JERIEL (^x-!; for 'jxn; ' founded of El,' cf. n.n;).— A chief of Issachar, 1 Ch V. See Genealogy.
JERIJAH, 1 Ch 26".— See Jeriah.
JERIMOTH (Pion;).— 1. 2. Two Benjamites, 1 Ch V V2K 3. 4. S. Three Levites, 1 Ch 24»> (called in 25" Jereraoth) 25^ 2 Ch 31i». 6. A son of David and father of Rehoboam'e wife, 2 Ch 11". See Genealogy.
JERIOTH (n\yn,-\ occurs in a genealogy in I Ch 2'*, where the only thing that is certain is that MT is corrupt (see Kittel's note in SBOT). It is possible that we ought to read with Wellhausen '■!;ti; ' daughter of Jerioth ' for '^;"n^. See, further. Genealogy, IV. 35 a, note.
JEROBOAM (nj;3T; prob. 'may he plead the people's cause,' 'Upo^oi^).—!. 1 K ll^-^ 12'-14»', 2 CIi 10="- ll"-" 12" 13, son of Nebat and Zeruah, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, first king of Israel after the disruption, reigned 22 years, B.C. 937-915. Jeroboam s career began early in Solomon's reign (cf. 1 K ll'' with 9" 3') ; the king, recognizing the ,'oung man's abilities, appointed him commissioner or the house of Joseph. He used his position to plot against his master ; and. when Solomon sought to kill him, was forced to flee to Egypt.* In the LXX there are two accounts of the way in which Jeroboam became king. The first agrees sub- stantially with the Hebrew, when the contra- dictions of the text of 1 K 12 (cf. vv.=- » with «■) are removed.t As soon as Jeroboam heard of the
• The account of the rebellion, hinted at in 1 E ll^o, is not given as we should expect afterv.38. it is notice.able that wiiilc the compiler views this and other rebellions as punishments for Solomon's unfaithfulness (^•v.O-la)^ yet they occurred early in the rei^jn, i.e. liefore the sins which occasioned them.
t 1 K 1-22 is to be placed before v.i, so that ' heard of it' refers to Solomon's death, 11*3 ; a slight change in the Ueb. v. 2b gives the sense 'and J. returned from Egj-pt'; omit v. s* and 'Jero- boam and ' in v.i2». Thus the narrative \s brought into agree- ment with V.30.
I
death of Solomon, he returned from Egypt ; ha did not attend the conference between Kilioboara and the jicople at Shechem, but he kept within reacli, and came when he wtus .sent for. The othei account in LXX U is inserted at 12-*. It covers the same ground as the first, but with con- siderable additions and variations. On hear- ing of Solomon's death, Jeroboam returned from Egypt, where he had found a patron in Shishak and an Ej^'ptian princess for a wife, 12"*,* mustered his tribe at Shechem, and so gave the immediate occasion for the revolt. The most important divergence, however, between the two Greek accounts is found in the proi)hecies which promise Jeroboam the IcailtTsliip of the ten tribes. In the first we have the prophecy of Ahijah de- livered to Jeroboam at Jerusalem in the time of Solomon ; in the second a similar ]iroi>liecy is put into tbc mouth of Sheniaiah at Slicclicm in the time of Kelioboam. Iloth accounts are clearly translated from Heb. originals, which must have existed when the LXX translation was inaile. The Heb. text was not fixed, and the tradition was fluctuating ; we cannot feel certain as to what was the actual course of events. With regard to Ahijah a similar uncertaintj'e.xists. The prophecy in 1 K ll-'-^s appears to be an interpolation, for it interrupts the account of Jeroboam's rebellion, which IS expected after v.^ and implied by v.*". It could not have been Ahijah's prophecy which aroused Solomon's susiiicions, for it was a private communication, addressed to Jeroboam alone, as is expressly stated ; no third party was aware of it.t We find, then, two dillerent traditions of Jeroboam's accession to the sovereignty ; the correct history of it must remain uncertain.
The revolt which led to the division of the kingdom and the elevation of Jeroboam was a revolt against the government of Solomon and the heavy burdens which it laid upon the people. Solomon's conception of the state was in fact alien to the national feelings. The free, democratic spirit of old Israel, which could welcome a king chosen by the people, h;id not liecome reconciled to a hereditary monarchy, especially when Solomon's heir proved to be out of symi)athy with the popular demand for a less despotic government. And the tribal instinct was still strong ; it had not yet surrendered to the idea of a united nation. Jealousy of the new prcjionderance of Jmlah must have been felt in the iiowerful tribe of Ephraim ; the real strength of Israel lay in the north ; neither geographical nor social conditions were in favour of Jerusalem being the centre of all Israel. Hence the revolt came to a head at Shechem, and the instigator of the democr.ttic movement was an Ephraimite who became chieftain of the ten tribes by the free choice of the people The historian sees in this reverse for Judah a judgment on the sins of Solomon.
But Jeroboam not merely adopted the line of democratic leader appointed by popular choice, he came forward as the patron of the popular religion and the ancient sanctuaries. He quickly realized that it was necessary for his position to establish a strong counter-attraction to the new temple at Jerusalem. Accordingly he made successful ellorts to revive the popularity of the venerable holy places at Bethel and Dan, and provided them with golden images of J" in the lorm of a steer or bull, in addition to the altar, asherah, and sacred stone (2 K 23"), which were there already. He also instituted a new priesthood and a popular