Israel and Judah Split

After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam became king, but the northern tribes asked him to reduce the heavy burdens placed on them. Rehoboam refused harshly, causing ten tribes to break away and form the northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam I. The southern kingdom, Judah, remained under the Davidic dynasty and kept Jerusalem and the Temple. This split was one of the most important turning points in biblical history: Israel and Judah became separate kingdoms, often rivals, and the northern kingdom developed its own religious centers at Bethel and Dan, which the Tanakh strongly criticizes.