Conquest, Confederacy, and Kingdom: A generation later, a reinvigorated younger generation completed
the conquest of their homeland. (Other tribes had moved into the land during
their absence.) The extended family now consisted of twelve clans, and they
formed a loose confederacy that was frequently challenged by neighboring
nations, sometimes overcome, and subsequently reformed several times over the
next several hundred years.
Eventually this loose confederacy evolved into a
rather short-lived monarchy, a development about which later biblical writers
were ambivalent. Their first king, Saul, was a disappointment. Their heroic
second king, David, initiated their “golden age,” around 1000 B.C. His son
Solomon was another disappointment as a king (although the famous Golden Temple
was built during his reign) and Solomon’s son was such a weak and insecure
ruler that civil war broke out, and the nation was divided into northern and
southern kingdoms.
Deterioration, Exile, and Return: God repeatedly intervened in this deteriorating situation.
Sometimes, God gave people strong dreams to get their attention. Other times,
they had other spiritual experiences. Occasionally, remarkable miracles
occurred. Some people had a special sensitivity to God and became spiritual
leaders called prophets. Their writings in the Bible record the context and
content of the messages they received from God and passed on to the people.
In this divided and weakened condition, the
descendants of Israel became an easy target for rising empires to their north.
Eventually, from about 700 to 550 B.C., both the northern and southern kingdoms
were conquered. Many survivors from the south were deported to Assyria where
they became servants in various capacities. Seventy years later, two leaders,
Nehemiah and Ezra, gained permission to repopulate their homeland and led the
refugees (most of whom had been born in exile) back to rebuild their capital
city, Jerusalem.
Through all these hardships, these people never
completely lost faith. Nor did they allow their faith to lose its
distinctiveness. Of all people in the world, they alone believed in one
supreme, good Creator, and they sought to remain faithful to that vision. The
era of the great Hebrew prophets ends with the story at this point, about 450
B.C.
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