Chapter 35 the small jewish states are constantly at war

The two small Jewish nations were constantly at war, and the result of brotherly rivalry was eternal domination by their neighbors.However, there have been warnings about the unfortunate consequences.Kings, politicians, and priests neglected their duties. A few brave men called prophets stepped forward to guide people to rebuild their faith in Jehovah, but they failed. The work of the Judges, David, and Solomon was unfinished, and their dreams of building a great Jewish empire came to naught.A fortified line ran from Gilgal near the Jordan River (once Joshua's headquarters) to the city of Gezer on the border of Felix, dividing Jewish territory in two.

Unity, the Jews will be able to achieve independence. If they are divided, they will be slaughtered by powerful neighbors. The following will talk about the experience of an unfortunate nation.Centuries of civil war and chaos followed by two hundred years of exile and slavery.This history records a series of horrors - murders and vain ambitions.But this history is the backdrop against which the most interesting religious struggles of antiquity took place. The main events of this complex period must be understood if we are to understand the greatest of all prophets, a prophet born long after the last efforts at Jewish independence were destroyed by the armies of Pompey.

The great Solomon died sometime between 940 and 930 BC. It is generally accepted that his empire was divided five years later. Let's compare the strength of the two nascent countries. Israel was twice the size of Judah and had twice the population.Its pastures are much richer than those of Judah, and three-quarters of the land of Judah is a barren wilderness.But that doesn't mean Israel is twice as powerful and twice as rich as its southern neighbor.On the contrary, its vast territory is Israel's disadvantage.The small but solid state of Judah, with its centralized form of governance, was better able to handle aggression.

Its eastern part, adjacent to the Dead Sea, is a rocky wilderness, 1,200 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, which is oppressively hot, but which constitutes an almost impenetrable barrier against Moabite and Ammonite invasions. To the south is the desert, connected to Arabia. The western border meets the territory of Felix.The descendants of those who had previously escaped from Crete had long since lost their ferocity.They have enjoyed a peaceful life on farms and factories.Now they seldom disturbed their Judah neighbors, but instead protected Judah from the savages who had just taken over the nearby Greek peninsula.

Israel was surrounded by enemies.The Jordan River could have been a natural barrier to the Territory.But after several successful wars, Israel's territory has expanded hundreds of miles eastward.At that time, only the Chinese in the world had the ability to build defensive walls on the desert. On several occasions, the Israelites appeared to be preparing to fortify the area.But the precarious domestic situation made it impossible.Thereafter, the Israelites were left to their fate, and of course were defeated by their powerful neighbors to the east.Neighboring countries have elite archers and powerful cavalry.

The Kingdom of Israel had another serious flaw.It is made up of ten different tribes.The tribes were determined to unite, but they took their rights as seriously as the original thirteen American colonies.So much so that they can't even settle on the capital.Shechem, the tribe of Ephraim, was in all respects a suitable location for the future capital of the State of Israel.It is a famous ancient city.When Abraham went west to find the Promised Land, he passed through here.It is closely linked to the past ten centuries of Jewish history. But Jeroboam, who came to the throne by rebellion, was always suspicious. He felt that Shechem was not safe enough.So the court was moved further east to Tirzah.

Fifty years later, he moved to Samaria. This place is located on the top of a hill, overlooking the surrounding terrain. The lack of a fixed capital (many powerful countries were destroyed as a result), greatly affected the development of this small kingdom. However, the real underlying reason for Israel's weakness is not a question of geographic boundaries or political centers.But for another reason. From the very beginning, the Jewish state was a "theocracy".Since the god does not live on earth, he expresses his will through priests.Priests express God's thoughts through dreams or miracles, such as the rustling of leaves on a sacred tree or signals from heaven during sacrifices, etc.

Ordinary people do not see "God" (whether Yahweh or Jupiter).The priest thus became his representative and executor on earth.Their power was the equivalent of the Indian viceroy, who ruled over the people in the name of an unattainable and mysterious emperor who lived in Buckingham Palace in London and was never seen by the inhabitants of Calcutta or Bombay. In almost every country there is a particular period and stage in its political development.We find this in both the Nile Valley and Babylon.We hear that it was the same in Greece and Rome.The chaos of the Middle Ages did not weaken the notion of theocracy.So the King of England became the "Defender of the Religious Faith."The Russian tsar proclaimed himself the semi-divine head of church and state.Even today in the United States, traces of the concept of theocracy can still be found in the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as in the state legislatures of each state.The meeting began with a speech by a priest, claiming that wise decisions can only be reached under the guidance of the gods.