The Hebrew kingdom and its rulers. The Capital of the Hebrew Kingdom

The Hebrew kingdom described in the Bible existed in the 11th-10th centuries. BC. E. To this period, the reign of the kings of Saul, David and Solomon is attributed. With them, the Jewish people lived in a single powerful centralized state.

Age of Judges

The history of Palestine of those distant times is connected with a lot of myths and legends, about the truthfulness of which historians and researchers of ancient sources continue to argue. The Hebrew kingdom is best known for the Old Testament, which describes the events of this era.

Before the emergence of a unified state, the Jews lived under the guidance of judges. They were elected from among the most authoritative and wise members of society, but they did not have actual power, but only allowed internal conflicts between residents. At the same time, the Jews were in constant danger, coming from aggressive nomadic neighbors. The main threat was the Philistines.

Election of King Saul

Approximately in 1029 BC. E. The troubled people demanded that Samuel (one of the judges) elect the most worthy candidate from the prophet. The sage at first dissuaded his fellow tribesmen, convincing them that the power of the military leader would turn into dictatorship and terror. Nevertheless, ordinary people groaned from the invasion of enemies and continued to insist on their own.

Finally, according to the Bible, Samuel turned to God for advice, who replied that the young man Saul from the tribe of Benjamin should become king. It was the most insignificant of Jewish families. Soon the prophet brought the applicant to the thirsty people. Then it was decided to cast lots to confirm the correctness of the king's choice. He really pointed to Saul. Thus appeared the Hebrew kingdom.

Prosperity of Israel

The first years of Saul's rule were a time of relief for all his people. The military leader assembled and organized an army that was able to protect the fatherland from enemies. In the course of armed conflicts, the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Idumea were defeated. Especially fierce was the confrontation with the Philistines.

The Emperor was religious. He dedicated every victory to God, without which, in his opinion, the Hebrew kingdom would have long ago died. The history of his wars against neighbors is described in detail in the Bible. In the same place, the character of the young Saul is revealed. He was not only a religious, but also a very humble man. In his free time from power, the sovereign himself cultivated the field, showing that he is no different from the inhabitants of his country.

Conflict between the king and the prophet

After one of the campaigns between Saul and Samuel, a quarrel occurred. Its cause was the blasphemous act of the king. On the eve of the battle with the Philistines, he himself performed the sacrifice, while he did not have the right to do so. This could only be done by clergymen, or rather Samuel. Between the king and the prophet there was a break, which became the first signal of the onset of difficult times.

Samuel, who left the court, was disappointed in Saul. He decided that he had put the wrong person on the throne. God (whose replicas are often found in the Bible) agreed with the cleric and offered him a new candidate. They became a young David, whom Samuel secretly anointed to reign.

David

The young man possessed many talents and amazing features. He was an excellent warrior and musician. His abilities became known at the court of the tsar. Saul at this time began to suffer from attacks of melancholy. The priests advised him to treat this illness with the help of music. So at the court appeared David, who played the ruler on the harp.

Soon approached the king glorified himself with yet another feat. David joined the Israeli army when the next war against the Philistines began. In the camp of the enemy the most terrible warrior was Goliath. This descendant of giants possessed enormous growth and strength. David summoned him to a personal duel and defeated him with his agility and sling. As a sign of victory, the young man cut off the head of the defeated giant. This episode is one of the most famous and quoted throughout the Bible.

The victory over Goliath made David the favorite of the people. Between him and Saul there was a conflict that developed into a civil war that shook the Hebrew kingdom. At the same time, Palestinians were again ruled by the Philistines. They broke the army of Saul, and he committed suicide, not wanting to be in enemy captivity.

The new king

So in the year 1005 BC. E. King became David. Even at the court of Saul, he married his daughter, thus becoming the son-in-law of a monarch. It was under David that the capital of the Hebrew kingdom was moved to Jerusalem, which has since become the heart of all people's life. The new sovereign patronized the town-planning and ennoblement of the provinces.

The location of the Hebrew kingdom of that time remains the subject of discussion. If you refer to the Bible, it can be assumed that the boundaries of Israel ran from Gaza to the banks of the Euphrates. Like other rulers of the Hebrew kingdom, David waged successful wars against neighbors. Nomads were repeatedly thrown out of the borders when they started another campaign with looting and bloodshed.

However, not all of David's reign was cloudless and calm. The country once again had to endure a civil war. This time against the central authority rebelled his own son, David Absalom. He encroached on the throne of his father, although he had no right to it. In the end, his army was defeated, and the prodigal son himself was killed by the tsar's servants, which contradicted the tsar's orders.

Solomon

When David grew old and decrepit, the question of succession to the throne again arose sharply. The king wanted to transfer power to one of his younger sons Solomon: he was noted for his wisdom and ability to govern. The choice of the father did not like the other senior son - Adonijus. He even tried to organize a coup d'état by appointing his own coronation during the life of an incompetent father.

However, Adonij's attempt failed. Because of his cowardice, he fled to the Tabernacle. Solomon forgave his brother after his repentance. At the same time, other participants in the conspiracy, among officials and close associates, were executed. The kings of the Hebrew kingdom reliably held power in their hands.

The construction of the Temple of Jerusalem

After David's death, the actual rule of Solomon began (965-928 BC). This was the heyday of the Hebrew kingdom. The country reliably guarded against external threats and steadily developed and became wealthier.

The main act of Solomon was the construction of the Jerusalem temple - the main shrine of Judaism. This cult construction symbolized the unification of the whole people. Great work on preparing materials and creating a plan was done by David. Shortly before his death, he gave all the papers to his son.

Solomon started construction for the fourth year of his reign. He turned to the king of the Phoenician city of Tire for help. From there came the famous and talented architects, who led the immediate work on the construction of the temple. The main religious building of the Jews became part of the royal palace. It was located on a mountain, called the Temple. On the day of consecration in 950 BC. E. The main national relic - the Ark of the Covenant was transferred to the building. Jews celebrated the end of construction for two weeks. The temple became the center of religious life, where pilgrims from all the Jewish provinces flocked.

The death of Solomon in 928 BC. E. Put an end to the prosperity of a single state. The successors of the sovereign divided the state among themselves. Since then, there existed the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judea). The Age of Saul, David and Solomon is considered the golden age of the entire Jewish people.