What happened to the Kingdom of Israel after Solomon died? David became king
After the death of King Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel faced a split. The northern ten tribes, led by Jeroboam, rebelled against Solomon's son, Rehoboam. This split resulted in two separate kingdoms: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
The northern Kingdom of Israel, consisting of the ten tribes, was ruled by a succession of kings. However, this kingdom remained politically unstable with frequent changes of rulers, palace coups, and power struggles. Over time, the northern Kingdom of Israel drifted away from worshiping Yahweh, the God of Israel, and embraced other gods and idols, leading to a decline in moral and religious values.
In 722 BCE, the northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. The Israelite population was either deported or assimilated into other regions of the Assyrian empire, resulting in the so-called Lost Tribes of Israel.
On the other hand, the southern Kingdom of Judah, consisting of two tribes (Judah and Benjamin), remained intact for a more extended period. The descendants of King David continued as rulers in Judah, and Jerusalem was the capital of this kingdom. However, the Kingdom of Judah also faced periods of turmoil and faced various conquests by foreign powers, including the Babylonians.
Ultimately, the Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, captured and destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The Kingdom of Judah was crushed, and many of its people were exiled to Babylon in what became known as the Babylonian Captivity. This marked the end of the independent Kingdom of Israel and initiated a significant period of exile and dispersion for the Israelites.
After Solomon died, the Kingdom of Israel faced a turbulent period of division and conflict. The kingdom split into two separate entities known as the Kingdom of Israel (also called the northern kingdom or Israel) and the Kingdom of Judah (also called the southern kingdom or Judah).
Jeroboam, who was a former official of Solomon, became the king of the northern kingdom. He introduced idolatry and established two golden calf idols in the cities of Bethel and Dan to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem to worship. The northern kingdom experienced a succession of kings, most of whom were wicked and led the people further away from God.
In the southern kingdom of Judah, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, became king. Although Judah had a few righteous kings, it also saw its share of wicked rulers. The kingdom of Judah remained more faithful to the worship of God as it was centered around Jerusalem, which was the religious and political capital.
The northern kingdom of Israel faced multiple invasions from neighboring nations, such as the Assyrians. In 722 BCE, the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom, exiled the ten tribes of Israel, and dispersed them among various locations within the Assyrian Empire. This event is known as the Assyrian captivity or exile.
The southern kingdom of Judah lasted longer than Israel. However, due to their continued disobedience to God and their alliance with foreign powers, the Babylonians invaded Judah in 586 BCE and destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple. Many residents of Judah were also taken into exile in Babylon, which is known as the Babylonian captivity.
Overall, the Kingdom of Israel faced political division, idolatry, and foreign invasions following Solomon's reign, resulting in the downfall of both kingdoms and the exile of many Israelites.