“일반 역사” 속에서의 여로보암 I세 -이스라엘 왕의 역대 지략 채우기-

Abstract

The Book of Kings ended the kings’ lives with the words of “walking in the ways of Jeroboam” whenever they acted religious evil deeds. The Bible emphasizes that such ways angered YHWH and eventually caused Israel to collapse. As the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, it must be humiliating of his life with this notorious name. What happened him to get such expression? Since we do not have "the annals of the kings of Israel" where the Bible tells us all the kings’ wars and how they ruled, we do not know his real life. Thus in this study, I tried re-examining of his life in “Normal History” not in religious aspects to complete the book of annals of kings of Israel based on the biblical and extra-biblical materials such as archaeological and historical remains. Jeroboam, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, may have been a young man who worked in the region to make bronze utensils for the Temple of Jerusalem. Although his mother was a widow who could not give good backgrounds to him in this ancient time, he was an influential person (gibbor hayil) in the “house of Joseph” representing the ten tribes of northern Israel. The fact that Solomon appointed him to oversee the work of “house of Joseph” and that the tribe of Israel chose him to be against Rehoboam, proves him to be a king with leadership. In addition, there was the prophecy of Ahiyah from Siloh. Such conditions made the ten tribes of northern Israel to give full support to him as the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His throne was successful without a bloody war. He seemed to be a very qualified king. However, with such good conditions to be a king, since Jeroboam was the servant of Solomon, he might have thought that implementing Solomon’s works was the right royal policy. According to Samaria Ostraca, Solomon’s administrative division of territories was still used in Jeroboam’s time and continued till the 8th century BCE in Northern Kingdom of Israel. As soon as he became the king, he found capitals that would strengthen his position, and built fortified cities. Building the capital required a lot of labor and taxes, and during the 22-years reign, making at least three capitals, he would have put a heavy yoke on the people, as Solomon did. Just as Solomon strengthened his kingship by building royal temple near to his palace in Jerusalem, Jeroboam also tried to provide his royal sanctuaries in Dan and Bethel where located in the borders of the north and the south in Israel. Thus this could prevent the people of Israel to remain in the territory of Israel and Jeroboam could control them. To show his power on the religious part of the kingdom, he did not employ the tribe of Levi for priests who might be pro-Judah. Such policy could help him to control the temples and he could force the kingship on religion. However, when Shishak’s invasion hurt the Northern Kingdom, the people of Israel must recognize the international relation which was the merit of Jeroboam was no longer stable. The Northern Kingdom of Israel must no want to uphold Jeroboam’s lineage as their king. After his death, his son Nadab reigned for only two years, and his family ceased after a coup of Baasa of the Issachar. While “House of David” remained in the Kingdom of Judah, the title “House of Jeroboam” was never used for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Rather, Jeroboam’s name was only used as a synonym for kings who did evil deeds.