encountered, but father Asa, he exterminated from the land. 47 There always in isolated pieces, yet in Samaria the ground was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48 is literally covered with them. At every step, every Jehosh'aphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir square yard, they came across these yellowish for gold; but they did not go, for the ships were brown chips and flakes, as well as fragments which wrecked at E'zion-ge'ber. 49 Then Ahazi'ah the son of still showed the marvellous craftsmanship of these Ahab said to Jehosh'aphat, "Let my servants go with elegant reliefs carved by Phoenician masters. … your servants in the ships," but Jehosh'aphat was not willing. Obviously this monarch did not build his entire palace of ivory. … It is now quite clear what 2Chronicles 20:35-37 expands upon the story happened: Ahab had the rooms of the palace and highlights inappropriate alliances. decorated with this wonderful material and filled 37 Then Elie'zer the son of Do-dav'ahu of Mare'shah them with ivory furniture (Keller, The Bible as prophesied against Jehosh'aphat, saying, "Because History, op. cit., p. 245-6). you have joined with Ahazi'ah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." And the ships were Once again, the Bible record stands up to the wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish. (RSV) most minute scrutiny when viewed alongside archaeological finds and in the light of secular 1Kings 22 continues: historical records. Werner Keller concurs with 50 And Jehosh'aphat slept with his fathers, and was this sentiment (hence the title of his book) by buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jeho'ram his son reigned in his stead. 51 adding: Ahazi'ah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria in the seventeenth year of Jehosh'aphat The proofs of the historical basis for the drought king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. [1Kgs. 17:1] and for Ahab’s father-in-law Ethbaal of 52 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, Sidon were provided by Menander of Ephesus, a and walked in the way of his father, and in the way Phoenician historian. … Menander records the of his mother, and in the way of Jerobo'am the son catastrophic drought which set in throughout of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 53 He served Ba'al Palestine and Syria during the reign of Ittobaal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD, the [Ethbaal] and lasted a whole year. (ibid., p.246) God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. (RSV) As we saw in 1Kings 22:37, after Ahab was killed in battle his body was taken to Samaria We can see the evil influence that Israel had and buried in that city. He thus suffered a less exerted upon Judah from 2Kings 8:26-27, ignominious end than either his wife or son. where Ahaziah “did evil in the sight of the Lord as did the house of Ahab: for he was the Ahaziah son-in-law of the house of Ahab.” The fourth dynasty in Israel continued with its ninth king, Ahaziah, son of the infamous Ahab. 2Kings 1:1-18 After the death of Ahab, Moab He ascended the throne in the 17th year of rebelled against Israel. Jehoshaphat of Judah, but reigned for only two David had previously subdued Moab (2Sam. years. 8:2) and, at the break-up of the united 1Kings 22:40-53 So Ahab slept with his fathers; Kingdom, control over them passed to Israel. and Ahazi'ah his son reigned in his stead. 41 The Moabite Stone records the rebellion of Jehosh'aphat the son of Asa began to reign over Moab following the death of King Ahab. The Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 text in 2Kings 1 continues: Jehosh'aphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in 2 Now Ahazi'ah fell through the lattice in his upper Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azu'bah the chamber in Sama'ria, and lay sick; so he sent 43 daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the way of messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Ba'al- Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing ze'bub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover what was right in the sight of the LORD; yet the from this sickness." high places were not taken away, and the people still 44 sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. A fatal mistake … as we see in verse 4. Baal- Jehosh'aphat also made peace with the king of Israel. 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehosh'aphat, zebub, the pagan lord of the flies, had its name and his might that he showed, and how he warred, changed by the Jews to Beel-zebul (lord of Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 17 dung); this became the Greek Baal-zebul (lord considered an historical event worth repeating of abominable idols) as in Matthew 12:24, and – at least to the disciples James and John, who was identified with Satan (v. 26). Consulting or happened to be in the “Samaria” of Elijah at serving ‘gods that are not gods’ or demons was the time of their request to Jesus (Lk. 9:54). strictly forbidden (Ex. 23:13; 2Kgs. 17:35, 15 etc.). Then the angel of the LORD said to Eli'jah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he 16 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Eli'jah the arose and went down with him to the king, and Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of said to him, "Thus says the LORD, `Because you the king of Sama'ria, and say to them, `Is it because have sent messengers to inquire of Ba'al-ze'bub, the there is no God in Israel that you are going to god of Ekron, – is it because there is no God in inquire of Ba'al-ze'bub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Now Israel to inquire of his word? – therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have therefore thus says the LORD, `You shall not come 17 down from the bed to which you have gone, but you gone, but you shall surely die.'" So he died shall surely die.'" So Eli'jah went. 5 The messengers according to the word of the LORD which Eli'jah returned to the king, and he said to them, "Why had spoken. Jeho'ram, his brother, became king in have you returned?" 6 And they said to him, "There his stead in the second year of Jeho'ram the son of Jehosh'aphat, king of Judah, because Ahazi'ah had came a man to meet us, and said to us, `Go back to 18 the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahazi'ah which the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel he did, are they not written in the Book of the that you are sending to inquire of Ba'al-ze'bub, the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? (RSV) god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone, but shall The taking of Elijah by a whirlwind (2Kgs. surely die.'" 7 He said to them, "What kind of man 2:1-17) is covered in the paper The Witnesses was he who came to meet you and told you these (No. 135). He was succeeded in the chief things?" 8 They answered him, "He wore a garment prophet-ship of Israel by Elisha (God is of haircloth, with a girdle of leather about his loins." And he said, "It is Eli'jah the Tishbite." salvation), who had been called by God about The true prophets of God often wore rough or ten years earlier (1Kgs. 19:16). He referred to hairy clothing (cf. Zech. 13:4) as a token of Elijah as my father, the repetition of this term their humility perhaps or as a kind of (2:12) giving an implied meaning of revered or permanent sackcloth in mourning for their beloved father-figure or mentor. The term nation and its inhabitants. John the Baptist, Father is now forbidden to the Church by who was likened to Elijah, was another prophet Christ; it is to be used of God and of no priest. clothed in rough garments (Mat.3:4; 11:8). 9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men It was noted also that Elisha had asked for a with his fifty. He went up to Eli'jah, who was sitting double portion of Elijah’s spirit before the on the top of a hill, and said to him, "O man of God, latter was “taken” by God. Bullinger suggests the king says, `Come down.'" 10 But Eli'jah answered that this was fulfilled in the number of recorded the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire miracles the two prophets performed: Elijah come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven, and performed eight miracles, Elisha sixteen consumed him and his fifty. 11 Again the king sent to miracles. him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he went up and said to him, "O man of God, this is 2Kings 2:18-25 And they came back to him, while the king's order, `Come down quickly!'" 12 But he tarried at Jericho, and he said to them, "Did I not Eli'jah answered them, "If I am a man of God, let say to you, Do not go?" 19 Now the men of the city fire come down from heaven and consume you and said to Eli'sha, "Behold, the situation of this city is your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 13 Again the the land is unfruitful." 20 He said, "Bring me a new king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21 And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt fell on his knees before Eli'jah, and entreated him, in it, and said, "Thus says the LORD, I have made "O man of God, I pray you, let my life, and the life this water wholesome; henceforth neither death nor of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your miscarriage shall come from it." 22 So the water has sight. 14 Lo, fire came down from heaven, and been wholesome to this day, according to the word consumed the two former captains of fifty men with which Eli'sha spoke. 23 He went up from there to their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some sight." small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you Elijah’s calling down of fire from heaven was baldhead!" 24 And he turned around, and when he Page 18 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. rebelled against me; will you go with me to battle And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore against Moab?" And he said, "I will go; I am as you forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to are, my people as your people, my horses as your Mount Carmel, and thence he returned to Sama'ria. horses." 8 Then he said, "By which way shall we (RSV) march?" Jeho'ram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom." 9 So the king of Israel went The Hebrew word na’ar used here was also with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And applied to Isaac (28 years old), Joseph (39) and when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the Rehoboam (40), as per Bullinger’s note beasts which followed them. 10 Then the king of (Comp. Bible). It means youth and covers the Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three same broad meaning. kings to give them into the hand of Moab."

Jehoram In this case God arranged for the Moabites to The tenth king to reign in Israel was Jehoram succeed in the battle against an unlikely or Joram, Ahab’s son by Jezebel and the alliance of Israel, Judah and Edom. The latter’s brother of the previous king Ahaziah who seven-day circuit through the wilderness was produced no male heir (v. 17). Coincidentally, not to have the positive result achieved by there was a king named Jehoram on the throne Joshua and the Israelites when they circled of Judah at the same time; he had all his around Jericho in seven days (see the paper brothers killed as potential rivals (2Chr. 21:4). The Fall of Jericho (No. 142)). This Jehoram also married Athaliah, daughter Elisha’s Prophecy of Ahab and Jezebel, and by so doing 11 effectively introduced idolatry into Judah from And Jehosh'aphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the Israel (cf. 2Chr. 21:5-6). LORD?" Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Eli'sha the son of Shaphat is here, who 2Chronicles 21:13 but have walked in the way of poured water on the hands of Eli'jah." 12 And the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the Jehosh'aphat said, "The word of the LORD is with inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, as the him." So the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat and the house of Ahab led Israel into unfaithfulness, and king of Edom went down to him. 13 And Eli'sha said also you have killed your brothers, of your father's to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? house, who were better than yourself; (RSV) Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, Israel was consistently held up as an example "No; it is the LORD who has called these three that Judah ought not to follow (also 2Chr. kings to give them into the hand of Moab." 14 And 17:4). Eli'sha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I have regard for Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you, nor 2Kings 3:1-27 In the eighteenth year of 15 Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, Jeho'ram the son of see you. But now bring me a minstrel." And when the minstrel played, the power of the LORD came Ahab became king over Israel in Sama'ria, and he 16 2 upon him. And he said, "Thus says the LORD, `I reigned twelve years. He did what was evil in the 17 sight of the LORD, though not like his father and will make this dry stream-bed full of pools.' For mother, for he put away the pillar of Ba'al which his thus says the LORD, `You shall not see wind or father had made. 3 Nevertheless he clung to the sin rain, but that stream-bed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your cattle, and your of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel 18 to sin; he did not depart from it. beasts.' This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also give the Moabites into your 19 Jehoram’s evil was tempered somewhat by the hand, and you shall conquer every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, fact that he got rid of the pillar dedicated to and stop up all springs of water, and ruin every good Baal worship in Samaria. piece of land with stones." 20 The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; water came from the direction of Edom, till the and he had to deliver annually to the king of Israel a country was filled with water. 21 When all the hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of a hundred Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight thousand rams. 5 But when Ahab died, the king of against them, all who were able to put on armor, Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King from the youngest to the oldest, were called out, and Jeho'ram marched out of Sama'ria at that time and were drawn up at the frontier. 22 And when they rose mustered all Israel. 7 And he went and sent word to early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, "The king of Moab has water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 19

red as blood. 23 And they said, "This is blood; the they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels kings have surely fought together, and slain one were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!" 24 But when vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told and attacked the Moabites, till they fled before the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and them; and they went forward, slaughtering the pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on Moabites as they went. 25 And they overthrew the the rest." cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone, until it was covered; they stopped Elisha and the Shunemite every spring of water, and felled all the good trees; till only its stones were left in Kir-har'eseth, and the The following story has a number of parallels slingers surrounded and conquered it. 26 When the with that of Elijah and the poor widow of king of Moab saw that the battle was going against Zarephath (1Kgs. 17:10ff.). him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they 8 One day Eli'sha went on to Shunem, where a could not. 27 Then he took his eldest son who was to wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some reign in his stead, and offered him for a burnt food. So whenever he passed that way, he would offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath turn in there to eat food. 9 And she said to her upon Israel; and they withdrew from him and husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy returned to their own land. (RSV) man of God, who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and This barbaric practice of burning one’s first- put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, born son in offering to a god (e.g. Chemosh) so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there." (RSV) was apparently endemic in the Middle East, which is perhaps why Abraham was not fazed The word used to describe the woman can by the Angel’s request to sacrifice his son Isaac mean either monetarily wealthy or a person of (cf. the paper The Angel and Abraham’s high standing in the community. The chamber Sacrifice (No. 71)). The Israelites had to be told given to Elisha became a safe haven or specifically to desist from such an abomination sanctuary for him, a type of Tabernacle, with (Lev. 18:21), although many ignored the its table (cf. shewbread) and lamp stand. It was injunction. The kings of Israel appeared almost as if Elisha’s bed also became a holy particularly prone (2Kgs. 16:3; 2Chr. 33:6). thing as it had played a part in healings (2Kgs. 4:21; cf. also Elijah’s bed in 1Kgs 17:19) and The great wrath upon Israel may have before which the prophet offered up his reflected the demons being permitted to punish prayers; hence, it could perhaps be likened to Israel and allow the Moabites to gain their the altar of incense. freedom. Israel’s joint expedition to bring Moab to heel had failed, and it was King The rest of the story of Elisha and the Mesha who gained the ascendancy. He took Shunemite woman (2Kgs. 4:11-37) is dealt many cities belonging to Reuben and Gad (e.g. with in the paper Song of Songs (No. 145). Aroer, Dibon and Kerioth) as a sort of prelude to what would happen under the Assyrians, 2Kings 4:38-44 And Eli'sha came again to Gilgal when these tribes to the east of the Jordan when there was a famine in the land. And as the would be among the first to go into captivity. sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Set on the great pot, and boil pottage 39 2Kings 4:1-44 Now the wife of one of the sons of for the sons of the prophets." One of them went the prophets cried to Eli'sha, "Your servant my out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild husband is dead; and you know that your servant vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of pottage, feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take 40 my two children to be his slaves." 2 And Eli'sha said not knowing what they were. And they poured out to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the pottage, they cried out, "O man of God, there is you in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant 41 has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil." 3 Then death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. He he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels of all your said, "Then bring meal." And he threw it into the 4 pot, and said, "Pour out for the men, that they may neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go 42 in, and shut the door upon yourself and your sons, eat." And there was no harm in the pot. A man and pour into all these vessels; and when one is full, came from Ba'al-shal'ishah, bringing the man of set it aside." 5 So she went from him and shut the God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, door upon herself and her sons; and as she poured and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Eli'sha said, Page 20 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

"Give to the man, that they may eat." 43 But his the morning and went out, behold, an army with servant said, "How am I to set this before a hundred horses and chariots was round about the city. And men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we they may eat, for thus says the LORD, `They shall do?" 16 He said, "Fear not, for those who are with eat and have some left.'" 44 So he set it before them. us are more than those who are with them." 17 And they ate, and had some left, according to the Then Eli'sha prayed, and said, "O LORD, I pray word of the LORD. (RSV) thee, open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and The feeding of the hundred men here is one of behold, the mountain was full of horses and three miracles in the Bible concerned with chariots of fire round about Eli'sha. feeding a multitude (see Mat. 14:20; 15:34,38). Elisha was forewarned by the Angel of God of This event took place during the Passover the intent of the king of Syria (probably Ben- season as the first-fruits of the barley harvest hadad of 1Kgs. 20:1), who became so are mentioned (see The Passover (No. 98)). frustrated that his plans were being revealed in The town in Ephraim from which the man advance to Israel that he set out to capture the came was Baal-shalishah, meaning thrice-great prophet. However, Elisha’s servant saw an lord (BDB). angelic army that more than matched the Syrian army surrounding the city of Dothan. The complete text of 2Kings 5 concerning Such a Host is alluded to in Isaiah 66 (cf. also Naaman, the Syrian leper, is dealt with in the Ps. 34:7). paper The Messages of Revelation 14 (No. 270). The above incident had a remarkable parallel during a First World War battle in France when The Army of God 2Kings 6:1-33 Now the sons of the prophets said to the British and their allies were in danger of Eli'sha, "See, the place where we dwell under your being overrun by the Germans. The incident charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan concerned the so-called White Cavalry, as and each of us get there a log, and let us make a witnessed by British Captain Cecil Hayward. place for us to dwell there." And he answered, "Go." 3 Then one of them said, "Be pleased to go with your The following account of what occurred between servants." And he answered, "I will go." 4 So he the months of April and August, 1918, I can went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, personally vouch for as being true; … I was they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, responsible for the intelligence on this sector of the his axe head fell into the water; and he cried out, battle area, and therefore made my headquarters in "Alas, my master! It was borrowed." 6 Then the man the bright little town of Bethune … of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in The British troops had been in the trenches fighting 7 there, and made the iron float. And he said, "Take for weeks without rest or relief owing to the fact it up." So he reached out his hand and took it. 8 Once that reserves were practically exhausted. when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, "At such … the enemy shellfire, which had been largely 9 and such a place shall be my camp." But the man directed against the shattered town of Bethune, of God sent word to the king of Israel, "Beware that suddenly lifted and began to burst on a slight rise you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going beyond its outskirts. This open ground was down there." 10 And the king of Israel sent to the absolutely bare of trees, houses or human beings, place of which the man of God told him. Thus he yet the enemy gunfire broke on it with increasing used to warn him, so that he saved himself there fury, and was augmented by heavy bursts of massed 11 more than once or twice. And the mind of the king machine guns which raked it backward and forward of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing; with a hail of lead. We stood looking in and he called his servants and said to them, "Will astonishment. you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel 12 [Jehoram]?" And one of his servants said, "None, "Fritz has gone barmy, sir," said the Sergeant. "What my lord, O king; but Eli'sha, the prophet who is in in the world is he peppering the naked ground for?" Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you "I can't think," I replied. "Get along down to the speak in your bedchamber." 13 And he said, "Go and canal and see what is happening there." see where he is, that I may send and seize him." It was told him, "Behold, he is in Dothan." 14 So he I followed him shortly afterwards, being eager to sent there horses and chariots and a great army; and see for myself, as there were obviously no troops they came by night, and surrounded the city. 15 within sight against whom the Germans could be When the servant of the man of God rose early in directing their fire. As I made my way over the Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 21

scattered debris of the ruined houses, the enemy's stricken, and around me were hundreds of terrified fire suddenly ceased, and a curious calm fell on men, whimpering like children, throwing away their everything. … arms and accoutrements in order not to have their movements impeded … all running. Their one Outlined on the slight rise by the La Bassee village, desire was to get away from that advancing White and as far as we could see, was a dense line of Cavalry; above all from their awe-inspiring leader German troops, who a short time before had whose hair shone like a golden aureole. commenced a forward movement to victory, in mass formation. This line suddenly halted, and, as we That is all I have to tell you. We are beaten. The watched, we saw it break! German Army is broken. There may be fighting, but we have lost the war. We are beaten – by the White Before our astonished eyes, that well-drilled and Cavalry … I cannot understand … I cannot seemingly victorious army broke up into groups of understand." frightened men who were fleeing from us, throwing down their arms, haversacks, rifles, coats and During the following few days I examined many anything which might impede their flight. prisoners, and in substance, their accounts tallied with the one given here. This is in spite of the fact It was not long before my Sergeant arrived with two that at least two of us could swear that we saw no German officer prisoners … Briefly, the statement cavalry in action, here or elsewhere, at that the senior German officer made was as follows: particular time. Neither did any of us see so much as a single white horse either with or without a rider. The order had been given to advance in mass But it was not necessary for us to do so, the formation, and our troops were marching behind us evidence of their presence had to come from the singing their way to victory; when Friedrich my enemy. lieutenant here said: It appears that the God of Hosts had indeed "Herr Kapitan, just look at that open ground behind dispatched an angelic army (although not a Bethune. There is a brigade of cavalry coming up through the smoke drifting across it. They must be fiery one) at a critical point in the battle. In this mad, these English, to advance against such a force instance, the whole of the German Army was as ours in the open. I suppose they must be cavalry able to see the White Cavalry; the British of one of their Colonial Forces, for, see, they are all soldiers saw nothing. While this incident may in white uniform and are mounted on white horses." sound mythical, the fact that it was recorded by the British from German eyewitnesses and the "Strange," I said. "I have never heard of the English having any white-uniformed cavalry, whether British involved saw nothing would tend to Colonial or not. They have all been fighting on foot indicate its authenticity. for several years past, and anyway, they are in khaki, not white." Obviously enough men had died on both sides and the Host had intervened to shorten the "We saw the shells bursting among the horses and their riders, all of whom came forward at a quiet conflict. walk-trot, in parade-ground formation, each man and horse in his exact place. Shortly afterwards our The story of Elisha and the Syrian host machine guns opened a heavy fire, raking the continues in 2Kings 6. advancing cavalry with a hail of lead; but on they 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, came and not a single man or horse fell. Eli'sha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray thee, with blindness." So he struck Steadily they advanced, clear in the shining them with blindness in accordance with the prayer sunlight; and a few paces in front of them rode their of Eli'sha. 19 And Eli'sha said to them, "This is not leader, a fine figure of a man, whose hair, like spun the way, and this is not the city; follow me, and I gold, shone in an aura round his head. By his side will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he was a great sword, but his hands lay quietly holding led them to Sama'ria. 20 As soon as they entered the reins, as his huge white charger bore him Sama'ria, Eli'sha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of proudly forward. these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and lo, they were in the In spite of heavy shell and concentrated machine- midst of Sama'ria. 21 When the king of Israel saw gun fire, the White Cavalry advanced, remorseless them he said to Eli'sha, "My father, shall I slay as fate, like the incoming tide surging over a sandy them? Shall I slay them?" 22 He answered, "You beach. … shall not slay them. Would you slay those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with Then a great fear fell on me, and I turned to flee; your bow? Set bread and water before them, that yes, I, an Officer of the Prussian Guard, fled, panic they may eat and drink and go to their master." 23 So Page 22 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

he prepared for them a great feast; and when they It seems beheading was a routine method of had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they killing God’s prophets in these times: Elisha went to their master. And the Syrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel. here was threatened with it, while John the Baptist suffered it, as did many martyrs for the Here we see the correct conduct in dealing with truth (Rev. 20:4). Their reward, however, is prisoners of war when not told specifically by pre-eminence in the First Resurrection. God to extirpate them. It is normally the sign of a civilised society to be magnanimous in At the height of the siege and consequent victory, although the decision in this case was famine in the city, Elisha made the most to have an unfortunate outcome. We see in incredible prophecy: an imminent end to the verse 21 the king of Israel also deferring to famine and an abundance of food to follow. Elisha as his “father”, a title of honour and 2Kings 7:1-20 But Eli'sha said, "Hear the word of affection. the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine meal shall be sold for a Siege and famine in Israel shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at 2 24 Afterward Ben-ha'dad king of Syria mustered his the gate of Sama'ria." Then the captain on whose entire army, and went up, and besieged Sama'ria. 25 hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the And there was a great famine in Sama'ria, as they LORD himself should make windows in heaven, besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for eighty could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it." dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a A minor historical point is made by Werner woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O Keller concerning the person known as the king!" 27 And he said, "If the LORD will not help captain (lord: KJV) in verse 2. The Hebrew you, whence shall I help you? From the threshing word is shaliysh (SHD 7991), from the root floor, or from the wine press?" 28 And the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "This meaning three or triad. He states: woman said to me, `Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' 29 So Every chariot was manned by three men: the driver, we boiled my son, and ate him. And on the next day the fighter, and a man who stood behind him. With I said to her, `Give your son, that we may eat him'; outstretched arms he held on to two short straps but she has hidden her son." which were fastened to the right and left sides of the chariot. In this way he protected the warrior and the This gruesome incident reflected the dire driver in the rear and prevented them from being thrown out during those furious sallies in battle situation in which the inhabitants of the city of when the open car passed over dead and wounded Samaria found themselves. The curse of men. This then was the “third man” … the strap- Deuteronomy 28:50-57 – promised long before hanger in King Jehoram’s chariot. (op. cit., p. 247) by Moses as an inevitable consequence of disobedience to God – had come upon Samaria. The third man would presumably have carried a shield on his back for his own protection in 30 When the king heard the words of the woman he addition to his armour to avoid the fate suffered rent his clothes – now he was passing by upon the by King Jehoram (2Kgs. 9:24). This man is wall – and the people looked, and behold, he had mentioned again in verse 17, where he comes sackcloth beneath upon his body – 31 and he said, "May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of to an unfortunate end. Eli'sha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders 3 today." 32 Eli'sha was sitting in his house, and the Now there were four men who were lepers at the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had entrance to the gate; and they said to one another, 4 dispatched a man from his presence; but before the "Why do we sit here till we die? If we say, `Let us messenger arrived Eli'sha said to the elders, "Do enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall you see how this murderer has sent to take off my die there; and if we sit here, we die also. So now head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians; if they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us door, and hold the door fast against him. Is not the 5 sound of his master's feet behind him?" 33 And while we shall but die." So they arose at twilight to go to he was still speaking with them, the king came the camp of the Syrians; but when they came to the down to him and said, "This trouble is from the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was 6 LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any no one there. For the Lord had made the army of longer?" (RSV) the Syrians hear the sound of chariots, and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 23

to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired had said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of you shall not eat of it." 20 And so it happened to him, Egypt to come upon us." 7 So they fled away in the for the people trod upon him in the gate and he died. twilight and forsook their tents, their horses, and (RSV) their asses, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. This text seems to represent a fatal lesson in not believing the words of God’s true prophets This time it was just the sound of a huge army and in blasphemously suggesting a limit to which caused panic in the Syrian host. They God’s power. Elisha prepared the Shunemite seemed to have forgotten about the angelic woman for the approaching seven-year famine army previously sent to unsettle them, as they by sending her to “Egypt”, just as the Patriarch attributed the sound to the Hittites or Jacob had sent his sons there for sustenance Egyptians. during a similar famine in Palestine. In this 8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the case she went to the land of the Philistines. camp, they went into a tent, and ate and drank, and Once again, Egypt is represented as a place of they carried off silver and gold and clothing, and sanctuary. went and hid them; then they came back, and entered another tent, and carried off things from it, 2Kings 8:1-15 Now Eli'sha had said to the woman and went and hid them. 9 Then they said to one whose son he had restored to life, "Arise, and depart another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day with your household, and sojourn wherever you can; of good news; if we are silent and wait until the for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will morning light, punishment will overtake us; now come upon the land for seven years." 2 So the therefore come, let us go and tell the king's woman arose, and did according to the word of the household." 10 So they came and called to the man of God; she went with her household and gatekeepers of the city, and told them, "We came to sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no And at the end of the seven years, when the woman one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses returned from the land of the Philistines, she went tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were." forth to appeal to the king for her house and her 11 Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told land. 4 Now the king was talking with Geha'zi the within the king's household. 12 And the king rose in servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me all the the night, and said to his servants, "I will tell you great things that Eli'sha has done." 5 And while he what the Syrians have prepared against us. They was telling the king how Eli'sha had restored the know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had out of the camp to hide themselves in the open restored to life appealed to the king for her house country, thinking, `When they come out of the city, and her land. And Geha'zi said, "My lord, O king, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'" 13 here is the woman, and here is her son whom Eli'sha And one of his servants said, "Let some men take restored to life." 6 And when the king asked the five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who woman, she told him. So the king appointed an are left here will fare like the whole multitude of official for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, Israel that have already perished; let us send and together with all the produce of the fields from the see." 14 So they took two mounted men, and the king day that she left the land until now." 7 Now Eli'sha sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go came to Damascus. Ben-ha'dad the king of Syria and see." 15 So they went after them as far as the was sick; and when it was told him, "The man of Jordan; and, lo, all the way was littered with God has come here," 8 the king said to Haz'ael, garments and equipment which the Syrians had "Take a present with you and go to meet the man of thrown away in their haste. And the messengers God, and inquire of the LORD through him, saying, returned, and told the king. 16 Then the people went `Shall I recover from this sickness?'" 9 So Haz'ael out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a went to meet him, and took a present with him, all measure of fine meal was sold for a shekel, and two kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. measures of barley for a shekel, according to the When he came and stood before him, he said, "Your word of the LORD. 17 Now the king had appointed son Ben-ha'dad king of Syria has sent me to you, the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge saying, `Shall I recover from this sickness?'" 10 And of the gate; and the people trod upon him in the Eli'sha said to him, "Go, say to him, `You shall gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said certainly recover'; but the LORD has shown me that when the king came down to him. 18 For when the he shall certainly die." 11 And he fixed his gaze and man of God had said to the king, "Two measures of stared at him, until he was ashamed. And the man of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a measure of God wept. 12 And Haz'ael said, "Why does my lord fine meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that the gate of Sama'ria," 19 the captain had answered you will do to the people of Israel; you will set on the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make fire their fortresses, and you will slay their young windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he men with the sword, and dash in pieces their little Page 24 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

ones, and rip up their women with child." 13 And master, that I may avenge on Jez'ebel the blood of Haz'ael said, "What is your servant, who is but a my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the dog, that he should do this great thing?" Eli'sha servants of the LORD. 8 For the whole house of answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab to be king over Syria." 14 Then he departed from every male, bond or free, in Israel. 9 And I will make Eli'sha, and came to his master, who said to him, the house of Ahab like the house of Jerobo'am the "What did Eli'sha say to you?" And he answered, son of Nebat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son "He told me that you would certainly recover." 15 of Ahi'jah. 10 And the dogs shall eat Jez'ebel in the But on the morrow he took the coverlet and dipped territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her." Then it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. he opened the door, and fled. And Haz'ael became king in his stead. (RSV) This was the third time that God had arranged Ben-hadad of Syria was thus smothered to for all the males of a king’s house to be death by his servant Hazael, who then ascended slaughtered; the others involved Jeroboam and the throne. We saw earlier that Jehoram, king Baasha, who was the one destined to kill of Israel, was also killed by someone close to Jeroboam’s descendants (cf. 1Kgs. 15:29; him, namely his commander, Jehu (see below). 16:11). Jehoram had reigned for 12 years. 11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad Jehu fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You The eleventh king of Israel was Jehu, an army know the fellow and his talk." 12 And they said, commander and expert charioteer (2Kgs. 9:20) "That is not true; tell us now." And he said, "Thus who was anointed king by Elisha in Ramoth- and so he spoke to me, saying, `Thus says the gilead while he and his troops waited for an LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.'" 13 Then in expected Syrian attack. He was also haste every man of them took his garment, and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the commissioned by the prophet to wipe out the trumpet, and proclaimed, "Jehu is king." 14 Thus whole house of Ahab. Jehu the son of Jehosh'aphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Haz'ael Jehu began the fourth dynasty, which was to 15 last for nearly 90 years. While varying widely king of Syria; but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians on most of their chronologies of the kings, had given him, when he fought with Haz'ael king of biblical scholars almost universally agree that Syria.) So Jehu said, "If this is your mind, then let his reign covered the period 842 to 814 BCE, no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in thus providing a reference point for dating Jezreel." 16 Then Jehu mounted his chariot, and before and after. The dates for the start of went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahazi'ah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram. Jeroboam’s reign (932 BCE) and the captivity of Israel (722 BCE) are also reasonably certain. This wasn’t the first time that a prophet of God was called mad; Messiah himself suffered the 2Kings 9:1-37 Then Eli'sha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Gird up accusation (Jn. 10:20). Joram here is King your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, Jehoram, the tenth ruler in Israel since the split and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 And when you arrive, with Judah. Ahaziah was the son of Athaliah look there for Jehu the son of Jehosh'aphat, son of and thus the grandson of the infamous Ahab Nimshi; and go in and bid him rise from among his and Jezebel; and “his mother was his counselor fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber. 3 Then take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, in doing wickedly” (2Chr. 22:3). Again, an `Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.' unrighteous king’s downfall was occasioned by Then open the door and flee; do not tarry." 4 So the God (v. 7). Ahaziah was also the grandson of young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 the noble Jehoshaphat of Judah who, unlike the And when he came, behold, the commanders of the kings of Israel, “sought the Lord with all his army were in council; and he said, "I have an errand to you, O commander." And Jehu said, "To which of heart” (v. 9). 6 us all?" And he said, "To you, O commander." So 17 he arose, and went into the house; and the young Now the watchman was standing on the tower in man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel, I anoint came, and said, "I see a company." And Joram said, 7 "Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. 18 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your him say, `Is it peace?'" So a man on horseback went to meet him, and said, "Thus says the king, `Is Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 25

it peace?'" And Jehu said, "What have you to do Jehu pursued him, and said, "Shoot him also"; and with peace? Turn round and ride behind me." And they shot him in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, the watchman reported, saying, "The messenger which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megid'do, and reached them, but he is not coming back." 19 Then he died there. 28 His servants carried him in a chariot to sent out a second horseman, who came to them, and Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his said, "Thus the king has said, `Is it peace?'" And fathers in the city of David. Jehu answered, "What have you to do with peace? Turn round and ride behind me." 20 Again the Thus we see Jehu killing both kings Jehoram of watchman reported, "He reached them, but he is not Israel and Ahaziah of Judah in quick coming back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he drives furiously." 21 succession. The latter had only just recovered Joram said, "Make ready." And they made ready his from wounds received while fighting the chariot. Then Jora king of Israel and Ahazi'ah king Syrians (v. 15), but was killed by divine of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to command to avenge the death of Naboth and meet Jehu, and met him at the property of Naboth 22 his sons (vv. 25-26). Jehu was commissioned the Jezreelite. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, by Elijah to destroy the whole house of Ahab "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the harlotries and the sorceries including his wife Jezebel. It is noted that of your mother Jez'ebel are so many?" Jehoram’s body was cast into Naboth’s field; he thereby joined his mother Jezebel’s blood in Asking about peace three times was perhaps an the dust of Jezreel, in accordance with the earnest desire for a peace that could never earlier prophecy (1Kgs. 21:23). come at this juncture (cf. Jer. 6:14; 8:11); for, “the way of peace they know not” (Isa. 59:8). 29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, 30 However, there is to be a day when peace does Ahazi'ah began to reign over Judah. When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jez'ebel heard of it; and she painted break out according to the word of God’s true her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out of prophets. the window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your Jeremiah 28:9 As for the prophet who prophesies master?" 32 And he lifted up his face to the window, peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent eunuchs looked out at him. 33 He said, "Throw her the prophet." (RSV) down." So they threw her down; and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and As Jezebel personified idolatrous pagan they trampled on her. 34 Then he went in and ate and practices, it appears there will be no real peace drank; and he said, "See now to this cursed woman, 35 within or between the nations until all these and bury her; for she is a king's daughter." But when they went to bury her, they found no more of Babylonian influences have been removed, and her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her the wall of separation between God and hands. 36 When they came back and told him, he mankind generally that was built upon this said, "This is the word of the LORD, which he idolatry is torn down. Harlotries represent spoke by his servant Eli'jah the Tishbite, `In the idolatry, and sorceries (witchcrafts: KJV) are territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jez'ebel; 37 and the corpse of Jez'ebel shall be as spiritism, the two words being used together in dung upon the face of the field in the territory of Numbers 24:1, 25:1 and 31:16. Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jez'ebel.'" (RSV) 23 Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahazi'ah, "Treachery, O Ahazi'ah!" 24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram This signifies that the entire Babylonian between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his mystery religion will one day be brought to heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to remembrance no more; it is to be thoroughly Bidkar his aide, "Take him up, and cast him on the eliminated. plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the LORD uttered this In connection with Jezreel, the prophet Hosea oracle against him: 26 `As surely as I saw yesterday (Hoshea) mentioned the final captivity and the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons – says deportation of Israel that was to happen during the LORD – I will requite you on this plot of the reign of his namesake, King Hoshea. ground.' Now therefore take him up and cast him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of Hosea 1:4-7a And the LORD said to him, "Call his the LORD." 27 When Ahazi'ah the king of Judah saw name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. And the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will Page 26 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 12 Then he set out and went to Sama'ria. On the way, And on that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu valley of Jezreel." 6 She conceived again and bore a met the kinsmen of Ahazi'ah king of Judah, and he daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Call her said, "Who are you?" And they answered, "We are name Not pitied, for I will no more have pity on the the kinsmen of Ahazi'ah, and we came down to visit house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother." have pity on the house of Judah, and I will deliver 14 He said, "Take them alive." And they took them them by the LORD their God; (RSV) alive, and slew them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty- two persons, and he spared none of them. 15 And The whole house of Ahab was about to be cut when he departed from there, he met Jehon'adab the off, with literal beheadings of his 70 “sons” or son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him, and said to him, "Is your heart true to my heart descendants, possibly including his grandsons as mine is to yours?" And Jehon'adab answered, "It and great-grandsons. is." Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him 2Kings 10:1-36 Now Ahab had seventy sons in into the chariot. 16 And he said, "Come with me, and Sama'ria. So Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to see my zeal for the LORD." So he had him ride in Sama'ria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and his chariot. to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 "Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your Jehonadab, son of Rechab, was a Kenite and a master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and descendant of Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (see weapons, 3 select the best and fittest of your master's the paper Descendants of Abraham Part IV: sons and set him on his father's throne, and fight for Sons of Keturah (No. 212D)). He was to prove your master's house." 4 But they were exceedingly a loyal assistant to Jehu in the destruction of afraid, and said, "Behold, the two kings could not the Baal system in Israel – with possible repeat stand before him; how then can we stand?" 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the application to the Last Days.

city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent 17 to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, and we will And when he came to Sama'ria, he slew all that do all that you bid us. We will not make any one remained to Ahab in Sama'ria, till he had wiped 6 them out, according to the word of the LORD which king; do whatever is good in your eyes." Then he 18 wrote to them a second letter, saying, "If you are on he spoke to Eli'jah. Then Jehu assembled all the people, and said to them, "Ahab served Ba'al a little; my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the 19 heads of your master's sons, and come to me at but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call Jezreel tomorrow at this time." Now the king's sons, to me all the prophets of Ba'al, all his worshipers seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, and all his priests; let none be missing, for I have a who were bringing them up. 7 And when the letter great sacrifice to offer to Ba'al; whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu did it with cunning in order came to them, they took the king's sons, and slew 20 them, seventy persons, and put their heads in to destroy the worshipers of Ba'al. And Jehu 8 ordered, "Sanctify a solemn assembly for Ba'al." So baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. When the 21 messenger came and told him, "They have brought they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent throughout all the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Lay them in Israel; and all the worshipers of Ba'al came, so that two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the there was not a man left who did not come. And 9 they entered the house of Ba'al, and the house of morning." Then in the morning, when he went out, 22 he stood, and said to all the people, "You are Ba'al was filled from one end to the other. He said innocent. It was I who conspired against my master, to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, "Bring 10 out the vestments for all the worshipers of Ba'al." and slew him; but who struck down all these? 23 Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing So he brought out the vestments for them. Then of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke Jehu went into the house of Ba'al with Jehon'adab concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD has the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of done what he said by his servant Eli'ah." 11 So Jehu Ba'al, "Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshipers of slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in 24 Jezreel, all his great men, and his familiar friends, Ba'al." Then he went in to offer sacrifices and and his priests, until he left him none remaining. burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, and said, "The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall Hence, according to the prophecy of Elijah forfeit his life." 25 So as soon as he had made an end (9:8), the whole household in Jezreel loyal to of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard King Ahab was killed. These were not just his and to the officers, "Go in and slay them; let not a blood relatives, but also those who had advised man escape." So when they put them to the sword, and ministered as priests to Ahab. And Jehu the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Ba'al 26 and they hadn’t finished yet. brought out the pillar that was in the house of Ba'al, Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 27

and burned it. 27 And they demolished the pillar of Manasseh was cut off because of the sins of Ba'al, and demolished the house of Ba'al, and made Jehu. It is of note that the three capitals of the it a latrine to this day. 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Ba'al from Israel. Northern Kingdom after the division, namely Shechem, Tirzah and Samaria, were all located This destruction of the Baal system in Israel, within the tribal territory of Manasseh. In a albeit temporary (and seen earlier with the sense we thus have three “over-turnings” (from prophet Elijah), is mentioned in the paper Jerusalem) of the capital of the northern tribes Seven Days of the Feasts (No. 49). And, in (cf. Ezek. 21:26-27). spite of Jehu’s zeal and being used in such a mighty way, he still retained Jeroboam’s golden Despite his idolatry, Jehu’s dynasty was to be calves – apparently a separate form of idolatry the longest in Israel’s history. to the Baal system. Jehoahaz 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of The twelfth king of Israel was Jehoahaz Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to (Jehovah has seized), son of Jehu. His reign sin, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and in Dan. 30 And the LORD said to Jehu, "Because you lasted 17 years. have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according 2Kings 13:1-9 In the twenty-third year of Jo'ash the to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth son of Ahazi'ah, king of Judah, Jeho'ahaz the son of generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." 31 But Jehu began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and he 2 Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the reigned seventeen years. He did what was evil in LORD the God of Israel with all his heart; he did the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of not turn from the sins of Jerobo'am, which he made Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to 3 Israel to sin. 32 In those days the LORD began to cut sin; he did not depart from them. And the anger of off parts of Israel. Haz'ael defeated them throughout the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, them continually into the hand of Haz'ael king of all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Syria and into the hand of Ben-ha'dad the son of 4 Reubenites, and the Manas'sites, from Aro'er, which Haz'ael. Then Jeho'ahaz besought the LORD, and is by the valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and the LORD hearkened to him; for he saw the Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria that he did, and all his might, are they not written in oppressed them. the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him It was the typical and oft-repeated cycle of in Sama'ria. And Jeho'ahaz his son reigned in his idolatry/punishment/repentance, but again God stead. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in took note of the latter and provided a means of Sama'ria was twenty-eight years. (RSV) deliverance, in this case a saviour – either an It is by God’s will here that parts of Israel are angel, or Elisha, or a general of Jehovah (cf. v. conquered, such as all of the eastern side of the 25; 14:27; Bullinger‘s note). Jordan by Hazael of Syria. He greatly punished 5 (Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that Israel as foretold by Elisha (2Kgs. 8:12); they escaped from the hand of the Syrians; and the however, the Syrians appeared not to have people of Israel dwelt in their homes as formerly. 6 taken the Israelites into captivity as happened Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the later with the Assyrians. house of Jerobo'am, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Ashe'rah also remained in Sama'ria.) 7 For there was not left to Jeho'ahaz an Jehu had also been forced to pay tribute to army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots King Shalmaneser III of Assyria as noted on and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had the so-called Black Obelisk (now in the British destroyed them and made them like the dust at 8 Museum, London), discovered by A.H. Layard threshing. Now the rest of the acts of Jeho'ahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in in 1846 during an archaeological excavation at the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 Nimrud, south of Baghdad. The Obelisk also So Jeho'ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried mentions King Hazael of Damascus (2Kgs. him in Sama'ria; and Jo'ash his son reigned in his 8:28; 9:14). Some commentators suggest that stead. (RSV) this Shalmaneser had even assisted Jehu to claim the throne of Israel. Jehoash The thirteenth man to ascend the throne of Page 28 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Israel was Jehoash (given by the Lord: BDB), his son became king in his stead. 25 Then Jeho'ash son of the previous king, Jehoahaz. the son of Jeho'ahaz took again from Ben-ha'dad the son of Haz'ael the cities which he had taken from 2Kings 13:10-25 In the thirty-seventh year of Jo'ash Jeho'ahaz his father in war. Three times Jo'ash king of Judah Jeho'ash the son of Jeho'ahaz began to defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and he reigned sixteen (RSV) years. 11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jehoash actually regained territory lost to Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to Syria. The arrows represented God’s sin, but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the deliverance, to happen three times only. In acts of Jo'ash, and all that he did, and the might with verse 20 we again see that the spring months which he fought against Amazi'ah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the were the time for war (cf. 2Sam. 11:1). Kings of Israel? 13 So Jo'ash slept with his fathers, and Jerobo'am sat upon his throne; and Jo'ash was 2Kings 14:1-22 In the second year of Jo'ash the son 14 of Jo'ahaz, king of Israel, Amazi'ah the son of buried in Sama'ria with the kings of Israel. Now 2 when Eli'sha had fallen sick with the illness of Jo'ash, king of Judah, began to reign. He was which he was to die, Jo'ash king of Israel went twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His down to him, and wept before him, crying, "My 3 father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its mother's name was Jeho-ad'din of Jerusalem. And horsemen!" 15 And Eli'sha said to him, "Take a bow he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet 16 not like David his father; he did in all things as and arrows"; so he took a bow and arrows. Then 4 he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the bow"; and he Jo'ash his father had done. But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and drew it. And Eli'sha laid his hands upon the king's 5 hands. 17 And he said, "Open the window eastward"; burned incense on the high places. And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand he killed his and he opened it. Then Eli'sha said, "Shoot"; and he 6 shot. And he said, "The LORD's arrow of victory, servants who had slain the king his father. But he the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight did not put to death the children of the murderers; the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of according to what is written in the book of the law them." 18 And he said, "Take the arrows"; and he of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "The took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike fathers shall not be put to death for the children, or the ground with them"; and he struck three times, the children be put to death for the fathers; but every and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with man shall die for his own sin." him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until This injunction is from Exodus 17:14 and you had made an end of it, but now you will strike Deuteronomy 24:16. As related in 2Chronicles down Syria only three times." 25, Amaziah set out to deal with the Edomites We now see an incredible miracle performed and unwisely enlisted Israel’s aid. by God using the dead body of Elisha. 20 So Eli'sha died, and they buried him. Now bands 2Chronicles 25:5-10 Then Amazi'ah assembled the of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of men of Judah, and set them by fathers' houses under the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, lo, a commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all marauding band was seen and the man was cast into Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty the grave of Eli'sha; and as soon as the man touched years old and upward, and found that they were the bones of Eli'sha, he revived, and stood on his three hundred thousand picked men, fit for war, able feet. to handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also a hundred This act was to represent the Resurrection of thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for a 7 the Dead through the intervention of Messiah hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of in the Holy Spirit. The acts of resurrection that Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, were tied to Elisha were to point to the fact that with all these E'phraimites. 8 But if you suppose that God worked through him and it was not the in this way you will be strong for war, God will cast power of Elisha himself, as he remained dead you down before the enemy; for God has power to 9 for this last example. help or to cast down." And Amazi'ah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the army of 22 Now Haz'ael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the 23 Israel?" The man of God answered, "The LORD is days of Jeho'ahaz. But the LORD was gracious to 10 them and had compassion on them, and he turned able to give you much more than this." Then toward them, because of his covenant with Amazi'ah discharged the army that had come to him Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy from E'phraim, to go home again. And they became them; nor has he cast them from his presence until very angry with Judah, and returned home in fierce now. 24 When Haz'ael king of Syria died, Ben-ha'dad anger. (RSV) Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 29

This is reminiscent of the time when the was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city 21 foreigners in Jerusalem wanted to assist with of David. And all the people of Judah took Azari'ah, who was sixteen years old, and made him reconstruction of the Temple under Ezra and king instead of his father Amazi'ah. 22 He built Elath Nehemiah; however, they were told they had and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his no part in it, just as the Ephraimites or fathers. (RSV) Israelites above had no part in the army of the Lord because of their sins. Lachish is the city that would become famous for the historically important Letters written on Returning to 2Kings 14: potsherds during the Babylonian siege. This 7 He killed ten thousand E'domites in the Valley of was during the campaigns that led to the Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Jok'the-el, capture of Jerusalem and subsequent exile of 8 which is its name to this day. Then Amazi'ah sent Judah. Lachish sat on the frontier between messengers to Jeho'ash the son of Jeho'ahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one Judah and Philistia, and is known today as Tel another in the face." 9 And Jeho'ash king of Israel el-Hesy. sent word to Amazi'ah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, `Give Jehoash’s reign lasted sixteen years. He your daughter to my son for a wife'; and a wild apparently died in peace and was buried in the beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed smitten Edom, and your capital, Samaria. heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home; for why should you provoke Jeroboam II 11 trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" The fourth dynasty begun by Jehu was But Amazi'ah would not listen. So Jeho'ash king of Israel went up, and he and Amazi'ah king of Judah continued by accession to Israel’s throne of the faced one another in battle at Beth-she'mesh, which second king named Jeroboam, this one being belongs to Judah. the son of Jehoash.

Beth-shemesh (house of the sun; now Ain 2Kings 14:23-29 In the fifteenth year of Amazi'ah Shems) is on the border between Judah and the son of Jo'ash, king of Judah, Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash, king of Israel, began to reign in Sama'ria, Dan and lies about 15 miles (24 km) west of and he reigned forty-one years. Jerusalem (Jos. 15:10). It was one of the cities of the priests (Jos. 21:9). In this instance, Israel There is some confusion and seeming was given the victory over Judah. contradictions in the length of reign ascribed to Jeroboam in the Bible, as the Jewish 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jeho'ash king of Israel Encyclopedia points out. captured Amazi'ah king of Judah, the son of Jeho'ash, son of Ahazi'ah, at Beth-she'mesh, and The chronological data require emending. The synchronism in II Kings xiv. 23 agrees with verse came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the 17 preceding, but does not harmonize with xv. 1 following. Again, the length of the reign (41 years) E'phraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were cannot be reconciled with xv. 8. In xv. 1 "twenty- seventh year" must be changed to "fifteenth," while found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he the "forty-one" in xiv. 23 should perhaps be "fifty- one." The dating formerly accepted (825-772 B.C.) returned to Sama'ria. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Jeho'ash which he did, and his might, and how he is now generally abandoned; about 785(3)-745(3) is more probable. (art. ‘Jeroboam’) fought with Amazi'ah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jeho'ash slept with his fathers, and The likely duration of Jeroboam’s reign over was buried in Sama'ria with the kings of Israel; and Samaria or Israel is ca.782-753 BCE, although Jerobo'am his son reigned in his stead. 17 Amazi'ah this 30-year period is still at odds with the the son of Jo'ash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years biblical figure of 41 years (v. 29). The most after the death of Jeho'ash son of Jeho'ahaz, king of reasonable explanation is that Jeroboam was Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amazi'ah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the co-regent with his father for about 11 years, Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy beginning as early as 793 BCE, and perhaps against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. ruling over a portion of his father’s Kingdom. But they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him He then ascended the throne over all Israel 20 there. And they brought him upon horses; and he upon the death of Jehoash. Page 30 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

755 BCE. Significantly, he prophesied during 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the the reign of the second Jeroboam, the first LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to having been the originator of serious idolatry in sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from the Israel. He was also a contemporary of the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, prophets Hosea, Isaiah, Jonah and Micah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of many of whose prophecies were to have dual Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son application, both within a relatively short of Amit'tai, the prophet, who was from Gath- period of their own time and in the Last Days. he'pher.

Under Jeroboam, Israel was able to move The story concerning Israel briefly switches to across the Jordan again and extend its territory Judah, but with relevance to the Northern as far north as the border with Syria. The Sea Kingdom. of the Arabah (meaning plain) is the same as 2Kings 15:1-7 In the twenty-seventh year of the Salt (Dead) Sea. Jerobo'am king of Israel Azari'ah the son of Amazi'ah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's there was none to help Israel. 27 But the LORD had name was Jecoli'ah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what not said that he would blot out the name of Israel was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of that his father Amazi'ah had done. 4 Nevertheless the Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash. 28 Now the rest of the high places were not taken away; the people still acts of Jerobo'am, and all that he did, and his might, sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5 how he fought, and how he recovered for Israel And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to leper to the day of his death, and he dwelt in a Judah, are they not written in the Book of the separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jerobo'am the household, governing the people of the land. 6 slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Now the rest of the acts of Azari'ah, and all that he Zechari'ah his son reigned in his stead. (RSV) did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azari'ah Damascus and Hamath were both originally slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his part of the Kingdom under Solomon (1Kgs. fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son 4:21); however, Damascus was later lost to reigned in his stead. (RSV) King Rezin of Syria (1Kgs. 11:23-25). The Bullinger says of King Jotham of Judah: prophet Amos had much to say during this The first-named of the four kings in whose reign period of Israel’s history. Isaiah prophesied (Isa. 1:1). Micah also began to prophesy and mourn over the coming dispersion of Amos 1:1-5 The words of Amos, who was among Israel (Comp. Bible). the shepherds of Teko'a, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzzi'ah king of Judah and in the days of Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash, king of Israel, Jeroboam II was on the throne during a period two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said: "The of about fifty years when both Israel and Judah LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from enjoyed relative stability and prosperity. This Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and came at a great price, however, for the people the top of Carmel withers." 3 Thus says the LORD: soon forgot their God when they grew fat, just "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, as Moses had warned (Deut. 31:20). I will not revoke the punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. 4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Haz'ael, and it Zechariah shall devour the strongholds of Ben-ha'dad. 5 I will The fifteenth king of Israel was Zechariah break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the (Jehovah remembers), son of Jeroboam. He inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him that holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of reigned for only six months and was murdered Syria shall go into exile to Kir," says the LORD. by Shallum who succeeded him. (RSV) 2Kings 15:8-12 In the thirty-eighth year of Azari'ah Amos (a burden) was originally from Judah; king of Judah Zechari'ah the son of Jerobo'am 9 however, most of his ministry was to the reigned over Israel in Sama'ria six months. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his Northern Kingdom in the period of about 765- fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 31

Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against did not depart all his days from all the sins of him, and struck him down at Ibleam [or before the Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to people: KJV], and killed him, and reigned in his sin. 19 Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; stead. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechari'ah, and Men'ahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, behold, they are written in the Book of the that he might help him to confirm his hold of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the royal power. 20 Men'ahem exacted the money from promise of the LORD which he gave to Jehu, "Your Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty sons shall sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king generation." And so it came to pass.) (RSV) of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. Zechariah was the fourth generation from Jehu (v. 12), whose dynasty ended there as This is the first recorded invasion of the prophesied. Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians under King Tiglath-pileser III, or Pul, referred to as Shallum God’s “razor” in Isaiah 7:20. In this case he Shallum (retribution), the son of Jabesh, began demanded only tribute of Israel. As with the the second shortest reign of all the kings of Syrians earlier, no land was occupied and no Israel, possibly as a result of ending Jehu’s one was taken into captivity. That would come dynasty by conspiring against and then killing much later. the incumbent, Zechariah. The biblical account tallies with a record in the 2Kings 15:13-15 Shallum the son of Jabesh began Annals of Tiglath-pileser, which reads to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzzi'ah king of succinctly: “I received tribute from Menahem 14 Judah, and he reigned one month in Sama'ria. of Samaria.” Werner Keller suggest there were Then Men'ahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Sama'ria, and he struck down probably 60,000 wealthy men in Israel at the Shallum the son of Jabesh in Sama'ria and slew him, time, so quite a substantial sum was raised to and reigned in his stead. 15 Now the rest of the deeds buy off the Assyrians. The obvious danger was of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he made, in not knowing how long they would be behold, they are written in the Book of the prepared to demand only the riches of Israel. Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. (RSV) 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Men'ahem, and all Shallum reigned for a single month before that he did, are they not written in the Book of the being killed by Menahem. He thus became a Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Men'ahem giver and receiver of what was possibly divine, slept with his fathers, and Pekahi'ah his son reigned and certainly swift, retribution. in his stead. (RSV) Menahem Menahem thus appears to have been the only king of this turbulent period to have died a Menahem (meaning comforter!), the natural death. He reigned for 10 years and was seventeenth king of Israel who began the 5th a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and dynasty, was a violent and merciless man (v. Amos. 16). He had slain his predecessor Shallum and taken the crown. Pekahiah 2Kings 15:16-22 At that time Men'ahem sacked Menahem’s son Pekahiah was next to ascend Tappuah and all who were in it and its territory from the throne of Israel. While Azariah was Tirzah on; because they did not open it to him, enjoying his Jubilee year as king of Judah, the therefore he sacked it, and he ripped up all the rapid turnover of kings on the throne of Israel women in it who were with child. continued. It seems the first Jeroboam had a lot The city of Tappuah, which Menahem sacked, to answer for as the ‘original and worst’, his was on the border between Ephraim and name being constantly raised as the one who Manasseh (Jos. 17:8). led Israel into sin and idolatry – and from which it never recovered. 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azari'ah king of Judah Men'ahem the son of Gadi began to reign over 2Kings 15:23-26 In the fiftieth year of Azari'ah Israel, and he reigned ten years in Sama'ria. 18 And king of Judah Pekahi'ah the son of Men'ahem began Page 32 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

to reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and he reigned two Earth. It had close commercial and social 24 years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the connections with Phoenicia; for example, LORD; he did not turn away from the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to Hiram the master metal-smith in Solomon's sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remali'ah, his captain, time was half-Tyrian, half-Naphtalite (1Kgs. conspired against him with fifty men of the 7:13-14). Gileadites, and slew him in Sama'ria, in the citadel of the king's house; he slew him, and reigned in his 26 The Assyrians had swept down the coast to stead. Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahi'ah, and Phoenicia, before turning south-east and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. (RSV) heading directly towards the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). They overran the northern half of Pekahiah’s was killed by his successor Pekah, Asher, and the territories of Naphtali and Dan. his reign having lasted only 2 years. The army then crossed the Jordan into Gilead, mopping up the eastern Manassites and Pekah Gadites, then the Reubenites to the south. The nineteenth and penultimate king of Israel 1Chronicles 5:26 makes only a briefly mention was Pekah, son of Remaliah. He was an army of what must have been a major campaign. officer and possibly the chief bodyguard and 1Chronicles 5:26 So the God of Israel stirred up the advisor to King Pekahiah. It seems that the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Til'gath- regicide he committed with the 50 men from pilne'ser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, Gilead against Pekahiah was also to have namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half- severe repercussions, albeit many years later. tribe of Manas'seh, and brought them to Halah, Unwisely, he had made a pact with King Rezin Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day. (RSV) of Syria against Assyria. The first deportation of the tribes on the eastern 2Kings 15:27-38 In the fifty-second year of side of the Jordan (i.e. those that had settled Azari'ah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remali'ah first in their inheritance) into Halah and Habor began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and reigned occurred in about 741 BCE. Thus we see the twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the territory administered by Pekah getting rapidly sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins smaller. Eventually, only the capital city of of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel Tig'lath- Samaria was to be left to Hoshea, the last king pile'ser king of Assyria came and captured I'jon, of Israel. A'bel-beth-ma'acah, Jan-o'ah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naph'tali; and he 30 Then Hoshe'a the son of Elah made a conspiracy carried the people captive to Assyria. against Pekah the son of Remali'ah, and struck him down, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the This was actually the second recorded invasion twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzzi'ah. 31 Now of Israel by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, III, but with a completely different emphasis behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 32 In the second than the first, which was about eight years year of Pekah the son of Remali'ah, king of Israel, earlier. It was attested in the Annals of Tiglath- Jotham the son of Uzzi'ah, king of Judah, began to pileser, in particular the one describing his reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he Western and Gaza/Damascus Campaign of ca. began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in 734-733 BCE, as follows: Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jeru'sha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his Bit Humri [House of Omri, i.e. Israel]: all of whose 35 cities I had added to my territories on my former father Uzzi'ah had done. Nevertheless the high campaigns, and I had left out only the city of places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the Samaria. … The whole of Naphtali I took for 36 Assyria. I put my officials over them as governors. upper gate of the house of the LORD. Now the The land of Bit Humri, all its people and their rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are possessions I took away to Assyria. they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of The land of Naphtali was one of the richest in Remali'ah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his Palestine, and Josephus spoke of it as being the fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of “ambition of nature” or a type of paradise on David his father; and Ahaz his son reigned in his Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 33

stead. (RSV) fed and their wounds dressed, before sending them to Jericho. Even so, Judah’s troubles were We see in 2Chronicles 28 that Pekah is used to not over. rebuke Judah for its idolatry 16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria 2Chronicles 28:5b-20 He was also given into the for help. 17 For the E'domites had again invaded and hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with defeated Judah, and carried away captives. 18 And 6 great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remali'ah the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the slew a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one Shephe'lah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken day, all of them men of valor, because they had Beth-she'mesh, Ai'jalon, Gede'roth, Soco with its forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. 7 And villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with Zichri, a mighty man of E'phraim, slew Ma-asei'ah its villages; and they settled there. 19 For the LORD the king's son and Azri'kam the commander of the brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, palace and Elka'nah the next in authority to the king. for he had dealt wantonly in Judah and had been 8 The men of Israel took captive two hundred faithless to the LORD. 20 So Til'gath-pilne'ser king thousand of their kinsfolk, women, sons, and of Assyria came against him, and afflicted him daughters; they also took much spoil from them and instead of strengthening him. (RSV) brought the spoil to Sama'ria. 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he Again the Assyrians were used as God’s went out to meet the army that came to Sama'ria, and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the instrument of punishment, this time against God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave their former allies, Judah. them into your hand, but you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10 And now Isaiah 7:1-9 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and son of Uzzi'ah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have Syria and Pekah the son of Remali'ah the king of you not sins of your own against the LORD your Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, 2 God? but they could not conquer it. When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with E'phraim," Flushed with the success God had given them his heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the in the battle, the Israelites were about to LORD said to Isaiah, "Go forth to meet Ahaz, you enslave the captives of Judah (still described as and She'ar-jash'ub your son, at the end of the their kinfolk), until the prophet Oded conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the intervened to remind them of their own less- Fuller's Field, 4 and say to him, `Take heed, be quiet, than-sinless behaviour (cf. Jn. 8:7). do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint 11 Now hear me, and send back the captives from because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria your kinsfolk whom you have taken, for the fierce 5 wrath of the LORD is upon you." 12 Certain chiefs and the son of Remali'ah. Because Syria, with E'phraim and the son of Remali'ah, has devised evil also of the men of E'phraim, Azari'ah the son of 6 Joha'nan, Berechi'ah the son of Meshil'lemoth, against you, saying, "Let us go up against Judah Jehizki'ah the son of Shallum, and Ama'sa the son of and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Ta'be-el as king in the midst of it," Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming 7 13 thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, and it from the war, and said to them, "You shall not 8 bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five years E'phraim will be broken present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, 9 and there is fierce wrath against Israel." 14 So the to pieces so that it will no longer be a people.) armed men left the captives and the spoil before the And the head of E'phraim is Sama'ria, and the head princes and all the assembly. 15 And the men who of Sama'ria is the son of Remali'ah. If you will not have been mentioned by name rose and took the believe, surely you shall not be established.'" (RSV) captives, and with the spoil they clothed all that were naked among them; they clothed them, gave In spite of Isaiah’s prophecy that the them sandals, provided them with food and drink, Israel/Syria alliance would not succeed against and anointed them; and carrying all the feeble Judah, Ahaz still didn’t put his trust in God. He among them on asses, they brought them to their showed weakness by ‘supping with the devil’ kinsfolk at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Sama'ria. as it were, in the form of the Assyrian king (2Kgs. 16:1ff.), just as Hoshea of Israel was to The Israelites were in imminent danger of run to Egypt for support against Assyria (see incurring God’s wrath; therefore the chieftains below). of Ephraim wisely had the captives clothed and Page 34 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

2Kings 16:1-5 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the overthrew Pekah their king and I made Hoshea son of Remali'ah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of to be king over them.” Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was The name Hoshea (meaning salvation or right in the eyes of the LORD his God, as his father deliverer) was part of the name given to David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the Joshua, son of Nun, and to Messiah: YaHoshua kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an (SHD 3091: Jehovah is salvation) indicating offering, according to the abominable practices of that God was with him. The same could not be the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burned said of King Hoshea, who was almost an incense on the high places, and on the hills, and antitype of Messiah by effectively leading his under every green tree. 5 Then Rezin king of Syria people into captivity. We see also that King and Pekah the son of Remali'ah, king of Israel, came Jeconiah of Judah became plain Coniah after up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged the divine prefix Je- (Ye-) had been removed as Ahaz but could not conquer him. (RSV) a sign of God’s disfavour (see the paper There is more confusion regarding the actual Genealogy of the Messiah (No. 119)). regnal years of King Pekah. The Jewish Encyclopedia (art. ‘Pekah’) provides a possible It appears Hoshea also did evil in God’s sight explanation. but not to the same degree as Ahab and other idolatrous kings. The length of Pekah's reign is stated (II Kings xv. 27) to have been twenty years. This extent is 2Kings 17:1-6 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of impossible if reckoned from the usurpation of Judah Hoshe'a the son of Elah began to reign in Pekahiah's throne (736) to the succession of Hoshea Sama'ria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2 (733-31). There is, however, an explanation that has And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, some plausibility. When Zechariah, the son of yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 Jeroboam II, was slain by Shallum, it was the Against him came up Shalmane'ser king of beginning of general anarchy in Israel. Shallum Assyria; and Hoshe'a became his vassal, and paid reigned a short time in Samaria; but east of the him tribute. Jordan Pekah and his Gileadite followers assumed independence, with Pekah as king. That Unfortunately for Hoshea, Shalmaneser V was about 750 or 751. At the accession of (reigned 726-722 BCE) discovered that he had Pekahiah, Pekah and his valiant followers may have been seeking assistance from a Pharaoh, named offered their services to the king at Samaria. Pekahiah may have innocently accepted the offer variously So, Sewe or Sib’e (Assyr.) with a and have thus given Pekah the long-wished-for view to avoiding the heavy annual tribute opportunity to become king of all Israel. Such an imposed by Assyria. Egypt, however, was explanation would account for the round number of found to be a broken reed to Israel (cf. Isa. twenty years of kingship (750-731). 36:6). It was to be Hoshea’s last mistake. He According to the Chronology of the Kings of was supposedly blinded (see art. ‘Hoshea’, Jew. Encyc.) and imprisoned at Shalmaneser’s Israel (Table 1, appended), the usurpation of Pekahiah’s throne by Pekah was probably in behest. 740 rather than in 736, with the succession of 4 But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshe'a; Hoshea in 731 BCE. Also, the twenty years of for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and kingship was perhaps 751-731 BCE; hence offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had there is a reasonable concurrence with the done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria shut 5 accepted dates. him up, and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Sama'ria, and for three years he besieged it. 6 In the ninth year Hoshea of Hoshe'a the king of Assyria captured Sama'ria, Unbeknown to Hoshea when he acceded to the and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria, and throne, he would be the twentieth and last of a placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. (RSV) far from illustrious line of kings of Israel. From the Annals of the Gaza/Damascus campaign of As recorded in 1Chronicles 5:26, Tiglath- Tiglath-pileser, it appears that Hoshea was pileser, or Pul, had also transported the merely a puppet ruler and Israel a vassal northerners and easterners of Israel to the cities province of Assyria. The Annals state: “They of Assyria, in particular, Halah and Hazor. This Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 35 time, however, the Assyrians, perhaps in a Reasons for the Captivity and Exile spirit of ‘divide and rule’, also sent some of the Second Kings gives a comprehensive list of latest contingent farther east into the cities of reasons for Israel’s captivity and exile. The Media. It wouldn’t have made sense to leave people were reminded that their forebears had them among their previously-exiled brethren in been taken out of bondage in Egypt but had the Assyrian cities to plot rebellion; and these quickly returned to the worship of pagan gods; were a rebellious people after all. basically, they proved ungrateful for the salvation afforded by their God. They preferred Shalmaneser died unexpectedly during the first to have gods they could see with their eyes and year of the siege of Samaria. His successor, touch with their hands – their golden calves, Sargon II (the king of Assyria in v. 6), captured their Asherah pillars and their Baals – rather the city and, together with many of the remnant than walking by faith before an invisible God of Israelite tribes west of the Jordan, the Most High as the Patriarch Abraham had done inhabitants were taken into captivity and and for which he was honoured and blessed. exiled. Sargon claimed in his Annals: “I besieged and conquered Samaria … I led away The northern tribes of Israel had followed their into captivity 27,290 people who lived there.” first king Jeroboam just as eagerly into idolatrous worship as their ancestors under Josephus states that it was Shalmaneser himself Moses had done. It was an intolerable situation who arranged the deportations (Antiq. Jews, that could only be remedied by enslavement Bk. 9, 13) by assuming that the “king of once again. 2Kings 17:7ff. is a summary of all Assyria” was the same person in verses 3, 5 that had happened to Israel. and 6 above; if this were so, however, these could only have been Israelites deported from 2Kings 17:7-23 And this was so, because the the area surrounding Samaria and not from the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of capital itself, which fell to Sargon. Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the Sargon II was the “tartan” (turtaanu: customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out commander-in-chief) of Shalmaneser’s army before the people of Israel, and in the customs and supposedly seized the throne of Assyria which the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 And the around the time of the siege of Samaria. people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from This was to be the third and final invasion watchtower to fortified city; 10 they set up for directed primarily at the Northern Kingdom. themselves pillars and Ashe'rim on every high hill However, there were still some original and under every green tree; 11 and there they burned inhabitants left in the land after Sargon’s incense on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And deportations, as noted from their attendance at they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to the fourth Great Passover called by King anger, 12 and they served idols, of which the LORD Hezekiah (who reigned ca. 726-697) in had said to them, "You shall not do this." 13 Yet the Jerusalem (see The Seven Great Passovers of LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet the Bible (No. 107)). and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded In 2Chronicles 30, we see that Hezekiah called your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba (v. 5); the prophets." however, only those of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun responded positively (v. 11). Hezekiah There were a total of nine prophets in the followed this up with a wholesale destruction Northern Kingdom of Israel: Ahijah, Jehu (son of the Baal system throughout Israel (2Chr. of Hanani), Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Jonah, 31). Oded, Amos, and Hosea, many of whom were contemporaneous; therefore, Israel could not Thus ended the reigns of 20 kings and 5 say it wasn’t warned by God of the calamities dynasties in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. to come as a direct result of its sins. Page 36 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as Sephar-va'im, and placed them in the cities of their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Sama'ria instead of the people of Israel; and they LORD their God. 15 They despised his statutes, and took possession of Sama'ria, and dwelt in its cities. his covenant that he made with their fathers, and the warnings which he gave them. They went after false Bullinger’s note to verse 24 details the areas idols, and became false, and they followed the from which the new residents of Israel were nations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they brought: should not do like them. 16 And they forsook all the Cuthah. Ten miles north-east of Babylon. In the first commandments of the LORD their God, and made year of Sargon there was war between Cuthah and for themselves molten images of two calves; and Babylon, and the people of Cuthah were transported to they made an Ashe'rah, and worshiped all the host Syria and Palestine. of heaven, and served Ba'al. 17 And they burned their Ava = either the Ivah of 18.34, or the Ahava of Ezra sons and their daughters as offerings, and used 8.15. divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do Hamath. The one in Syria. evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to Sepharvaim (Dual). The two Sippars in Babylonia. anger. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Sippar sa Samas (the sun-god) and Sippar sa Anuituv. Israel, and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only. The Assyrians showed their typical astuteness. By bringing disparate peoples into Israel, they When speaking to Judah, Jeremiah reminded realised it would take generations (if ever) for them of what had happened to Ephraim (Jer. them to coalesce and provide any serious 7:15) as a representative of all the northern opposition; hence rebellion could be minimised tribes. Isaiah had foretold something similar in for a long time. It was an effective means of Isaiah 7:8. keeping their vassal state of Samaria in bondage. 19 Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel’s captivity and deportation was to be Israel had introduced. 20 And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, and afflicted them, and followed almost 50 years later by that of her gave them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast sister Judah. During the Assyrian Esar- them out of his sight. 21 When he had torn Israel haddon’s campaign against Judah in ca. 676 from the house of David they made Jerobo'am the BCE, he removed many of the remaining son of Nebat king. And Jerobo'am drove Israel from Israelites from Samaria and replaced them with following the LORD and made them commit great sin. 22 The people of Israel walked in all the sins more foreigners. which Jerobo'am did; they did not depart from them, 23 until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as An equally diverse contingent was later sent he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So into Israel by Asnapper (Osnappar) or Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria Ashurbani-pal, son of Esar-haddon. These were until this day. (RSV) the Apharsathchites, Apharsites, Archevites, The punishment for their persistent idolatrous Babylonians, Dehavites, Dinaites, Elamites, practices was to be banished from the land of Susanchites and Tarpelites (Ezra 4:9-10, KJV). Israel. The prophet Amos predicted the subsequent dispersal of the people of Israel The word Apharsathchites is a Persian loan throughout the world – including the self- word denoting a judicial official connected satisfied and arrogant, or those who considered with the Old Persian frasaka, indicating an themselves immune. investigator. The cuneiform is iprasakku. Its use in Ezra 4:9 is connected with the Old Amos 9:9-10 “For lo, I will command, and shake Persian from frestak meaning messenger. They the house of Israel among all the nations as one were thus the early administrators and couriers. shakes with a sieve, but no pebble [grain: KJV] shall fall upon the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Evil shall Apharsites are identified as a section of not overtake or meet us.’” (RSV) Persians (RSV) or undefined Gentilic (see Interp. Dict., Vol. 1, p. 156). Resettlement and future of Israel 2Kings 17:24-41 And the king of Assyria brought Archevites are the Aramaic Khetibh, the people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Akkadian Uruk or Erech. They are thus a Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 37

Semitic people as well. now Turkey they may be Arabs, as the original inhabitants of Edessa became part of the Babylonians are obviously the citizens of Parthian Empire and one of its mints. The Babylon before it was split from the Assyrian inhabitants there were sons of Keturah called Empire. Arabs.

Dehavites are part of the group that signed the The R1b YDNA comes directly from the Hittite letter to Artaxerxes to stop the rebuilding of alliance. Jerusalem. They were identified by Herodotus (I, 1, 25) as the Daoi, which were a Persian Cutheans are Cutha or Kuthu from the city of tribe that lived on the shores of the Caspian Sea that name north-east of Babylon at Tell (Strabo XI. 7). The Interpreter’s Dictionary of Ibrahim. It was famous for the cult of Nergal, the Bible thinks that the word is dihu and god of the underworld, and the Cutheans should be read as the men of Susa and that the brought the cult with them to Palestine (cf. mispointing created a new tribe. However, the Jacobsen Interp. Dict., Vol. 1, p. 752). Nergal vast extent of the dispersal of the Israelites might be identified with Mormo, god of the beyond the Araxes into Parthia and Scythia and cult of the dead. It would explain the into Media and northern Persia does not reincarnation aspects of the religion of the exclude the first meaning. Druze and the views of some rabbis in Jerusalem today. Dinaites are mentioned often in the Aramaic papyri and they are judges. These judges also Medes are sons of Madai son of Japheth and wrote to Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:9). It is an official their homeland is on the mountain country title and is rendered as such in the LXX north of Babylon and north-west of Persia. The (Lucianic Recensions). Herodotus and mtDNA I haplogroup is prevalent there among Josephus describe them briefly (cf. Schnell, the Kurds and in Italy where the sons of Interp. Dict., ibid., Vol. 1, p. 844). Aeneas went after the fall of Troy with a band of the Riphathian Celts of Troy and founded Elamites are Semitic Persians to the east of the Rome. That group is also present but rare in Medes. Britain and in some Egyptians and others in the Middle East. Susanchites are natives of Susa in Persia. The operation to replace many of the remaining Tarpelites is a rendering of an Aramaic word Israelites in Samaria (not just the capital) may which is translated in the LXX as tarphallaioi have fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:8 and the Vulgate Terphalaei. It is either a concerning the 65 years of Ephraim, i.e. from professional name or a tribal name and various 741 to 676 BCE. These are the people who meanings have been suggested. became known in NT times as the Samaritans, although some were undoubtedly true Israelites Tibarenes, or sons of Tubal, have been as we now know from the YDNA tests done on suggested along with men of the Tetrapolis, the Samaritan families, having close which includes Antioch, Seleucia, Apamea, and relationship with some Jews. During the Laodicea (following Strabo XVI, pp. 749-50); Byzantine Empire the vast numbers that or from the Persian tarapara meaning beyond inhabited Samaria of the Samaritans were the River referring to Syrians west of the slaughtered systematically by the Byzantine Euphrates. The resettlement of Israel to the emperors on an ongoing basis because of north might well lend credence to the northern constant rebellion. There are now only some captives being sent to the south, which was the 700 left still following the Calendar of usual Assyrian practice of sending captives to Jeroboam and always placing the New Year the opposite ends of the empire. Tubal would after 25 March. This practice is a great clue to account for the Japhethite YDNA R in the area. the location of the Israelites before the mid- eighteenth century when the Gregorian If they come from southern Anatolia in what is calendar was adopted. Page 38 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Yahovah rather than Baal. The term god in Judah itself was never replanted with Gentiles; verses 26 and 27 is Elohim, hence the ‘god of rather it was left largely empty until the Jews the land (of Israel)’ is Yahovah Elohim, or the and other tribes returned from captivity 70 Angel of Great Counsel. years later. Ezra spoke of a time following the return from this last captivity. This gesture by the Assyrians was probably done for purely pragmatic reasons, as it seems Ezra 4:1-2 Now when the adversaries of Judah and they were more interested in maintaining social Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel, 2 harmony and efficient administration (for they approached Zerub'babel and the heads of which they were renowned) of their vassal fathers' houses and said to them, "Let us build with states than in eliminating other religions or you; for we worship your God as you do, and we even restricting their practices. have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of E'sar-had'don king of Assyria who brought us It was the first recorded case of someone from here." (RSV) Israel (possibly a Levite) preaching to the Here is direct evidence that these people didn’t Gentiles, and was the same area (known then consider themselves true Israelites. They knew as Galilee of the nations) to which Christ went their own history (as did the Samaritan woman prior to his crucifixion following his rejection to whom Christ spoke: Jn. 4:7ff.), that their by Judah. forebears had been planted in the land by Esar- Isaiah 9:1 But there will be no gloom for her that haddon, who had conducted the fifth major was in anguish. In the former time he brought into Assyrian invasion of Palestine (his predecessor contempt the land of Zeb'ulun and the land of Sennacherib had also invaded). These Naph'tali, but in the latter time he will make foreigners wanted to help with the rebuilding glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the of the Temple under Ezra and Nehemiah, but Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (RSV) their hearts weren’t right, as Ezra could discern (see the paper Reading the Law with Ezra and We saw in the reign of Pekah that Naphtali was Nehemiah (No. 250)). the first tribe of Israel to go into captivity, hence being brought into contempt, which Continuing with 2Kings 17: occurred during Isaiah’s lifetime. Isaiah 9:1-7 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they talks about the establishment of God’s did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent Kingdom under Messiah and, implicit in the lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So second fulfilment of the dual prophecy, is the king of Assyria was told, "The nations which something positive for Galilee, basically you have carried away and placed in the cities of Zebulun and Naphtali, in these Latter Days. Sama'ria do not know the law of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know It is noteworthy that the men of Naphtali (plus the law of the god of the land." 27 Then the king of Asher and Manasseh) assisted Gideon against Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the the Midianites (Jdg. 7:23) – again with possible priests whom you carried away thence; and let end-time connotations. him go and dwell there, and teach them the law of the god of the land." 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Sama'ria came The prophet Obadiah spoke of a time when the and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they exiles would be returned to the Promised Land should fear the LORD. from Halah (cf. 1Chr. 5:26).

A rather remarkable situation, where we have Obadiah 1:20 The exiles in Halah who are of the the Assyrian king arranging for a priest to people of Israel shall possess Phoenicia as far as return from captivity in order to instruct the Zar'ephath; and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in foreigners occupying Samaria about the God of Sephar'ad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. (RSV) Israel. Bullinger says that the priest here is: ‘An idolatrous Israelite priest from Samaria’ This place of exile called Sepharad (note to v. 27); however, this may be incorrect, (appropriately meaning separated) is probably as the word used for Lord throughout is to be identified as Sardis, capital of Lydia in Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 39

Asia Minor. An Aramaic inscription has been Isa.23.17. Jer.22.20. Hos.2.10-12). Repeated found at Sardis itself in a bilingual inscription individually in John 4.18. No wonder the woman of the name and it is identical with the text worshipped she knew not what (John 4.22). used in Obadiah. The meaning is that Judah Succoth-Benoth means the Booths of Girls and shall be returned and inhabit the south to the is probably a reference to Sarpanitu the female Negeb and Israel will return and inhabit consort of Marduk, city god of Babylon. Nergal Phoenicia between Tyre and within six miles we have explained earlier. from Sidon. Ashima, also Ashimah (Amos 8:14), may be a Halah is an unknown site in the Assyrian corruption of a Canaanite goddess worshipped Empire or kingdom to which some of the in Syria on the Orontes River at Hamath (now Kingdom of Israel were deported by Nahr el Asi). This was the ancient northern Shalmaneser in the ninth year of King Hosea border of Israel. (2Kgs. 17:6; 18:11). 1Chronicles 5:26 deals with Pul’s or Tiglath-pileser’s exiling of The Avvites were allegedly Avvim or Israelites to Halah. The RSV in Obadiah 1:20 aboriginal Canaanites that lived in villages near reads the exiles in Halah for what is termed the Gaza and were supposedly destroyed by the exiles of this host (see also Gordon Interp. Philistines or Caphtorim (Deut. 2:23; Jos. 13:3; Dict., ibid., art. ‘Halah’, Vol. 2, p. 512). 2Kgs. 17:31). They were resettled in Samaria. The name Tartuk is unknown but appears to be Good King Josiah of Judah instituted the fifth a corruption of Atargatis the mother goddess Great Passover as recorded in 2Chronicles 35 worshipped in Syria by the Aramaeans, and (see The Seven Great Passovers of the Bible thus the Avvim are probably sons of Aram that (No. 107)). Josiah also took his campaign of settled on the coast. The more modern term for removing idolatry from his own land into her is Dercato and the fish was held sacred to Samaria (2Chr. 34:33), which was inhabited her and is the origin of the fish symbol largely by Gentiles. The term all Israel in verse attributed to Christianity and the origin of 3 hints that there were remnants of the original eating fish as a religious symbol. tribes extant. Nibhaz, on the other hand, is known to be a Josiah’s missionary-type activity could also deity worshipped by the Syrian colonists of have relevance to these Last Days, whereby Israel from Iwwa. Gray believes that the name Judah may be called upon to take the message is a wilful Hebrew distortion of the name of the of salvation to the Gentiles, as had been mizbeah or the altar of the deity which itself originally intended. See the paper Josiah’s was worshipped (cf. Interp. Dict., Vol. 3, p. Restoration (No. 245). 546).

Continuing in 2Kings 17, with reference again The Sepharvites we see worshipped the version to Samaria: of Melech, Adram Melech and Anam Melech. 29 But every nation still made gods of its own, and put them in the shrines of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in The Serpharvaim are believed to be the which they dwelt; 30 the men of Babylon made Sabraim of Syria by A.L. Oppenheim (see Suc'coth-be'noth, the men of Cuth[ah] made Nergal, Interp. Dict., Vol. 1, p. 50). It is considered to 31 the men of Hamath made Ashi'ma, and the be either an unnamed local deity or a version of Av'vites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sephar'vites burned their children in the fire to the god Athtar, the Venus Star. It is also the Adram'melech and Anam'melech, the gods of name of the son of Sennacharib who, with Sephar-va'im. Sharezar, murdered his father in the temple of Nisroch (2Kgs. 19:37; cf. Isa. 37:39). However, In his note to verse 30, Bullinger (Comp. Bible, there is no known Assyrian interpretation of the p.515) says of these five nations: name. Each brought its own gods. Thus (according to the language of the O.T.) Samaria committed adultery The term Melech seems to convey the name (idolatry) with five husbands (cp. Isa.54.5 with Moloch, which is probably related to the Page 40 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

Hebrew melek or king. The name Anam the Day of the Sun, paying obeisance to the Melech is probably Anu is king. Moloch may goddess Astarte/Easter, and observing the well simply be the Moabite form for Lord or pagan winter festival called Christmas – all in King. The Bible clearly says they burned the name of God and supposedly to His glory children to the deities, but there is no feature of (cf. 2Tim. 3:4-5). this aspect of the cult in Mesopotamia. However, the practice was carried out all over The One True God tells them quite Phoenicia and at Carthage in North Africa. unequivocally, however, that: “My thoughts are Thus the Syrians affected by the cult of Moloch not your thoughts, neither are your ways my would have allocated their own personalised ways” (Isa. 55:8) and hence, these people are version of the deity. worshipping what they know not and, therefore, largely in vain. We can see that these numerous Samaritans were not true Israelites but many were Semites Conclusion with some Japhethites and Hamites among In all of the foregoing history of Israel we can them. see a divine plan being worked out by God in His omniscience. He arranged for the northern 2Kings 17 continues: tribes to be sent into captivity in Assyria, 32 They also feared the LORD, and appointed from ultimately for their benefit and certain among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the preservation; then, by various routes, they were shrines of the high places. 33 So they feared the pushed into many lands far to the north and LORD but also served their own gods, after the ultimately northwest from Palestine. manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 34 To this day they do according The New Testament tells us that the Ten Tribes to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, were scattered abroad (Jas. 1:1) and James and they do not follow the statutes or the ordinances or the law or the commandment which the LORD addresses his epistle to them. The Apostle to commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named the circumcision was Peter. Hippolytus tells us Israel. 35 The LORD made a covenant with them, that mission was far to the north. Peter went to and commanded them, "You shall not fear other Antioch and established the Church there, then gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or went on from there to the north. sacrifice to them; 36 but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow From the text Origins of the Christian Church yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37 in Britain (No. 266) we saw that: And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and “Peter is listed by Hippolytus as preaching the the commandment which he wrote for you, you gospel in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia and shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, 38 and you shall not forget the covenant Betania, and Italy and Asia. He is then held to that I have made with you. You shall not fear other have been crucified upside down in the time of gods, 39 but you shall fear the LORD your God, and Nero (ANF, Vol. V, pp. 254-255). However, so he will deliver you out of the hand of all your also were a number of other apostles crucified 40 enemies." However they would not listen, but they upside down, such as Philip and Bartholomew. did according to their former manner. 41 So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their Andrew was also crucified on an olive tree. graven images; their children likewise, and their children's children – as their fathers did, so they do The sheer breadth of Peter’s ministry makes it to this day. (RSV) impossible that he could have been bishop of Rome. Betania is in the area of Tbilisi in the Hence there was a real mixture of religious Caucasus. It is the area from where the Anglo- practice among the people in Samaria at that Saxons came as part of the Parthian horde and time, which is precisely the situation among the where the Israelites had been banished. Peter’s descendants of Israel today. Many people major area of mission was to the Lost Tribes of ostensibly follow the Bible yet they do not Israel scattered abroad and there fused with the keep the whole Law of God as given therein. Scythians and Parthians, and not to Rome. Paul And those who purport to be Bible-believing was apostle to the Gentiles not Peter; he was an Christians are simultaneously worshipping on apostle to the circumcision. Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 41

at the time of Peter’s missions between 30 and Peter was originally bishop or patriarch of 68 CE. Antioch, and appointed Evodius as bishop there in his place, well before he died. Evodius At its greatest extent Parthia occupied a vast died ca 68 and was replaced by Ignatius of area. Parthia and the surrounding nations that Antioch as bishop. Eusebius, (Historia made up its Empire had a large number of Ecclesiastica, II.iii.22) records that Ignatius Israelites and many made pilgrimages to succeeded Evodius. Theodoret (Dial. Jerusalem, as we know from Acts 2:9-11. Immutab., I, iv, 33a) states that Peter himself Parthia at one time occupied areas now in Iran, appointed Ignatius to the see of Antioch. That Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, means Peter must have been there in 68 CE on Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, the death of Evodius, and he either returned to Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Rome or was never killed in Rome. Israel. Alternatively, Ignatius may have gone to Rome on the death of Evodius, or he was appointed Parthia stood between Rome and the East. by instrument of Peter and perhaps ordained by The sub-kingdoms of the Parthians were John. Thus Peter is intimately associated with Characene, Elymais and Persis. Antioch, and not with Rome, and in appointing its bishops. After defeating the Romans, but weakened by them, the Persians who were once part of its Ignatius styled himself Theophoret or bearer of empire attacked and defeated the Parthians and God, and is understood to have been a disciple caused a portion of its central horde to move of Peter and John. Indeed, he must have been, north-west into Europe under The Judge who as John lived and controlled the Church from was its leader U’din or Odin or Woden. They Ephesus and Ignatius must have had close brought with them the Almanac or calendar association with him. based on the New Moons. Almanach means the counting in Arabic. Some of the horde that Ignatius was martyred between 98 and 117 CE. were to become the Kurds remained behind. Their most famous leader was Salah’ u’din or If the tradition is to be accepted that Peter Saladin. ordained Clement as bishop of Rome on the death of Linus, then Peter was not martyred in Without any doubt at the time of Peter’s Rome where it is commonly believed he died. mission and at the time of the writing of the Such a view must be dismissed unless Linus text to the Hebrews, these areas listed by was martyred shortly before Peter, and Peter Hippolytus were all parts of the Parthian then appointed Clement, or had given such Empire. Some attribute the Book of Hebrews to instructions”(ibid.). Paul and four texts place it after 2Thessalonians, but the dating and the intent However, the timing of the appointments in was within the jurisdiction of Peter. Antioch shows that Peter was still overseeing operations there to the tribes in the dispersion. Thus the area contained the groups that went The sheer magnitude of the area of Peter’s from what is now Armenia and Georgia and the administration is to the north and Italy was a area around the Black Sea and Caspian Sea into minor part of it and barely rates a mention in Europe. The tradition that Peter preached to the relation to the other areas. Rome itself is not British comes from his mission to the Israelites even mentioned as part of the ministry. There is among the Anglo-Saxons, Jutes and other tribes only a general reference to Italy. Linus is of the Horde while in Parthia and not in Britain specifically mentioned by Hippolytus as being itself. The combination of these people would bishop of Rome when Peter is alive. The details be of R1b and a Semitic Haplogroup I. We find are in the Appendix of paper No. 266 (ibid.). this combination throughout Western Europe in the Celts, Angles, Saxons of Britain and We can safely say that the Ten Tribes were in Saxony, Jutes, Danes, Norse, Frisians, and into the Caucasus in what was Parthia and Scythia France and Spain. West Europe and Denmark Page 42 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel are largely a combination of R1b and I did not move into Europe with the Anglo- Haplogroups. Some are known Anglo-Saxons Saxons. The Massagetae, or Greater Goths, and and Celts, some are Gomerites and some are Vandals moved in as part of the Horde and all Magogites. Some are Goths, Alans and Heruli. were Unitarian Sabbatarians. The Goths split The I groups are Semites and the divisions of up into the Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths) who them will no doubt identify the tribes (see the settled in Italy and Austria along with the paper Genetic Origin of the Nations (No. 265)). Lombards and the Visi-Goths (Western Goths) who occupied Spain. These people were all These Gomerites and the I Hg Semites fit the predominantly R1b or I haplogroups. Thus they description of Israelites scattered throughout were a mixture of Japhethite and Semite Parthia, and what was Scythia. lineage. Hence the prophecy was fulfilled that Japheth would be enlarged and would dwell in “ Like other aspects of Parthian material the tents of Shem. In other words, Japheth culture, there are distinct differences between would be the larger or greater people but the regions in burial practices. There have been birthright promises of Shem would be few Parthian burials reported from Iran. This conferred on him as well due to their is probably due to the nature of burial, as intermarriage. simple cremation-type burials leave little for archaeology. Further west the picture is more The Anglo-Saxons and the Lombards that split complicated. The site of Shahr-I Qumis off from them all wore trousers and fringes (northeast of Tehran) yielded evidence for around the bottoms of them. multi-room funerary structures. Human and animal bones were found together, leading the There is little doubt that the R1bs come from excavators to speculate on a cultural the one ancestor, and ultimately the R1a Slavs connection with the Scythians, who deposited also come from the same lineage, perhaps horse bones with human burials. As with other higher up; or perhaps some of them became areas of the Parthian empire, too little is known R1a and some developed into R1b due to about the relationship between material isolation from the same ancestors. remains and religion (Hansman and Stronach 1970: 49).” The intermingling of the people now has http://www.parthia.com/nineveh/06.htm resulted in all of them carrying some Israelite bloodlines whether they are YDNA Israelites or The Parthians were not one tribal group and YDNA Celts of the Hittite and later Parthian were nomads. They wore trousers and were alliances. associated with horsemanship. Many Scythians wore kilts, and further east they were in the Khazars Uigur autonomous region of what is now The removal of the Parthians, that were the China. The men also took wives from other Anglo-Saxons, Lombards, Jutes, Goths and racial or sedentary groups. Vandals, saw the Khazars take up the area once occupied by these nomads and the Israelites YDNA evidence now shows that Scots, Irish and Jews that remained behind with them. and other Celts, as well as Anglo-Saxons and Normans, have predominantly R1b YDNA The Khazars were comprised of Ashkenazi with a section of Semitic I. The historical Gomerites and Slavs, but the R1a of the Slavs record shows they were all from the area of the predominated among them suggesting that the Russian steppes with some from Assyria, such R1 divisions into R1a and R1b occurred after as the Hermanduri, or men of Ur, who form the the split, or they mutated somehow. The modern German Thuringians. predominance in Norway and Sweden of R1a indicates that it may have occurred in the first The Romans recruited the Sarmatians after they millennium of the Current Era. The absence of managed to defeat them and placed many of R1b in North Africa where the Vandals went them in Britain in the army, and these were indicated they either were completely wiped once no doubt part of the Parthian horde that out or were RxR1 basics and settled in Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel Page 43

Cameroon. Thus the divisions may be very the United Kingdom for the first time. (Most of much later indeed. Ireland has since become independent.)

On the other hand, the Semitic groups may God has certainly protected these islands in have settled into four basic stable groups early; spite of the endemic idolatry and the inroads and Assyrians and Arphaxadite Hebrews that Trinitarianism quickly made. These began contain multiple types of Hg. I. basically with Augustine’s mission to England, which came soon after the death of the notable The Healing of the Breach Irish Sabbatarian saint, Columba, in 597 CE. The Kingdom of Israel, which ended with This was a mere seven years after the rise of Hoshea, was not to be united again with Judah, the so-called Holy Roman Empire, perhaps in effect, until about 2500 years later in the indicating that the British Isles was considered Last Days. The union was commenced from an important bastion that had to be thoroughly West Europe and ultimately the Americas and infiltrated with the Babylonian mysteries in Australasia and South Africa. It was to be in order to eliminate the worship of the One True Europe where most of the “lost” Ten Tribes of God of Columba’s followers and others. Israel had surfaced under Haplogroup I. Many Israelites were in the "Isles of the Sea" or the Wherever they are found in the world today, UK and Ireland, and more Jews now live side whether in the north (Jer. 3:12) or scattered by side with the Hg I and R1B Celto/Israelites across the globe, the descendants of Israel, in the US and British Commonwealth than either through direct YDNA lineage or through anywhere else on Earth. The YDNA lines of cross-breeding with Parthian Anglo-Saxons or the kings from 1066 were Norman R1b, with Jutes and Lombards or Hittites and other Celts Hebrew Davidic lines inherited chiefly through and indeed all nations, are urged to repent and the females, being transferred by marriage or return to the God who their fathers' knew. migration (see the papers Descendants of Jeremiah 3:11-13a And the LORD said to me, Abraham Part V: Judah (No. 212E) and also "Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than From David and the Exilarchs to the House of false Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words Windsor (No. 67)). toward the north, and say, `Return, faithless Israel, says the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I The Union of the Crowns between the royal am merciful, says the LORD; I will not be angry for ever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you houses of England and Scotland was effected in rebelled against the LORD your God ... (RSV) 1603. Despite sharing a sovereign, however, it wasn’t until the Act of Union of the The call is presently going out to all nations for Parliaments exactly 300 years ago (in 1707) all people to repent and become the Israel of that the two countries settled their differences God, which will ultimately fill the whole Earth. long enough to create a new entity called Great Britain. With the inclusion of Ireland in  January 1801, the country became known as

Table 1: Chronology of the Kings of Israel

Duration Dynasty: no. King Period of Reign (BCE) End

I: 1 Jeroboam 932 - 910/09 22 years Died I: 2 Nadab 910/09 - 909/08 2 years Murdered II: 3 Baasha 909/08 - 886/85 24 years Died II: 4 Elah 886/85 - 885/84 2 years Murdered 5 Zimri 885/84 7 days Suicide 6* Tibni 885/84 - 883/82 2 years Died III: 7* Omri 885/84 - 874/73 12 years Died Page 44 Descendants of Abraham Part VI: Israel

III: 8 Ahab 874/73 - 853 22 years Killed in battle III: 9 Ahaziah 853 - 852 2 years Died III: 10 Jehoram 852 - 841 12 years Murdered IV: 11 Jehu 841 - 814/13 28 years Died IV: 12 Jehoahaz 814/13 - 798 17 years Died IV: 13 Jehoash 798 - 782/81 16 years Died IV: 14 Jeroboam II [793] 782/81 - 753 41 years Died IV: 15 Zechariah 753 - 752 6 months Murdered 16 Shallum 752 1 month Murdered V: 17 Menahem 752 - 742/41 10 years Died V: 18 Pekahiah 742/41 - 740/39 2 years Murdered V: 19 Pekah [751] 740/39 - 732/31 20 years Murdered 20 Hoshea 732/31 - 722 9 years Died

Notes: 1) Discrepancies in the reigns of Jeroboam II and Pekah are examined in the text; 2) * denotes concurrent reign

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