Chapter 9 — A Nation Crumbles

Solomon

The son of King David who became king of Israel, known for his

wisdom and for building the Temple in Jerusalem.

Temple of Jerusalem

The magnificent house of worship built by Solomon

where the Ark of the Covenant was kept and where God’s presence was shown.

Kingdom of Israel

The northern kingdom formed after Solomon’s death when ten tribes broke away under King Jeroboam.

Kingdom of Judah

The southern kingdom made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, ruled by David’s descendants.

Babylonian Exile

The period when the Babylonians conquered Judah and took many Israelites captive to Babylon.

Who succeeded King David as king?

Solomon, David’s son, became the king of Israel.

2. What important building did Solomon construct?

He built the Temple in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant.

Why did Israel’s golden age come to an end?

Solomon worshiped other gods and built shrines for them, which displeased

Yahweh.

What happened to the kingdom after Solomon’s death?

It divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

Who ruled the northern kingdom first?

Jeroboam became the first king of the northern kingdom.

Which prophets preached in the northern kingdom?

Amos and Hosea preached there.

Who were the great prophets during Ahab’s time?

Elijah and Elisha were great prophets who worked miracles.

Who was the good king of Judah supported by Isaiah?

King Hezekiah was a good king supported by the prophet Isaiah.

Who warned Judah about its unfaithfulness before destruction?

The prophet Jeremiah warned the people.

10.What happened when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem?

The temple was destroyed, the city burned, and many people were taken into exile.

1) Describe the division of the kingdom after Solomon’s death

§ Solomon became king after David and began his reign with wisdom.

§ He built the great Temple in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant.

§ Over time, Solomon became wealthy and heavily taxed the people.

§ He married many foreign (pagan) women.

§ To please them, he built shrines for their false gods.

§ This was sinful because Israel was meant to worship Yahweh alone.

§ Yahweh warned Solomon that the kingdom would be torn apart.

§ God said ten of the twelve tribes would break away from David’s family.

§ After Solomon died, the northern tribes rebelled against his son.

§ Jeroboam became the leader/king of the northern tribes.

§ The northern kingdom was called Israel, and the southern kingdom was

called Judah.

§ This division weakened God’s people and led to more idolatry and problems.

2) Explain how the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were destroyed.

o After division, many people in Israel turned away from Yahweh.

o Jeroboam set up bull statues to stop the people from going to Jerusalem

to worship.

o These idols confused people and encouraged pagan worship (like Baal

worship).

o Sin spread, including injustice and wrong actions in society.

o God sent prophets like Amos and Hosea to warn Israel.

o They taught three key messages: inner faith, worship Yahweh alone, and

live with justice.

o Israel refused to listen to these warnings.

o In 721 B.C., the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel.

o Many Israelites were taken into exile, and foreigners were brought into

the land.

o In Judah, good kings like Hezekiah and Josiah tried reforms, but many

later kings were sinful.

o Prophet Jeremiah warned Judah, but the people and kings ignored him.

o The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem (598 B.C. first exile; final fall after

siege), destroyed the Temple, and took the people to Babylon—this was

the Babylonian Exile.