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August/Sept. 2023 • Southern Jewish Life
In the world today, there is a country that’s an all-too-rare beacon of democracy shining bright amid the world around it. Particularly in recent years, as seen daily in the news, this country struggles with the world’s perception of it while it endures internal trials the likes of which have been seldom seen in its history. It began as a single, unified nation. After nearly a hundred years, the country literally split into two — the north versus the south — and was arguably never the same again. One of the most divisive events in its history was an instance of violent dissent regarding succession in its leadership. Of course, this is about Israel. Three thousand years ago, the united kingdom of Israel was initially ruled by kings Saul, David and Solomon. Not at the same time, of course. After the death of Solomon, the last of these three kings, the inheritance of the throne was highly contested. Solomon had successfully inherited the throne from David. However, at the end of Solomon’s reign, 10 of the tribes rebelled against his son, Rehoboam, resulting in them splitting off into the northern Kingdom of Israel. Solomon had left behind controversial edicts that his son ultimately paid for by having his kingdom permanently split. This left just the tribe of Judah to become the Kingdom of… Judah. They were soon joined in their southern realm by the tribe of Benjamin, and some of the non-territorial priestly tribe of Levi. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem, which had been the final capital of the unified kingdom of Israel though there were three other capitals prior — much like the eventual capital of the United States, Washington. (Listen to all the googling that people are doing.) It’s true, Jerusalem wasn’t the original capital. It would need to have existed from the beginning and, as the name indicates, the City of David was built by… David. Commentary The two kingdoms were separated by the Mazon-Dibon Line. They contenthat really tiously coexisted for about 200 years until the north was defeated by Assyria. The 10 goes South tribes of the fallen northern kingdom are commonly called the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Most of Western, European Judaism is regarded as descended from Judah, though various populaces around the world claim descent from some of those “lost” tribes. Some scholars say that the Southern kingdom wasn’t especially developed and fortified until after the kingdoms split. Nonetheless, the Kingdom of Judah is where many events made famous in Sunday School classes occurred, including the destruction of the Temple, the Egyptian pharaoh Shishak taking the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Tanis and placing it in the Well of Souls, and the tragic lox shortage of 623 B.C.E. One difference between the Southern kingdom of Judah and the southern United States is the variety of locales each encompasses. The kingdom of Judah didn’t extend as far as Cairo, Memphis, Lebanon, Ashkalon, Dothan, or Shiloh. But the American South encompasses Cairo (Georgia), Memphis (duh), Lebanon (Tennessee), Ascalon (Georgia), Dothan (Alabama), or Shiloh (Georgia). Hebron is a rare city which is found in both the kingdom of Judah and The South (Kentucky), though they don’t share the same zip code. And while it might seem like there’d be other parallels, Montgomery isn’t counterparted even by a Mount Gemorrah, there are many rocks in the Middle East but none named Little Rock, and Hilton Head lacks a parallel Rosh Hilton. continued on previous page