succeeded by his son Rehoboam, the folly and wickedness of whose conduct
induced ten of the tribes to revolt, and they chose Jeroboam one of his
officers for their king. The two tribes that remained faithful to
Rehoboam were Judah and Benjamin. Rehoboam's kingdom was called Judah,
and the capital of it was Jerusalem. Jeroboam's kingdom was named Israel
and its chief city was Samaria.

Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Nadab; and after he had reigned two
years, he was killed by Baasha, who usurped the crown and destroyed the
whole race of Jeroboam, a man remarkable for his impiety.--All the
succeeding kings of Judah were descendants of Rehoboam, which fulfilled
the promise made by God to David, that he would "establish his house and
the throne of his kingdom for ever:" this was a declaration that the
Messiah was to be a descendant of David.

There were frequent wars between the kings of Judah and Israel, and
between them and the neighbouring kings,--the kings and people both of
Judah and Israel, soon fell into the greatest depravity; and at length
God suffered Shalmaneser king of Assyria, by the capture of Samaria in
the reign of Hoshea, to put an end to the kingdom of Israel 721 years
B. C. and about 250 years after its first establishment into a separate
kingdom. And 606 years B. C. and about 115 years after the destruction
of the kingdom of Israel, God permitted Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
to invade Judea in the reign of Jehoiakim, and to besiege and take
Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was carried prisoner to Babylon, though afterwards
restored to his kingdom, and succeeded by two other kings, yet, from
this period may be dated the commencement of the Babylonian captivity,
which according to the prediction of Jeremiah was to last 70 years. When
this time was completed, Cyrus, under whom were united the kingdoms of
Persia, Media, and Babylon, permitted the Jews to return to their own
land, and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.

They were conducted by Zerubbabel the grandson of Jeconias, and Joshua
the son of Josedec the high priest. The second temple was finished in
the reign of king Darius of Persia.

The settlement of the people "after their old estate," together with the
arrangement of all civil and ecclesiastical matters, were completed by
Ezra and Nehemiah.

At the period, about 430 years B. C. the Scripture history closes, and
for the remaining particulars of the Jewish history recourse must be had
to uninspired