Antiquities Book 8, Chapter 10
Concerning Rehoboam, And How God Inflicted Punishment Upon Him For His Impiety By Shishak [King Of Egypt].
1. Now Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, who, as we said before, was king of
the two tribes, built strong and large cities, Bethlehem, and Etare, and
Tekoa, and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, and Ipan, and Maresha, and
Ziph, and Adorlam, and Lachlsh, and Azekah, and Zorah, and Aijalon, and
Hebron; these he built first of all in the tribe of Judah. He also built
other large cities in the tribe of Benjamin, and walled them about, and
put garrisons in them all, and captains, and a great deal of corn, and
wine, and oil, and he furnished every one of them plentifully with other
provisions that were necessary for sustenance; moreover, he put therein
shields and spears for many ten thousand men. The priests also that were
in all Israel, and the Levites, and if there were any of the multitude
that were good and righteous men, they gathered themselves together to
him, having left their own cities, that they might worship God in
Jerusalem; for they were not willing to be forced to worship the heifers
which Jeroboam had made; and they augmented the kingdom of Rehoboam for
three years. And after he had married a woman of his own kindred, and
had by her three children born to him, he married also another of his
own kindred, who was daughter of Absalom by Tamar, whose name was
Maachah, and by her he had a son, whom he named Abijah. He had moreover
many other children by other wives, but he loved Maachah above them all.
Now he had eighteen legitimate wives, and thirty concubines; and he had
born to him twenty-eight sons and threescore daughters; but he appointed
Abijah, whom he had by Maachah, to be his successor in the kingdom, and
intrusted him already with the treasures and the strongest cities.
2. Now I cannot but think that the greatness of a kingdom, and its
change into prosperity, often become the occasion of mischief and of
transgression to men; for when Rehoboam saw that his kingdom was so much
increased, he went out of the right way unto unrighteous and irreligious
practices, and he despised the worship of God, till the people
themselves imitated his wicked actions: for so it usually happens, that
the manners of subjects are corrupted at the same time with those of
their governors, which subjects then lay aside their own sober way of
living, as a reproof of their governors' intemperate courses, and follow
their wickedness as if it were virtue; for it is not possible to show
that men approve of the actions of their kings, unless they do the same
actions with them. Agreeable whereto it now happened to the subjects of
Rehoboam; for when he was grown impious, and a transgressor himself,
they endeavored not to offend him by resolving still to be righteous.
But God sent Shishak, king of Egypt, to punish them for their unjust
behavior towards him, concerning whom Herodotus was mistaken, and
applied his actions to Sesostris; for this Shishak, 26 in the fifth year
of the reign of Rehoboam, made an expedition [into Judea] with many ten
thousand men; for he had one thousand two hundred chariots in number
that followed him, and threescore thousand horsemen, and four hundred
thousand footmen. These he brought with him, and they were the greatest
part of them Libyans and Ethiopians. Now therefore when he fell upon the
country of the Hebrews, he took the strongest cities of Rehoboam's
kingdom without fighting; and when he had put garrisons in them, he came
last of all to Jerusalem.
3. Now when Rehoboam, and the multitude with him, were shut up in
Jerusalem by the means of the army of Shishak, and when they besought
God to give them victory and deliverance, they could not persuade God to
be on their side. But Shemaiah the prophet told them, that God
threatened to forsake them, as they had themselves forsaken his worship.
When they heard this, they were immediately in a consternation of mind;
and seeing no way of deliverance, they all earnestly set themselves to
confess that God might justly overlook them, since they had been guilty
of impiety towards him, and had let his laws lie in confusion. So when
God saw them in that disposition, and that they acknowledge their sins,
he told the prophet that he would not destroy them, but that he would,
however, make them servants to the Egyptians, that they may learn
whether they will suffer less by serving men or God. So when Shishak had
taken the city without fighting, because Rehoboam was afraid, and
received him into it, yet did not Shishak stand to the covenants he had
made, but he spoiled the temple, and emptied the treasures of God, and
those of the king, and carried off innumerable ten thousands of gold and
silver, and left nothing at all behind him. He also took away the
bucklers of gold, and the shields, which Solomon the king had made; nay,
he did not leave the golden quivers which David had taken from the king
of Zobah, and had dedicated to God; and when he had thus done, he
returned to his own kingdom. Now Herodotus of Halicarnassus mentions
this expedition, having only mistaken the king's name; and [in saying
that] he made war upon many other nations also, and brought Syria of
Palestine into subjection, and took the men that were therein prisoners
without fighting. Now it is manifest that he intended to declare that
our nation was subdued by him; for he saith that he left behind him
pillars in the land of those that delivered themselves up to him without
fighting, and engraved upon them the secret parts of women. Now our king
Rehoboam delivered up our city without fighting. He says withal 27 that
the Ethiopians learned to circumcise their privy parts from the
Egyptians, with this addition, that the Phoenicians and Syrians that
live in Palestine confess that they learned it of the Egyptians. Yet it
is evident that no other of the Syrians that live in Palestine, besides
us alone, are circumcised. But as to such matters, let every one speak
what is agreeable to his own opinion.
4. When Shishak was gone away, king Rehoboam made bucklers and shields
of brass, instead of those of gold, and delivered the same number of
them to the keepers of the king's palace. So, instead of warlike
expeditions, and that glory which results from those public actions, he
reigned in great quietness, though not without fear, as being always an
enemy to Jeroboam, and he died when he had lived fifty-seven years, and
reigned seventeen. He was in his disposition a proud and a foolish man,
and lost [part of his] dominions by not hearkening to his father's
friends. He was buried in Jerusalem, in the sepulchers of the kings; and
his son Abijah succeeded him in the kingdom, and this in the eighteenth
year of Jeroboam's reign over the ten tribes; and this was the
conclusion of these affairs. It must be now our business to relate the
affairs of Jeroboam, and how he ended his life; for he ceased not nor
rested to be injurious to God, but every day raised up altars upon high
mountains, and went on making priests out of the multitude.
the two tribes, built strong and large cities, Bethlehem, and Etare, and
Tekoa, and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, and Ipan, and Maresha, and
Ziph, and Adorlam, and Lachlsh, and Azekah, and Zorah, and Aijalon, and
Hebron; these he built first of all in the tribe of Judah. He also built
other large cities in the tribe of Benjamin, and walled them about, and
put garrisons in them all, and captains, and a great deal of corn, and
wine, and oil, and he furnished every one of them plentifully with other
provisions that were necessary for sustenance; moreover, he put therein
shields and spears for many ten thousand men. The priests also that were
in all Israel, and the Levites, and if there were any of the multitude
that were good and righteous men, they gathered themselves together to
him, having left their own cities, that they might worship God in
Jerusalem; for they were not willing to be forced to worship the heifers
which Jeroboam had made; and they augmented the kingdom of Rehoboam for
three years. And after he had married a woman of his own kindred, and
had by her three children born to him, he married also another of his
own kindred, who was daughter of Absalom by Tamar, whose name was
Maachah, and by her he had a son, whom he named Abijah. He had moreover
many other children by other wives, but he loved Maachah above them all.
Now he had eighteen legitimate wives, and thirty concubines; and he had
born to him twenty-eight sons and threescore daughters; but he appointed
Abijah, whom he had by Maachah, to be his successor in the kingdom, and
intrusted him already with the treasures and the strongest cities.
2. Now I cannot but think that the greatness of a kingdom, and its
change into prosperity, often become the occasion of mischief and of
transgression to men; for when Rehoboam saw that his kingdom was so much
increased, he went out of the right way unto unrighteous and irreligious
practices, and he despised the worship of God, till the people
themselves imitated his wicked actions: for so it usually happens, that
the manners of subjects are corrupted at the same time with those of
their governors, which subjects then lay aside their own sober way of
living, as a reproof of their governors' intemperate courses, and follow
their wickedness as if it were virtue; for it is not possible to show
that men approve of the actions of their kings, unless they do the same
actions with them. Agreeable whereto it now happened to the subjects of
Rehoboam; for when he was grown impious, and a transgressor himself,
they endeavored not to offend him by resolving still to be righteous.
But God sent Shishak, king of Egypt, to punish them for their unjust
behavior towards him, concerning whom Herodotus was mistaken, and
applied his actions to Sesostris; for this Shishak, 26 in the fifth year
of the reign of Rehoboam, made an expedition [into Judea] with many ten
thousand men; for he had one thousand two hundred chariots in number
that followed him, and threescore thousand horsemen, and four hundred
thousand footmen. These he brought with him, and they were the greatest
part of them Libyans and Ethiopians. Now therefore when he fell upon the
country of the Hebrews, he took the strongest cities of Rehoboam's
kingdom without fighting; and when he had put garrisons in them, he came
last of all to Jerusalem.
3. Now when Rehoboam, and the multitude with him, were shut up in
Jerusalem by the means of the army of Shishak, and when they besought
God to give them victory and deliverance, they could not persuade God to
be on their side. But Shemaiah the prophet told them, that God
threatened to forsake them, as they had themselves forsaken his worship.
When they heard this, they were immediately in a consternation of mind;
and seeing no way of deliverance, they all earnestly set themselves to
confess that God might justly overlook them, since they had been guilty
of impiety towards him, and had let his laws lie in confusion. So when
God saw them in that disposition, and that they acknowledge their sins,
he told the prophet that he would not destroy them, but that he would,
however, make them servants to the Egyptians, that they may learn
whether they will suffer less by serving men or God. So when Shishak had
taken the city without fighting, because Rehoboam was afraid, and
received him into it, yet did not Shishak stand to the covenants he had
made, but he spoiled the temple, and emptied the treasures of God, and
those of the king, and carried off innumerable ten thousands of gold and
silver, and left nothing at all behind him. He also took away the
bucklers of gold, and the shields, which Solomon the king had made; nay,
he did not leave the golden quivers which David had taken from the king
of Zobah, and had dedicated to God; and when he had thus done, he
returned to his own kingdom. Now Herodotus of Halicarnassus mentions
this expedition, having only mistaken the king's name; and [in saying
that] he made war upon many other nations also, and brought Syria of
Palestine into subjection, and took the men that were therein prisoners
without fighting. Now it is manifest that he intended to declare that
our nation was subdued by him; for he saith that he left behind him
pillars in the land of those that delivered themselves up to him without
fighting, and engraved upon them the secret parts of women. Now our king
Rehoboam delivered up our city without fighting. He says withal 27 that
the Ethiopians learned to circumcise their privy parts from the
Egyptians, with this addition, that the Phoenicians and Syrians that
live in Palestine confess that they learned it of the Egyptians. Yet it
is evident that no other of the Syrians that live in Palestine, besides
us alone, are circumcised. But as to such matters, let every one speak
what is agreeable to his own opinion.
4. When Shishak was gone away, king Rehoboam made bucklers and shields
of brass, instead of those of gold, and delivered the same number of
them to the keepers of the king's palace. So, instead of warlike
expeditions, and that glory which results from those public actions, he
reigned in great quietness, though not without fear, as being always an
enemy to Jeroboam, and he died when he had lived fifty-seven years, and
reigned seventeen. He was in his disposition a proud and a foolish man,
and lost [part of his] dominions by not hearkening to his father's
friends. He was buried in Jerusalem, in the sepulchers of the kings; and
his son Abijah succeeded him in the kingdom, and this in the eighteenth
year of Jeroboam's reign over the ten tribes; and this was the
conclusion of these affairs. It must be now our business to relate the
affairs of Jeroboam, and how he ended his life; for he ceased not nor
rested to be injurious to God, but every day raised up altars upon high
mountains, and went on making priests out of the multitude.