Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

>In your scenario, surely the question that remains is not "why the 
>divided monarchy?" but "why the united monarchy?" In other words, if 
>the Israelites had such a diverse origin, what made them (even 
>temporarily) into a single united people, with a single language and 
>at least to some extent a single faith?

A very good question. Another posting on this list, with the subject
"Joshua / Judges", deals with the same question.

A single people, with a single language, and a single faith, did not
strictly exist until after the exile. Prior to the exile, the people were
fragmented, because the 12 tribes didn't always co-operate nicely, and
because foreigners were still not entirely assimilated into the culture.
Idolatry kept cropping up over and over, so they were not all faithful,
or even mostly faithful, in the pre-exilic times - again and again the
prophets came to rebuke them.

Perhaps it is useful to compare the kingdom of Saul/David/Solomon to
mediaeval Europe. There was one emperor over many countries, trying
desperately to hold the thing together, but the countries would sometimes
declare war on each other. Medieval Europe was not "united" in that
sense.

- A.C. Smith




"... if Bach is the sound of God thinking, then perhaps Gershwin is, at
least, the sound of St. Anthony of Padua whistling as he works ..."
- Michael Bywater




___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]