The Hebrew People moved to the land of Cannan, where they created a monarch and established the Kingdom of Israel, whose citizens were called Israelites. Following the death of King Solomon, a civil war ensued, resulting in the Kingdom of Israel splitting into Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Details about the evolution of the Hebrews and the rise and fall of Israel are in my prior Blogs titled “The Creation of the Hebrew People” and “The Rise and Fall of Israel.” This edition will focus on the Kingdom of Judah and the creation of the Jewish people.
The Creation of Judah
Two of Israel’s twelve tribes, Judah and Benjamin, created the Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom’s name came from the tribe of Judah, which made up the majority of the southern Kingdom’s population. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem. The people of Judah became known as Jews.
The Kingdom of Judah at its largest extent, per the Second Books of Kings (2 Kings 14) and Chronicles (2 Chron. 26), under the reign of the king Uzziah. Zhomron, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Judah & Israel
Israel, the northern Kingdom consisting of 10 tribes, and Judah often fought as they coexisted for two centuries. Judah began as a poorer, smaller, and more conservative Kingdom than Israel; however, by the reign of King Hezekiah around 715-686 B.C., Judah was more powerful than Israel. After Israel became part of Assyria, Judah remained a stand-alone Kingdom.
Approximate map showing the Kingdoms of Israel (blue) and Judah (orange), ancient Southern Levant borders, and ancient cities such as Urmomium and Jerash. The map shows the region in the 9th century BCE. Oldtidens_Israel_&_Judea.svg: FinnWikiNoderivative work: Richardprins, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Assyria
In 705 B.C., Sennacherib became King of Assyria and began an unsuccessful military campaign against King Hezekiah of Judah. This military aggression resulted in the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C., which ended with King Hezekiah paying an enormous tribute before King Sennacherib returned home.
Map showing different stages of the extension of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (934-612 BC). Middle_East_topographic_map-blank.svg: Sémhur (talk)derivative work: Zunkir, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Babylon
Nearly a century later, King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C., destroying the first temple built by King Solomon and deporting many Jews, including its aristocracy, scribes, and skilled artisans, to Babylonia (modern-day Iraq). The Babylonians effectively ended Jewish political sovereignty until the Hasmonean Dynasty.
Map showing the approximate boundaries of Neo-Babylonian Empire during the year 550 BCE. When the realm reached its greatest extent. Ennomus, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Persians
The ancient Persians conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. Shortly after the Persians took over Babylon, King Cyrus the Great of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, where they rebuilt King Solomon’s temple, which the Babylonians had destroyed. However, many Jews who were exiled to Babylon chose to stay, creating the first Jewish diaspora. This event marked a significant shift in the history of the Jewish community, spreading their influence and culture across different regions.
This is a map of the Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, around 500 BC, featuring ancient regions, settlements, and Satrapies. Cattette, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Persians raided and ruled what was left of Judah before Alexander the Great brought down the Persian Empire. After Alexander the Great’s death, Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, created the Seleucid Empire, which ruled Judah for about 250 years. A line of Jewish rulers called the Hasmonean dynasty, descended from Simon Maccbeus, a priest, gained semi-autonomy and then full autonomy from the Seleucid Empire. The Hasmonean dynasty, which included Israel, Judah, and some areas of Jordan, ruled until the Roman Empire took Jerusalem in 63 B.C.
Map of the Seleucid Empire 323 - 60 B.C. Arab League.Arab Hafez at English Wikipedia.Later version(s) were uploaded by Beao, Jjupiter100 at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rome
Rome allowed Jewish rulers, such as Herod the Great, who built the second Jewish temple, to control Israel as client kings of Rome. However, the Jewish population began a series of revolts against the Roman empire that resulted in the Romans destroying the Second Temple in 70 A.D., killing over 500,000 people and expelling the remaining Jews. The Jewish people would not regain political sovereignty until the State of Israel was created in 1948.
Map of the Roman Empire 43BC. ColdEel, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
TLDR - Conclusion
In brief, the people of the southern Kingdom of Judah, which consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, became known as Jews. The Jewish people, despite facing numerous conquests, retained total control of the land of Judah for over two hundred years. They became a vassal State before the Roman Empire destroyed the Kingdom and renamed the area Palestine in 70 B.C.
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Contact us at info@bellbeanglobal.com for a detailed historical and legal analysis of the Israel - Palestine conflict to schedule training for your Organization or public speaking engagements.
References:
Mark, Joshua J.. "Palestine." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 25, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/palestine/.
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