Unified Kingdom (1020-922 B.C.E.)

A. Unified Kingdom (1020-922 B.C.E.)

In the face of the Philistine crisis, the twelve tribes instituted a monarchy. Samuel, the most influential priest and prophet at that time, designated Saul from the tribe of Benjamin to be Israel's first king. Saul began his reign around 1020 B.C.E.
    However, the decision to have a king was not altogether well received. There were many in Israel who felt that charismatic and ad hoc leadership was the godly way to go. The transition from a judge to a king came about only with great difficulty, and some people never did accept it.
    Saul was, at first, an effective leader who could muster the troops to face Israel's enemies. But he lost the crucial support of Samuel when he offered an animal sacrifice before a battle, something only Israelite priests were allowed to do. For this faithless act Samuel disowned Saul and anointed young David to be king in his place.
    Saul continued to reign until his death at the hands of the Philistines. After Saul died, his son Ishbosheth assumed the throne and the northern tribes accepted his authority. All the while, David was gathering support. He was acclaimed king by those who lived in the southern tribe of Judah, which was his home territory. After Ishbosheth was assassinated by men from his own court, David became king of all twelve tribes of Israel.
    David was a remarkable leader and an astute politician. In order to appeal to the broadest constituency, he moved his headquarters from Hebron in Judah to the neutral site of Jerusalem. Previously belonging to the Canaanites, David captured it and made "the City of David" the administrative center of his kingdom. He also brought the ark of the covenant there, effectively transforming Jerusalem into the religious capital of the nation.

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City of David. These excavations near the Old City of Jerusalem have unearthed components of the early fortifications of David's capital city. Photo by Barry Bandstra

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    Hoping to unite the northern and southern components of his now Unified Kingdom, David appointed a chief priest from each region. Zadok became the chief priest from Judah, tracing his lineage back to Aaron, the brother of Moses. Abiathar became the chief priest from the north, a descendent from the priests of Shiloh where the ark of the covenant was once kept.
    David effectively neutralized the enemies that had given Saul such resistance. He contained Philistia, and brought Syria, Ammon, Moab, and Edom under Israelite control. His empire stretched from the El-Arish wadi on the Sinai-Mediterranean coast to the Euphrates River in the north. During the reign of David, the territory and power of Israel was at its greatest extent ever.
    But on the home front, David's sons were maneuvering to assume control, even before their father's death. A fight broke out over succession to the throne and Amnon and Absalom, two influential princes, died in the process. Then Adonijah, being one of the older remaining sons, made his move. He gained the support of David's general, Joab, and Abiathar, a chief priest.
    However, Solomon was David's personal choice. Supported by Bathsheba (David's favorite wife and, not incidentally, Solomon's mother), Nathan the court prophet, and Zadok the other chief priest, Solomon won. Upon assuming the throne he had Adonijah and Joab executed and Abiathar exiled to a small town north of Jerusalem.
    Solomon inherited an extensive empire and set about upgrading it to world-class standards through monumental building projects and international diplomacy. He constructed a finely adorned temple in Jerusalem for Yahweh and an even larger palace for himself. To protect his kingdom he built fortress cities around the country. In order to forge international diplomatic ties he married 700 foreign princesses.

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Ivory Pomegranate. This small ivory pomegranate is the only known item from Solomon's temple Jerusalem, Israel Museum

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    To get the work done and pay the bills, he forced citizens of Israel to work as slaves and imposed a heavy burden of taxation on the country. This created considerable dissatisfaction among his constituency, especially those who lived in the north, who were already suspicious of the Davidic dynasty.
    The stories of Saul and David can be found in the books of Samuel and an account of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings. The literature that by tradition is associated with this period includes the Psalms ascribed to David (see Chapter 14), the Proverbs of Solomon (see Chapter 15) and the Song of Songs (see Chapter 16). Many modern authorities associate the Yahwist stratum of the Torah with the period of the unified monarchy (see Part 1). The Unified Kingdom lasted through the rule of three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. During this time the nation was magnificent, but Solomon had mortgaged its future in order to achieve greatness.