JEROBOAM
340
JEROBOAM
after the passage of the Jordan (Jos., vi). The estab-
lishment of the Israehtes in the industries of the " City
of Palm Trees " gave birth to the Jericho of Benjamin
(Jos., xviii, 21), which was for some time dominated
by Eglon, King of Moab (Judges, iii, 12), and in which
David's emissaries hid themselves when they had been
outraged by Hanon, King of the Ammonites (II Kings,
X, 5). But when, under Achab, the Canaanite Jericho
had been restored by Hiel the Bethelite (III Kings,
xvi, 34), the Israelites installed themselves there.
They were visited by Ehseus, who purified the waters
of the spring (IV Kings, ii, 18-22). Three hundred
and forty-five men of Jericho, returning from captiv-
ity, repopulated their native city (I E.sd., ii, 34; II
Esd., vii, 36). Having fallen into the hands of the
Syrians, it was fortified Ijy Bacchitles, to protect Judea
on the eastern side (I Mach., ix, 50). This Jericho
was situated at Tell-es-Sultan, near the Fountain of
Eliseus ('Ain-es-Sultiin), which flows at a distance of
about two miles north-west of ez-Ril.ia, the modern
Jericho. Excavations made in this tell in 1907-08
brought to light a rampart measuring some 840 yards
in circuit, a citadel with double wall of the Canaanite
period, Israelitish dwellings of the time of the Kings,
and some post-exilic Jewish pottery (Mitteil. tier
deutschen Orient. Gesellschaft zu Berlin, December,
1908, no. 39; " Revue Biblique", 1009,270-79).
II. The ancient Jericho, near the spring, had en- tirely disappeared when Herod founded a new Jericho towards the point where the brook of the Kelt and the Jerusalem road emerge from the mountains. Pro- tected by the fort of Cypros, it possessed royal palaces, vast reservoirs, a hippodrome, and an amphitheatre (Josephus, " Bell. Jud.", I, xxi, 14; xxxiii, 6, 8; " An- tiq. Jud.", XVI, V, 2). Herod died there: his son Archelaus further embellished the palaces and caused new aqueducts to be built to bring water to the palm gardens (Antiq. Jud., XVII, xiii, 1). It was at the gates of this Jericho that Christ cured two blind men (Matt., XX, 29-34), only one — Bartimeus — according to Mark (x, 4tj) and Luke (xviii, 'Sn), and saw the pub- lican Zacheus (Luke, xix, 1-5). The Khirbet Qaqun, the Birket Musa, a few artificial mounds, are the visi- ble remains of the second Jericho, which, before being entirely destroyed, served for some days as a Roman camp (Bell. Jud., viii, 2; ix, 13).
III. A third Jericho then came into existence in the gardens which the Fountain of Eliseus watered, and where, besides the palm, grew the henna, balm, myrrh (Bell. Jud., IV, viii, 3), the sycamore, banana, etc. According to the map of the Madaba, it was an impor- tant city and a see suffragan to Ccesarea Maritima. Its known bishops are Januarius (325), Macer (381), Eleutherius (415), Joannes (518), Ciregorius (536), Basilius (800) (Lequien, "Oriens Christianus", III, 646-50). Justinian set up here a great caravanserai (Procopius, "De ^dif.", v, 9). During the Crusailes Jericho was a benefice attached to the IIol>' Sepulchre. The Byzantine city was succeeded by the present Riha, which consists of a few hostelries for pilgrims and tourists, and some fifteen wattle huts inhabited by Ghawarneh .\rabs. There is also a Greek church (called "the Sanctuary of Zacheus") served by two Orthodox monks, a Latin chapel, and a mosque.
Geyeh. Ilincra Hicrosolumilana (Vienna, 1898): CoNnER AND KiTCHENEH. Survey of West. Palestine, Mem., Ill (Lon- don. 188;i): Gu^RlN, Samarie, I (Paris, 1874); Robinson, Bihlical Researches in Palestine, I (Boston, 1856): Reland, PaUtslina (Utrecht, 1714).
F. M. Abel.
Jeroboam (Dvai^ Sept., 'lepo/iod/t), name of two Israelitish kings.
(1) Jehohoam I was the first ruler of the Northern Kingdom after the sdiism of the Ten Tribes. He was a son of Nabat an ICplir.iiiMitc, :inil his mother's name wasSarua. While si ill a young man he was placed by King Solomon ovtr the tribiites of Ephraim and
Manasses (III Kings, xi, 28). In that capacity he
superintended the labours of his tribesmen in the
building of the fortress Mello in Jerusalem and of
other pul)lic works, and he naturally became conver-
sant with the widespread discontent caused by the
extra\'agances which marked the reign of Solomon.
Before the end of the hitter's reign, Jeroboam received
from the Prophet Ahias an intimation that he was
destined to be king over ten of the tribes which in
punishment of the idolatry of Solomon were about to
sever their allegiance to him and his house. At the
same time it was promised that if Jeroboam were faith-
ful to the Lord, his house would be confirmed in au-
thority over Israel (III Kings, xi, 38). Not satisfied
to await the death of the king, the time set by the
prophet for the fulfilment of the promise, Jeroboam
instigated a revolt which was tmsuccessful, and he was
obliged to flee, taking refuge with King Sesac in Egypt
where he remained until the death of Solomon in
975 B. c. (or938 according to the A.s.syrian chronology).
.A.fter this event he returned to Palestine, and he was
made leader of the delegation sent by the dissatisfied
element of the population to ask the new king Roboam
to lighten the burdens which his father had placed
upon them. No sooner had Roboam imprudently
and harshly rejected their petition than ten of the
tribes withdrew their allegiance to the house of David
and proclaimed Jerolxiam their king, only the tribes
of Juda and Benjamin remaining faithful to Roboam.
Jeroboam established his headquarters at Sichem, and
soon added to the political also a religious schism.
Fearing lest the pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem
prescribed by the Law might be an occasion for the
people of the Northern Kingdom to go back to their
old allegiance, he determined to provide for them
places of worship within their own boundaries, and for
this purpose he set up two golden calves to be wor-
shipped, one in Bethel and the other in Dan. He also
built temples in the high places and had them served
by priests drawn from the lowest of the people (III
Kings, xii). The prophet ,\hias announced the Divine
vengeance that was to come upon the house of Jero-
boam because of these evil deeds (III Kings, xiv), and
in the sequel of Israelitish history the worst doings of
the kings are always referred to as like imto the wicked-
ness of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who caused Israel
to sin. He died in 954 (or in 917) after a reign of
twenty-two years.
(2) Jerobo.\m II was the twelfth successor of the preceding, and the fourth king of the dynasty of Jehu. He succeeded his father Joas in 824 (or 783) and reigned forty-one years. In 802 Rammanirar III, King of Assyria, undertook a campaign into the "West lands", and the Kingdom of Israel (Land of Arari), together with Syria and Phoenicia, was placed under a heavy tribute. Jeroboam, however taking advan- tage of the weakened condition of Syria, re-established toward the north and in other directions the ancient boundaries of Israel (IV Kings, xiv, 25). The military and patriotic successes of Jeroboam had been foretold by Jonas, son of Amathi (ibiil.), and the Sacred Writer acids that the Lord saved the Israelites by the hand of Jeroboam, son of Joas. P'roni the political stand- point, Jeroboam was an intelligent and energetic ruler, but with regard to his religious activities, his reign is resumed in the.se words: "He clid that which was evil before the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nabat who made Israel to sin" (IV Kings, xiv, 24). Evidences of the religious decay tluring his otherwise prosperous reign are found in the writings of the prophets Amos and Osee, his contem- poraries, who fre(]uently inveigh against idolatry and its many concomitant evils and moral degradation, Jeroboam II died in 783 (or 743).
.'fee LEHfcTHE in Vliiounou.'i, Diet, de la Bible, s. v.: CooKB in Hastinos, Did. of the Bible, s. v.
James F. Driscoi.I'.
