Rehoboam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rehoboamרְחַבְעָם |
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Rehoboam from Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum (1553)
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| King of Israel | |
| Reign | c. 931 BCE |
| Predecessor | Solomon |
| Successor | Position abolished |
| King of Judah | |
| Reign | c. 931–913 BCE |
| Successor | Abijah |
| Born | c. 972 BCE |
| Died | c. 913 BCE |
| Spouse | Mahalath Maacah 16 other wives 60 concubines |
| Issue | Jeush Shemariah Zaham Abijah Attai Ziza Shelomith 21 other sons 60 daughters |
| House | House of David |
| Father | Solomon |
| Mother | Naamah |
Rehoboam was an important king in the Hebrew Bible. He was the first king of the Kingdom of Judah. This happened after the large United Kingdom of Israel split into two parts.
Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the grandson of David. His story is told in the books of I Kings and II Chronicles. His rule was limited to the southern part, called Judah. This happened after ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled around 932/931 BCE. They formed their own kingdom, the Kingdom of Israel, led by Jeroboam.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Even though King Solomon was very wise and powerful, his kingdom started to have problems. Some cities on the borders began to break away. For example, Damascus became independent. Also, a man named Jeroboam, who worked for Solomon, became ambitious. A prophet told him he would become king. Jeroboam then fled to Egypt.
This meant that before Solomon died, his united kingdom was already starting to weaken. With Damascus free and a strong leader from the Tribe of Ephraim (a major northern tribe) waiting, the future of Solomon's kingdom was uncertain.
Rehoboam's mother was Naamah. She was from Ammon, a foreign land. She was one of the many foreign wives King Solomon married.
Becoming King
Rehoboam became king around the mid-10th century BCE. He was 41 years old when he took the throne. His story is found in the Hebrew Bible in 1 Kings 12 and 1 Kings 14:21–31, and in 2 Chronicles.
The ten northern tribes of Israel gathered at Shechem. They wanted to make Rehoboam their king. But first, they asked him to make some changes. They wanted him to reduce the heavy taxes and forced labor that his father Solomon had put on them. These taxes were used to pay for Solomon's many building projects and his luxurious court.
The older, experienced advisors told Rehoboam to speak kindly to the people. They suggested he should at least pretend to agree to their demands. However, Rehoboam chose to listen to his younger friends. They told him to be tough and to tax the people even more. Rehoboam followed their bad advice.
The Kingdom Splits
The people were already unhappy because of the high taxes and hard work under Solomon. There was also a long history of rivalry between the northern and southern tribes. They had only been united by King David's victories. The northern tribe of Ephraim was always ready to rebel.
Religious reasons also played a part. Solomon's building of the Temple in Jerusalem was not popular everywhere. Many local holy places across the land felt less important. The priests of these local shrines likely supported the rebellion.
Because of Rehoboam's harsh answer, Jeroboam and the people rebelled. The ten northern tribes broke away and formed their own separate kingdom. This new kingdom was still called the Kingdom of Israel. It was also known as Samaria or the northern kingdom. Rehoboam was left to rule only the southern part, which was called the Kingdom of Judah.
Challenges and Conflicts
Civil War with Israel
Rehoboam gathered an army of 180,000 soldiers. He wanted to fight against the new Kingdom of Israel and bring them back under his rule. However, he was advised not to fight against his own people. So, he returned to Jerusalem. The Bible says that Israel and Judah remained at war with each other throughout Rehoboam's 17-year reign.
Egyptian Invasion
In the fifth year of Rehoboam's rule, Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked. He came with a very large army and captured many cities in Judah. Rehoboam had built fifteen strong, fortified cities, which suggests he might have expected an attack.
The Bible says Shishak came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and many soldiers from Egypt, including Libyans and Kushites. Shishak's armies captured all the fortified towns on the way to Jerusalem. When they surrounded Jerusalem, Rehoboam gave Shishak all the treasures from the Temple and the royal palace as a payment. This invasion stopped the valuable trade routes with south Arabia that Solomon had set up. Judah became a weaker state, under Egypt's power.
This Egyptian invasion is also mentioned in ancient Egyptian records. These records are found on the Bubastite Portal in Karnak. Another archaeological discovery also confirms it. Shishak is usually thought to be the Egyptian pharaoh Shoshenq I. One small puzzle is that the Bible says Shishak took treasures from Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is not clearly listed among the cities Shoshenq I conquered on his portal.
Family and Succession
Rehoboam had many wives and concubines (secondary wives). He had 18 wives and 60 concubines. Together, they had 28 sons and 60 daughters.
Some of his wives included Mahalath, who was the daughter of Jerimoth (David's son). His sons with Mahalath were Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. After Mahalath, he married his cousin Maacah. She was the daughter of Absalom, who was also David's son. His sons with Maacah were Abijam, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. The names of his other wives and many of his children are not written down.
Rehoboam ruled for 17 years. When he died, he was buried next to his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Abijam became the next king of Judah.
See also
In Spanish: Roboam para niños
