MONARCHY
451
MONARCHY
Monarchy, Israelitish (see Kale, De potestate regia iiu/eiiie Hebr. Havn. 1749). According to the sense of the Mosaic constitution, the Hebrews were erected into a kind of republic under the immediate dominion of Jehovah, forming a strict theocracy (q. v.); the law of the kingdom (Deut. xvii, 14-20) being partly ex- pounded by the Pentateuch itself, which alludes to it as a future institution, and partly organized on a perma- nent basis by Solomon, largely independent of the Mo- saic law (see Stitudlein in Eertholdt's Theol, Journ. iii, 259, 361 sq. ; Hengstenberg, Pentat. ii, 240 sq.). It was inaugurated by Samuel in compliance with a general request of the people, which had grown out of the bitter experience of many years, rendering it an inevitable ne- cessity sooner or later (Ewald, Israel. Gesch. ii, 140 sq.), as the order of judges was but a temporary and precari- ous safeguard against total anarchy. The king, how- ever, was only empowered to administer the theocratic government as a viceroy of Jehovah, the heavenly sov- ereign (Psa. ii, 2), and ^vas bound to this law as the higliest authority, so as to exclude the idea of an inde- pendent and absolute monarch. In particular cases the Urim and Thummim, or a prophet, or some other me- dium of divine communication (1 Sam. xxviii, 6 ; xxx, 7 sq. ; 2 Sam. ii, 1 ; 1 Kings xxii, 7 sq. ; comp. John xi, 51), might be referred to in order to direct and confirm the theocratic regent as to the will of Jehovah, so that in this way the monarchical administration still retained the charaitcr of a divine government, and the kings were reminded of their dependency (see Kalkar, Over de Israel. Godi-srer/erlnri, in liis Verhandling van het Haag- sche Genoofschap, etc., ii, 3 sq.). But in practice the Israelitish kings assumed the right of declaring war and concluding peace (1 Sam. xi, 5 sq.), as well as of exercising judicial functions in the highest cases (2 Sam. XV, 2 ; 1 Kings iii, 16 sq. ; comp. Jer. xxi, 12), and of pronouncing amnesty (2 Sam. xiv). The king was also the patron of the religious cultus (1 Kings viii ; 2 Kings xii, 4 sq. ; xviii, 4 sq. ; xxiii, 1 sq.), and in war he was likewise the usual leader of his troops (1 Sam. viii, 20). Despotism was held in check sometimes by a sort of coronation-oath — a Magna Charta, as it were (1 Sam. X, 25 ; 2 Sam. v, 3 ; 1 Kings xii, 4 sq. ; 2 Kings xi, 17 ; comp. Josephus, War, ii, 1, 2) — and sometimes by a mass meeting of the tribes (1 Chron. iv, 41 sq. ; the heads of families formed a kind of popular representa- tives, 1 Chron. xxix, 1 sq. ; comp. xiii, 2); and there even occurs an example of the direct intervention of the people (1 Sam. xiv, 45 sq.) ; but especially the proph- ets, who from the time of Samuel were set to guard the theocracy, and constituted a species of continually self- renewing order, often made the most unshrinking oppo- sition to the prince, either by introducing themselves officially into the royal cabinet (Nathan, Isaiah), or by demanding a special audience (1 Kings xx, 22 sq., 38; 2 Kings i, 15, etc.), and even went so far as open resist- ance, by their severe invectives at least, to unlawful measures of government (compare 1 Sam. xxii, 17 sq.). See Prophet.
The regular succession was confined to the house of David. Usually the first-born son (even when a minor [2 Kings xi, 21]— there is found no provision for a guar- dian or regent [yet see the Sept. at 1 Kings xii, 24] ; the queen-dowager, however, seems to have a position as counsellor in such cases [Jer. xiii, 18 ; comp. 2 Kings xxiv, 12]) appears to have as a matter of course as- sumed the reins of government, but occasionally the fa- ther is stated to have designated a particular son to the throne (1 Kings i, 17, 20 ; 2 Chron. xi, 22) ; sometimes the people themselves interfered (2 Kings xxi, 24 ; xxiii, 30), and even foreign powers at length imposed rulers as their own vassals upon the nation (2 Kings xxiii, 34 ; xxiv, 17), In the kingdom of Israel the first king was inducted into office by a prophet (1 Kings xi, 31 sq.), and the succession was thenceforth hereditary (descend- ing to the son, or, when the direct line failed, to the brother, 2 Kings iii, 1) ; but the brief dynasties followed
each other with many interruptions through extinction, conspiracy, or deposition (1 Kings xvi, 9, 16, 21), and several interregna occurred. An association in the throne, or rather viceroyship, of the successor in conse- quence of the disability of the ruling monarch is men- tioned in 2 Chron. xxvii, 21 ; and numerous other in- stances are rendered probable by the discrepancies in the regnal years. See Chronology. In the election of a king, ancient nations had great regard to personal size (1 Sam. x, 23) and beauty (1 Sam. xvi, 12; Ezek. xxviii, 12; comp. Psa. xl, 3; Homer, //. iii, 106 sq. ; Herod, iii, 20; Strabo, xv, 699; xvii, 822; Athen. xii, 566; Barhebr. Chron. p. 384; see also Dougtsei Analect. i, 131); and Hebrew kings were required to be native citizens (Deut. xvii, 15). Those who instituted a new d3'nasty sought to strengthen their power by the ex- tinction of the previous reigning family (1 Kings xvi, 11 ; 2 Kings x, 11, 17; xi, 1 ; comp. Josephus, Ant, xv, 7, 10), as is customary stUl in the East (Tavernier, Voy- age, i, 253). The first kings, Saul (1 Sam. ix, 16 ; x, 1 ; XV, 1, 17) and David (1 Sam. xvi, 12 sq. ; 2 Sam. ii, 4; V, 3 ; xii, 7), also Solomon (1 Kings i, 34, 39 ; v, 1 — so likewise Absalom unlawfully, 2 Sam. xix, 11), were regularly anointed by a prophet or the high-priest; but in later times this was done only in the case of Jo- siah, whom the priesthood restored to the throne in place of the usurping Athaliah (2 Kings xi, 12), and Je- hoahaz his son, whom the people raised to the throne (2 Kings xxiii, 30), besides Jehu of the kingdom of Is- rael, who established a new dynasty (2 Kings ix, 1 sq.) ; the principle apparently being in these cases to supply the lack of the hereditary right. The Anointed of Je- hovah (frin^ H'^p'a), or simply the Anointed, accord- ingly appears (in the sacred style) as the official title of the regular sovereign (1 Sam. ii, 10, 35 ; xvi, 0 ; xxiv, 6 ; xxvi, 10, 23; 2 Sam. xix, 22; xxii, 51; Psa. ii, 2; Lam. iv, 20, etc.). No other ceremony of investiture seems to have been enjoined ; although we occasionally find a popular assembly (1 Sam. x, 24; 1 Kings i, 25, 39; 2 Kings ix, 13; xi, 13; 2 Chron. xxiii, 11; comp. Josephus, War, i, 33, 9), a coronation (2 Kings xi, 12), music (1 Kings i, 40), and thank-offerings (1 Kings i, 24). The roj'al beast of burden is also mentioned (1 Kings i, 38). See Fort. Scacchi Dissert, de inaugurat. 7-egiim Israel, in Ugolini Thesaur. vol. xxxii. Eegal costumes, consisting of costly and elaborate garments, were also used (at least armlets, 2 Sam. i, 19 ; 1 Mace. X, 20, 62; xi, 5; xiv, 43), in accompaniment with the simple diadem ("iT3, 2 Sam. i, 10; 2 Kings xi, 12), jew- elled crown (il^bi^) 2 Sam. xi, 30 ; Cant, iii, 11 ; comp. Ezek. xxi, 26; 1 Mace, x, 20), the sceptre (L33"d), and the throne (XB3). See each word. Later occurs the purple mantle (1 Mace, vi, 15 ; x, 20, 62 ; xiv, 43 ; comp. Acts xii, 21).