casions prescribed in the law. This must have been felt as a special grievance by the Ephraimites, owing to the fact that the national sanctuary had been for a very long period at Shiloh, within their own territory ; and therefore its transference elsewhere, it is easy to discern, would not be readily acquiesced in by a people who had proved themselves in other respects so jealous of their rights, and not easily persuaded that this was not rather a political expedient on the part of the rival tribe, than as a matter of divine choice (1 Kings xiv, 21). Nor is it to be overlooked, in connection with this subject, that other provisions of the theocratic economy relative to the annual festivals would be taken advantage of by those in whom there existed already a spirit of dissatisfaction. Even within m limited a locality as Palestine, there must have been inequalities of climate, which must have considerably affected the seasons, more particularly the vintage and harvest, with which the feasts may in some measure have interfered, and in so far may have been productive of discontent betv.ecn the northern and southern residents. That there were in- conveniences in both the respects now mentioned would indeed appear from the appeal made by Jeroboam to his new subjects, when, for reasons of state policy, and in order to perpetuate the schism by making it religious as well as political, he would dissuade them from at- tendance on the feasts in Judah : '• It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem" (1 Kings xii, 28) ; and from the fact that he postponed for a whole month the cele- bration of the feast of tabernacles (ver. 32), a change to which it is believed he was induced, or in the adop- tion of wliich he was at least greatly aided, by the cir- cumstance of the harvest being considerably later in the northern than in the southern districts {Pi'ct. Bible, note on 1 Kings xii, 32).
Again, the burdensome exactions in the form of ser- vice and tribute imposed on his subjects by Solomon
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for liis extensive buildings, and the maintenance of his splendid and luxurious court, must have still further deepened this disaffection, which originated in one or other of the causes already referred to. It may indeed be assumed that this grievance was of a character which appealed to the malcontents more directly than anj' oth- er; and that these burdens, required especially for the beautifying of the capital, must have been exceedingly disagreeable to the inhabitants of the provinces, who did not in any way participate in the glories in support of which such onerous charges were required. The bur- dens thus imposed were indeed expressly stated to be the chief ground of complaint by the representatives of Israel headed by Jeroboam, who, on the occasion of the coronation at Shechem, waited on the son of Solomon with a view to obtain redress (1 Kings xii, 4). The long smouldering dissatisfaction could no longer be re- pressed, and a mitigation of their burdens was imperi- ously demanded by the people. For this end Jeroboam had been summoned, at the death of Solomon, from Egypt, whose presence must have had a marked intlu- once on the issue, although it may be a question wheth- er Jeroboam should not be regarded rather as an instru- ment called forth by the occasion than as himself the instigator of the revolt. With this agrees the intima- tion made to him from the Lord many years before by Ahijah the Shilonitc. The very choice of Shechem, within the territories of Ephraim, as the coronation place of IJehoboam, may have had for its object the re- pression of the rebellious spirit in the northern tribes by means of so grand and imposing a ceremony.
However this may have been, or in whatever degree the causes specified may have severally operated in producing the revolt, the breach now made was never healed, God himself expressly forbidding all attempts on the part of Kehoboam and his counsellors to subju- gate the revolted provinces with the intimation, " This thing is from me" (1 Kings xii, 24). The subsequent history of the two kingdoms Avas productive, with but slight exceptions, of further estrangement.
II. Extent and Resources of the Kinydom of Israel. — The area of Palestine, even at its utmost extent under Solomon, was very circumscribed. In its geographical relations it certainly bore no comparison whatever to the other great empires of antiquitj', nor indeed was there any proportion between its size and the mighty influences which have emanated from its soil. Making allowance for the territories on the shore of tlie jNIedi- tcrranean in the possession of the Phoenicians, the area of Palestine did not much exceed 13,000 square miles. This limited extent, it might be shown, however, did the present subject call for it, rendered that land more suitable for the purposes of the theocracy than if it were of a far larger area. What precise extent of territories was embraced in the kingdom of Israel cannot be very easily determined, but it may be safely estimated as more than double that of the southern kingdom, or, ac- cording to a more exact ratio, as 9 to 4. Nor is it easy to specify with exactness the several tribes which com- posed the respective kingdoms. In the announcement made by Ahijah to Jeroboam, he is assured often tribes, while only one is reserved for the house of David ; but this must be taken only in a general sense, and is to be interpreted by 1 Kings xii, 23 (compare ver. 21) ; for it would appear that Simeon, part of Dan, and the greater part of Benjamin, owing doubtless to the fact that Je- rusalem itself was situated within that tribe, formed portion of the kingdom of Judah (Ewald, Geschichte, iii, 409). It is to be noticed, however, that Judah was the only independent tribe, and therefore it might be spoken of as the one which constituted the kingdom of the house of David. The ten tribes nominally assigned to Israel were probably Joseph (= Ephraim and Manas- seh), Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, Benjamin, Dan, Simeon, Gad, and Keuben, Levi being intentionally omit- ted; the ten actually embraced in it setm to have been Ephraim, Manasseh (East and West), Issachar, Zebulon,