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CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX.

B. C. years, and it is two years longer before his father becomes | 2 Sam. xiv,
so reconciled as to admit him to his presence.

1024

2Sam.xviii.

2Sam.xxiv.

Soon after this, by studying the arts of popularity, Absa- 2 Sam. xv.
lom steals away the affections of his father's subjects, and
next year he breaks out into open rebellion against him; but
1023 being defeated, in flying he is caught by his hair in the
boughs of a large oak tree, and there thrust through by Joab.
1017
David, tempted no doubt by pride, commands Joab to
number the people, which he reluctantly performs. Upon
this, three judgments are offered to David's choice, and he
wisely choosing to fall into the hands of God rather than
men, a heavy pestilence destroys 70,000 men in one day;
but David discovering a proper spirit of sorrow and repent-
ance, the angel of death is arrested in his course, and the
pestilence ceases.

1016

1014

Rehoboam born to Solomon by an Ammonitish woman.

David being now turned of seventy years of age, and worn
out with continual cares and wars, is reduced to the lowest
state of weakness and debility. Adonijah, with the help of
Joab and Abiathar, makes himself king; but David, upon
being informed of this, orders Zadok the priest, and Nathan
the prophet, to proclaim Solomon king. Adonijah flies
to the sanctuary and is pardoned, but afterwards slain for
another offence.

David having given advice and instruction to his son So.
lomon, dieth, after having reigned in Hebron seven years
and a half, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, over all
Israel.

1 Chron.
xxi.

1 Kings
xiv. 21.
1 Kings i.
1-49.

50-53.

1 Kings ii.
10, 11.

1.

Soon after Solomon's accession to the throne, Pharoah 1 Kings iii.
gives his daughter to him in marriage. God also gives him,
at his own request, wisdom for government, and adds thereto
both riches and honours beyond any of his predecessors.

1012 Solomon lays the foundation of the temple of Jerusalem,
in the 480th year after the departure of the children of
1005 Israel out of Egypt, and in the 4th year of his reign,
and finishes it in the 11th year of his reign, having been
seven years and a half in building.

1004

Next year (being reckoned the 9th Jubilee) Solomon,
with great magnificence, dedicates his temple to Jehovah,
who honours it with the appearance of the divine Shechi-
nah, the special token of his sacred presence.

Solomon's wisdom became now celebrated in all the sur-
rounding lands, and particularly by the queen of Sheba;
but his foreign connexions greatly increasing, tempted him.
to take an extraordinary number of wives and concubines
from foreign countries, who being idolaters, drew his heart
from the Lord; and induced him, first to tolerate idolatry for
their sakes, and afterwards to unite in it; forming establish-
ments in honour of most idols of the surrounding nations.
"And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart
was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had ap-
peared unto him twice, and had commanded him this thing,

2 Chron.
viii. 11.
1 Kings iii.
5-12.

1 Kings vi.

1.
2 Chron.
iii. 1.

1 Kings vi.
38.
1 Kings
viii.

2 Chron. v.
vi. vii.

1 Kings xi.

1-13.

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX.

B. C. that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that
which the Lord commanded, as did David his father," who
1004 in no case fell into idolatry.

4,6

The Lord, therefore, foretold him, that his kingdom 12, 13, 1.
should be divided, and that one tribe being reserved for
Solomon's son (i. e. Rehoboam), the other tribes should be
given unto his servant, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

Our translators, however, believe, and so do we, that
Solomon's apostacy was not final; but that some time be-
fore his death, he forsook his lusts and vanities, of which
we think we have sufficient evidence in the book of Eccle-
975 siastes. See our introduction to that book. He reigned
forty years, and died a feeble and infirm old man, before
he was sixty years of age!

975

§ VII. FROM THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM, TO THE
BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY.

42, 43.

2 Chronis.
30, 31.

The people assembling at Shechem, to crown Rehoboam 1 Kings
king of all Israel, they apply, by means of Jeroboam, for the
removal of some grievances which they had suffered during
the reign of his father, Solomon. His father's counsellors
suggest a wise and prudent answer, but the rash compa-
nions of his youth persuade him to return a harsh one,
which alienates from him ten of the twelve tribes of Israel.
These choose Jeroboam to be their king, who had doubtless
kept his eye upon this object for some time. From this period,
the nation must be considered as divided into two king-
doms-Judah and Israel.

B.C.

JUDAH.

xii.

975 Rehoboam, highly offended 1 Kings
at the revolt, meditates an at-
tack upon the ten tribes, to
reduce them to obedience; but
the attempt being forbidden
by a prophet, he wisely re-
974 frains. The priests, however, xi. 17.
generally, and many pious Is-
raelites, withdraw from Jero-
boam, induced, no doubt, by
a desire to enjoy the temple
worship uninterrupted. But
Rehoboam gives up himself
971 to impiety and vice; Shishak, xiv. 25.
King of Egypt, comes to Je-
rusalem, and plunders both
the temple and the king.

958

Rehoboam and the princes xiv.
repent on the preaching of the
prophet Shemaiah; but the
former dies, after reigning 17
years over Judah. Abijam
succeeds Rehoboam, but reigns
only three years.

XV.

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B.C.

JUDAH.

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX.

B.C.

955 Asa succeeds Abijam, and 1 Kings 954
suppresses idolatry in Judah. xv. 8.
949 He gains a decisive victory 2Chron.
over Zerah, the Ethiopian. xiv. 9.
940 He bribes Benhadad, king 1 Kings
of Syria, to attack Baasha, in xv. 18.
order to stop him from build-
ing Ramah.

917 Asa troubled with lameness 2Chron.
(supposed from gout), places xvi. 12.
his confidence, not in God,
but in his physicians.

914 He dies (having reigned 13.
41 years), and is succeeded by

his son Jehoshaphat.

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11.

889 Jehoshaphat dying soon af-2Chron.
ter, Jehoram no sooner finds xxi. 4, 5.
bimself secured in the throne,
than he puts all his brethren
to the sword; and soon after,
by the wicked counsel of Atha-
888 liah (daughter of Ahab), sets
up the idolatry of Baal, and
compels his subjects to wor-
ship with him. About this
time, a letter addressed to him
by the prophet Elijah, before
his translation, comes into the
hand of Jehoram, warning
him of the approaching judg-|
ments. He reigned only four
years.

825

884

12.

Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, 2 Kings
succeeds his father in the viii. 25.
throne of Judah.

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940

930

929

925

918

ISRAEL.

Jeroboam dies, after reign-1 Kings
ing 22 years, and Nadab, his xiv. 20.
son, succeeds him.

XV.

After two years, Nadab is 25-27.
slain by Baasha, who succeeds
him, and destroys all the fa-
mily of Jeroboam.

He builds Ramah, to pre-
vent Israel from going to Je-
rusalem, and reigns 24 years.

Baasha dies, and is suc- xvi. 6.
ceeded by his son Elah.

Elah is slain by Zimri, who
usurps the kingdom for seven
days, and destroys the whole
family of Baasha; but being
besieged by Omri, whom the
army had made king, burns
himself to death in the palace.

8.

Omri reigns alone in Asa's 23, 24.
31st year, upon which he builds
Samaria for his capital.

Omri dies, and is succeeded 29.
by his wicked son Ahab, in
whose reign Elijah prophecies.
908 He challenges and slays the
false prophets of Baal.

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884

xx.

Ahab, by advice of Jezebel, xxi.
causes Naboth to be stoned.

Ahab associates his son Aha-xxii. 51,
ziah with him in the kingdom.
He is killed, warring against
Ramoth-gilead in disguise.

i.

Ahaziah succeeds, but soon 2 Kings
after being dangerously ill, iu
consequence of a fall, sends to
consult Baal-zebub, the god of
Ekron. The prophet Elijah
meeting the messenger, sharp-|
ly reproves him, and sends
word that he shall die. The
king, in consequence, sends
three successive companies to
apprehend him, two of which
are destroyed by fire from hea-
ven; but he goes with the
third, and reproves the king
to his face, predicting his death
as both near and certain; which
accordingly came to pass, after
reigning only two years.

Soon after this, Elijah is re- ii. 11.
moved to heaven in a fiery
chariot.

Jehoram king of Israel, and viii. 28.
Abaziah king of Judah, lead
their united armies to Ramoth

Gilead, against Hazael, suc-

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CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX.

Athaliah destroys all the xi.
royal family, and usurps the 2Chron.
kingdom; but Jehosheba, xxii. 10.
daughter of king Jehoram,
and wife to the High Priest,
Jehoida, secretes Jehoash, one
of the infants, in the temple,
and thus preserves it from the
general massacre of the blood
royal.

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840 Zechariah, the son of Je-2Chron.
hoida, for reproving the idola- xxiv.
try of the people, after the
death of his father, is stoned
to death in the court of the
temple, by command of that
very Jehoash whom his father
had made king in Judah, but
who had now fallen into ido-
latry. This Jehoash is next 2 Kings
year murdered by his servants xii. 20.
on his bed, and succeeded by

his son Amaziah.
826 Amaziah, growing proud of xiv.
This success against the Edom-2Chron.
ites, provokes Jehoash, king xxv.
of Israel, to a war, and is
Itaken prisoner by him,

B.C.

ISRAEL.

884 cessor of Benhadad, king of 2 Kings
Syria, when the former is dan ix.
gerously wounded, and retires
to Jezreel for a cure. In the
mean time, Elisha the prophet,
who had succeeded Elijah,
sends a young prophet to
anoint Jehu, the son of Jeho-
shaphat, the son of Nimshi,
king over Israel, for the spe-
cial purpose of rooting out the
house of Ahab. Jehu, being
proclaimed king by the army,
marches strait to Jezreel, kills
Jehoram in the field of Na-
both, and causes Jezebel to be
cast out of a window, where
she is eaten of dogs.

He also dispatches letters to
Samaria, and causes seventy
of Ahab's children to be be-
headed. Then comes himself
to Samaria, and destroys the
whole family of Ahab, and all
the priests of Baal. Notwith-
standing this, he departs not
himself from the worship of
Jeroboam's calves.

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