Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Andrew C Smith <a.c.smith AT juno.com>]

[1] Given that there were twelve (or thirteen!) distinct tribes, we're
lucky we ended up with only two kingdoms! It could have split into many
more.

[2] The division into two kingdoms could have had a very old cause, as
Lloyd suggests, going back to Deborah, or even going all the way to the
"ten sons rejecting the eleventh" as someone said. But the cause could
also have been relatively recent: the USA was less than 100 years old
when it had its civil war.

[3] Perhaps the physical geography of the land played a role. Was it more
difficult for Northerners to travel to Jerusalem? Making them less likely
to accept Jerusalem-centered rulers?

a.c.smith AT juno.com
http://www.lcms.org
http://www.lcms.com
http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/5680

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