What happened to the kingdom of Israel after Solomon died?
A. David became king.
B. It split into two kingdoms.
C. It fell and the Babylonian captivity began.
D. The time of judges began.
B. It split into two kingdoms.
The correct answer is B. It split into two kingdoms. After Solomon died, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two separate kingdoms. The northern kingdom was called Israel and its capital was Samaria, while the southern kingdom was called Judah and its capital was Jerusalem. This division happened due to tensions between Solomon's successors and some of the tribes of Israel.
The correct answer is B. It split into two kingdoms.
After Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel, also known as the United Monarchy, was divided into two separate kingdoms. The northern territory, consisting of ten tribes, was known as the Kingdom of Israel or the Northern Kingdom, with its capital in Samaria. The southern territory, comprised of two tribes (Judah and Benjamin), became known as the Kingdom of Judah or the Southern Kingdom, with its capital in Jerusalem.
This division occurred due to political and religious differences between the tribes and also due to the influence of Solomon's foreign wives and their worship of other gods. The northern kingdom, under the reign of Jeroboam, established its own religious practices and shrines, leading to a separation from the Davidic dynasty and the religious center of Jerusalem.
Ultimately, both kingdoms experienced decline and faced external threats. The northern kingdom fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of the ten tribes and a period called the Assyrian Captivity. The southern kingdom, Judah, survived for a longer period but eventually fell to the Babylonians in 586 BCE, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.