JEROBOAM (Heb. ydrob`dm, apparently " Am ['the

See also:

• CLAN (Gaelic clann, O. Ir. cland, connected with Lat. planta, shoot or scion, the ancient Gaelic or Goidelic substituting k for p)

clan,' here perhaps a divine name] contends "; LXX. iepof3oaµ)  , the name of two kings, in the Bible . I . The first king of (north) Israel after the disruption (see SotomoN) . According to the traditions of his early life (1 Kings xi . 26 sqq. and LXX.), he was an Ephraimite who for his ability was placed over the forced levy of Ephraim and Manasseh . Having subsequently incurred Solomon's suspicions he fled to Shishak, king of Egypt, and remained with him until Rehoboam's accession . When the latter came to be made king at Shechem, the old religious centre (see ABIMELECH), hopes were entertained that a more lenient policy would be introduced . But Rehoboam refused to depart from Solomon's despotic rule, and was tactless enough to send Adoniram, the overseer of the corvee . He was stoned to death, and Rehoboam realizing the temper of the people fled. to Jerusalem and prepared for war . Jeroboam became the recognized leader of the northern tribes.' Conflicts occurred (1 Kings xiv . 3o), but no details are preserved except the late story of Rehoboam's son Abijah in 2 Chron. xiii . Jeroboam's chief achievement was the fortification of Shechem (his new capital) and of Penuel in east Jordan .

To counteract the

influence of Jerusalem he established golden calves at Dan and Bethel, an act which to later ages was as gross a piece of wickedness as his rebellion against the legitimate dynasty of Judah . No notice has survived of Shishak's invasion of Israel (see REHOBOAM), and after a reign of twenty-two years Jeroboam was succeeded by Nadab, whose violent death two years later brought the whole house of Jeroboam to an end . The history of the separation of Judah and Israel in the loth century B.c.was written from a strong religious standpoint at a date considerably later than the event itself . The visit of Ahijah to Shiloh (xi . 29–39), to announce symbolically the rending of the kingdom, replaces some account of a rebellion in which Jeroboam " lifted up his hand " (v . 27) against Solomon . To such an account, not to the incident of Ahijah and the cloak, his flight (v . }o) is the natural sequel . The story of Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam (ch. xiv.) is not in the original LXX., but another version of the same narrative appears at xii . 24 (LXX.), in which there is no reference to a previous promise to Jeroboam through Ahijah, but the prophet is introduced as a new character . Further, in this version (xii . 24) the incident of the tearing of the cloak is related of Shemaiah and placed at the convention of Shechem .

Shemaiah is the prophet who counselled Rehoboam to refrain from war (xii . 21–24); the in-junction is opposed to xiv . 3o, but appears to be intended to explain Rehoboam's failure to overcome north Israel . (See W . R .

Smith, Old Test. in Jewish Church (2nd ed.), 117 sqq.; Winckler, Alte Test . Untersuch . 12 sqq., and J . Skinner, Century Bible: Kings, pp . 443 sqq.) 2 . JEROBOAM, son of Joash (2) a contemporary of Azariah king of Judah . He was one of the greatest of the kings of Israel .

He succeeded in breaking the

power of Damascus, which had long been devastating his land, and extended his kingdom from Hamath on the Orontes to the Dead Sea . The brief summary of his achievements preserved in 2 Kings xiv . 23 sqq. may be supplemented by the original writings of Amos and Hosea.' There appears to be an allusion in Amos vi . 13 to the recovery of Ashteroth-Karnaim and Lodebar in E . Jordan, and the conquest of Moab (Isa. xv. seq.) is often ascribed to this reign . After a period of prosperity, internal disturbances broke out and the northern kingdom hastened to its fall . Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Zechariah, who after six months was killed at Ibleam (so read in 2 Kings xv. io; cp. ix . 27, murder of Ahaziah) by Shallum the son of Jabesh—i.e. possibly of Jabesh-Gilead—who a month later fell to Menahem (q.v.) . (S . A . C.) See, further, JEws §§ 7, 9 and §§ 12, 13 .