The Kingdom of Israel Learning Objectives We will explain the significance of David in the development of the Jewish religion. We will identify the sources of the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism.

Did You Know? Jerusalem has had different names throughout history. Before King David conquered Jerusalem, the city was called Jebus. King David renamed the city the City of David. Account of the Assyrians’ conquering of the city referred to Jerusalem as the City of Judah.

Israelites Choose a King Philistines were the strongest people in Canaan around 1000 B.C. Israelites feared the Philistines, so they copied their ways and worshiped their gods. To keep from quarreling among themselves and to save their religion, the 12 tribes asked Samuel, a prophet, to choose a king. Prophet: a person who claims to be instructed by God. Samuel warned the Israelites against having a king. Israelites named Saul as king. Samuel anointed him, King Saul displeased God. So God chose another king, David. God told Samuel anoint David in secret.

Focus Check Why did Samuel warn the Israelites against choosing a king? Samuel told the Israelites that a king would enslave them and make them pay taxes.

David & Solomon David was a famous warrior. He killed a giant Philistine named Goliath with a slingshot and stones. King Saul put David in charge of the army but later grew envious of David and plotted to have him killed. David hid until Saul and his sons were killed. Then, David took the throne.

Solomon Solomon was David’s son who took the throne after David’s death. Solomon built the stone temple in Jerusalem that David wanted to build. He was known for his proverbs, or wise sayings. When Solomon died, the 12 tribes began fighting. 10 of the tribes moved to the north and called their nation: kingdom of Israel. The other 2 tribes moved to the south and called their nation: kingdom of Judah. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem, and the people of Jerusalem were called Jews.

Focus Check Why did David want to build a temple in Jerusalem? David wanted the Israelites to have a permanent place for their sacred objects.

A Troubled Time After creating the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, many Israelites forgot their religion. The prophets told the Israelites to return to God’s laws to create a just society. The Assyrians conquered Israel and dispersed the 10 tribes throughout their empire. These Israelites lost their religion and were often called the “lost tribes of Israel”.

Assyrian Samaritans The Assyrians settled around Samaria and were called Samaritans. The Samaritans thought God would be angry with them for taking the Israelites’ land. To appease God, they offered sacrifices and began following the Israelites’ religion. The people of Judah believed that God only accepted sacrifices from the temple at Jerusalem. They believed they were God’s only people.

Conquered The Egyptians conquered the kingdom of Judah in 620 B.C. The Chaldeans conquered Egypt and became rulers of Judah in 605 B.C. The Jews joined forces with the Egyptians to conquer the Chaldeans. King Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans captured Jerusalem and punished the Jews. He sent 10,000 Jews to Babylon and appointed a new Jewish king. In 586 B.C., the Jews revolted against the Chaldeans, and the Chaldean ruler crushed Jerusalem. The Chaldeans took the king of Judah and thousands of Jews to Babylon. This period is known as the Babylonian Captivity.

Discussion Question What message did the prophets bring to the Israelites? The prophets warned the Israelites that being faithful to God was more than simply going to temple to worship. It meant working for a just society and dealing fairly with other people.