People remember a Golden Age once the ruler of that time period has died. This usually happens when the ruler had a great record of building of palaces and temples and doing things for his followers. Building a divine temple or structure includes having a divine eternal promise for it, creating a memorial or consecration for it, and making it appealing to the people. So basically this is how Solomon was, and this is what he did.
When Solomon died, Rehoboam, his son, took over Jerusalem. He basically said he's going to "lay the smack down" on the people of Jerusalem, and obviously they didn't like that. He proclaimed that his little finger was thicker than that of his father's loin, pretty much meaning he wasn't going to be nice. And he definitely wasn't.
So the south and the north split due to the rebellion of the people. The south was proclaimed Judah, while the North was to be Israel. Jerusalem was located in the south, so therefore there was not much of a worship center in the north. They didn't want to make pilgrimages to the south so historical places like the Tel Dan were used as a place of worship. Basically, there became alternatives to Jerusalem (which, by the way, was now the capital of Judah in the south).
Israel and Judah began to fight, so they made alliances with other people. For instance, Israel became a vassal of Assyria, making pacts and such. The fear of Assyria was great.
Assyrian Military Tactics:
-acted as deterrents to the people
-rebels killed outside of city walls
-crucifixion as a public display
-heads hung on trees
As a Response:
-urbanization
-industrialization
-use of receipts & seals
-farming and trade
-growth in olive industry
-change in language
Hezekiah's Fortification:
-preparation for Assyrians to attack
-building walls
-stocking up
-creating water sources
Andddd that's all for now!
km.
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