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THE DIVIDED NATION 79 JEROBOAM II 782–747 BCE If there is a single period in the history of the northern kingdom of the Jews in which it best showed its potential for greatness, it was during the reign of Jeroboam II. Under him, Israel was more confident and more secure than it had ever been before or would ever be again. During the reign of his father, Jehoash, Israel had begun to recover from the consequences of a long period of disarray and weakness. Jeroboam built on that revival. Under him, Samaria once again became a thriving city. The Israelite capital was adorned with ornate buildings, graced with extensive cultural activity and alive with bustling markets. With vigorous leadership and a strengthened army, Jeroboam recovered all the land on both sides of the Jordan River that Israel had lost since the Jewish nation had fractured in two. His rule soon stretched from deep in Syria to the borders of Judah, and from a line well east of the Jordan to the Mediterranean coast. No previous Israelite king had exercised authority over so extensive a dominion. Chronic adversary Damascus, which had earlier occupied much of Israel, was reduced to the status of Israel’s vassal state. Its resurgence coincided with improved circumstances as well for Judah under King Uzziah. The lapsed alliance between the two now-flourishing Jewish nations was renewed and strengthened. Together Jeroboam and Uzziah controlled territory almost as extensive as that ruled by Solomon at the height of his powers. With that revival came prosperity from commerce, stimulated through cooperation with the enterprising Phoenicians who were also doing particularly well at the time. To that was added the development of domestic industry and agriculture as well as control of major regional trade routes. Inevitably there was a downside. Great wealth poured into Israel and was generated within it. Nevertheless, the gap between rich and poor in the kingdom grew ever wider. The aristocracy, merchant and administrative classes and large landowners did extremely well while poor agrarians, who made up the bulk of the population, did not. In recurring periods of drought, great numbers of them fell deeply in debt. Many were reduced to a semi-feudal relationship with large landowners and moneylenders and often found little sympathy from corrupt magistrates and state officials. The rich built “ivory palaces”[25] and “great houses” in Samaria and KINGS OF THE JEWS 80 exploited their wealth to become even richer and more powerful, while the poor were often denied simple justice. The widening differences between social and economic classes over the previous decades had diluted tribal solidarity. Though tribal distinctions had earlier often militated against the unity of the state, they had provided an instrument of social cohesion that was now increasingly undermined. Even when they shared tribal identity, people of privileged class and station had little in common with the poor and dispossessed. Though Israel prospered during Jeroboam’s long reign, its social fabric decayed. As before, great numbers of people, both rich and poor, strayed from the religion and laws of Yahweh. Paganism was renascent. The campaign of religious purification undertaken by Jehu, Jeroboam’s great-grandfather, proved to have had meager longterm impact. With some Israelites worshipping both Yahweh and pagan deities, many local shrines became ecumenical, as did many priests who saw no reason to fear the anger of Yahweh when their king vanquished all enemies and inaugurated a golden age for Israel. Nor did the brotherhood of prophets offer much in the way of censure or foreboding, dazed as its members were by the kingdom’s remarkable renaissance An exception was Hosea who condemned Israelites for supposing their good fortune resulted from pagan worship. He warned that because Jews had not obeyed God, “they shall go wandering among the nations.”[26] The prophet Amos was similarly appalled by what had been happening. Originally a shepherd from Judah, Amos did not hesitate to convey God’s judgment on the effect social transformation was having on the Israelites. They have sold for silver Those whose cause was just, And the needy for a pair of sandals. You who trample the heads of the poor Into the dust of the ground, And make the humble walk a twisted course! Father and son go to the same girl, And thereby profane My holy name. They recline by every altar On garments taken in pledge, And drink in the House of their God Wine bought with fines they imposed.… You...

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