on the news of Solomon's death, undertook to represent their grievances
to the new king. "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make
thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put
upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee." Rehoboam demanded three
days for the consideration of his reply; he took counsel with the old
advisers of the late king, who exhorted him to comply with the petition,
but the young men who were his habitual companions urged him, on the
contrary, to meet the remonstrances of his subjects with threats of
still harsher exactions. Their advice was taken, and when Jeroboam again
presented himself, Rehoboam greeted him with raillery and threats. "My
little finger is thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my
father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke:
my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with
scorpions." This unwise answer did not produce the intimidating effect
which was desired; the cry of revolt, which had already been raised in
the earlier days of the monarchy, was once more heard. "What portion
have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse:
to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David." Rehoboam
attempted to carry his threats into execution, and sent the collectors
of taxes among the rebels to enforce payment; but one of them was stoned
almost before his eyes, and the king himself had barely time to regain
his chariot and flee to Jerusalem to escape an outburst of popular
fury. The northern and central tribes immediately offered the crown to
Jeroboam, and the partisans of the son of Solomon were reduced to those
of his own tribe; Judah, Caleb, the few remaining Simeonites, and some
of the towns of Dan and Benjamin, which were too near to Jerusalem to
escape the influence of a great city, were all who threw in their lot
with him.*

* 1 Kings xii. 1--24; cf. 2 Chron. x., xi. 1-4. The text of
1 Kings xii. 20 expressly says, "there was none that
followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only;"
whereas the following verse, which some think to have been
added by another hand, adds that Rehoboam assembled 180,000
men "which were warriors" from "the house of Judah and the
tribe of Benjamin."

Thus was accomplished the downfall of the House of David, and with it
the Hebrew kingdom which it had been at such pains to build up. When we
consider th